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courtesy of CamoSpace.com
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Fooled by a Big Beard!
Posted On: 05/06/2008 22:42:27
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The Specifics:
Species: Meleagris gallopavo silvestris (Eastern Wild Turkey)
Date of Harvest: 05/03/08
Time of Harvest: 8:13 AM
Temperature: 61°F
County of Harvest: Jefferson County (Indiana)
Gun: 2004 NWTF 3.5" Browning Gold MOBU w/ 24" barrel
Sight: EOTech Model 552 Rev. F Holographic Sight
Choke: 2" Extended Indian Creek .655" Black Diamond Strike
Load: 3.5" Hevi-13 2 1/4 oz. #6s
Shot Distance: 49 yards (paced)
Call: Widow Maker Double Crystal Pot Call
Decoy: None (Tom stalked)
Turkey's Weight: 18 lbs. 0 oz.
Left Spur: 0.75 inches (19mm straight measurement)
Right Spur: 0.79 inches (20mm straight measurement)
Beard Length: 10.50 inches (another 1-inch thick paintbrush beard 135 )
NWTF Score is 18 + 7.5 + 7.9 + 21 = 54.4
The Story:
I awoke at 2:00 AM in order to attempt to get a jump on the 9 Toms I had seen the day before. I gathered the equipment and headed down to Jefferson county for another "Pretty Boy Decoy" harvest (I hoped).
Rain, rain, rain...doesn't do much for the pre-hunt attitude but I trudged on. Initial setup was completed by 5:00 AM on the edge of the old corn-stubbled field bordered with red cedar trees. Pretty Boy and Pretty Girl were going to "do it again" this year (or so I thought at the time). The morning's sunrise occurred at 6:42 AM but fortunately 2-3 excited Toms started sounding off as early as 6:13 AM. The gobbles reassured my doubtful mind that the Toms were there and they would be looking for girlfriends shortly.
I reached into my Gobbler's Lounge vest and retrieved the Widow Maker Red Scratcher scratch box and Double Crystal pot call. A few "escalating," pleading yelps and excited clucks and the northern woods erupted.
"Awesome." I kept thinking.
Time worn on and by 7:30 AM I began to doubt my strategy. In my mind, the Toms were supposed to charge in and kick the heck out of my decoys but unfortunately, they didn't read the script.
"Just hang tight. They'll come. Just sit still." I told myself.
Around 7:45 AM a Tom gobbled. Finally some action! I yelped on the Double Crystal and right on cue....GOBBLE! GOBBLE!....but behind me in the field.
"Do I stay put or do I work through the cedars to use the binos?"
I made a quick decision to move and close the distance. The binoculars helped identify 2 Toms, a bachelor club of 3 jakes, and 5 hens in a large dip in the field. It was clear from the gratuitous amount of strutting that the "boys" were not going to be leaving their harem anytime soon!
All turkeys were out in the field beyond 80 yards from any and all perimeter locations so I kept scanning with the binos.
"Ah-Hah!!" I thought as I located a 10 yards circle tuft of waist-high weeds with a couple small trees.
If I could somehow get to this weedy spot, a 40-50 yards shot was possible for a harvest. I struck up the Double Crystal once more and watched the two Toms alert the new ladies (my calling) that the "studs were this way please."
Using the terrain dotted with large red cedar trees, I made it to a dip where I was out of the turkeys' line-of-sight. While hunched over, I walked quickly and deliberately up the ascending side of my field depression. A slow rise and I could see the Toms and jakes at 65 yards. I crouched back down and decided to belly-crawl through the mud and into the weedy area I previously identified.
After 5 minutes of working the belly crawl, I raised my head enough to disrupt the satellite jakes that began to putt. Not alarm putts but "who the heck is there?" putts. I stayed still and would not return call to satisfy their curiosity. Instead, I peered through the binoculars once more but only through the weeds.
I spotted two Toms in full strut for the hens. Unfortunately, a jake figured out that something wasn't quite right and began to lightly putt while he and the other jakes began to move off to the north.
For whatever reason, the hens began to follow the jakes. I thought this would be bad for my hunting but the situation soon proved me wrong again. As the hens moved, the 2 Toms actually strutted closer! I let the Toms move to within an estimated 40-45 yards and waited for the red heads to separate enough for a shot (1 bearded turkey limit in Indiana). Once the "thick-bearded" Tom moved slightly to the west, I brought the Browning's EOTech sight forward through the grass and placed the dot on top of his head and fired.
All remaining turkeys dashed in all directions as the Tom began the "reverse swan dive" and final death rattle. I rose to my feet with the Browning in the low, ready for a follow up shot (if needed). Walking up on the Tom, I grabbed the feet and collapsed the airway with my snake boot. 8:13 AM by my watch and the hunt was over.
Considering the Tom's youthful age, I was quite surprised to see such a developed tailfan and beard with light body weight and shorter than usual spurs. Recalling the events in my mind, I knew the big beard had caught my eye in the binoculars and fooled me into thinking this Tom was much older. A good harvest that placed a big, fat grin of enjoyment and satisfaction on my face. God I love this sport! 
The Pictures:
I hope you enjoyed the story and pictures. 
-Slopster
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