a little late posting this, but better late than never. After a rough start to the season last wed and thurs were AWESOME.
Wed story
Went to public land were Brian had worked a bird the day before. Pretty quite on roost but hit the ground and went nutts. Almost two hours later bang. Killed at 0753 19lbs 13 oz 9 1/2" beard 7/8 and 3/4 spurs
Took off to my property and got a bird fired up. He came in I just caught a glimps of him and he walked off. We took off and tried to circle around on him and couldn't get him fired up again. Decided we would come in bright and early and try to set up on him. As we were walking out we heard one out in the reclaim. Sat down and called he went nuts then GOBBLE. the first bird is close. Then here he comes again and he is a GIANT. couldnt get a clear shot at him and he walked away. Then the other one keeps getting closer. At this point I have no idea which way I should be facing. Then here he comes in the woods from the reclaim. I swing and smoke this guy at 11 freakin 58. What and awesome day! My bird was 21 lbs 8 oz 8 1/2 beard 1 1/8 spurs. The beard must have partially froze off my bird so who knows how long it would have been
thurs
Well we got down to my property bright and early. As day break approached I put a pinch of Copenhagen in and my gut rumbles ...ugh oh, I tell brain last nights deer tacos needed to vacate my body before heading up into the woods. After thats taken care of I'm walking back up toward brain and he said one gobbled twice. So there we go, assuming he was the same bird who stopped short of us twice yesterday. The game plan was I would stay about 50 yards ahead, so I get right up in there with my super ninja walking quite in the woods skills. He is going nuts and I can see him in the tree. He stayed there in the tree FOREVER! finally he flies down in the holler to the left. Brain does a fly down cackle bam tripple gobble. I see a fan moving towards me. Here we go! Well he hangs up right there at 70 yards gobbling and strutting for over an hour. The whole time brian keeps moving around to sound like the hen is moving. My arms and butt is numb. Turkey walks just over the crest of the hill so I jump up and go about 40 yards to that knob he was on then brian calls and gobble here he is, for about a tenth of a second then back over. So I move again. Pretty much where he had been strutting. He gobbles at EVERYTHING but wont come back up here. So at this point we are at almost three hours into this and I cant take it any more, I'm in pain. So about 10 yards infront of me is a huge poplar tree. I get up and again using my ninja skills I sneek to the back of the tree where I can look over the crest. Bam there he is at 38 yards in full strut. As he goes behind a tree I put the gun up, he steps out in half strut and his Bright white head was great target. On May 3rd at 0847 this 18lb 8oz 9 3/4 beard 1" spurred thunder chicken's life was taken with one pull of the Mossberg 835s tigger. What and awesome two days in the woods. This is what its all about.