Its Over... - 05/12/22
Since I still had a 2nd spring turkey tag, Ive hunted a few mornings. I have kinda had the attitude that if I could take a 2nd bird, that would great, but if I didn't then it would just be nice to be outside in the beautiful spring woods. Yesterday morning before work I went to a farm that Ive taken birds on before, and this season, I have hunted several days but I didn't hear a gobbler since during my pre season scouting. I started at my normal dawn listening post and just like many mornings this year, I heard no gobbles or any turkey talk from the limb. I spent the first hour of daylight sipping coffee and just watching a little corner of a field thats tucked away where gobblers have liked to strut in the past. I watched a skunk do mill around and do its thing, watched the sun rise, and reflecting on past successful hunts, and the splendor the springtime woods.
Since I had to be at work at 10am, I was going to quit hunting at about 8:30am. As I was working my way back to the truck, I was making calls about every 50yds trying to elicit a response from a gobbler or any turkey. All morning, I had been fairly low key with my calling, but near the end, I figured Id go for broke and really get excited with it. I started several excited strings of yelps, and cutts, and wouldn't you know it, I got answered back by a likewise excited hen, followed by a gobble. I looked at my watch, it was 8:12am. I decided I needed to see this through but I was going to need to make a move first. I was already at the highest point on this farm and the turkeys were below me, and I assumed they were near the old hay house where there is another small field. I began a several hundred yard move and was using the terrain and foliage to conceal myself. I called again en route, and the gobbler answered and he was more interested this time. I got set up within a hundred yards of where I thought the gobbler was, and called again, but got nothing back in return. I called again and nothing. I was scanning the small hay field looking for movement, when I caught sight of a hen, then another, and another, then a strutting gobbler, then another hen, and a jake. He had a whole haram and wannabe with him. I called again and he gobbled and the hens yelped back, and started moving my way. I put the call down and got the gun up and just waited. The hens were leading the strutting gobbler right to me. When the gobbler got to about 50 or 55 yds I put my finger on the trigger but I realized if I pulled the trigger I was going to kill a hen or possibly that jake. Since I had a good backstop for the bullet, I was going to use the rifle barrel, and I figured if I didnt kill him I wouldnt get any collateral damage and kill an innocent bystander bird. I placed the cross hairs on his wing butts and squeezed.
The gobbler went down and the rest of the birds just stood there. I was almost in shock that this all panned out like it did, so I took a sec to collect myself. Of course when I stood up, the turkeys still standing there quickly flew, run, and got out of there. I walked over the the gobbler, then it hit me.... the season is over. Don't get me wrong, I was happy, but also sad a bit if that makes sense.
The gobbler had a beard which measured out at 9 and 7/8in but his spurs were very short in relation to his beard with the 1 just under 3/4in and 1 exactly 3/4in. This is the 5th gobbler Ive killed on this farm and all of them have had decent beards, but none of them have had spurs over 7/8in.
For those that care, the call in the picture is a Pecker Wrecker Physco Hen made by Kevin Farr of GA. Its a metal surface set in a yellowheart pot. The surface is claimed to be a proprietary callmaker's secret sauce type of thing, and when I ordered it, I asked him what it was, and he woulnd't tell me. I think its titanium, as its not copper, brass, or aluminum and its not magnetic. Regardless, its a fantastic sounding pot call that is super responsive to striker pressure and has a great raspy, henny sound that helped me take this gobbler.
![[Linked Image from i.vgy.me]](https://i.vgy.me/FqfvQi.jpg)
![[Linked Image from i.vgy.me]](https://i.vgy.me/sKVUk2.jpg)
![[Linked Image from i.vgy.me]](https://i.vgy.me/NDY5xC.jpg)
![[Linked Image from i.vgy.me]](https://i.vgy.me/PpKQU4.jpg)
![[Linked Image from i.vgy.me]](https://i.vgy.me/eJavhN.jpg)
Since I had to be at work at 10am, I was going to quit hunting at about 8:30am. As I was working my way back to the truck, I was making calls about every 50yds trying to elicit a response from a gobbler or any turkey. All morning, I had been fairly low key with my calling, but near the end, I figured Id go for broke and really get excited with it. I started several excited strings of yelps, and cutts, and wouldn't you know it, I got answered back by a likewise excited hen, followed by a gobble. I looked at my watch, it was 8:12am. I decided I needed to see this through but I was going to need to make a move first. I was already at the highest point on this farm and the turkeys were below me, and I assumed they were near the old hay house where there is another small field. I began a several hundred yard move and was using the terrain and foliage to conceal myself. I called again en route, and the gobbler answered and he was more interested this time. I got set up within a hundred yards of where I thought the gobbler was, and called again, but got nothing back in return. I called again and nothing. I was scanning the small hay field looking for movement, when I caught sight of a hen, then another, and another, then a strutting gobbler, then another hen, and a jake. He had a whole haram and wannabe with him. I called again and he gobbled and the hens yelped back, and started moving my way. I put the call down and got the gun up and just waited. The hens were leading the strutting gobbler right to me. When the gobbler got to about 50 or 55 yds I put my finger on the trigger but I realized if I pulled the trigger I was going to kill a hen or possibly that jake. Since I had a good backstop for the bullet, I was going to use the rifle barrel, and I figured if I didnt kill him I wouldnt get any collateral damage and kill an innocent bystander bird. I placed the cross hairs on his wing butts and squeezed.
The gobbler went down and the rest of the birds just stood there. I was almost in shock that this all panned out like it did, so I took a sec to collect myself. Of course when I stood up, the turkeys still standing there quickly flew, run, and got out of there. I walked over the the gobbler, then it hit me.... the season is over. Don't get me wrong, I was happy, but also sad a bit if that makes sense.
The gobbler had a beard which measured out at 9 and 7/8in but his spurs were very short in relation to his beard with the 1 just under 3/4in and 1 exactly 3/4in. This is the 5th gobbler Ive killed on this farm and all of them have had decent beards, but none of them have had spurs over 7/8in.
For those that care, the call in the picture is a Pecker Wrecker Physco Hen made by Kevin Farr of GA. Its a metal surface set in a yellowheart pot. The surface is claimed to be a proprietary callmaker's secret sauce type of thing, and when I ordered it, I asked him what it was, and he woulnd't tell me. I think its titanium, as its not copper, brass, or aluminum and its not magnetic. Regardless, its a fantastic sounding pot call that is super responsive to striker pressure and has a great raspy, henny sound that helped me take this gobbler.