Glenn
Senior Member
:grin
Dad and I went back this morning for one last hurrah on my quota permit and to try and work towards a bird we had heard a couple time on Saturday. So we had back down into the river swamp expecting to hear a gobble come from the North and deep near the river.
As the light began to fill the sky and the owls started going off we heard a distance gobble, but instead of him being in the swamp he was back out near a food plot and hammock 1/2 mile or so away.
We quickly ran out of the and made a beeline for him and having to cross fences, water and thick palmettos get to him. We hit the food plot and got as close as we dared to without spooking him. The only problem was that the sun would be in our faces once it lifted above the trees, but it was a chance we had to take.
So we tucked in next to two cabbage palms and brush on the side of this tall food plot. I began doing some soft yelps and clucks on the slate and after about 15 minutes I heard wing flaps on the other end of this huge plot where he had been gobbling. About 10-15 minutes go by and I hear some drumming. And then straight out in front of me I can see the grass in the plot moving and a red head pops up at what I figured to be 30 yards. The next couple of minutes go by quickly as he is looking for a hen and moving around in the tall grass. He finally stops and gives me a clean shot...and I laid him out with the Stevens 20 gauge with Federal Heavyweight #6's.
To my amazement the shot was actually a tad over 40 yards and he dropped like a rock. He ended up having a super thick beard that was 8", 1" spurs and weigh right at 15 lbs.
The curse has been broken and I finally tagged out after a 5 year drought! Plus it was my last day to hunt in Florida before making the big move to Georgia.
IMG_9267 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9263 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9278 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9285 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9290 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9292 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
Dad and I went back this morning for one last hurrah on my quota permit and to try and work towards a bird we had heard a couple time on Saturday. So we had back down into the river swamp expecting to hear a gobble come from the North and deep near the river.
As the light began to fill the sky and the owls started going off we heard a distance gobble, but instead of him being in the swamp he was back out near a food plot and hammock 1/2 mile or so away.
We quickly ran out of the and made a beeline for him and having to cross fences, water and thick palmettos get to him. We hit the food plot and got as close as we dared to without spooking him. The only problem was that the sun would be in our faces once it lifted above the trees, but it was a chance we had to take.
So we tucked in next to two cabbage palms and brush on the side of this tall food plot. I began doing some soft yelps and clucks on the slate and after about 15 minutes I heard wing flaps on the other end of this huge plot where he had been gobbling. About 10-15 minutes go by and I hear some drumming. And then straight out in front of me I can see the grass in the plot moving and a red head pops up at what I figured to be 30 yards. The next couple of minutes go by quickly as he is looking for a hen and moving around in the tall grass. He finally stops and gives me a clean shot...and I laid him out with the Stevens 20 gauge with Federal Heavyweight #6's.
To my amazement the shot was actually a tad over 40 yards and he dropped like a rock. He ended up having a super thick beard that was 8", 1" spurs and weigh right at 15 lbs.
The curse has been broken and I finally tagged out after a 5 year drought! Plus it was my last day to hunt in Florida before making the big move to Georgia.
IMG_9267 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9263 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9278 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9285 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9290 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
IMG_9292 by Glenn Whittington, on Flickr
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