TURKEY HARVEST 4/19/08

[DOGKILLR]

Decided to go try a little turkey hunting yesterday. Glad I went. Got to my spot a little late and the turkeys were already on the ground. Used the terrain to get up on them as close as possible and started a little calling. The turkeys were gobbling good but were henned up and crossed the pasture in front of me about 100 yards out heading toward a grain field. I new the calling wasn,t going to work and let the turkeys go over a hill and I went into stealth mode. I snuck up to the top of the hill with my eyes peeled looking for heads. They were in the grain field and the only thing between me and them was a grass field about 1 foot tall. I belly crawled for about 200 yards and was within about 50 yards of the gobblers. There was 3 gobblers and 4 hens in the field. I had to be careful with all those eyes and moved very slowly keeping my eyes on them. One of the gobblers was stretching his neck looking in my direction but never spooked. The boss gobbler was struttin and the other was busy dusting. I waited patiently as the strutting bird was strutting back a forth in my direction. Finally I couldn't take it any more and tried a shot with my trusty 10 gauge. Blam. Busted him at 45 paces but had to take the butt of the gun to his head to finish him. 23lbs with an 11 inck paintbrush beard and 1&1/8 spurs.

[weekender]

Congrats a trophy tom, very nice.

[Dave Sikorski]

Beautiful bird. Congrats.

-D

[dakndug]

Congrats!!! Nice bird!

Doug

[BTH284]

Way to go DOG ! That is a nice bird. What were the beard and spur length? Lbs? Looks like a rope of a beard!

[DOGKILLR]

Way to go DOG ! That is a nice bird. What were the beard and spur length? Lbs? Looks like a rope of a beard!

11 inch beard, 1&1/8 spurs and 23lbs.

[hubris 1]

when i was younger, i used to drive around looking for deer. until i hit that car head on. that stopped me. now on my way to the shore i see so many turkey's, im doing it again. like deer they seem to have a very set pattern also. do you just breast that out or do you cook the whole bird? thank's.

[pitch bait]

Hubris,
I just breast mine out. I believe the rest of the bird is very tough to chew. I was told it is because the birds you buy at the store are raised in a pen and dont walk and fly to build up there muscles. They are both good eating.

[DOGKILLR]

Hubris,
I just breast mine out. I believe the rest of the bird is very tough to chew. I was told it is because the birds you buy at the store are raised in a pen and dont walk and fly to build up there muscles. They are both good eating.

That's right. Don't bother cleaning a whole wild bird. I just unzip their breast and filet it off the bone. The thighs and wings a very tough.

[AlloyToy]

Nice bird......I've been stalking two Tom's in the same size range the last couple days but haven't gotten them close enough for a good shot. Only using a box call.

The other day had a coyote charge me while calling........that was something!!! The look on his eyes when he saw me

Great post.......learned a lot just by reading Thx.
AT