Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting No Flop Drop

Birds in the Blue Ridge where we are have just shut up. Opening day was Saturday with thunderstorms. But we were able to hunt Monday thru Thursday morning. The only gobbles we heard were mid morning to mid afternoon, one at a time with no answers to call. Two weeks before they were wide open. We had turkeys gobbling at us while we were walking on dry leaves. But the fun part ended before the season started. Good thing was we began to pattern movements and figgered we'd just ambush them like deer and set up in strutting areas to blind call.

This guy had shown himself a few times on a pasture ridge but gobbled only a few times. It was his territory, strutting a little and feeding. This morning I set up to either catch him traveling or call him in since the hens are mostly on the nest. About 5 minutes after a few low yelps and clucks I caught movement up the pine ridge from me. He was sneaking in. Caught a glimpse of a red head as he was looking for that hen. Disappeared and didn't move for 10 minutes or so. A few more soft clucks and he blew up but dropped back quick. Then he started slow walking toward me still looking for that hen on the pasture edge. He was in range but I let him keep coming. And the son of a gun saw me leaned back on a big white pine sitting behind some pine limbs I'd gathered up. Didn't really know what I was but I didn't belong there. Turned back one step and boom. 7:48 AM. NFD. Just quivered a little. 38 yards with the older 3" 12 Flite Control 2 ounce #5. Long spur was 1 1/4' and the short one had the tip broke to a hair less than 1". Just over 24 pounds on the Zebco scale and we all know that's the gospel on weight. Biggest turkey ever for me.









Pretty long bird