TN Larry
Well-Known Member
My 10 year old was blessed with two birds last week, and I didn't think it could get much better. I was wrong.
We started the morning on a couple of birds that had hens and went the other direction. We had heard another and got messed up by a herd of deer as we were working him. As we came over the hill, another gobbled on the opposite hillside. I had killed a couple of birds there in a low gap in years past. We got set up, and he came pretty quick after a couple calls from a Halloran mouth call and Crystal Mistress. He came over a rise looking for the hen, and I rolled him with the 20 gauge at about 25 yards. It felt good to let loose on one after sitting out most of last year after back surgery.
22 lbs
1 1/4" and 1 3/16" spurs
9.5" beard
Compact 870 20 gauge
Hand Loaded TSS #9
After a few pics, we start back with my bird and hear a bird up a drain on the opposite hill side. I had killed a bird there a few years ago as well so we headed after him. We got setup at the head of a drain in a bowl, and he gobbled to the Halloran mouth call. The only problem is he had moved to the top of the ridge and going away from us. I called again a few minutes later, and he gobbled again in the same spot. There wasn't a good way around him, and I really didn't think he would come back. He didn't respond to the mouth call again so I switched to the Crystal Mistress. He gobbled along with another bird cutting me off about 100 yards above us in the opposite direction. I didn't know which way to point my son. I called again a few minutes later with no response so decided to go silent. I was getting sleepy as the sun was hitting us and fighting back closing my eyes. I finally thought I heard something in the leaves. I caught movement about 40 yards below us as 2 long beards came around the hill. They had come from the top of the ridge and around a flat to us. I had to get him spun around as they went behind a tree hoping they wouldn't pop out and see us. The only problem is they were kind of angling away from us instead of towards us. I called a little as they went behind some more stuff hoping they would turn a little towards us as it was kind of thick where they were. They gobbled, and the second bird blew up strutting. They finally hit an opening, and I asked if he could see them. He said yes, but the lead bird had his head down. I called as the second bird hit the opening. He ran his head up to look. Just as my son pulled the trigger, he gobbled so he got shot in mid gobble. :super: We jumped up to see over the little rise and could see him flopping. I thought him gobbling may have moved his head enough to miss him, but he made a good shot. I then realized that he was a little further than 40 yards and probably closer to 50. One cool thing is that my son wanted to load a shell himself last night and put it first in his gun. He did and killed this bird with it.
To back track a little, I have killed several 20 to nearly 22 lb birds but never a 22 lber. They just don't seem to get that big in our area. He had been ribbing me because he killed a 22 lber last year and one last weekend. We weighed my bird, and it was 22.06. I told my son that I had him beat again. We put his on the scales, and it was 23 lbs so he still has bragging rights.
What a day it has been in the woods for the both of us. We killed our two biggest birds by weight and first double for the both of us. It don't get much better than that for me especially when the birds are going crazy. The only bad thing is we didn't have anyone around to take our picture together. The good Lord definitely blessed us today. Now, my son just has one tag left. He's definitely ruined. I love it.
23 lbs
15/16" and 7/8" spurs
10" beard
Youth 870 20 gauge
Hand rolled TSS #9 that he loaded himself
We started the morning on a couple of birds that had hens and went the other direction. We had heard another and got messed up by a herd of deer as we were working him. As we came over the hill, another gobbled on the opposite hillside. I had killed a couple of birds there in a low gap in years past. We got set up, and he came pretty quick after a couple calls from a Halloran mouth call and Crystal Mistress. He came over a rise looking for the hen, and I rolled him with the 20 gauge at about 25 yards. It felt good to let loose on one after sitting out most of last year after back surgery.
22 lbs
1 1/4" and 1 3/16" spurs
9.5" beard
Compact 870 20 gauge
Hand Loaded TSS #9
After a few pics, we start back with my bird and hear a bird up a drain on the opposite hill side. I had killed a bird there a few years ago as well so we headed after him. We got setup at the head of a drain in a bowl, and he gobbled to the Halloran mouth call. The only problem is he had moved to the top of the ridge and going away from us. I called again a few minutes later, and he gobbled again in the same spot. There wasn't a good way around him, and I really didn't think he would come back. He didn't respond to the mouth call again so I switched to the Crystal Mistress. He gobbled along with another bird cutting me off about 100 yards above us in the opposite direction. I didn't know which way to point my son. I called again a few minutes later with no response so decided to go silent. I was getting sleepy as the sun was hitting us and fighting back closing my eyes. I finally thought I heard something in the leaves. I caught movement about 40 yards below us as 2 long beards came around the hill. They had come from the top of the ridge and around a flat to us. I had to get him spun around as they went behind a tree hoping they wouldn't pop out and see us. The only problem is they were kind of angling away from us instead of towards us. I called a little as they went behind some more stuff hoping they would turn a little towards us as it was kind of thick where they were. They gobbled, and the second bird blew up strutting. They finally hit an opening, and I asked if he could see them. He said yes, but the lead bird had his head down. I called as the second bird hit the opening. He ran his head up to look. Just as my son pulled the trigger, he gobbled so he got shot in mid gobble. :super: We jumped up to see over the little rise and could see him flopping. I thought him gobbling may have moved his head enough to miss him, but he made a good shot. I then realized that he was a little further than 40 yards and probably closer to 50. One cool thing is that my son wanted to load a shell himself last night and put it first in his gun. He did and killed this bird with it.
To back track a little, I have killed several 20 to nearly 22 lb birds but never a 22 lber. They just don't seem to get that big in our area. He had been ribbing me because he killed a 22 lber last year and one last weekend. We weighed my bird, and it was 22.06. I told my son that I had him beat again. We put his on the scales, and it was 23 lbs so he still has bragging rights.
What a day it has been in the woods for the both of us. We killed our two biggest birds by weight and first double for the both of us. It don't get much better than that for me especially when the birds are going crazy. The only bad thing is we didn't have anyone around to take our picture together. The good Lord definitely blessed us today. Now, my son just has one tag left. He's definitely ruined. I love it. 23 lbs
15/16" and 7/8" spurs
10" beard
Youth 870 20 gauge
Hand rolled TSS #9 that he loaded himself
