turkeyman2000
04-07-2009, 12:36 AM
I took a buddy of mine with me to Florida this year and we both took birds. It took us a while to figure them out, but we got'em. We had to set out 2 strutting decoys about 15 yards from the line-fence...so that when the boss saw them, he would come a-runnin'....which he did. Jesse killed him at about 30 yards. He was 17 lbs, 9 3/4" beard, and one spur was 1", the other was 7/8".
I had a chance to get a real nice gobbler the very next morning. We roosted the bird the night before. We slipped in real early the next morning and set up our decoys, blind, and camera. We got about 35-40 minutes of that gobbler gobbling and strutting on the limb. Yes, he was that close. Probably no more than 100 yards. Very good video footage. He flew down almost into our decoy spread..about 35 yards. But when he landed, he landed behind a big pine tree and he stood there for about 2 minutes as still as a statue. About that time, 6 other turkeys fly down just behind him. He then starts strutting back toward those turkeys. I thought they were going to lead him away...so I took the shot with my sidelock muzzleloader. It was about a 45 yard shot. I clean missed. I have made a longer shot with the same gun....but for some reason, I missed. I may have flinched a little...pulled off a bit...heck, I don't know. I just know that turkey flew off.
The next morning rolled around, our last morning in Florida. I had said that we were going to leave between 8 and 9 that morning to get home at a decent hour. We tried rousing something in the same spot we had the one going the morning before when I missed that turkey. No response. So, on a whim, I said, let's go to the very back of the farm and set up fairly close to the line fence. We started calling. Didn't hear anything for the first 10 or 15 minutes of calling. Then all of the sudden, a turkey gobbled in the middle of the field. Then we see another gobbler. Then at least another 6 or 7 jakes joined them. The big birds started chasing those jakes around and around and around. They came over next to the fence, still fighting and running around. All of the sudden, they start coming under the fence and working toward our decoy. They were still running around and around. My buddy made a couple of clucks and the only one that would stick his head up and stand still long enough was a jake. The smokepole barked, and down he went. He was 14 1/2 lbs, 3 3/4" beard, and 1/4" spurs. I was proud to harvest him. :D
That's me in the first picture and Jesse in the second one.
I had a chance to get a real nice gobbler the very next morning. We roosted the bird the night before. We slipped in real early the next morning and set up our decoys, blind, and camera. We got about 35-40 minutes of that gobbler gobbling and strutting on the limb. Yes, he was that close. Probably no more than 100 yards. Very good video footage. He flew down almost into our decoy spread..about 35 yards. But when he landed, he landed behind a big pine tree and he stood there for about 2 minutes as still as a statue. About that time, 6 other turkeys fly down just behind him. He then starts strutting back toward those turkeys. I thought they were going to lead him away...so I took the shot with my sidelock muzzleloader. It was about a 45 yard shot. I clean missed. I have made a longer shot with the same gun....but for some reason, I missed. I may have flinched a little...pulled off a bit...heck, I don't know. I just know that turkey flew off.
The next morning rolled around, our last morning in Florida. I had said that we were going to leave between 8 and 9 that morning to get home at a decent hour. We tried rousing something in the same spot we had the one going the morning before when I missed that turkey. No response. So, on a whim, I said, let's go to the very back of the farm and set up fairly close to the line fence. We started calling. Didn't hear anything for the first 10 or 15 minutes of calling. Then all of the sudden, a turkey gobbled in the middle of the field. Then we see another gobbler. Then at least another 6 or 7 jakes joined them. The big birds started chasing those jakes around and around and around. They came over next to the fence, still fighting and running around. All of the sudden, they start coming under the fence and working toward our decoy. They were still running around and around. My buddy made a couple of clucks and the only one that would stick his head up and stand still long enough was a jake. The smokepole barked, and down he went. He was 14 1/2 lbs, 3 3/4" beard, and 1/4" spurs. I was proud to harvest him. :D
That's me in the first picture and Jesse in the second one.