Gator89
Senior Member
Waited from daylight to 1040, but I got him.
Need some Jake's to clear so I can go check him out. But he is an old smart joker.
Need some Jake's to clear so I can go check him out. But he is an old smart joker.
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Big Bird Down + Last Day Success
- Thread starter Gator89
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Gator89
Senior Member
Great bird , congrats !
turkeykirk
Senior Member
Nice!
Nice I guess Osceola from central Fl.
turkeyhuntinfool
Senior Member
Congrats !
Gator89
Senior Member
Yes.
Gator89
Senior Member
Gator89
Senior Member
It was hot and muggy start this morning, I worked up a sweat getting my blind setup about 45 minutes before daylight. Got in, got the thermacell running and waited. Skitters were thick. About 715 the bird gobbled once, ~150 yards off across a small field. Few minutes later the bird gobbles again. Finally I see the bird as he walks into the field. Made a few yelps and purrs, but no interest. Just strutting and a few gobbles and turning small circles. I look north and see some more birds coming. Glass them and it is a group of hens. They pass by the gobbler and he follows. Gobbling, drumming, strutting and putting on a show at 150 to 200 yards along the opposite treeline. Five jakes come and join, the big bird struts some and chases jakes some. About 945 all the birds disappear, heading away from me.
A little after 10 a single hen comes back to the field and turns north. Fifteen minutes or so later another hen comes out of the trees and I hear a gobble, and with my binoculars I see the big bird in the trees but coming behind the hen. He finally leaves the edge of trees and walks into the field. The hen he followed doubled back. But by this time the first hen had made a loop and was coming back, but much closer to my side of the field, skirting a big live oak with low branches.
Suddenly the breeze picks up and my decoy wiggles on the peg and the gobbler suddenly shows interest and starts my way. The hen is feeding closer to me and my decoy is twisting in the wind. So I sat and waited and watched the show. Bird travelling west to east, sun shining brightly on him, strutting, drumming and gobbling a bit. The hen gets to about 10 yards of the decoy and puffs up and walks up to the decoy. The gobbler was about 40 yards and starting to figure out the decoy and starts to angle southeast instead coming straight to me. So I figure now or never, stuck the gun out the side window and delivered a load of TSS to his noggin. He dropped like a stone, just kicked his legs a few times. The hen walked over and checked him out. Then the five jakes came over to check him out.
I watched this bird for the better part of 3 hours of my 4 hour hunt, as he followed hens back and forth along the opposite tree line.
I am fairly certain this is a bird I got on twice last year, but he would not come into range. But, I learned a few of his tricks last year.
A little after 10 a single hen comes back to the field and turns north. Fifteen minutes or so later another hen comes out of the trees and I hear a gobble, and with my binoculars I see the big bird in the trees but coming behind the hen. He finally leaves the edge of trees and walks into the field. The hen he followed doubled back. But by this time the first hen had made a loop and was coming back, but much closer to my side of the field, skirting a big live oak with low branches.
Suddenly the breeze picks up and my decoy wiggles on the peg and the gobbler suddenly shows interest and starts my way. The hen is feeding closer to me and my decoy is twisting in the wind. So I sat and waited and watched the show. Bird travelling west to east, sun shining brightly on him, strutting, drumming and gobbling a bit. The hen gets to about 10 yards of the decoy and puffs up and walks up to the decoy. The gobbler was about 40 yards and starting to figure out the decoy and starts to angle southeast instead coming straight to me. So I figure now or never, stuck the gun out the side window and delivered a load of TSS to his noggin. He dropped like a stone, just kicked his legs a few times. The hen walked over and checked him out. Then the five jakes came over to check him out.
I watched this bird for the better part of 3 hours of my 4 hour hunt, as he followed hens back and forth along the opposite tree line.
I am fairly certain this is a bird I got on twice last year, but he would not come into range. But, I learned a few of his tricks last year.
Gator89
Senior Member
alwayslookin
Senior Member
Nice bird for sure. Congrats.
slow motion
Senior Member
Congratulations. Great story and gobbler.
JoPa
Senior Member
Congrats. Great story, one to remember for sure.
buckpasser
Senior Member
I’m beginning to suspect there’s something odd going on with those colorations. I’m very interested in the subtle differences of coloration between one gobbler and the next for decades, so I don’t think they have always been where I hunt.
Many years ago I’d see the occasional Tom with slightly buff tips on the primaries. As of a few years back the plantation has become laced with turkeys that look like Rios to me. I posted some pictures last year and the owner killed two.
I hope it’s not inbreeding, but I’m wondering if it could be that, or a mutation caused by some virus, disease, or chemical (maybe the same mystery one that knocked us down a while back?).
buckpasser
Senior Member
No Sir. These are middle of nowhere turkeys.
Duff
Senior Member
Great bird!! Congratulations!
bfriendly
Bigfoot friendly
Woohoo! He was smart, but you fooled him long enough! Congratulations!
What blind did you set up? I’ve certainly had no problems setting up a blind and sitting in it right away, just curious.
Gator89
Senior Member
Woohoo! He was smart, but you fooled him long enough! Congratulations!
I believe it is an Ameristep, it has the rings that spring open, a couple of flexible rods that support the top.
cj580guitar
Senior Member
BP my son killed one yesterday with the buff colored tipped feathers. And it does resemble my Rio I killed several years ago.
