rdnckrbby
Senior Member
This season has started with a bang. I've been fortunate enough the good Lord blessed me with a bird opening day and stud yesteday evening after work as well.
Bird #1 3/26
Hunted hard saturday between showers without much to show for it. Ended up settled in a winter wheat field next to a creek bottom around 430PM right after a storm rolled through to finish out the day. All was quiet for the first hour or so when after some periodic calling one gobbled down in the creek across the property line. I debated moving closer but decided to sit tight and see what happened. A few minutes later he gobbled again in the same spot and simoultaneously a bird gobble 400 yards across the field I was set up in. 12 gobbles and 10 minutes later the field bird was standing at 10 yards and I dropped the hammer. This beard had a 9.5" beard and 7/8's spurs. 2 year old but a good start to the year.
Bird #2 3/29
Fast forward to yesterday. Got off work and scouted a new area and saw some sign but a tractor came into the onion field and i decided to head back to saturday's spot. Arrived at 6:30 and sat down and called and was immediately answered by the bird in the creek. The bird worked up into shooting range but off my left shoulder where I could not shoot. He came as close as 5 steps and was gobbling and drumming so loud that I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Luckily he worked past me and did not see me and popped out in the field off my right shoulder and came past at 8 steps where i was able to get a clean shot. When i got up to him and saw he sported 3 beards (9,6 3/8, 3 3/4) I knew i had shot a trophy! I've killed a few double beards over the years but this was the first with 3.
Bird #1 3/26
Hunted hard saturday between showers without much to show for it. Ended up settled in a winter wheat field next to a creek bottom around 430PM right after a storm rolled through to finish out the day. All was quiet for the first hour or so when after some periodic calling one gobbled down in the creek across the property line. I debated moving closer but decided to sit tight and see what happened. A few minutes later he gobbled again in the same spot and simoultaneously a bird gobble 400 yards across the field I was set up in. 12 gobbles and 10 minutes later the field bird was standing at 10 yards and I dropped the hammer. This beard had a 9.5" beard and 7/8's spurs. 2 year old but a good start to the year.
Bird #2 3/29
Fast forward to yesterday. Got off work and scouted a new area and saw some sign but a tractor came into the onion field and i decided to head back to saturday's spot. Arrived at 6:30 and sat down and called and was immediately answered by the bird in the creek. The bird worked up into shooting range but off my left shoulder where I could not shoot. He came as close as 5 steps and was gobbling and drumming so loud that I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Luckily he worked past me and did not see me and popped out in the field off my right shoulder and came past at 8 steps where i was able to get a clean shot. When i got up to him and saw he sported 3 beards (9,6 3/8, 3 3/4) I knew i had shot a trophy! I've killed a few double beards over the years but this was the first with 3.
