Tough Bird

Since he is the consummate conservationist and is unwilling to try and kill the last turkey on his property, I dedicate this true story to HAYWIRE and to HOLLIS LEDLOW for all he shared with me.

I took a day off of domestic duty and the pier yesterday and went on my first turkey hunt of the year.
It all began at first light where I found myself overlooking a 100 acre pasture. Though I had never hunted this spot before I was confident that it had to be used as a strutting ground and brothel by the birds. There was no morning gobble from the roost so I began to feel that I might be wrong about the spot. The cows were setting up a din while awaiting their morning feed. Long about 7:15 a Harley rider out on the highway cleared his pipes after rounding the bend. In response I was treated with the gravelly-est, raspiest gobble I've ever heard. The bird was on the ground about 400 yds away. I called to him and got an immediate gobble. Pretty soon I could see him coming. He stopped about 250 yds out and puffed up, gobbled, and puffed up and gobbled some more for at least 5 minutes. He sounded very old and hoarse. I eventually coaxed him to within 100 yds. He had a beard the size of a long neck beer bottle, huge, no lie. I'm sure he was sporting 2 1/2 inch spurs cause I could hear them clacking together. He made his way to a spot behind some brush about 80 yds away and we talked. We talked for over 30 minutes. "Come to me" he was saying. "No I'm a virgin and too shy" I would say back to him. After too much conversation I shut up. He continued to gobble but got even more hoarse. In desperation I sent him the sweetest music I could and........ Quiet. He's coming I said to myself, get ready. Two minutes later he ran out where I could see him still 80 yds away and puffed. I clucked, he gobbled and started walking away.
By 8:30 he was still in view rasping and puffing now 400 yds away.
What a great bird he is.
Don't know how I'm gonna do it yet but I have to try and hang him from a branch. Stay tuned.

Patience. He will be very lonely by noon and looking for a cheap trick. Wait him out in silence until mid day and then do a little soft calling.

Those field birds will make a brick go crazy. There are a lot of tricks to get a hung-up bird to come on to you and they all have one thing in common; none of them work.

Glad you at least got to work with one and see him. The only one I heard this morning was away over on my neighbors property. A well known fact is that the best tasting turkeys are the ones you call across a land line.

Great story!
Did you try gobbling at him? Its worked for me on hung-up birds.

Does anyone have a turkey season update? I went out a few days ago, saw more birds than I've ever seen on an outing, but none would come close enough for a shot. Too many live hens available and in the mood. I didn't go home empty handed though. I found a bunch of morels. Also found a few ticks...

I don't hunt them any more due to having gotten rocky mountain fever , afternoons will produce more birds if there are a lot of hens in the area,