Jack Flynn
Senior Member
What a morning! Babygirl and I got settled in a bunch of Turkey's bedrooms this morning. Yesterday after her not pulling the trigger on several birds, we moved over to where the Turkey's have been coming from sort of. As it got just light enough to see, a bird gobbled maybe 200 yds away on some private property. He flew down and commenced to gobbling for 45 minutes straight 75-100 times or more. Would not respond to me at ALL! In the meantime right after he started gobbling 2-400 yds away back and forth mind you 4 big jakes come in view. I didn't see them, but saw Ashley raise her gun, I'm the observer. Told her to relax, they're out there at 100 yds once I spotted them. This bird keeps wearing the airwaves out. I've thrown a slate call, two mouth calls, then another glass call his way and he isn't gobbling for me at all just on his own. Around 0730 I pull out my Mentor, Milfords box call he gave me. I cluck a couple of times then yelp 3 times. This bird gobbles immediately at us. A minute goes by and I send 3 yelps his way and he double gobbles. Milfords call... A minute goes by again and I send him 2 more yelps and he crushes it again. I put the call down as this bird is at least 400 yds across an opening. 15-20 minutes go by and a couple 100 yds out I see that red and white head looking. I tell Babygirl, big bird in the field coming our way. She cannot see him as she's facing almost away where the other birds were. He struts then periscopes, struts the periscopes several times. All the time knowing where he heard that call from that way. He gobbles then one cautious step at a time slowly looking and wanting that girlfriend, me..... He gets within 50 yds and I mean one step at a time, Babygirl is glued on him, I've laid my gun down. This bird is on a string! He struts again then walks behind a huge pin oak tree. When he clears that pin oak he stops he gobbles at 25 yds in her face, raises his head and POW that little 20 ga goes off. To my dismay he stutters and turns and flies off sideways! I've went from high to low then really high then this. I think at that time she missed him. I lean back and look at Babygirl and she is all smiles still, not knowing. Well after about 15 minutes I get up and go to look at the scene and immediately see blood. The gobbler was standing directly over an old rusted oil filter and it has 5 drops of blood on it. Shotshell wad laying beside it. No feathers at all, so I'm assuming it has to be in the neck and up region. The bird flew off so no broken wings meaning a body shot at that close was out of the question. I see about 5 or 6 vines that have been hit by shot on either side of the bird. Meanwhile I get trapped right there as a hen and 6 gobblers have came back into the opening eating again. Chasing bugs and such...... eating grass. I finally get back to sit down beside Ashley and tell her she did hit the bird. I call Thomson DNR to see about how to check private property for a turkey we have shot. Talking with them while birds are chasing bugs all over the field lol. Mr. Max Boswell comes out and goes way above the call of duty and searches for Ashley's gobbler on the property we cannot access. He walks up on a bird that putts away that he should not have been able to walk up on, big gobbler. Anyway we feel very sure the bird will survive for another day with us. Babygirl got to see what a bird walking straight into your lap is like then gobbles in her face. What a morning. Several birds gobbled in the distance all around us but the close birds to this gobbler would not say a word, that should tell ya something. Back at it in the morning again! Babygirl has had the chance to pull the trigger on 5 birds in the last week and a half and this is the first one she has pulled the trigger on.
