# 1st Longbeard! (long, pics)



## WMU05 (Oct 16, 2004)

I've been turkey hunting for six or seven years now and have shot a handful of jakes but never a tom. This is mostly due to the fact that I usually only have two days to hunt coming in from out of state and end up taking the first legal bird I see. 

This year I took the 234 hunt due to scheduling conflicts and came into town last weekend for my two days in the turkey woods. I spent Saturday morning at my usual spot in the wind and rain and only managed to call in four hens. I never heard a gobble all morning. 

After going in for lunch and a nap I packed up to head back. My sister caught me as I was leaving the house and suggested I go out to her fiance's place to hunt for the afternoon. I hesitated as I have never been on this parcel and had no idea how the birds used. She insisted stating that they see turkeys all over their place. Always up for a new adventure, I relented. 

My sister was kind enough to drive out to the parcel with me and point me in the right direction telling me to go to a small clover field on the back side of the property. I walked back to this area and immediately saw turkey tracks in the field. "This is a good sign." The field was only about 3-4 acres running north to south, 150-200 yards long and only 30-40 yards wide. The north and east sides of the field were borded by woods while the west side was a tree lined fence row with the south opening up into a larger CRP field. 

I set my dekes up in the clover about halfway down the woodline and tucked in next to a tree in the fencerow. At this point it was about 3:30 in the afternoon. The sun was coming out but it was still quite windy. I let out a series of loud yelps and thought I heard a gobble coming out of the woods across and to the left of me. I put the mouth call in and started in. Within 10 minutes I see a bright red head sticking out of the woods down in the northeast corner of the field. A moment later, a second bright red head popped out. 

At this point I just started giving a few soft clucks as the two big toms worked out into the middle of the field and started heading my way. I was thinking it can't possibly be this easy as they quickly closed the distance at full strut. At about twenty yards I put the crosshairs on the bigger of the two and gave them a couple sharp cuts on the mouth call. The head came up and I slowly squeezed the trigger...........click!

Holy *****!!! I put the shells in the tube but never racked one into the chamber. "This can't be happening." The birds start to get nervous as I slowly try to work the action. They spook and head back down the field away from me at a rather fast pace. I throw all caution to the wind, quickly rack one into the chamber and get the scope back on the closest bird. Mercifully, one of the toms stops at about 40 yards and turns around to take one last look at the decoys. Fatal mistake. A load of #5 hevishot puts him down for good. I was one happy...and relieved turkey hunter. 

I didn't have a scale but he came in with an 11 1/2 in beard and 1 in and 1 1/4 in spurs. My days of shooting jakes just may be over! 

I owe my sister a thank you for the assist on this one.



















And I even got my little one in on the action.


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## Henrik for President (Sep 21, 2009)

Nice bird! Go Broncos!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## adam bomb (Feb 27, 2006)

Great bird, great story....Congratulations!


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## Playin' Hooky (Aug 29, 2002)

Great story and pics!

And if your sister won't marry the guy, you should consider it!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Awesome bird and great story, congrats!


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## SPITFIRE (Feb 10, 2005)

Congrates to you! great story and pics also.


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## mikieday (Jan 20, 2004)

nice bird and I loved your story


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## BWHUNTR (Oct 3, 2008)

Excellent! Great first Tom and a tip of the hat to your sister. Congrats on your first long beard


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## Due51 (Oct 26, 2005)

Playin' Hooky said:


> Great story and pics!
> 
> And if your sister won't marry the guy, you should consider it!


Marry his own sister? :yikes:

Haha. just kiddin. Great story. Glad you redeemed yourself. Congrats.


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## WMU05 (Oct 16, 2004)

Due51 said:


> Marry his own sister? :yikes:
> 
> Haha. just kiddin. Great story. Glad you redeemed yourself. Congrats.


 
I think he meant marry her fiance. Either way, not happening! :lol:

Me too! Been hunting for 15 years and never have I forgot to put a shell in the chamber. This will be a good reminder to never let it happen again!


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## walleyein (Jun 4, 2007)

Congrads on the bird great story, A little luck is always good to have.


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Congratulations on the long beard Trent! :coolgleam


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