Short and sweet, Long beard down

[PA BEN]

My turkey hunt started with finger surgery on the 8th. I wasn’t going to burn vacation this year to hunt turkeys but I am off work for a week on sick leave so I thought I’d head over to Chewelah and visit Mom and Dad. I had to come back today the 15th. . (Doctor Appointment finger), so I didn’t know if I would buy a tag or not. Went over on the 10th and started to pattern the local turkeys. I’ve hunted this area for 20 years so I know all the turkey roosting areas and where to set up on the birds in a given area. By Sunday I was sure I could get my bird and make it home at a decent hour so I bought my tags. $$$$$$$$$$$$ No small game discount unless you buy them all.
So Sunday afternoon I made a little ground blind and marked spots for my decoys. Not going to use a flash light because I’m real close to the roost and have been busted before in this area. I was putting out my decoys at 4am I had to feel around for the sticks and pine cones I set out for my tom decoy. It was on a little rise in case they went the other way so they would see it.
I was all set by 4:47am and at 4:55 a hen did a little yelp and the whole world lit up with gobbles. They were about 100yds up the ridge. At 5:10 I made some soft yelps and they lit up again, by 5:20 or so the hens and gobblers were at it. When it got quite I did another soft yelp. Then a tom flew down from the ridge and landed in the top of a pine tree above my decoys then pitched down and landed right in front of me at 10yds. I knew he was a tom but I couldn’t see how big his beard was because he was facing me, then he turned and “O YEAH” long beard. (I didn’t want to shoot one of the jakes I was seeing). He walked behind at tree I raised my gun and when he cleared the other side of the tree I gave him a load of #6’s at 9 yards. Legal hour was 5:26am I shot him at 5:39. The other toms were still in the roost with the hens if I had another tag I would have waited and called in another tom. So I picked up my decoys threw them in my blind grabbed my bird and got outa there before they knew what happened. I have more family hunting. They came out just like they did the last 5 days. After I cleaned my bird I went and got my decoys and stuff and was on the road by 9 home by 6:30. What a great day, God is good. 

[carpsniperg2]

Good looking bird, congrats

[Dan-o]

Nice.

I really like that first pic.

Thanks for sharing.

[kirkl]

Nice one. Gotta live sick days lol

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[Wacenturion]

Congratulations.

[ghosthunter]

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

  Nice bird!!

[Bigluke1981]

Very nice, congrats on a great morning!!

[Birdguy]

 Nice work Ben . Gotta love it when a plan comes together  . I believe that is almost exactly what I read your plan was yesterday. Hope all goes well with the Doc as well

[buckhorn2]

Nice. Good when a good plan comes together and still time to make it home.

[Gobble Doc]

Great story.  Great bird. 

[Tom Tamer]

Nice.

[ChadH]

Way to go!

[MerriamMagician]

Awesome story!!