Had a longbeard come into shooting range this morning but something didn't feel right.
He had never gobbled at least not where we could hear him.
I happened to look up as he strolled down close to our setup.
He wasn't strutting and paid no attention to the decoys.
He just scratched along in the leaves without a care in the world.
I managed to get him to gobble one time but his actions were telling me his heart wasn't into playing the game.
He eventually moved out of sight. 2 hens soon come into view and move cross the opening we're watching. Looking behind them I see the top of a tail fan come into view. He follows the hens in full strut but something's still not right. Yes, I have one tag left but that didn't really matter. I had made up my mind that unless this bird's demeanor changed he would get a free pass from me.
If it was the same bird and I'm sure it was, he has no idea how close he came to taking a ride back to the cabin with me but killing him didn't seem like the right thing to do at that time.
I was quickly reminded of my late friend and mentor who refused to shoot a bird that wouldn't gobble and I had to smile because I used to get on him for doing so.

Here's a few lines from a poem that I wrote years ago that suits this morning's hunt

All of us start out hunting with the goal of making that first kill,
But as we grow older we begin to realize that the HUNT is the thrill.

Most successful hunts have a strategy and a few are a thing of chance,
When things go well and your bird comes in, just thank him for the dance.

It is “Hunting” not “Killing” and in time we should all be able to say,
That we called in a bird and let him live so he may dance another day.

Until we meet again....Keep dancing my friend!

Barry I like your poem. Very well done.

I have to admit I have shot some that didn’t gobble.

That’s a good poem, and I gotta admit, I too, have shot a bird or three that didn’t gobble.

Barry,

I have a lot of respect for you, for many reasons, but this is just another example of why I respect you and what you mean to us as hunters! While sometimes, as turkey hunters we scratch our heads at why we do the things we do, for some reason, I completely understand why you did what you did here! A couple Saturdays ago, I had an incredible morning as I tagged my second bird of the year! If you recall my story on that hunt, the bird that I killed was the strutter and he had a look out buddy with him! Well, as natural selection works in this world we love, the lookout bird took over the assumed duties of the strutter and was doing his thing. That following Thursday, I was home with my son, who had picked up an eye infection due to some trauma to his eye after a bad fall from getting pushed after scoring a run in a game, but it wasn't a hunting day as I was on full dad duty at the time. Well, what transpired throughout the morning was, I saw from my living room window (that I constantly check out to see what's roaming around the area) , because I live in the woods and another of my hunting areas, aren't that far from my house! That said, I ended up watching the gobbler, the now big boy in the area show off for nearly 2 HOURS around my house! Strutting, white head, showing off for a couple hens all within 50 yards of my house! I could have EASILY gone out and finished my season with a 3rd tag, something I've never done before, BUT I just couldn't do it! As tempting as it was, and the longer he hung out, the more tempting it got, but I just couldn't do it! I kept telling myself, this isn't what it is about! It's about the hunt, the challenge, the chess match, the thrill of what we have accomplished by outsmarting this amazing bird! It just didn't seem right! After that day, I have gone after him a couple times to no avail! But it doesn't matter, I probably blew my chance at him, but I feel in my heart I did the right thing!! That said, I'm going after him in the am, for a quick hunt before church tomorrow! But after your story hear. I just had to share mine! I understand what you did! And have the utmost respect for your decision!! Here's a picture of him that I got, 20 yards from my living room window, doing his thing!! He sure is pretty!!

I have shot them as well but yesterday it just seemed the wrong thing to do

Noble yes. However, I think with my stomach and birds gotta die gobbling or not. Maybe if I was a better hunter I'd think differently. So if he comes in later gobbling, will you shoot him?
V

If he plays the game right next time then yes I'd shoot.
Don't get me wrong, I have shot non gobbling birds before and will probably do it again.
In this case it just didn't seem the right thing to do

I get the sentiment completely. I suspect he was a subordinate gobbler. From a genetic standpoint I’m thinking those that dont gobble shouldnt breed but I think nature takes care of that to an extent anyway.