It's amazing.
I decided that I would play it by ear and if I woke up at 4am when my alarm went off and I felt like garbage I would stay home. When the alarm finally did go off, I was feeling OK, which was a vast improvement from earlier in the week, so I loaded my things and headed out.
When I got to my spot, I stood in front of the car and listened for a distance gobble......
Silence.
I figured oh well, I was looking forward to watching the woods wake up anyway and I was feeling alright. As I took my obligatory pee before heading out I heard the timber rattle.
A gobbler!
I frantically grabbed my gear and headed for the trees. As I worked my way there I could hear that there were two birds gobbling in the narrow section of timber on the west side. After hopping the fence, I put my decoys together and was falling apart at the seam. The birds were gobbling up a storm and it was making my brain melt. I tip-toed my way along the field edge and the closer I got the clearer the picture of my situation. There were birds everywhere on this point and I knew where I needed to be for my best position at seeing a bird. I stuck my decoys in the field corner and belly-crawled the rest of the way to the fenceline.
There were two gobblers roosted in the trees mere yards to my left, one of which I could see sway back and forth every time he gobbled. As one would gobble, the rest would chime in.
There were seven gobblers total on the end of this point!!!
When I knew it was close enough to legal, I gave a couple of clucks on my mouth call. This sent the whole ridge into synchronized gobbling. I watched as the pair right next to me pitched down and flew just over the pasture rise in front of me. Both hit the ground gobbling. I tried to work them my way with some sweet talk but they already knew what they wanted to do.
My sweet talk did not sit well with one of the hens behind me and she began her scolding of the 'new girl' on the ridge. Every time she would call I would mimic back her call, but louder. Again, this sent the gobblers into a frenzy. The hens eventually shut up and left, which left me with a flock of hot gobblers. Every time I would call, they would sound off. I finally was able to work one of the birds closer, and he was right below me. Where I was set up, I had a plum thicket behind me, a brush pile to my left, and an open pasture coming to a point in front of me. Distance of open view was limited but doable. I could hear the bird spitting and drumming to my left, and he was close. If I stood up I could have blasted him right out of his strut zone, but that doesn't often work with turkeys.
I finally caught sight of one of the gobblers as he hopped into an opening at about 40 yards. I could have easily popped him right there, but it just wasn't as clear of a shot as I was comfortable with taking; so I waited.
At this point I was shaking bad, and because I have been indisposed this last week, my strength and endurance has been compromised. I had to slowly drop my gun in my lap as I could no longer hold it up. I lost site of the gobbler and as he dropped into the slope an all out fight broke out. It was nothing I have encountered in the turkey woods before and it was intense to say the least.
An all-out gobbler fight ensued!
I could hear the wings rapping against each other and I would see a head pop up in mid-air. I then say a bird flipping up-sight down in the air. There were literally feather flying as the fighting purrs and random gobbles would sound off.
Spectacular show!!!
When the fight discontinued, three of the birds broke off and resumed their positions right below me. I knew I could eventually pull one of these birds up the cow trail in front of me, I would just have to wait him out. When I figured he had lost interest, I would give some more of my sweet talk with the mouth call. I could hear them again, spitting and drumming right below me. I could hear wings scraping the ground as they strutted back and forth. It sounded closer this time.
GOBBLEGOBBLEGOBBLE!!!!
Up the trail he was coming...
As I slowly lifted my gun, he can into my field of view 13 yards in front of me.
CLICK.
In full strut, I laid the hammer down.
BOOM!!!
I jumped up like I always do to get on him, and when I stood I proceeded to ram head first into the fence. I had been sitting in an awkward position long enough that my left leg buckled the second I put any weight on it. When I finally regained my feet under me, I looked up to see the other two gobblers at 40 yards making their get away. I had minimal damage to me, not a scratch on my face, and I walked over to the largest gobbler I have ever harvested.
You can see in the picture just to the right of his head, I actually hit him with the wad!
This was an absolute stud of a bird with some gut-hooks for spurs.
I made my way back to the car with my first South Dakota gobbler over my shoulder. This is exactly why I enjoy turkey hunting, and have been so successful at it. I have never mattered if I shoot one or not, and I have the greatest success when there is no pressure to produce.
Once I made it to my vehicle I loaded up and headed for Al and Karin's. I had to show them my spectacular bird. Once there I had to get pics of my first limb-hanger worthy bird.
As Al, Karin, and I were having morning coffee (just water for me....) Al got a call from one of his friends, John Wagner, saying he dropped a big gobbler as well and wanted a good pic. This was truly a great day to be out turkey hunting!
We got 26 pounds even on his bird as well. Two of the largest gobblers I have ever seen.
Eventually, I had to make my way back home to butcher and freeze my giant bird. After a quick shower and clean up, I was even able to make my way back into town with the Mrs. We perused a few places, and I was even able to find a nice mallard print for my office, and we searched for some new pots for house plants. I am finding that Rachel really enjoys the house plants, but only if I take care of them for obvious reasons. Not everyone can have green thumb ;)
The best part of the whole evening is when Rachel suggested that we cook up some of the turkey for dinner. It was going to be on the bland side for my sake, but it never ceases to amaze me how much I love her. This women is my life. Everything I do is because of her. Thanks for the turkey dinner!
Stay Tuned
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