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Neill
King of Spring
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 8:30 pm Posts: 988 Location: Lexington
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I'm Happy
Today was the fifth and final morning of my VA hunting vacation. Anyway it had been a fairly quiet week spotted some strutters in the middle of a field a couple of times late morning but not much gobbling. I've got less than 100 acres to work with so I can't cover much ground. I did get on some birds Wed. morning but they flew down to a hen and I never heard or saw anything else from them. They had been gobbling off the roost to her cutts but would not respond to by calling.
This morning I set up on the edge of a field corner and when the rain let at first light a group of gobblers started thundering off the roost on a ridge top across a creek bottom a few hundred yards away. They were very responsive to my calls. Hens were calling from a couple of other directions so I was not sure I would see them. They flew down to an opening in the hardwoods on the opposing ridge and gobbled their heads off for 5-10 minutes. Then they shut up. I thought they were henned up. I did a few series of calls and waited. I thought I heard some faint noises in the wet leaves. I was looking back over my shoulder to my left, thinking they might slip up from that direction. I caught movement in my eye and face forward and there were 3 long beards in from of me. I took the lead gobbler and am very happy. Beard 9 inches and change, spurs 1 1/8, 1 1/16 weight 16 # (seems kind of small).
Something special about the hunt: a couple of days ago I came across field bag of turkey gear that my late father had used when he turkey hunted many years ago. I didn't take up turkey hunting until after he passed a few years ago...so I never got to hunt with him accept when he took me a couple times when I was very small. There was miscelleaneous stuff including a couple of calls in the bag. I guess I knew it was around somewhere but it was a pleasant surprise to come across and look through it. I've always just used diaphrams. I tried his box call and liked the sound. Anyway that's what I used this morning calling those turkeys.
Last edited by Neill on Sat Apr 15, 2006 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 9:12 am |
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Fullback24
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2004 12:34 pm Posts: 456 Location: Trigg, VA
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you gotta love them long spurred, light gobblers.....
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 10:55 am |
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Max
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:40 pm Posts: 1485 Location: Middlebrook VA
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I am certain the previous owner of that box was looking over your shoulder with a smile! Congrads!!!
_________________ "Son You've Got Three Choices in Life, Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way!" -Joe Rowe- http://www.jkttv.com
Max
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:16 pm |
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Bird Dog
King of Spring
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 4:50 pm Posts: 2650 Location: central Va
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Nice bird! congrats! Resurrection is on our minds this weekend. I'd say you resurrected that box call today. Good for you!
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 4:36 pm |
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Econo
King of Spring
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:09 pm Posts: 2070 Location: Buena Vista, Va.
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Them sure are nice spurs, congrads
_________________ If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month.
Theodore Roosevelt
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Sun Apr 16, 2006 12:04 pm |
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Gobblenow
Co-Owner/Dog Feeder
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am Posts: 3806
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old and new...a lot of melancholy there in that story....sometimes things are just right, and this is one of those times....and very nice bird too.
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Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:01 pm |
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TK582
Longbeard
Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:43 am Posts: 295 Location: Fredericksburg
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Great Story. I bet your Dad was right there with you pushing that turkey your way. I bet you will never forget that bird.
Congrats
Tom
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:56 am |
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Dale
King of Spring
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:27 am Posts: 1907 Location: Roanoke, VA
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Congrats. Definately a good time for a resurection of the old and the ringing of the new. Your Dad is proud and so are we!
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 8:29 am |
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Ryan Tucker
Jake
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:30 pm Posts: 31
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Congrats!
_________________ Ryan Tucker
www.turkeyhuntinginc.com
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Mon Apr 17, 2006 6:06 pm |
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Diablo
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:46 am Posts: 832 Location: SC by way of WV
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you weren't hunting alone on that hunt.
Congrats on a nice bird - great hooks.
thanks for sharing the story - enjoyed it much.
_________________ "A man who insists on adherence to the facts when it comes to his hunting exploits, size of fish...abilities of his bird dog...is an untrustworthy fellow. A fine sporting liar is a gentleman & someone whose acquaintance should be cherished" R. Ruark.
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:04 am |
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Freddy
Boss Gobbler
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 12:50 pm Posts: 3138 Location: Goodview, VA
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Great story... Congrats!
_________________ "You have to pay for every bird you kill and the coin you use to pay for them is time." - Tom Kelly
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:34 pm |
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WVBOY
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:33 pm Posts: 3038 Location: Powhatan, VA
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Congrats on a great hunt.. As others stated I think someone was with you on that hunt..
_________________ RB
Take me Home Country Roads.
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Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:53 pm |
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Big Bird
King of Spring
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:08 pm Posts: 604 Location: Christiansburg, VA
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Awesome Neill! Glad you connected in such a memorable way.
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Wed Apr 19, 2006 9:51 pm |
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turkey721
King of Spring
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 9:26 pm Posts: 539 Location: Rocky Mount, Virginia
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Nice bird, Congrats, I sure you have had a friend along with you on every hunt.
_________________ "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." Dr. Seuss
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Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:33 pm |
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Tburt
Longbeard
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:09 am Posts: 293
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That does make for a special hunt. I wish my computer would acknowledge your pictures! All I get are red 'x's where the picture is suppose to be??
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Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:43 pm |
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