I finally bagged the bird...(story added)

[Coulter]

I finally pulled this bad boy in for a less than ideal shot this morning at 6:18. I'll have to type up the story later, I have to run a few errands with the wife first. Here he though. 20 pound even, 9 3/8" beard and I haven't measured the spurs yet, they are nice though, check out the picture of 'em









Steve

[FinsnFur]

Nnnnnnnnnnice Steve 
It all paid off.

[DirtyDog]

Awsome job.... I can't wait to hera the story. 

[studabaka]

Sweet 

[iahntr]

Very cool !! Good job!

[HaMeR]

Thats a beauty right there!! Can't wait for the details now!!  Congrats!!

[Hawks Feather]

Good looking bird and like the others will be waiting for the story.

Jerry

[keekee]

Awesome dude! Congrads!


Brent

[HaMeR]

Is that a DogWood Creek box call??

It's a nice lookin one either way!!

[Dogwood Creek]

   Way to whack em' buddy. That is a nice gobbler you got there, congrats!

[Coulter]

Sorry, I've been running all day. I will get the story posted in the morning.

HaMeR...That is my own call that I made (North Bay Custom Game Calls)- Short box Bloodwood and Curly Maple paddle.





There's nothing better than taking a bird with a call of your creation. Story will follow tomorrow.

[cb223]

Congrats on the nice bird. Nice call too. As the others have said, I can't wait to hear the story.

[HaMeR]

Thats a damn nice lookin call you got there!! Double congrats on makin the call that brought that ol Tom to the gun.

[Coulter]

To get the full effect of this story read my other post from opening day under the post "Here is my story".

Week two was completely uneventful and I never got around to posting week three so here it is now.

Called another one in...(05/12/07)

Unfortunately, I screwed up this time and did not a have a chance of a shot at a nice Tom a mere 30 yards away.

Last week was completely uneventful. I went to the same spot I was at for the season opener with high hopes. I heard maybe 3 gobbles from the roost at 6 am, and never heard a peep the rest of the day. I hunted 'til 11:30 before calling it quits.

This past weekend was a bit different...I had every intention of going to this piece of property the night before the hunt and try to locate some birds – As usual, I got too busy and that never happened. I really didn't have a plan B, so I decided I would get in the woods as early in the morning as possible and head to the same spot again.

This spot is approximately ¾ of a mile back into the woods and also a 25-minute drive from my place. There are very few things that I get up at 4:30 am for, but trapping and turkey hunting get me motivated every time. Anyway, I arrived at my destination sometime between 5:30 and 5:45. Immediately, I grabbed my 12 gauge and overstuffed turkey vest and began my long walk into the morning darkness.

The first leg of the walk crosses a small creek and begins a fairly steep incline. After that it levels out and the slope is more gradual. At the top of the slope is a huge field that goes nearly to the edge of the ridge and overlooks the creek below...I never made it that far before this gobbler had the audacity to sound off a mere 1/8 of a mile into the woods. After last weeks silence, this was music to my ears. Now the dilemma was trying to figure out which way he would fly down. I was only half way up the hill at this point, while he was roosted in one of the trees in the valley below. The treetops here are high enough that the gobbler was still above me and no doubt had a good view of the field. So, I opted to finish my hike up into the field and to setup my decoys before the sun finished rising. The entire time I was setting up, this love-hungry gobbler was sounding off. It was still fairly dark when I finished setting up and I don't think he actually knew I was in the area at this point. I let out a couple of soft clucks on my bloodwood / curly maple shortbox and he responded emphatically. I put it down after that and he just kept right on gobbling – singles, doubles, triples and quadruples! This bad boy would not shut up, I was afraid he was going to lure another hunter into the area. I called once and a while just to let him know I was still there, but I kept my calling to a minimum.

After listening to him gobble for a solid hour, he finally flew down at about 6:50 – into the valley below. I called a few times and he would respond, but he would not budge. Half an hour later, I looked up and noticed a turkey feeding in the middle of the field about 300 yards away. It was a hen and it appeared to be working my way, before disappearing behind a dip in the field. The tom kept gobbling from the valley, yet he would still not budge. I tried walking to the edge of the field and calling into the valley below, then moving away in another direction; he still would not budge. I tried again 20 minutes later and was busted by the hen that circled behind me, putted, and flew into the valley below. The gobbler finally went silent. I remained for another twenty minutes before heading off to new territory.

This area was still relatively new to me, but I knew there was another large field at the other end of the valley. I decided to pack up and head that way and see if I could locate another bird on the way into my originally planned spot. The arrival at my spot was uneventful. I set up and called a few times before settling in for my late morning nap. I see nothing wrong with catching up on the sleep lost while the big boys are courting the hens. Heck it is usually only a 15 or 20 minute catnap anyway. I still sit around enjoying the solitude of the woods either way. After a while I get up and start exploring areas I have not yet been. Sometimes I find more good locations, more often it nothing more than a leisurely walk in the spring woods.

Around 9:45 I decided to begin my walk back to the truck and call on the way. I figured if I hadn't heard anything by the time I reached the truck it was a good time to hit another property.

At around the half way point, I hit my crow call and thought I heard a faint gobble on the other side of the valley. I walked closer and hit the crow call again – It was a gobble, and it seemed to be coming from the top of the hill on the other side. Down the hill I went, crossed the creek and clawed my way up the steep hillside. A couple clucks confirmed a gobbler was in the area, but he seemed to be on the opposite side of the field and at the bottom of another hill. I set up my hen decoy and found a good tree to sit by. A couple of clucks and purrs got him going again. I sat there for ten minutes, as he gobbled intermittently...never getting any closer. I called again and got another excited response – from the same spot. This went on for twenty minutes and he went silent again. I waited and waited and waited, but no bird ever showed up. I called one more time and still no response.

I gathered up my deke then peeked down the hill and figured he was actually on top of yet another hill on the other side of the valley. I slowly climbed up this hill and peeked out. There were bushes scattered amongst the open field, but overall it was fairly open. I hit the box with a couple of sweet yelps and got no response. I continued to scan the bottom of the field thinking he might come in silent, but I couldn't see any turkey anywhere. I hit the box again and still got no response. So there I am standing just inside the tree line...white face exposed, orange hat radiating among the spring foliage and I decided to try the crow call. Heck, it worked on him before, maybe it will again. I belted out a series of "caws" and just as I was lowering my hand there he was - a mere thirty yards away from me. His beautiful red, white and blue head with those piercing eyes picked me out the instant I lowered my hand and vaporized back into the spring woods. This was ended at 10:30 and I wasn't about to try to call him back in at this point. I figured I had an hour and a half left to try another piece of property.

After a nice walk in the woods on this new property, I headed back to the truck. I did find some turkey sign, but none of them wanted to answer my calls. So ended another satisfying day with an important lesson learned.

The Bird is Bagged...(05/19/07)

As I crawled out of bed at 4:30, yet again my hopes were high with the events that unfolded last week. Unfortunately, by the time I got my vest on and gathered my gear from the truck it was already starting to get light out. Maybe gluing the slates to those pots could have waited until after the hunt. Anyway, I walked down the hill to the first creek and decided to see if that same gobbler was in the area again. I whipped out the crow call and my heart sank as I got no response. I walked further in and tried again to no avail. Now I had to make a choice – should I go back to the spot from last week and hope that bird would appear later in the morning, or should I go back to the other area that hadn't seen any action since opening day? My gut told me to go back to the field from last week so off I went.

I was about half way there and thought I heard a distant gobble. I stopped and hit the crow call and heard it again, but it sounded miles off through the dense foliage that appeared over the past week. I made my way closer to the field and immediately headed to the other side. I hit the crow call again, but the bird still seemed to be distant. What now? I was unfamiliar with any land to the west of where I stood. Should I look for a spot and hope for the best, or should I try to get closer? I scrutinized the area and could not find a really good location to set up in; then it dawned on me, there is a power line that should run through this area that can be seen from the road. I found a suitable path through the woods and worked my way towards it.

After a few hundred yard jaunt through the woods I discovered a huge field, bisected in the middle by shrubs, large trees and an old fence. I found a large maple in the division line and decided to call it home since it was so light out. I could still hear the bird on the roost, and he still sounded distant; but, this looked like a good spot, so I set my dekes out on the south end of the dividing line and got snuggled into my new home. I got by shortbox out and gave a couple of soft yelps. To my surprise I had multiple birds respond. The one that I thought I was chasing and another only a few hundred yards away at the northern end of the field. I thought he was still on the roost so I waited a bit. He knew I was there and would hopefully come in when he was ready. Besides he gobbled on his own every once and a while. I waited ten minutes and gave a couple more yelps and set the box on the maple root protruding from the ground. He responded immediately.

Now I had a problem, my dekes were set up on the south side of the brushy fence line and I looked up to the north and saw a nice bird working his way directly to me...gobbling and strutting all the way. My other problem was being right handed...I couldn't shoot that far to my right and this bird was closing in on me. He stopped his progress at about 60 yards which gave me an opportunity to rise to my knees as he stepped behind a bush in the field. But he was still on the left side of my maple making a shot nearly impossible if he did venture into range.

I sat there contemplating my next move as he stood his ground waiting for this hot hen to come to him. After what seemed like an eternity of gobbling and strutting just out of range he inched closer and went silent. He puffed up once and a while, but kept quiet. As he ducked behind another bush I thought it might be a good opportunity to poke my Remington out the side of the tree and prepare for a shot.

He appeared in full strut when he came out from behind the bush and seemed to be just within my maximum range. I slowly inched the shotgun out further and he must not have like the new branch being sprouted from the old maple. He gave a couple of alarm putts stretched his neck out and began his hasty retreat across the field. I poke the 12 gauge out from the left of the tree as he worked towards the right. Trying to get a clear shot I finally found an opening and sent my load of hail on its way. Somehow a BB or two found the mark as the bird went down. I tried to rack another shell into the chamber but my gun was jammed. I ran out to the side of the tree as the gobbler rose to his feet and stood there. I feverishly worked my action and got the gun working again and sent another round of 5's on their way.

I couldn't believe my eyes when this bird started to slowly walk away. I tried racking another shell, but couldn't do it. What option did I have but to chase this bird down? Off I ran, into the field in hot pursuit of a mortally wounded bird. I stopped and tried to clear my shotgun again, but still couldn't do it. The bird stopped after 75 yards and I caught up to it. I tried my gun once again, but still no luck. The tom started away from me again but walked into a dead-end (literally) after he reached the tree line. I caught up to him again and grabbed his neck as he tried in vain to combat my efforts with his wings. I finally got his neck pinned underneath my knee and gained control of his wings as he finally relented.

A few moments later, I walked back to my maple tree 125 yards away and gathered my gear. I also paced off my initial shot at fifty yards. I wouldn't normally take this long of a shot, but he was in closer when the decision was made to attempt my first shot. As far as my gun jamming...well, what can I say? I guess I got touch of turkey fever. I worked the action effortlessly after everything was said and done and the last round I kept trying to chamber was already in the chamber. The gun wasn't jammed at all. I let the excitement get the best of me and I certainly learned a valuable safety lesson from it.

After tagging my trophy, I leisurely walked back to my truck stopping here and there to enjoy the morning...and take a break from carrying my bird. When I got home I did all of the requisite measurements...he weighed in at 20 pounds with a 9 3/8" beard and 1 1/16" spurs. I think he was a keeper. I can't wait until next year!

[cb223]

That is a great story. Sounds like you had a very exciting turkey season!! You definatly earned that bird.

[CCP]

Coulter, Great story and good job 

[FinsnFur]

WOW!
How long did it take you to type that?

I thought we put a 5,486 word limit on posts. 

Nice write up, seriously. Thanks for sharing that. 

[Coulter]

Hey Jim,

:eyebrownod:I was well within the alotted 5,486 word limit. I only had a little over 2,700 in that write up

Characters is another story though... It had over 10,000

I actually wrote that in two parts. One after the hunt on the 12th and the rest was written after I harvested my bird. I have no idea actual time frame, when I start typing and it starts flowing there is no stopping me

Steve

[studabaka]

Well it's a heck of a great write up...... I was puffin about the time we climbed that third or forth ridge. Sure glad ya got the bird ..... to bad I wasn't actually there to get a picture of ya chasing it across the field while trying to chamber a shell.... that would have been a youtube sensation 

Congrats 

[awh]

Great story & pics.