Species: Eastern Wild Turkey
Date of Harvest: 03/25/07
Time of Harvest: 4:40 PM
Temperature: 76°F
State of Harvest: Georgia, U.S.A.
Gun: 2004 NWTF 3.5" Browning Gold MOBU w/ 24" barrel
Sight: EOTech Model 552 Rev. F Holographic Sight
Choke: Rhino 2” Extended 0.670 Hevi Shot
Load: Nitro Company H51013 (2-1/4oz) 4x5x7 Hevi Shot
Yardage: 58 yards
Call: Widow Maker Black Scratcher Scratch box
Decoy: None Used
NWTF score on the Tom:
Left Spur = 1.00 inches
Right Spur = 1 3/8 (1.375) inches
Beard = 9 3/4 (9.75) inches
Weight = 19 lbs
NWTF Score equals [(10 x left spur) + (10 x right spur) + (2 x longest single beard strand) + (Weight)]
Sloppy's Tom scores: [(10 x 1.000) + (10 x 1.375) + (2 x 9.7500) + (19)] which equals:
62.2500 NWTF Points! Not my biggest bird but a
solid start for the 2007 Season !!! (Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana are next!)
The Story:
After a successful early afternoon calling in 2 Toms and my buddy Shawn harvesting one of these Toms (Sloppy blew a “double Tom” harvest by not having his gun ready), I headed back to camp with Shawn in his truck. We had just shared a joyous time after Shawn was able to get his Tom in the red dot sight at 27 yards. Not so strangely, I felt like an idiot because we did not “double” and take both Toms (I was looking at the wrong ridge for the Toms that were closing in on both of us). After celebrating Shawn’s 12:30 PM Tom harvest, I grabbed something to eat with Shawn and decided to go back in the woods for a late afternoon solo hunt (Shawn was too beat to go back into the heat).
I began to discuss my proposed hunting strategy with Shawn and decided that hunting the shade would be my best chance in the mid-80°F weather. Shawn agreed and suggested that I descend down the backside of the mountain, through the 7-acre non-prescribed burn area, and hang a right on the trail into the swampy area. Knowing that Shawn knew that mountain better than anyone, I took the suggestion to heart and proceeded to the area.
After parking the truck at the top of the mountain and walking 20 minutes into the area, I found a nice little rocky spot next to a good size blackjack oak tree and some broom sage. I confirmed that the Spectre Gunship (my Browning Gold shotgun) was ready with a full load of shot shell ammunition (Nitro Company H51013 Hevi Shot shot shells). A quick check of tightness on the choke tube and gun safety engagement was completed in short order.
As I looked up, I looked around at the 2 valleys that converged at my location. "As good as any other spot....maybe better...." I thought to myself.
Since the only birds that Shawn and I could get to talk to us had previously responded to my Widow Maker Black Scratcher scratch box, I began to play some excited clucks combined with yelping that varied in both cadence and volume. As before hunting with Shawn, a double gobble hammered back!
"Holy chit!....where the flock is my head net and hat?" I thought.
I quickly found them and covered myself and my glasses from any sunlight (to avoid reflections off my glasses). Another sequence of clucking and yelping was answered more loudly during my note playing. I guessed the Tom (or Toms; I didn't know positively at that point in time) were up the right valley about 100 yards or so.
I readied the Spectre Gunship in my lap and gave another short cluck (just one) and the gobbling sent another chill up my spine. I set the scratch box on the ground and lifted my gun to the ready position. My eyes were looking in the bottom of the valley in some sparse broom sage. I was just waiting for the Tom or Toms to round the sage and meet the sting of my Nitro Hevi Shot.
Well, the Toms showed up but instead of being in the bottom of the valley in the small, dried up drainage creek, the Toms were trying to flank me by walking across the face of the center ridge, approximately 30 yards up the ridge from the absolute bottom of the valley. I caught "the black blobs" in my peripheral vision, slowly moved my barrel on the lead Tom and began tracking them popping in and out of strut while studder-stepping on the hillside.
I contemplated waiting until the Toms heads were aligned behind one another for a shot at a double but ditched that idea quickly and decided to focus on the "lower Tom." Once he presented a shot through the small trees, the EOTech's red dot and circle found the base of the neck and the Spectre barked its payload.
Off flew the other Tom while my Tom performed another beautiful "reverse swan dive" and flapped the death rattle over and under a couple of logs before landing at the bottom of the hill at the converging point of the ridges.
I ran to my bird with the Spectre in low ready for a follow up if necessary. Still flapping, I stomped on his neck in order to expedite the Tom's expiration. I couldn't help but notice that I was being spurred quite heavily but didn't feel anything through the brand new pair of Redhead snake boots that Shawn had given me only the day before.
After the Tom expired, I knelt down to inspect the Tom. A nice, 2 to 3-year old with a "thin" beard. Somewhat unusual for a Tom with a 19-lb weight....or so I thought. H-mm-mm-mm....no shot pellets in the head, a few pellets in the waddles, and the majority of the hevi Shot just below the neck where the head meets the feathers. Low shot for some reason.
So....I left the Tom lay for a moment, returned to the exact spot I was sitting and walked off an honest
58 paces from where I had been calling and shot. I was sighted in for 40 yards with the Spectre and the distance provided a dann good reason that the shot was "low." No matter...the Tom was dead. 4:40 PM for time of death.
I loaded him into my Gobbler's Lounge vest carry pouch and made the blaze orange safety cover visible over the pouch for the walk out (or "up" I should say). 45 minutes later, I got back to camp with the "thumbs up" motioned to my host Shawnibal. We pulled the bird from the pouch, exchanged a hug and a "high 5," and I began to tell the story.
Happy? Yes I was. And dann happy to be with my friends Shawn, Gary, Larry and Wayne at the turkey Mecca, Windy Ridge Hunt Club.
The Pictures:
