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Opening Morning Birds

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
My son, Tyler, decided to hunt close to the house this morning because we have a farm there that is REALLY good for turkeys. He had a great hunt with birds all around him and killed this 18#, 10 3/4" Beard, 7/8" spurs Tom.

I hunted our property because I pay TOO much money not to (and it seems to hold some turkeys). I slipped up on the hill yesterday eve at 6:30. I heard jakes gobbling below me and fly up. Not wanting to target jakes (but having no problem killing one) I decided to wait on the turkeys to tell me where to set up this morning. As it is getting light one sounds off on the ridge out from me. It is too light and too open to get a decoy out. I knew this would bite me. I make a few calls and he responds back hot. He jumps down early and I can see a black blob coming my way. He's gobbling and half strutting his way towards me. At about 70 yards he puffs up and starts hammering away.There is nothing between us. I did have time to do a quick range of a tree at 45 yards. If he makes it to there I will shoot, if not then he wins this round. When his head goes behind a tree I call, he responds immediately and blows up again. Slowly he is inching his way towards me. He stops behind the tree I had ranged...50 yards. Standing there in full strut gobbling for 5 minutes searching for the hen in the open woods. Then he turns and goes over the hill gobbling. I call and he responds every time but keeps going. After he is out of sight I head out the ridge to where he came from because he is headed that way on the 4 wheeler path. I stop at the point to call and get a fix on his position. He is still on the path near the right point so I head down the left point to the blind I put up for my daughter. Once I am in the blind I call and he gobbles on the point above me where I just was 2 minutes earlier. Then a hen starts below me, he comes to the edge...60 yards...all fanned out and gobbling. She comes up on the path, he can see her. I'm just waiting for him to go down to her and going to pick him off. She goes to the other point and he just watches her, then goes back up on the ridge. She proceeds to join him up there. He is still sounding off for another 15 minutes. Then I see him headed back my way puffed up. He gets to 60 yards and goes over the hill behind a tree top. So, I spin around in the blind to shoot through another window. He's now gobbling, spitting and drumming inside of 40 yards but I can't see him. Then all goes quiet. I'm trying to pick him out but can't. Suddenly, I hear ffftttt, dwoooooommmm behind me. I peek over my shoulder out the OPEN blind door and he is standing there at 25 yards. I have had enough of this game and put it in "finish it" mode. As I spin around and stick the gun out the door he has this "uh-oh" look...too late!

22#
3/4" & 7/8" Spurs
10 7/8" Beard

IMG_1011.jpg
IMG_0995.jpg
IMG_0987.jpg

ARG! Can anyone explain why cell phone pics end up sideways even though they are upright in file???
 
Last edited:

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
My son, Tyler, decided to hunt close to the house this morning because we have a farm there that is REALLY good for turkeys. He had a great hunt with birds all around him and killed this 18#, 10 3/4" Beard, 7/8" spurs Tom.

I hunted our property because I pay TOO much money not to (and it seems to hold some turkeys). I slipped up on the hill yesterday eve at 6:30. I heard jakes gobbling below me and fly up. Not wanting to target jakes (but having no problem killing one) I decided to wait on the turkeys to tell me where to set up this morning. As it is getting light one sounds off on the ridge out from me. It is too light and too open to get a decoy out. I knew this would bite me. I make a few calls and he responds back hot. He jumps down early and I can see a black blob coming my way. He's gobbling and half strutting his way towards me. At about 70 yards he puffs up and starts hammering away.There is nothing between us. I did have time to do a quick range of a tree at 45 yards. If he makes it to there I will shoot, if not then he wins this round. When his head goes behind a tree I call, he responds immediately and blows up again. Slowly he is inching his way towards me. He stops behind the tree I had ranged...50 yards. Standing there in full strut gobbling for 5 minutes searching for the hen in the open woods. Then he turns and goes over the hill gobbling. I call and he responds every time but keeps going. After he is out of sight I head out the ridge to where he came from because he is headed that way on the 4 wheeler path. I stop at the point to call and get a fix on his position. He is still on the path near the right point so I head down the point to the blind I put up for my daughter. Once I am in the blind I call and he gobbles on the point above me where I just was 2 minutes earlier. Then a hen starts below me, he comes to the edge...60 yards...all fanned out and gobbling. She comes up on the path, he can see her. I'm just waiting for him to go down to her and going to pick him off. She goes to the other point and he just watches her, then goes back up on the ridge. She proceeds to join him up there. He is still sounding off for another 15 minutes. Then I see him headed back my way puffed up. He gets to 60 yards and goes over the hill behind a tree top. So, I spin around in blind to shoot through another window. He's now gobbling, spitting and drumming inside of 40 yards but I can't see him. Then all goes quiet. I'm trying to pick him out but can't. Suddenly, I hear ffftttt, dwoooooommmm behind me. I peek over my shoulder out the OPEN blind door and he is standing there at 25 yards. I have had enough of this game and put it in "finish it" mode. As I spin around and stick the gun out the door he has this "uh-oh" look...too late!

22#
3/4" & 7/8" Spurs
10 7/8" Beard

View attachment 43654
View attachment 43653
View attachment 43655

ARG! Can anyone explain why cell phone pics end up sideways even though they are upright in file???

Fixed them for you. Because phone manufactures recently changed their photo tags for files taken vertically to be flipped horizontally. Monitors are no longer square, everything is wide screed. But people keep taking photos and videos vertically with their phone instead of in widescreen. You take them vertically but the phone tags them as horizontal.

Vbulletin is working on a "fix" bit they insist its the phone or user problem not the forum software.

Congrats on bird btw. He's a big one.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
Because phone manufactures recently changed their photo tags for files taken vertically to be flipped horizontally. Monitors are no longer square, everything is wide screed. But people keep taking photos and videos vertically with their phone instead of in widescreen. You take them vertically but the phone tags them as horizontal.

Vbulletin is working on a "fix" bit they insist its the phone or user problem not the forum software.

Congrats on bird btw. He's a big one.

Ok, thanks for the info. Might be hard sideways with the 10 second delay but hand held won't be a problem.