#1225041 - 03/08/09 10:48 PM
Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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My buddy and I were hunting last year and got set up on a gobbling bird before daylight. Everything worked out perfectly, he hammered at us on the roost, hit the ground and came in on a string. I lost the coin toss so I was video taping and my friend was shooting. As the bird worked his way towards us I was getting some great footage on the camera. Once the bird got to about ten steps my buddy pulls the trigger and the shell didn't go off! That bird putted and took off running, then flying for dear life!
We checked the video after he was gone and we realized that we both missed. In my excitement I forgot to hit the record button! Once the bird was gone we circled him and called him in again and he hung up at about 70 yards. We ended up naming that bird "Ol' Snap." He better look out this year though because its my turn to shoot ( with the gun)! Maybe this time I won't "miss."
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Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1225046 - 03/08/09 10:58 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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JDBinTN
8 Point
Registered: 08/21/07
Posts: 1072
Loc: SE TENN
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2 years ago 2nd weekend of season at first light I gave an owl hoot and got one to gobble. I got within about 200 yds of where he was an tryed it again. He gobbled and so did another bird REAL CLOSE!!! I got set-up called some the bird answered each time he flew down within range. The problem was I was in a powerline and he was in a pine thicket so I couldn't see him I worked the bird for about 10 minutes could here his wings dragging as he strutted. He got quite for a minute or so. Then I saw him peering out of the pines directly to my left at about 6 yards he moved back out of sight and about 5 mintes later he crossed the powerline around 100 yds. away.
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#1225151 - 03/09/09 12:31 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: JDBinTN]
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jackscreek
10 Point
Registered: 09/19/00
Posts: 2499
Loc: Jacks Creek, Chester County, W...
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This is my best one from last season. At daylight, I got set-up on a hot gobbler that was roosted no more than 75 yards away, across about 40 yards of a corner of a field. To say he was hot was an understatement. Every sound, no matter what, even the call of a songbird, was making this tom gobble! This went on and on, and even after the usual flydown time, he stayed in the tree gobbling non-stop. I was trying to entice him to fly down with some faint yelps and purrs that he would immediately gobble at.
Suddenly, I heard a gobble in the woods behind me and to my right that sounded to be about 100 or so yards away. I didn't want to turn around to get into position to shoot if he was coming in, because I thought the one on the roost in front of me would be pitching down into the field any second!
Then another gobble behind me, this time about half as far away!
I still didn't want to give up on the one in front of me!
Finally I couldn't take it anymore and shifted my body around to shoot at the one coming in from behind, and of course there he was no more than thirty yards away, running towards me! He didn't see me moving, but unknownst to me, there was another longbeard behind him that spotted me moving, and he let out an alarm putt. Needless to say, they both turned and went back the way they came, without my getting a shot.
And, adding insult to injury, after staying on the roost and gobbling practically nonstop for 45 minutes to an hour after daylight, the bird in front of me pitched down in the opposite direction and disappeared into a swamp, without my ever getting a glimpse of him. Lesson learned: I should have turned around to have been in a postion to shoot when the bird behind me gobbled the second time, making it obvious he was coming my way!! 
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It's not that I've mellowed with age, it's that I just don't give a xxxx anymore!
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#1225309 - 03/09/09 07:23 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: jackscreek]
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CopperHead77
12 Point
Registered: 08/20/07
Posts: 6707
Loc: Hickman Co.
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JC, even though you didn't get'em don't ya just love those mornings where you don't know which side of the tree to shift to 
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#1225370 - 03/09/09 08:12 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: CopperHead77]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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One weekend last spring I was hunting a nice place where I always heard this gobbler hammering away about every morning. This property was only open two weekends of the turkey season and adjacent to the property I normally hunted so I knew the birds were over there. Well Baxter83 and I spend a Friday playing chess with this particular bird for the better part of 3 hours. It seemed like a sure thing at first but he gave us the slip. After some scouting, I made my plans to go back the next morning and give him another try. I waited until the perfect time to slip into the old creek bed and ease toward where this bird likes to roost. I had gone about 150 yards and he gobbles. I close the distance until I get in my comfort zone and find a big oak to lean against. I start getting my calls out and a second gobbler starts hammering to my left. I start thinking this is going to be good, wish Baxter was here for this!!! I make a few soft tree yelps and a gobbler sounds off RIGHT ABOVE ME!!! It's getting daylight, the turkeys 2 longbeards and a jake are hammering back and forth to each other. The tom to my left flies down and disappears in the saplings. The jake above me flies across the creek to my right. The old tom on the roost to my front now is still hammering away. I yelp a few times and the bird to my left starts coming towards me and the jake flies back across the creek and is within 40 yards now looking for that hen but I'm not interested in taking him. Meanwhile that old tom is still hammering away in his tree. The bird on my left is closing fast. He gets within 15 yards but I am still facing the middle bird that's still in the tree gobbling. I wait until the left bird goes behind a tree and shift. Well somehow he saw movement and turn and trots off away from me. I didn't want to take a desperation running away shot so I held tight not wanting to alert the tree gobbling turkey. He eventually flew down and took basically the exact same path around this particular property as the day before. After an hour he gobbled several more times and went silent. We played another chess game which he wound up winning. Hopefully I will get a chance to test him again this spring.... maybe the odds will be in my favor.
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Bustin' Heads Is Our Specialty
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#1225482 - 03/09/09 09:38 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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megalomaniac
10 Point
Registered: 10/28/05
Posts: 4887
Loc: Mississippi
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Big ole 25lb tom I had worked several times that season, never really had a chance. Well one morning, I managed to get in between him and his hens. I was set up in some really thick stuff, and after around 30 minutes of calling, had him at 30 yards, but no clear shot. He was still working his way toward me, but then a bobcat broke from around 5 yards to my left and made a rush for him, spooking him into the air.
Never got that bird that season, one of the few I really wanted but never killed.
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#1225691 - 03/09/09 11:42 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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Baxter83
Good ol' Boys
12 Point
Registered: 09/03/08
Posts: 7243
Loc: Winchester, TN
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Wow! This is a lot of reading so I'll make mine short and sweet.
My first several attempts at turkey hunting back in 1998 or 99 I came out empty handed. The very first bird I called in came in to me without a peep. I had a couple decoys set up on top of a hill (bluff) overlooking the river. I didn't roost them the night before because I was too young to drive alone, and my dad didn't want to drive all the way to the farm after work that Friday. However, they always seemed to roost there or one other spot on our farm. Anyways, that morning I set up just before daylight and was calling at day light trying to get one to gobble. I didn't have a locator call so I just yelped a little with my diaphram call (which sounded horibble). At about 6:45 I heard something behind me so I turned around the tree (mistake) and there he was 25 yards from me. He started to turn to go down the hill so I turned around as fast as I could and shot (mistake # 2). The feathers flew and so did he.............right across the river. I saw him land and shake it off then walk out of sight. I only went a handful of times after that and never saw much after so I got bored with it and quite all the way up to last year.
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#1225697 - 03/09/09 11:45 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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Baxter83
Good ol' Boys
12 Point
Registered: 09/03/08
Posts: 7243
Loc: Winchester, TN
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The same year I also shot at a pretty nice 7pt buck 4.........yes I said 4 times with my bow. He literally walked all the way around me and left and came back multiple times. I ended up watching him make a rub and scrape within 20 yards of my stand, but by then there was hardly any light. 
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#1225698 - 03/09/09 11:47 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: REN]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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Well in continuance of my above post I was leaving same area, it was about noon and I spotted a LB feeding at the edge of a right-of-way. He was heading towards the woods and I figured he was gone but decided I was there and might as well see what happens. Well I park, put on my stuff, load the gun, and start the sneak toward where I last saw him. I sat down on a small hump inside an old pine stand of trees. There was a cleared road in front about 50 yards that seperated the pines from the hardwoods, and the right-of-way was on my left. I called for a few minutes and waited for what seemed like an eturnity (15-20 minutes lol) and nothing happened. So I got up and moved in a circle farther to my right in hopes of getting in front of him. I sat back down where the old roads made a 4-way interesction and called some more...... nothing. After another 15 minutes I got tried of waiting and figured he had gone into the woods earlier and was gone for good. I got up and headed down the old road leading back to the right-of-way. About 40 yards from reaching the right-of-way something ran and flushed up flying away from me........ Yep you guessed it, that turkey was about 20 yards form that little hump where I first sat down and called..... I learned just because you don't see him, doesn't mean he isn't still around, patience is everything in the turkey game!!
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#1225719 - 03/09/09 12:10 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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elauwit
14 Point
Registered: 12/01/07
Posts: 8256
Loc: Near Bull Run
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Well this is my closest almost from last year. Got up a ridge before daylight. Blow the owl hooter and one gobbled about 20 yards from me and scared the daylights out of me. I could see him silhouetted good . Alot of people said i should have shot him off the roost but i didn't feel right about that. Sat down and watched him gobble for almost an hour and then he flew off the roost and over a ridge . Never saw him again.
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#1225724 - 03/09/09 12:13 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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REN
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
10 Point
Registered: 10/24/07
Posts: 3811
Loc: Wilson County, TN
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hahahaha i just remembered the best ever which is more of a DUMB ARSE then an almost hunt...
First time i ever went on my own (had NO IDEA what i was doing) i walked out to the middle of a field with a brush pile in it and set up my decs because i heard one gobbling up on the ridge above it....took me a while to do all this as i said before i didnt have a clue what i was doing.
once i got everything set up i pulled out the box call and let them have it!! well i was still standing up about 10yds from the decs and 10yds from the brush pile. withing a matter of secs a LB came running out of the woods infront of me on a string. Problem being i didnt expect it and was just standing in the middle of the field with my gun on my shoulder...(here comes the best part) the bird spots me and i spot him at the same time!! he turns and BOLTS back into the woods and smart me goes and sits down in the brush pile and starts calling again thinking "he may come back, maybe he didnt really see what i was" hahahahahahahahahahah gosh i was an idiot!!!
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John 3:16
Psalms 42:1
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#1225757 - 03/09/09 12:34 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: REN]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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Another and my final "almost got'em" for now started on a saturday morning on a piece of property with limited access (same area I took my very first solo turkey a few weeks earlier). I located a bird on the roost and moved towards him and into my comfort zone. After daylight I saw his hens fly down and he eventually followed. Once on the ground we exchanged calls and he came to within 50 yards but with the thick bushes I wouldn't shoot. His hens took him in the opposite direction so I scouted around and made my plans for the next morning.
It was still very early the next morning and I was waiting on a gobble to know where I needed to be. I had leaned my gun up against a tree next to me since I wasn't "hunting" yet just "listening". I was at the edge of a somewhat grown-up grassy
field and the hardwoods. I was listening to a distant gobbler when I heard a noise next to me. It being so early I didn't expect to come face to face with oppertunity. But as luck would have it, I guess another hunter bumped a hen and nice gobbler and they came trotting my way. By the time I realized what was happening (as I gazed at his long beard, life seemed to happen in slow motion) he was within 10 feet, yes I said 10 feet!! I had to spin around to grab my gun and by the time I got back around they had fled behind a blown down cedar tree and were going straight away.....
Lesson learned: Be ready with gun in hand at ALL times in the woods, no telling when an oppertunity will just bump into you!!!
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Bustin' Heads Is Our Specialty
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#1225779 - 03/09/09 12:41 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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Its funny how much we can learn, and re-learn from the almost stories. Over the past 11 years of turkey hunting I think I can probably remember nearly every "almost story" because I learned some sort of lesson from each one of them.
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Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1225794 - 03/09/09 12:51 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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REN
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
10 Point
Registered: 10/24/07
Posts: 3811
Loc: Wilson County, TN
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I so agree BV....however you always have those ones that are more of a head scratcher too....just leaves you sitting there thinking "man what do i have to do here???"
its just such a fickle sport with never have the "FOR SURE WAY" each hunt is a little different and sometimes you just have to try something
the guy who taught me everything i know use to tell me 70% of the time you are not going to do the right thing, just the nature of the beast but boy that 30% sure makes that 70% worth it.
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VooDoo Mafia
John 3:16
Psalms 42:1
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#1225798 - 03/09/09 12:56 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Baxter83]
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RussellvilleRob
8 Point
Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2015
Loc: Russellville
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It was my 11-yr old's first hunt with him being the one carrying the gun. All I took was a backpack and a few calls.
I did a little clucking on my mouthcall and got a gobble. I waited about fifteen minutes and tried again. We got another gobble and the distance was cut in-half.
About ten minutes later, I hit a light tune on the boxcall. We heard all kinds of shuffling in the leaves just out of sight over a little rise.
I had a handfull of leaves in our blind and started crunching them and making a little rustling noise.
The bird, which was very nice, walked within ten feet of our setup. My boy locked the hammer back, shouldered the gun, and BOOM!
He missed. He forgot to put his cheek on the stock and shot over the turkey's head. He said the bead was lined up, he just forgot to place his cheek.
All I can say is this was the best hunt ever! I have killed my share of deer and turkeys, but this was definitely the best...
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Thank god for kids.
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#1226050 - 03/09/09 04:14 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: jackscreek]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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Here's another one for me. I had been hunting this bird that I talked about earlier on another post that was basically up on top of a mountain in a big cow pasture. The hill he was on was surrounded by woods and he was always roosted right on top of it in the center. I had hunted him several mornings in a row and had had several close calls but wasnt able to close the deal. This particular morning I headed up a fence row before daylight on my way in. I was a little late, and was in a hurry. I tripped over something, probably cow crap, and when I did that big dude hammered just up the hill from me maybe 50 yards. I was on the opposite side of the fence than him and in a terrible position for setting up on him. I had a little time left and there was plenty of foilage on the trees so I decided to head back down the hill another 75 yards or so, cross the fence, and slip through the woods until I was level with him. I did so and got set up about 50-60 yards from him; I sat down, laid my gun across my knee and waited. He hammered, and hammered, and hammered. I finally let out some sleepy tree yelps and the gobbler screamed back at me. He finally pitched down and came strait at me. I could hear him spitting and drumming, but with the soft grass in the area I was at I couldn't hear him walking. I just knew he would show his old head any second. I waited, and waited. Next thing I know, GOBBBBBBBLLLLLLEEEE. He had to have been ten steps away,RIGHT BEHIND ME! He was spitting and drumming like crazy. I got goosebumps because I knew he was within ten yards and I couldn't do anything but hope he would strut his way around to the front of my gun barrell. Never happended. Just as he appeared in a ghost-like manner right behind me, he silently left and I never heard him gobble again. SO CLOSE! Guess that was one of thos 70%'s, REN
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Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1226173 - 03/09/09 05:34 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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TeamMainStreet
8 Point
Registered: 08/30/07
Posts: 1700
Loc: Union County,Tn
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Well if anybody works night shift they know how much it can drain the mind and body of a die hard turkey hunter. Working till 1 am, coming home and sleeping 1 to 2 hours and hitting the woods every morning at daylight for a week straight can get the best of you. I had been on one of those week long binges hunting by myself and Friday of that week me and a buddy hit it early. While walking in half asleep we discussed setup and this and that. We got to our listening spot and located a bird. Knowing the normal routine of this bird we split up knowing that he could possibly go the opposite way once the calling begins. He circled around behind him to cut him off and I got in front of him and waited. It was still 30 min beforer daylight and I had managed to get within 60 yards of his roost. Sun started showing and I hit him with some tree yelps. He pitched down and came to me on a string. I was already in position with the barrel on his head, safety off, and he was at 10 yards. Pulled the trigger and all I got was CLICK. He spooked and took off. I jumped up and racked the slide on my gun thinking I had forgot to chamber a round. Lead him a little and CLICK. As he flew off I realized that through the sleepy walk in and the heated discussion I had with my buddy about setup, I had forgot to load my gun, PERIOD. That was my STUPID moment of the day.
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#1226182 - 03/09/09 05:56 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: TeamMainStreet]
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WestTn Huntin'man
16 Point
Registered: 11/19/06
Posts: 10867
Loc: Benton Co.
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I have a friend that was driving down the road. A gobbler decided to fly across the road at the same time. Bird hit his windshield as he was applying his brakes.He went back and picked up his "Road Kill" bird.He drove alittle farther down the road and the bird came to life in the back seat of his Mustang.He very quickly pulled over and jumped out of the car. The gobbler also exited the car.He almost got that one.
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#1229866 - 03/11/09 08:31 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: WestTn Huntin'man]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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No NEW "almost" stories?
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#1229927 - 03/11/09 08:47 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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RussellvilleRob
8 Point
Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2015
Loc: Russellville
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I can tell alot more about deer. It seems that every year I have atleast a couple of them..
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Thank god for kids.
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#1229947 - 03/11/09 08:52 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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CopperHead77
12 Point
Registered: 08/20/07
Posts: 6707
Loc: Hickman Co.
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I've got so many 
We all know how hard field birds can be,well had this one bird that would pitch down out in the middle of a cow pasture with his hens every morning,and would hardly ever move to the edges near the woodline soooooooo..I used cows,I let a group of about 7 or 8 cows get in between the tom and me and slowly pushed them towards the birds. I cut the distance to about 40 yards and that's when the cows broke up and went to my stomach,when I did I lost sight of the birds,after a short wait they luckily headed my way and they filed by me one by one,knowing the tom would be last I got ready and at ten yards he strolls by me...bang!! bird flies away..I got too tore up I guess.
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#1229975 - 03/11/09 09:11 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: CopperHead77]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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I've got so many
Let's hear 'em. Nothing like experience gained by listening to other peoples almost experiences....
I'm sure I will have more in time.... but I'm still kind of new to the game!!
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Bustin' Heads Is Our Specialty
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#1230040 - 03/11/09 09:46 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Grizzly Johnson]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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Here's another:
On Easter Sunday several years back I was driving back from church when I passed one of my new hunting spots at the time. It's all wooded ridges with big hollers on each side of it and this day it looked very inviting with all the green leaves and warm temps we were having. I told myself," I'm going home, getting changed, and going hunting."
When I first got up on top of the ridge I blew my crow call to fire up a tom. Nothing. I stood waiting awhile and finally got a tom to answer me WAY down this long ridge I was on. I took off heading down the ridge to cut the distance in half. When I got what I thought to be a hundred yards away I stopped and hit the crow call again. GOOOBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLEEEE. He was just out of sight, less than 100 yards! I sat next to a big white oak in the middle of the ridge, pointed my gunbarrell down the ridge, and let out a series of yelps. He double gobbled. I cut at him. He double gobbled again. I scratched the leaves, he double gobbled again. He was comming in on a string. I looked up and saw TWO snowball white heads comming down the ridge right at me. 60 yards away. 55 yards.50.45. at about 45 yards they fell off the side of the ridge and were walking closer, however I could just see both of their heads bobbing. When they were at about ten yards, I could see two periscope heads sticking up and looking over at me trying to find the hen they had heard. I had the saftey off, the bead on one of the heads, and my finger on the trigger. All of a sudden, the other one Gobbles so loud I almost jumped and I shot at the same time
( I guess without my cheek on the stock). And they took off flying down the opposite hollow. I was so close. It was several years ago and I still remember the feeling I felt that very night lying awake in my bed being so mad I couldn't sleep.
I killed another gobbler about two weeks later and you can believe it, I had my cheek on the stock that time. 
_________________________
Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1230165 - 03/11/09 10:57 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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Grizzly Johnson
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
16 Point
Registered: 10/07/08
Posts: 12826
Loc: Mid. TN
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NOTHING in the world like having a big tom gobble and him being right on top of you!!! It's a sound I will never forget and one that gives me goosebumps when I hear it in the woods!!
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VooDoo Mafia
Bustin' Heads Is Our Specialty
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#1230218 - 03/11/09 11:34 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: TeamMainStreet]
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Gravey
16 Point
Registered: 07/20/05
Posts: 16099
Loc: Rutherford / Wilson County Lin...
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I can't remember if it was last year or the year before but my neighbor had been seeing turkeys behind his house and we have permission to hunt back there. It's only 5 acres or so. Anyway one afternoon after the opening weekend we went back there and got one gobbling. He had left his gun at his dads where he hunts most of the time so I gave him mine and said I'd do the calling. Told him we were good out to 50 yards. We set up on an overgrown field that has a road cut around it facing the way we thought the turkey would come but he had other plans and started circling the other way. I leaned back into some thick stuff so my buddy could turn around and be able to shoot. All of a sudden I could see the turkey through the thick stuff but couldn't gauge how far he was. My buddy thought it was too far so he didn't shoot. Finally the turkey turned around and walked off. I pulled my range finder out and ranged a cedar tree beside where he came out and it said 49 yards. We never did kill that turkey.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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#1230254 - 03/11/09 11:51 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Gravey]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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My buddy thought it was too far so he didn't shoot. Finally the turkey turned around and walked off. I pulled my range finder out and ranged a cedar tree beside where he came out and it said 49 yards. We never did kill that turkey.
I did this a couple of years ago. I had missed a bird earlier in the season for being to far away, so when I got on this other bird and he came in and hung up, I thought it was too far away. Turns out, it was only 40 yards away!!! I was ticked!!!!!!!!!!
Oh ya, I missed the turkey the next day.......because he was at 50 Its hard to judge the distance in a field!
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Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1230310 - 03/11/09 12:42 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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REN
Good ol' Boys "Team Grizzly"
10 Point
Registered: 10/24/07
Posts: 3811
Loc: Wilson County, TN
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here is another good one.....
During turkey season i usually keep my JUST IN CASE stuff in the truck. One afternoon on the way home from work I decided to drive by a small wooded area down the street from my house to check it out. It is only about 20acres but has a nice field joining it you can see from the road. Sure enough there were 2 LB's out in the field so i pulled up so they could not see me from the road and jump out and got dressed....well i noticed i didnt have any boots so i just threw on my 3-d clothes and wore my crocs. I hauled booty to the back edge of the property to set up on a rock fence were the birds usually cross to roost.
well luck would have it the birds were already almost there when i got close so i had to just crawl as far as i could to get to the spot. I got about 60yds out and that was all i could go so i leaned up against a tree and decided to just try and call one a bit closer...well luck would have it i forgot to grab my calls from the truck. SOOOO the birds are 60yds out and gobbling and i decided to just try to do it with my mouth...they would gobble everytime i did but just would not cross the rock wall i wanted to be at!!! did this for about 30mins and they finally just left.
man if i would have been able to get to the wall where i KNEW they would be at i would have killed that bird easily
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VooDoo Mafia
John 3:16
Psalms 42:1
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#1230402 - 03/11/09 01:47 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: REN]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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man if i would have been able to get to the wall where i KNEW they would be at i would have killed that bird easily
I know the feeling
_________________________
Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1230685 - 03/11/09 04:30 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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Gravey
16 Point
Registered: 07/20/05
Posts: 16099
Loc: Rutherford / Wilson County Lin...
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My buddy thought it was too far so he didn't shoot. Finally the turkey turned around and walked off. I pulled my range finder out and ranged a cedar tree beside where he came out and it said 49 yards. We never did kill that turkey. I did this a couple of years ago. I had missed a bird earlier in the season for being to far away, so when I got on this other bird and he came in and hung up, I thought it was too far away. Turns out, it was only 40 yards away!!! I was ticked!!!!!!!!!! Oh ya, I missed the turkey the next day.......because he was at 50 Its hard to judge the distance in a field!
Brought to mind one on me. Set up where we knew they were feeding one time and it went uphill a little behind me. I heard something behind me and was able to see them but thought it was too far and let them walk. This was before I had a range finder and later stepped it off at around 30 yards. I was sick because it was a big tom with a paintbrush.
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
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#1230709 - 03/11/09 04:48 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Gravey]
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renegade50
16 Point
Registered: 02/02/07
Posts: 14240
Loc: tn
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too many to think about due to lack of range issues with my old side by side i used to hunt with 3 years ago
aint had a problem yet with my new mossy concerning range.
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work harder and pay your taxes!!!! millions of democrat voters on welfare as a way of life depend on you!!!!
a tax paying worker voting for a democrat
is like a chicken voting for colonel sanders
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#1231189 - 03/11/09 08:13 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: renegade50]
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BV
4 Point
Registered: 02/11/08
Posts: 177
Loc: Maury Co. TN
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too many to think about due to lack of range issues with my old side by side i used to hunt with 3 years ago
aint had a problem yet with my new mossy concerning range.
renegade,
I've got an old mossberg 835 thats probably 14 years old and once I got the right choke/shell combination in it, it pattered like a dream. I baught a new gun a couple of years ago and the very next year I was right back to the old 835 ( its a TANK!) I know the remington guys love their guns, but an 835 is hard to beat in the turkey woods.
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Dont't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.- John Eldredge from the book Wild at Heart
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#1231919 - 03/12/09 08:34 AM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: BV]
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renegade50
16 Point
Registered: 02/02/07
Posts: 14240
Loc: tn
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careful or the minimum mandatory distance police will jump all over you!!!!! hahahahahaaa!!!!!!!! jk guys......
to each their own.i will never hack on another mans setup or his tactics,techniques or procedures to hunt turkey
mossy 835, .680 rhino choke, 501L nitro shells....
i spent about 350 dollars doing choke and shell combos 2 years ago with the gun all the while knowing that the rhino /nitro combo in the back of my mind was what i was really looking for .
so i shucked out the money last febuary for them and wont look back, gained alot of knowledge from the combo experiments and web research on pattern potentials and what you can do to tweak up a gun without having to go the gunsmithing routes
one of the best things i did was polish my bore with jewelers rouge/paste which was very easy it can be compared to hand laping a rifle and it tighens up your pattern about 15%
i will polish my bore once again sometime this weekend more than likely, and then fire 2 rounds to confirm the pattern.
i can reach out just a "little further" now than the 35 yard distance i had imposed on myself with my old savage stevens 311 s x s i used to just have to grin and bear those birds locked up just outta range over the years with that gun.
now i am very happy about finnaly having a dedicated turkey gun
rolled 1 hard last year at 53 yards........
_________________________
work harder and pay your taxes!!!! millions of democrat voters on welfare as a way of life depend on you!!!!
a tax paying worker voting for a democrat
is like a chicken voting for colonel sanders
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#1232518 - 03/12/09 02:49 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: renegade50]
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TNTomtaker01
10 Point
Registered: 01/08/06
Posts: 2834
Loc: Middle
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Got to love them nitros
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"Smart is when you believe only half of what you hear. Brilliant is when you know which half to believe"
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#1233002 - 03/12/09 06:30 PM
Re: Whats your best "almost got'em" story?
[Re: Baxter83]
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Young Buck
4 Point
Registered: 05/07/00
Posts: 369
Loc: SpringHill, Tn.
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Been probly 8 or 9 years,on a pretty cold morning,was frosty.Located bird on roost,he only gobbled once on limb,he was roosted on side of a ridge looking out over a open holler about 40 or 50 acres of open.I set up on the other side of a growed up fenceline and about light enough for em to fly down I gave a soft cluck then a tree yelp.no gobble.Waited bout a minute and give em a flydown, no gobble.Well heck,so I waited,no dekes out.10 minutes or so go by and down he comes,1 gobble and hes struttin.I give him a soft 4 or 5 yelps and I could see him easin my way.Hes about 350 yds. away and comin my way.He drops off into the holler and out of sight but after about 5 minutes I can see that white head comin over the hill.Well Im pointed in the right direction but I gotta wait till hr comes into my shootin window as Im in a bunch of cedars.As he was 5 ft. from my openin where I could bust em he turns around and I will be dad blamed if here didnt come 3 jakes and ran his behind plum off!!!@#$%& Well I hunted the same ridge the next mornin and found the same bird same thind 1 gobble on limb 1 gobble on ground no hens cept this time when that rascal come over the rise I was ready to shoot.Oldest bird I ever took, had 1 5/8 & 1 9/16 spurs.Got John Beard to do a full body for me in a pose he calls "The Missouri Mean Walk" It is a beautiful mount of a magnificient bird and I'm sure proud of him.Ya,ll watch out for them durn jakes theyll gang up on a tom for sure.
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