Grizzly Johnson
Well-Known Member
with her second bird ever, first of this spring.... thanks to Big B.
All started at daylight Saturday morning..... made our way to the same tree as last year where Mrs. Grizzly got her very first bird. On the walk there, a loud rumble made the tom shock gobble so we knew he was in the area. I put out a Delta Decoy Woody and two hen decoys about 20 paces into a cut field. Got back to "the tree" as daylight broke. I owl hooted 3 times without an answer. I was a little nervous that maybe he had made me while I was placing the decoys.
As it got more and more light, the turkeys a half mile or more to our right started gobbling, this made "our" turkey start gobbling. I gave him some soft tree yelps and he fired back. Few more and some answers and I laid the call down. I could see him gobbling on the limb and when he finally flew down, I thought she was going to hyperventilate.... She was breathing heavy, started shaking, and pretty sure I could hear her heart pounding.
Well he hit the ground and went to strutting and gobbling. He put on a show and she was loving every minute of it. Then 6-8 hens flew down with him.... I thought the hunt was as good as done. The hens started feeding away from us and I just knew he would follow. I gave him some yelps and a cutt or two with a mouth call and he turned our direction.
He kept easing our way.... walking a few steps then strutting... I told he he is going to come, get ready. Well I purred and whined and he just kept coming. At about 35-40 yards he stopped and got nervous.... I told her to shoot. As he turned some, she shot and he rocked back.... then flew up and away from us. She got upset because she thought she got so tore up that she missed him. I knew he was hit so I got after him.
Circled through the woods and came out at the far end of the field where all the turkeys flew towards. I eased to the edge and saw several hens but no tom. They weren't in any hurry.... like they were waiting for their man. I knew he wasn't with them so I started beating the bushes. I back-tracked their path and started looking in the field edge brush amongst the large boulders. I got to about 10 yards of him and he started flopping in the brush. I put the boot to him and it was over....
22lbs, 10" beard, & 1" spurs:
All started at daylight Saturday morning..... made our way to the same tree as last year where Mrs. Grizzly got her very first bird. On the walk there, a loud rumble made the tom shock gobble so we knew he was in the area. I put out a Delta Decoy Woody and two hen decoys about 20 paces into a cut field. Got back to "the tree" as daylight broke. I owl hooted 3 times without an answer. I was a little nervous that maybe he had made me while I was placing the decoys.
As it got more and more light, the turkeys a half mile or more to our right started gobbling, this made "our" turkey start gobbling. I gave him some soft tree yelps and he fired back. Few more and some answers and I laid the call down. I could see him gobbling on the limb and when he finally flew down, I thought she was going to hyperventilate.... She was breathing heavy, started shaking, and pretty sure I could hear her heart pounding.
Well he hit the ground and went to strutting and gobbling. He put on a show and she was loving every minute of it. Then 6-8 hens flew down with him.... I thought the hunt was as good as done. The hens started feeding away from us and I just knew he would follow. I gave him some yelps and a cutt or two with a mouth call and he turned our direction.
He kept easing our way.... walking a few steps then strutting... I told he he is going to come, get ready. Well I purred and whined and he just kept coming. At about 35-40 yards he stopped and got nervous.... I told her to shoot. As he turned some, she shot and he rocked back.... then flew up and away from us. She got upset because she thought she got so tore up that she missed him. I knew he was hit so I got after him.
Circled through the woods and came out at the far end of the field where all the turkeys flew towards. I eased to the edge and saw several hens but no tom. They weren't in any hurry.... like they were waiting for their man. I knew he wasn't with them so I started beating the bushes. I back-tracked their path and started looking in the field edge brush amongst the large boulders. I got to about 10 yards of him and he started flopping in the brush. I put the boot to him and it was over....
22lbs, 10" beard, & 1" spurs:
