memories to cherish

[deeksdown]

well me and the wife and the little ones decided to go spend the weekend with my parents so they could have more time with their grand children (we just had our youngest two weeks ago Friday)... didn't really plan on doing any hard turkey hunting due to the weather forecast and conditions for the area i was going to be hunting.. but brought my stuff just in case me and dad could get a break in the weather to slip off.. me and dad studied the weather saturday night and figured that we could get in a morn hunt this morn so we loaded up his old jeep truck in anticipation for the next mornings hunt. alarm clock goes off and im met with a pounding allergy headache from the mixture of pollen and cats... didn't even wanna roll out of bed, but the old man was persistent and finally i get on my feet and moving.. we get to the turkey woods a lil later than we wanted but the cloudy overcast skies gave us a lil relief as we slipped down an old logging trail to set up where i had heard a bird gobble the weekend before. morning awakes everything around us... but still no gobble.. a series of owls start barking orders back and forth and finally a bird sounds off the complete opposite direction just in hearing distance...from that point on the bird is fired up.. gobbles at every sound anything makes.. i look at dad, which is totally oblivious that i even hear a bird gobblin, and tell him we need to make a move... as i explain where we need to set up on the walk to him we have to pass by the truck.. he looks at me and says "son just go kill that bird i can't walk any further.. im just gonna stay here at the truck" ... reality sank in and in that short moment i knew that the years hunting with my dad are slowly coming to an end.. hes mentally still there but from physical ailments in the past he just can't get around like he used to... so i just turned to him and said "ok" and struck out to the bird.. got set up as close as i could without slipping on property lines.. the bird was hammering about 300 yards in front of me and i thought to myself ill never get him to close the distance... in the distance i could hear faint yelps which mimicked those of a box call.. i soon came to realize someone else was trying to work this bird on the other property... my hopes got very slim.. but i thought the other guy was overdoing the calling... so i would yelp maybe every 15-20 min and he would gobble and occasionally double gobble (so i thought).. so i sat there patiently and over the next hour i drew the bird within 60 yards... i could hear him drumming and strutting but still couldn't see the bird.. all of the sudden i see the ole white head pop over a knoll followed by one of his buddies... my whole world went dark for a minute.. full tunnel vision set in.. my heart was in my throat... at that moment i knew i had just called "checkmate"... the birds put on probably one of the best shows i have seen in my turkey hunting career.. strutting.. drumming... gobbling so close it shook in your chest.. but they just wouldn't close the gap from ~60 yards out... i couldn't take it any more.. i purred a lil and the smaller of the two birds sucked on in another 10-15 steps.. and i let the old Franchi sing some #5's his way and rolled him... in excitement i threw down my slate call and i went running to him as he is flopping... he gets back on his feet before i can get to him and starts running so i had to shoot him again... i go back to the tree i shot him at and try to find my call... no luck... i then stepped off the shot.. to my surprise i stepped off 52 steps... a little longer shot than what i normally like taking.. but in the end it all worked out... i walk back to the truck and i haven't seen my dad so happy.. we sat on the back of his jeep truck and talked for about 15 min about hunting stories and life in general.. as we were talking a man came up and i figured it was going to be the other guy that was working the bird on the adjacent property.. figuring how i kinda pulled the bird off of him i didn't think the conversation was going to go over very well, but i was surprised when the man turned out as nice as he could be and just wanted to see the bird and to congratulate me on killing him... Not the biggest bird i have ever killed by no means.. but probably one of the best memories i have ever had in the turkey woods.. just wish dad could have been there with me to kill the double... weighed in at 19# 8.75" beard and NO spurs at all.. not even any nubs.. just clean legged.. never seen that before either... heres a pic of him.. sorry for the crappy cell phone pic..

[ShotgunSP]

Good read- congrats on the bird

[DUCKAHOLIC]

i killed one over 14 years ago that was slicked leg with no spurs

[augustus_65]

Saw the pic on FB. Congratulations and I'm glad you got to have a successful hunt with your Dad. I had Dad up here hunting with me opening day and we had a big time. I finally called up a bird Saturday morning and my buddy hunting with me shot him. 10" beard, 1" spurs. We were hunting in the First Annual Lowndes County Turkey Rodeo. We had 27 birds brought in and the event was a huge success. I'll try to post a pic later today.

[3seasons]

Cool hunt congrats, birds with no spurs can be a pain to hunt too. They tend to be very cautious, Congrats on a trophy in its own right.