**Vidalia Smack Down! (TenPtr, Boparks,Gut Pile, Booner Killa and friends)**

Well guys this weekend was one for the record books. I had high expectations for this trip because of the crew that I knew would be down there. I knew going in their would be some beaks smashed. Between the group as a whole close to over 200 birds have died over the years. I was not only excited about the turkey hunting but I was also excited about getting to share camp with some people I now consider good friends. My last trip down to TenPtr's place was unreal. Turkeys were everywhere and I watched 3 birds die, 2 that I killed, which finished my limit, and 1 that my dad killed. This place is just awesome and I just knew something good was going to happen.

We get down friday night and everyone has a good time. We hang out by the camp fire sharing turkey story after turkey story just waiting to get tired enough to go to sleep. After hearing about several deaths to some giant longbeards I finally went and laid down in my truck and tried to get some sleep. Tried is what I did, but I failed. I maybe slept for a total of 1 hour in the 4 hours I laid down. Needless to say I was excited. We all split up and went our separate way. Dad and I were together, Wes and Ben were together, Mr. Bobby and Zach were together, and Brian went off solo.

Daylight greeted dad and I with 3 birds firing off from the roost. Shortly after fly down we had a bird working our way from the left. We look to the right and there is a hen coming. So we decided to spook her off so she wouldn't ruin the game. That worked...for a bout 5 minutes. Once the bird gobbled again about 75 yards away then hen flew up over the road and over us and straight to him. He never made another noise So we decide to move on another bird that was hammering pretty good in a little creek bottom off the backside of some planted pines. We get set up on the bird and he is responding pretty well. We decide to go silent on him and see what he would do. He would gobble 150 yards away, the 100, then 75...safety off get ready. Then he would gobble at 100, then back at 150. He did this three of four more times and we finally made our final move which ended up being our 4th set up on the bird. We let him get to 150 then went to the area he was at when gobbling at 75 yards away. We set up and he gobbles at some crows about 100 yards out. I cluck and purr a few times and he cuts me off. I put the call down. The crows kept raising cane and he wouldn't gobble. I knew he was either on the way or just got a hen. About 5 minutes after his last gobble I hear a stick break just right in the thick stuff. All of a sudden he pops out right there at 20 yards. But to dads severe left. Dad had to make a quick move on him but he pulled it off and at 7:55am Saturday morning dad dropped his second bird of the season. It was awesome. We took him back to camp and by the end of the day BoonerKiller and Boparks had both slapped one in the face! But I will let them add their stories of the hunt to the thread!

Sunday morning the woods were quiet...DEAD QUIET!!!! Ben ended up killing a bird named tank that was a stud. Huge long thick beard, 20lbs and 1 1/4" hooks. The good lord blessed us once again and allowed us to spend some time in the woods while making friends and killing turkeys! I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and I thank Zach so much for letting us come down. I also send congrats out once again to all that killed this weekend! I can't wait to do it again next year!


Dads bird:
17lbs
9 1/2" beard
15/16" sharp spurs.

Nice! Looking forward to the other's stories and pics!!

When are you going to take me? Congrats on all your birds this year!

Great day in the turkey woods right there......

Gadget said:

Great day in the turkey woods right there......

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Only thing that was missing was Bobby's sunglasses. Then we could have been just like "team hollywood"

What were we thinking

WOW!!! Y'all had one heck of weekend. Looks like a ton afun congrats.

Congrats fellas, Havin to much fun right there!

Will, I thought the same thing about the glasses. Some one should have given him a pair for the picts.

Congrats on a great trip!! You have had a heck of a season and seen a good number or bird die!

Awesome!!!!

fine job boys!!

My hats off to Zach for the invite two yrs in a row!!!!!! It was a trip I'll never forget. It was my first time meeting Boparks as well as Gut Pile and there is no doubt in my mind I'll be backing up against a tree with em again. Sat morning was one of the best gobbling mornings I've ever heard!
I was greeted at daylight by a hen to the east about 85 yds followed by two gobbles that came farther to the east about 250 yds away. I turned and started easing toward them. I knew I couldn't go far because of the way this particular piece of property was. My goal was to get even with the hen to at least give her some competition. I sat down and she yelped to my left and those two birds hammered. I yelped at her and a longbeard gobbled 65 yds to my left that was almost with the hen and about blew my hat off. I knew the longbeard had probably seen me sit down so the gig was up. I watched him pitch out of the tree and bank away from me and fly down into a foodplot and none of the other longbeards or the hen made another peep.
I eased around to another spot that I knew would be promising calling along the way. I got to the base of a hill and just stood to listen a min. Over the top of the hill, Zach had promised birds would be visiting a bowl in a recent burn and he told me not to walk over the top of the hill. I eased toward the bowl at the top of the hill and was greeted by two gobbles that were close.....just over the top of the hill just as I was told. I hunkered down and got into "ninja" mode and eased almost to the crest of the hill. I absolutely love this scenario because he's got to peek over the top of the hill to see his lover! I made a couple soft yelps and picked my gun up and got ready. It wasn't a min later and I hear a gobble maybe 40 yds.....he was barely over the crest. Finally I see a red head peek over the rise. I got on him when he put his head back down and made a call. He stretched out to see me and as my new buddy Gutpile would say....."I shot him in the beak"....I told you I'd use it!!!! He went to floppin....He was probably the lightest two yr old I've ever killed at maybe 13-14 lbs. I was easing back to the truck when I heard another bird gobble. After playing phone tag with Zach about 20 mins, I finally got ahold of him and he Bobby (Boparks) approached him from the west....Bobby will finish this adventure up but to be honest with those two after him...I really didn't like his odds of survival too much. The turkeys were great but they can't hold a candle to the camp! It was a blast!!!! Thanks again Zach!!!

man will, yall have been puttin a hurtin on the birds. that is some awesome stuff! congratulations to all!!

Booner Killa said:

I told you I'd use it!!!!

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There is nothing like smashing one in the beak!!!!

It is actually my favorite thing to do...or get seen done!

sounds like alot of fun!

love the stories and pics! congrats folks

This trip was a lot of fun. Meeting Zach,Brian, Ben and Wesley and sharing the camp which included Will and his dad were great.

I really have to thank Zach for this invitation. He was so generous and I don't think I've ever met enyone that knew so much specific detail about what's going on on a property. He was the ultimate guide.

As Brian mentioned we got on a bird late in the morning almost at noon. Brian had let us know that he'd heard a bird on a part of the property and Zach and I went after him.

We set up and let it quieten down and then hit the call. He gobbled from about 200 yards away. I waited a couple minutes and hit the call again and he cut me off and had cut the distance in half. I was set up on one side of the road and Zach on the far side away from the bird. When I sat down the sun must have been behind a cloud because after the bird sounded off all of a sudden I had sun all over me and did not feel good about feeling like I was under the spotlight with the bird coming in. I couldn't move and just stayed still. After a few minutes and when the cloud blocked the sun I made a soft call and he gobbled and was close. He driftred right by me at 45 yards and I thought he would pop out if front of Zach in the road. He dissapperared in the brush and I expected to hear Zach shoot at any moment. I just couldn't see anything and did not know where the bird was. The bird happened to quarter away and eneded up 65 yards in front of Zach. I kept waiiting and then I heard Zach call which made me think the bird was out a ways. I hit my call again and he gobbled and I realized he had moved off 120 yards. I started laying on the calling then and he really fired up and gobbled his head off. He turned and started coming straight back to Zach. As he got closer I could tell something was up because Zach's gun was pointed straight down the road but I could tell by his hat the bird was coming from a little right of his gun.

The bird put on a show and strutted up to I'd guess about 25 yards from Zach. It occurred to me that it was going to be hard for him to turn right and would have required a snap shot. I was looking at him thru my new Burris redot and although the bird was 43 yards from me it looked very do-able so I squeezed off the shot and he went down.

The truth is I think Zach probably could have kiled this bird but because of the way he is I think he was trying to give me every opportunity.

It was a hunt I'll never forget.

Zach and I had a great hunt Sunday as well and had some very close encounters and came very close to getting a bird more than once. We didn't end up with a bird but it was a fun hunt.


Spending the time with good folks and having an exciting hunt is hard to beat. I'll never be able to thank Zach enough.

Bobby

Guys, it sounds like a great trip and good times. Congrats to all.

gaturkey99 said:

man will, yall have been puttin a hurtin on the birds. that is some awesome stuff! congratulations to all!!

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Matthew the birds have definitely been making me feel good this year. I have just been running into some birds that were willing to play the game. I expect to be humbled any time now. I know it wont take long.

congrats on an awesome weekend guys.

Thanks to everyone for the replies so far