# A Miracle Bird! I have been blessed!



## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

I have a cottage that is located where there is a well known public hunting area. I grew up up there, and had never seen turkeys there for 50 years until 5-6 years ago.
I’ve been keeping an eye on them, decided this was the year to go for it.
We might have 20-30 tops in the area.. No one has hunted them to my knowledge. Until last night.
I was set up 15 minutes, got 5 gobble responses. Came in with a hen, hung up strutting at 100 yards. Wandered off, showed up at my 3:00 five minutes later. Came to 30 yards, couldn’t shoot.
He turned to wander off, I did a stand up and snap shot. 9” beard, 1” spurs.
I showed it to the DNR biologist that runs the area. He took the pictures. He said to his knowledge the first turkey harvested on public land in this area in 100 years!!!!


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## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

Congrats on a great bird !
Flight


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Hell yeah! 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Nice. Can you share what county ? I have read that wild turkeys had been wipped out in all of Michigan by about 1890 so if going back to then it would be 125+ years. Not a lot of public land in 1890.

L & O


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## Sharkbait11 (Apr 7, 2017)

Awesome bird congrats!


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Liver and Onions said:


> Nice. Can you share what county ? I have read that wild turkeys had been wipped out in all of Michigan by about 1890 so if going back to then it would be 125+ years. Not a lot of public land in 1890.
> 
> L & O


St. Clair. Based on my description of where it happened you can probably figure it out...


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Congrats nice turkey and pics.I live in southern end of st clair started seeing turkeys until around 2000 by me didn’t start hunting them until 2005 everyone around me agreed to let the flocks build up.Now there’s almost to many so the farmers say


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

retired dundo said:


> Congrats nice turkey and pics.I live in southern end of st clair started seeing turkeys until around 2000 by me didn’t start hunting them until 2005 everyone around me agreed to let the flocks build up.Now there’s almost to many so the farmers say


I hadn't shot a bird since 2013. Used to think you could only get them up north. And as I got better at Walleye fishing, that was always the priority. I just figured what the heck, won't know unless I go. Started to really miss it. I also got a new girlfriend two years ago...long distance, so Saturdays and Sundays away from each other are tough. Part of the reason I passed on last weekend. The other was I had #6 Turkey loads in lead, and the Friday night before I read the boundry signage and it said steel shot only. No go. I would have gotten a ticket if checked. So I scouted Sat. AM. Thank god I had paid 29.00 for 10 Hevishot #4 .10ga. duck loads. I thought sure Ill waste the money. Maybe I'll need them, was 15 years ago.

I call this a miracle bird because the area I hunted I saw......1 hen the last 3 weekends I was there driving around scouting. Only 1. No sign, no tracks, no feathers, no nothing, and I set up on the edge of an old flooded rye field with 3" of water in it. I put my decoys on an island on that thing. But, I figured it was a beautiful day, I could check things out for the last day's morning hunt. I about crapped when I heard a gobble. And luck would have it he was down wind of me. And, I worked with someone that made custom fancy slate calls. I was being nice and commissioned one. It was what brought me that bird.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Jerry Lamb said:


> St. Clair. Based on my description of where it happened you can probably figure it out...


Not me, having never hunted or lived in St. Clair Co. I don't have any idea and not about to try and solve the puzzle by looking at maps.
I was just surprised about the possibility of that bird being the 1st in a very long time in that area. I'm guessing that St. Clair Co. had a season starting in the early-mid 90's and had a good number of birds by 2000. By a wide margin, St. Clair has more trophy toms in the CBM book than any other county.

L & O


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Jerry Lamb said:


> .........................................And luck would have it he was down wind of me. ............


If you're worried about a turkey scenting you, don't be. Their sense of smell is probably no better than ours.

L & O


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Liver and Onions said:


> If you're worried about a turkey scenting you, don't be. Their sense of smell is probably no better than ours.
> 
> L & O


HaHa! If they had the sense of smell that deer do, they would be unhuntable. So one who would know has told me.
I know that. I wanted my sound to cary as far as possible to hopefully catch the attention of whatever was around.

Lets just say where I hunted is "geographically isolated, with a formidable natural barrier"
That is part of why no brds.


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Except for there eye sight seeing any movement I think they are dumbest animal.When I hunt fields and see that they are coming out in certain spot after they leave I move my blind in open feild where they came out and next morning they would walk righ by it.I’ve evan hid behind my four wheeler for cover. Don’t get away with that with deers unless new deer to area.I also never worry about scent or smoking when turkey hunting.Main thing is no movement they will allways spor slightest movement


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

retired dundo said:


> Except for there eye sight seeing any movement I think they are dumbest animal.When I hunt fields and see that they are coming out in certain spot after they leave I move my blind in open feild where they came out and next morning they would walk righ by it.I’ve evan hid behind my four wheeler for cover. Don’t get away with that with deers unless new deer to area.I also never worry about scent or smoking when turkey hunting.Main thing is no movement they will allways spor slightest movement


Their hearing is 8X humans. They just haven't learned to fear man as much as deer. Probably because they were almost extinct at one time.
Way too easy to shoot out of trees to feed the lumbermen and farmers.


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## chednhy (Feb 8, 2012)

Harry bought a bunch, and released them about 10-15 years ago. I’ve been seeing a lot lately. We donated to him at the beginning 

wasn’t sure if he bought wild turkey, with the money or wild turkey. But definitely seeing more and more. Nice bird.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

chednhy said:


> Harry bought a bunch, and released them about 10-15 years ago. I’ve been seeing a lot lately. We donated to him at the beginning
> 
> wasn’t sure if he bought wild turkey, with the money or wild turkey. But definitely seeing more and more. Nice bird.


Thank you. The person I talked to last night told me the same thing. If you know these guys, thank them for me. It was a night to remember for sure.


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## Chriss83 (Sep 18, 2021)

Congrats man!


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## textox (Jan 30, 2020)

That's a great bird Jerry!!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Nice bird! Congrats


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

chednhy said:


> Harry bought a bunch, and released them about 10-15 years ago. I’ve been seeing a lot lately. We donated to him at the beginning
> 
> wasn’t sure if he bought wild turkey, with the money or wild turkey. But definitely seeing more and more. Nice bird.


Years ago I heard a rumer about someone raising them and releasing them hear I casco and Lenox twp never heard who or if true


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## MasterBaiters (Jul 13, 2017)

Congrats


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