who got the first?

[BilletHead]

   Ha, Love it Jesters!

I once visited a friend in Oklahoma. They did not have Eastern like we do but I think they were Rio Grand's I witnessed the birds come into his yard and see their reflection in his car's paint. They would attack the car and actually scratch it up. IT was an older vehicle and he did not get bent out of shape about it. I would of been eating the culprits,

BilletHead

[JestersHK]

Yeah these guys will peck the glass as well.  Crazy birds...  

We had a few coyotes a few years ago(maybe still around but been a while since I've seen them) which would hang out around our campus.  I believe its what keeps them up so close and around the buildings.  They'll perch on some of the higher floor window sills every once and a while too.  They had a good hatch this year and last, there's around 15 or so now in there flock that hang out here.

[Smallie Seeker]

Its been an awesome season so far. Called in gobblers Saturday and Sunday during youth weekend for my buddy and his daughter, but had misses both times. 

Set up on the same farm opening day. Called the same 3 toms we missed during youth into 80 yrds, but they hung up on a hardwood ridge and just strutted and gobbled. Think they're still spooky from youth season pressure. 

Made  a move to another farm nearby. Was slowly waking a wooded trail that leads to a known strut field on the back of the property making soft clucks on my mouth call, approaching the field edge when a gobbler cut me right off. He was only 100 yrds ahead  but out of sight due to a rise in the field. His hens were in the corner 50 yrds out and staring me down. 

Managed to sink to the ground out of sight, and belly crawl to a tree on the edge. A few clucks and purrs and the hens dismissed me and fed up to 15 ft out. Gave a few cuts and got him gobbling, when a yote bust through scattering the birds. Game over. 

Had the Intel I needed and set up on that field edge the next morning, Tues, in a blind with a jake and hen decoy. 

Heard him gobbling at first light, but heard hens with him too. Called in the boss hen at 830. His harem of 4 other hens entered the field at 930, and a few yelps and he was gobbling his head off.

Around 10 he appeared like a ghostly apparition on the field edge 100 yrds out. Mean looking wary bird. Just stared my decoy down forever. Finally shook the rain off and slowly proceeded to come in. 

Got to 40 yrds and hung up, semi strut, mean mugging my decoy for  10 mins. After he turned to follow the hens which were exiting the field, I let him have it. 10:30 am. 

23 lbs, 5/8 Spurs, 10" beard. 

[Smallie Seeker]

Got my bird tagged and so the real fun could begin. My planned trip to Tablerock with Marcus. I get just as much fun calling birds for buddies as I do pulling the trigger. 

We arrived at the lake Wednesday evening, and predawn Thurs morning we were boating back into a cove to make the hike up a huge Tablerock ridgetop we had picked as our first spot to try. I don't know what it was about that Ozark mountain, but it had to be the most beautiful spot I've ever turkey hunted. Nice mix of cedars and hardwoods.  I was grinning as we made our way up the ridge, commenting that this spot just looks like it should hold turkeys. 

And it did. 

First light and we had 5-6 gobblers hammering all around us, with the 2 closest being down the ridge to our left 150 yrds. 

Got them fired up and the 2 toms were headed our way. They got to about 75 yrds and hung up. Gobbling their heads off. We could hear they had a hen with them. 

After a while they went quiet, and so I leaned over to Marcus and said "I'm gonna take a little walk, you just be ready and keep that gun up!" 

I proceeded to quietly walk down the opposite side of the ridge, making soft clucks, and that did the trick. The hen came right up and over the ridge, passing Marcus at 15 yrds, and was soon in my lap. The toms were in tow, and their white noggins crested the ridge at 35 yrds, and Marcus let it rip. 

And missed...

Happens to us all. 

We headed back to the boat to lick our wounds and do some fishing. Bite was slow. 

Regrouped and headed back up that grueling hillside the next morning. Had em gobbling hard again, but none that wanted to play the game, and by 8am all was quiet. It was time to make a move. 

We circled way around where we heard the closest gobbler, and set up on the opposite ridge. I proceeded to make a few calls, but heard nothing. 

Told Marcus to keep his hopes up. This time of morning we could catch a tom sneaking in quietly. And that's just what we did! 

He spotted the black shadow down in the bottom of the draw, and we could soon see his beard swinging from 100 yrds away. He was making his way up towards us, and at 9:30 the 870 went boom and Marcus tagged his first gobbler! 

Bird never made a sound. 

 Now here's the best part.  I'm the turkey guru, the know it all, the one who my friends all ask for advice. I had been doing all the calling.  Well about 20 mins after we set up, he says "lemme see one of them calls you got there, you're doing it all wrong!" And proceeds to make a few soft cuts. 

Wasn't 5 mins later and that old tom appeared. Only calling he did all trip. 

Couldn't have scripted it any better. 

21 lbs, 11" beard, 15/16th" spurs, first gobbler and on public land!

Bird flopped back down the ridge and into a creek, so he was a little wet. 

Now we're both just stuck here at TR, tagged out till Monday. 

Time to go fish!

[BilletHead]

    That is GREAT! Well done Gentlemen. Love the story and as soon as I get pictures resized there will be another .

BilletHead couldn't be prouder of the Mrs. This morning !

[Smallie Seeker]

Nice!

[Johnsfolly]

SS great posts. Congrats on your successful hunts. 

[marcus]

your wifes a keeper marty looks like thanksgiving came early this year!