TNhunter
Well-Known Member
Even though I was only going to be able to hunt till about 12:00 or so I decided to make the trip to LBL this morning to at least give it a shot at finally making my first turkey kill there. Someone bumped some gobbling birds off me early right after flydown. I was working my way back toward the road (after about a 2 mile walk back into the area) around 9:30 or so. As I was basically getting ready to hang it up and head back to the truck to make the trek back to Murfreesboro I thought I heard a faint gobble but couldn't tell what direction it had come from. I have a policy of NEVER leaving a gobbling bird on the ground no matter what. I sat tight for a few minutes and after about 5 minutes heard it again. This time I could tell it was on the ridge behind me and to my left - probably a couple hundred yards away. I floated a few yelps on my Southland Game Calls slate and he hammered away - this time much closer. I called again - again hammered a gobble even closer. I shut completely up. Within just a few seconds I could see him on the edge of the ridge - strutting and looking for the hen down in the bottom. I scratched on the leaves beside of me and him and his strutting/gobbling friend started making their way down the ridge and headed straight toward me. As the lead bird got closer to the bottom he started turning to my right and was circling around to cross the dry creek bed at a better location. As soon as he popped out of the creek and showed himself on the other side of the big tree he was behind I let out a yelp with my mouth call. He popped his head up and I dropped the bead of my new Burris Fastfire III on his noggin. The Hevishot Magnum Blend 3" load busted his beak and took him out. Stepped it off as a 42 yard shot.
21 pounds, 9.5" beard, 1-1/8" spurs.
21 pounds, 9.5" beard, 1-1/8" spurs.
