DeerWhisperer
Well-Known Member
This season has been a tough one, just prior to the season opener I found out that I had fractured my kneecap. Needless to say, I have been somewhat restrictive in my hunting this season. I really could not cover any ground at all and for the most part I have been limited to blind hunting (I know, I apologize). I was fortunate enough to harvest a bird about 3 weeks ago on a very short afternoon hunt. From that point on, I put my gun up and have been working toward getting my wife a bird. We have hunted for several weekends, gotten close twice but no bird. We had yesterday off and hit the woods yesterday morning, but no birds. I tried to get her up again this moring but the bed was just to comfortable and she wasnt feeling that well. She said we would go this afternoon. A good friend offered me a spot that we could access easily and he said he had been seeing a bird in the field several times this week.
When we arrived, we spooked a group of jakes out of the field. It took us a few minutes to get everything set up. We had been there about 15 minutes when she spotted a Tom enter the field. I made a few light calls and he immediately gobbled. At that same time, the skies opened up and it began thundering and raining heavily. He gobbled at the thundser. This bird was literally in this field in a torrential downpour. We were soaked and I was just trying to keep my calls dry. He proceeded to walk over the entir field during this storm looking for the hen that was calling.
The storm lasted for 15-20 minutes and the entire time he was just staying in the field. When it finally stopped raining, I let a few soft calls, he immediately started heading our way. The field grass was quite high, we could just barely see his head telescoping above the grass. When he was about 60 out, I caught more movment. It was a second turkey. It apeared to be a Jake. The Jake started chasing the Tom in circles and then they began to fight.
The Tom managed to keep him at bay and started to head back our way. At every few steps, he would turn and run the Jake off and resume headed back towards us.
Finally, the Tom just broke out in a run with the Jake on his heels.
My wife was in full blown panic mode trying to figure out which one to shoot, due to the tall grass and constant back and forth we could not tell which was the Gobbler and which was the Jake.
She was up and ready and I finally seen the beard and told her to shoot the one on the left.
It was about 35 yards and she made a perfect shot, apparently there were multiple jakes after the Tom, when she shot, 2 other birds took flight that we could not see.
17.8 lbs, 10" beard and 1 1/4" spurs.
When we arrived, we spooked a group of jakes out of the field. It took us a few minutes to get everything set up. We had been there about 15 minutes when she spotted a Tom enter the field. I made a few light calls and he immediately gobbled. At that same time, the skies opened up and it began thundering and raining heavily. He gobbled at the thundser. This bird was literally in this field in a torrential downpour. We were soaked and I was just trying to keep my calls dry. He proceeded to walk over the entir field during this storm looking for the hen that was calling.
The storm lasted for 15-20 minutes and the entire time he was just staying in the field. When it finally stopped raining, I let a few soft calls, he immediately started heading our way. The field grass was quite high, we could just barely see his head telescoping above the grass. When he was about 60 out, I caught more movment. It was a second turkey. It apeared to be a Jake. The Jake started chasing the Tom in circles and then they began to fight.
The Tom managed to keep him at bay and started to head back our way. At every few steps, he would turn and run the Jake off and resume headed back towards us.
Finally, the Tom just broke out in a run with the Jake on his heels.
My wife was in full blown panic mode trying to figure out which one to shoot, due to the tall grass and constant back and forth we could not tell which was the Gobbler and which was the Jake.
She was up and ready and I finally seen the beard and told her to shoot the one on the left.
It was about 35 yards and she made a perfect shot, apparently there were multiple jakes after the Tom, when she shot, 2 other birds took flight that we could not see.
17.8 lbs, 10" beard and 1 1/4" spurs.
