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Huckleberry:
Friday night a friend and I headed to Colville for the second time this year. Our hopes were high that the warmer weather and higher snow levels had allowed a few more birds to move into our hunting area. Saturday morning came and I found myself hunting mid-elevation ridge tops hoping the hens had started nesting and the lonely toms would be running around with them. As the morning sun came up I heard two gobbles in the far off distance and all else was silent. I hiked ridgetops till 11:00 and after 10 miles and only a glimpse of a bird flying away decided that I needed a new plan. I Hiked down to the river, tried to find a log to cross, and almost immediately started seeing fresh sign. Over the next two hours I found four lone birds. Half jakes, half hens. That wasn't going to cut it so I hiked back to the truck, refilled my water bottles and my food supply and thought of something else. On the 14th we'd seen tracks from 3 birds in the snow by a pond I liked to hunt but never did locate the birds. I wanted to go there but it was another 3 miles down the road just to hike into it. I couldn't take the truck or my partner wouldn't be able to get to the food/water very easily and I didn't want to waste an hour walking down a dirt road so instead I tried a "shortcut" through the brush. I knew the general direction but I didn't realize how thick it would be. I hiked until I felt like I wasn't even hunting anymore ~ just crawling through the brush. I sat down and had some water and a protein bar. 16.4 miles on the gps for the day. It was almost 3:00. I saw tall trees in the distance and hoped it was a ridge that I could hunt. When I got there it wasn't open - just less thick - grass and short brush for 20-40 feet then trees and tall brush. It wasn't good hunting but better than where I'd been. After 10 minutes I found some sign. I nudged it with my foot and it stuck to my shoe. Pretty fresh. I bent down and poked it with a stick ~ still smelled like turkey. Hours old, maybe less. All of the sudden I heard a gobble. It was close, couldn't be more than a hundred yards off. Things got serious and I worked my way towards it. I knew it would be tough to make it through the tall brush without spooking the bird so I went slow. I couldn't risk breaking a stick. As I neared the first opening I saw a quick flash. Something was waiting for me. It disappeared and I took another step. Up pops a red head, sees me and takes off running. All I remember is it was quick. I never saw more than a head but knew it was legal. A shot rang out and nothing. I ran ran over to the ledge the bird was headed towards hoping to see where he went and maybe follow him but.....I didn't have to. Years of birding payed off. He never made it to the ledge. I paced off the shot. 35 yards. Perfect. I took a few photos, let out a sigh of relief and packed him 3 miles back to the car. The eastside is done for now. One more spring tag to fill.

10Key:
Awesome, good to see some more success this year

Gobble:
SWEET! Great Bird.

Going out this friday. My Brother and his son killed 3 turkeys this past weekend and one have FIVE beards

popeshawnpaul:
Great turkey and story.  Sounds like hardcore hunting.

tlbradford:
I'm not really sure how you could tell it was a legal bird by just seeing the head, but I am glad it worked out.  Good luck on filling tag #3, and great pics and story..

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