Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting It was a good morning

Cousin has been here all week from Florida. The weather has SUCKED. Hunting spring turkeys in my December/January deer hunting clothes. The weather kinda broke yesterday mid-morning and we got on a whole gaggle of hard-gobbling birds around 10:45. They were on a strut zone with hens but started in....dragging their feet....... They wanted the sluttiest calling I could throw at them. At +/- 75 yards they were JUST outta sight when the clock struck 12:00 (quitting time) and our turkey carriage turned into a pumpkin. Told Cuz that it's tough walking away from that. But I didn't wanna queer the area for Plan B.

Plan B was get in on them in super-stealth mode at 0-dark:30 this morning........which we did. We set up shoulder-to-shoulder about 90 yards uphill from where the birds were roosted. Gobbling commenced........hen talk commenced....... I told Cuz we wanted to TRY to double, but make SURE he got a bird. I never made a sound til I saw the first bird drop out. It hit the ground and I made a couple clucks and a very soft run of yelps. More birds dropped out. I repeated the same sort of calls and within 30 seconds Cuz whispers "They're coming !!". I can see black backs. Then a couple or 3 white heads. The 2 lead toms were about 20 feet apart coming at us. Told Cuz to get on he left one. I was on the right one. The birds stopped at 25-30 yards. Cuz whispers "When can I shoot ??" I said "Whenever you want". He let rip. I let rip. We jumped up and ran hurried to the birds..........except his wasn't there. Not even a cut feather where it stood. He said "I KNOW that I hit it !!!" I saw it drop with my eyes, too. But instantly took my eyes away to shoot mine. We spread out and looked 25-30 yards past where his bird had stood and found NOTHING. Now he's bummed. I'm more bummed than him (this was only his 4th real day ever hunting turkeys). I told him that stuff happens. Pattern is small at close range......birds move............ etc. He was like "I KNOW that I was on that thing's neck and I squeezed slow". I started to gather up my bird and Cuz is walking out through the woods and he yells "It's right here !! It's dead !!" Never in 44 years of shooting these crummy things have I seen anything like it. Dead. Bright red blood running from he head and beak. 40 YARDS from where it took a 3" 12 gauge Longbeard #5 !!! Don't ask. I don't know. All I know is I LOVE IT when a plan comes together !!!!!!!!

Didn't weigh mine. But it was light. 16-17 pounds. Pair of 3 year birds. 10" beards and 1 1/8" sharp spurs on Cuz's bird...... 1 1/16" and sharp on mine.

Congrats!

Nicely done guys! Grats!!!

Congratulations. A great morning right there.

good deal

Well done!

Atta Boy

That’s pretty cool, a double. Congratulations on a very memorable hunt. 👍

Hell ya

Awesome. Congratulations. What did you shoot yours with?

Since 2018 I have been using a little tricked out NEF 20 gauge single. It's been a freakin' monster !!! I have NO intentions of ever using anything else on a regular basis.











Etc, etc ..........................

Cool thanks.

congrats to both of you, crazy story but glad he found his bird

Yeah. I still can't explain how that took place.............

LFC would be proud.

👍🤣👍


🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Congrats to both of you. Great story.

At least you did not have to club it to death with a fence post.....

Had something similar happen with my son on youth day 2022. Shot a gobbler across a creek. We went to go get it, not there. Found it laying dead about 40 yards away

Congrats on your birds and love that shotgun. With one bird a day regulations and TSS all you really need is a single shot 20 or 28 these days

Congrats to both of ya !


I killed a nice double bearded gobbler this morning myself. No fancy turkey gun, just the same old wood/blue 12 gauge Mossberg 500 crown grade I've been using for the last 25 years. No fancy choke, just the standard full tube. No fancy shells, just the same old 2 3/4" magnum Winchester #5's I bought 10 boxes of when Wal-Mart had them on clearance for 2.97 a box years ago. Couldn't weigh the turkey. Battery dead in my digital scale and didn't have a spare on hand. Big bastard though, easily over 20 lbs.. 9.5" and 7.5" beards, 1 1/8" spurs. First time I've been out this year.