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

good deal

Congrats.

I have weighed a ton of old Toms on Dads old deliars and dad still uses them.

Mine are knock off but still seem to be pretty accurate.

Those old Zebcos have pretty strong springs, odds are the bird weighs a few pounds more. Same for the ruler, they are notorious for measuring short.😀 At least that was how my old Zebco worked with fish, they always seemed heavier and longer than the Deliar said. This was so obvious that I did not need to verify with another scale or ruler. I have no doubt yours is off just as much and in the same way as mine!

Congrats on a nice bird and I hope I am as fortunate in 9 days myself.

Thank you gentlemen for the kind words. And woody, you're right. That bird must have weighed at least 26 pounds . Another thing to mention; the box call in the picture was made for me in 1994 but I only dedicated myself to learning it's secrets my last few hunting seasons. Allan Paul makes a very fine product and is a woods musician when running a box. Check them out.

Paul's Calls

Mine has mahogany sides with walnut top and bottom. Has a bit of a high pitch and volume when run with pressure but you can lessen the pressure on the lid and get very nice soft yelps and clucks that still carry well. Starting to figger out the purr. Lots of uses for that call especially when you need just 2 more steps to drop the hammer. Since using the box enough to be comfortable with it I've lightened my call load to it and a mouth call. These folks have a really nice product and they're good people besides. If you're in the market for a new call check them out.

Beauty, eh.

Gobbl--BOOM! erk!

Them dinosaurs just wont be dead.

Maybe the next meaty-or will finish em off. Theys smart sometimes.

Very Nice call.

Congrats!

Shootem, that is one handsome Eastern gobbler with a huge hog head. I would not be surprised with a head like that if he was over 25. I have been hunting these birds in VA for 25 years my best is 23.6 pounds. It takes alot of patience to get these gobblers when they get past their 3rd year. I have seen them out there when they have shoulders like linebackers congrats.

Good luck and shoot straight y'all.

Thank you kat. Shot one about 10 miles from this one that went over 22 on these same Deliar scales. I'll have some digitals before next season. I'm comfortable he was 24 plus. There is no way to zero these scales. On mine the bottom of the indicator bar is well above zero at rest and with the bird hanging the bottom of the bar is at 24 1/2. If I keep talking about it he'll end up around 26 or so

Hey scottishkat...here's some pics of the 2016 bird that came from 8 or 10 miles away from our new spot. He weighed 22 on the same scales but looks like there's more difference than that. Not the "hog head" as you call it and not nearly so black. Was really excited none the less. Typical paranoid mountain gobbler. Gobbled once right at pink sky and once on the ground. Took about an hour and a half to come 400 yards to me without a sound and knew exactly where I was sitting. Soft yelps and clucks twice only. He turned a little early at 48 long steps. Plain old Winchester 2 1/4oz #5 10 gauge. If you have any pics to show I'd like to see how they look up Virginia way. I'm already looking forward to next year.