# Finally got my hands on "No Beard"



## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Got it done tonight on a bird Ive hunted 3 yrs now.
I moved slowly up the west fenceline to glass the big cut cornfield. Took a couple more steps and saw 2 hens take off. I got my pop up set and set 1 hen deke about 10 yrds out. Got in the blind and was arranging my things and looked at the decoy and thought i got to move that over about 10 feet, better do it now, its only been out there 5 min, i get out and get to the edge and see 2 toms already moving down the treeline twords the deke. I see them the same time they see me and off they go, I leave the damn deke where it is. I get back in and about 1/2 hour later a group of 8 hens start moving out to the middle of the field at about 80 yrds to the east of me and headed away. 2 big toms are bring up the rear with big "No Beard" in full strut and another young bird with about a 9-10 in beard cautiously following behind him. Not sure if those were the ones I spooked earlier. I give a few soft yelps to see if I can turn the hens my way, they turned alright and trotted right back where they came from. So now Im just going to shut up and wait. 1/2 hour later they come back out and start to head out the same way. I dont make a sound and 2 of the hens start to head my way. The toms come out and start to follow the group but then No Beard turns and starts to follow the 2 coming my way. He sees my deke and starts for it. Hes in range now but Id like to see him come a little closer to a big opening just a few feet more. He thinks differently and turns to head back to the group and a 3in #5's puts him to sleep! 

Like I said "No Beard" didnt have a visable beard but knew he had some great hooks. Once I got to him he did have a bit of a beard with a few jutting out to 6 inches. The hooks are Nice. 23#
Ill get official measurements and pics tomorrow but they go just over 1 1/2 inches...

Sorry so long....Still pumped!!


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Congrats and great hooks indeed. Thanks for sharing


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

CONGRATS. And those are certainly "Killer Hooks", literally.


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## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

I'd trade any paintbrush beard for a set of those hooks, what a bird! Man I'm jealous, congrats on a beauty of a tom!


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## LabtechLewis (Nov 20, 2008)

Great story! Thanks for sharing. I've got to try hanging one from a limb one of these days...


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## timbrhuntr (Feb 4, 2009)

First congrats on a great bird with awesome hooks. Second you have alot of guts I have passed a few birds that had no visible beard just didn't want to take the chance I would find one after I shot. In fact I almost passed this nice Kentucky bird until he periscoped looking for the hen and I just saw the short beard stick out !


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

timbrhuntr said:


> First congrats on a great bird with awesome hooks. Second you have alot of guts I have passed a few birds that had no visible beard just didn't want to take the chance I would find one after I shot. In fact I almost passed this nice Kentucky bird until he periscoped looking for the hen and I just saw the short beard stick out !
> View attachment 253787



I agree with you. Thats why I passed him last year, he never got close enough for me to see anything. Before I shot him I had the binos on him trying to get a look at the spurs and I could see a few "hairs" there so i knew he had somewhat of a beard, at least to make him legal.


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## JasonSlayer (Aug 4, 2009)

Nice bird, congrats.


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## timbrhuntr (Feb 4, 2009)

I figured you had to know he had a beard and man it must have sucked last year when you couldn't see it and ahd to pass him. I had a bird on a farm I hunted 3 years ago that must have got his beard stuck to a limb and ripped it off because he had no visible beard no matter how hard I looked and he did have over 1 inch spurs so just had to watch him and that really sucked because it was almost like he knew it.


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Congrats! What a set of hooks! Trophy bird right there.


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## WMU05 (Oct 16, 2004)

Great bird!


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Great hooks!!


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## bigrackmack (Aug 10, 2004)

Very nice, take those long spurs over those long beards any day!


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## November Sunrise (Jan 12, 2006)

Congrats!


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## john decker (Jan 21, 2010)

nice bird sprytle!!want to relate a story of a no beard I called in about 10 yrs back.he had a round fan,but at 20 yards I couldn't put a beard on him.he stuck around 45 min flattening my hen dekes and gobbling.he ended up bringing a hen,longbeard and jake up the middle of the field.before they got in range the hen and long beard pealed off on a deer trail into the swamp but the jake from the group ran right into the setup.well no beard was having none of that and started fighting the jake.that was too much for the long beard and he came running up to break it up.when he did he was just in range and I dumped him.the jake split but no beard keep hanging around like nothing happened.i got out of the brush blind I was in and walked to my tom,he only ran about 20 yrds away.i threw a corn cob at him and yelled take off stupid bird and he gobbled at me.he wouldn't leave until I picked up his girl friends.this was long before go pros,sure wished I had a video camera that day.


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Would have liked to been on that hunt with ya John!!


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Great story & pics. Congrats, Bob, way to go & thanks for sharing this with all of us!


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