Well I am jonesn for a turkey fix so I will relive one of mine.
This hunt was May 1st 1994 last day of the Ms. Spring Season.
You will see at the end why this hunt and date sticks in my mind.
I had a buddy who's father-n-law had some land along the Miss. River south of Vicksburg. I also grew up with his wife and brothers and knew the family. So hunting with him on the land was not a problem and they had allowed me to hunt there in years past.
He wanted to try trurkey hunting...but had waited till late in the year to ask or say anything about it. So we did go a couple of times and heard birds but just could not make it happen for him...I understood later why.
I should say at this time I was fairly new to the sport myself and knew just enough to be dangerous to us...the birds were safe for the most part. But having had killed a few at that time I had to give it my best shot to help him.
We went to roost the evening before and in the ag field there was 3 gobblers and 12 hens. We just watched them that afternoon till dark and seen were they left the field inside the woods to roost. We had a plan for the next morning.
It was a bout 400 yards down the edge of the field to the woods and the water was up 1/2 the field and woods were full but still plenty of dry ground for chasing. there was a big tree 150 yards from the woods in the field and about 100 yards from the edge we would walk down. The birds had been around that tree. We were going to be there before daylight.
The next morning I was at his house only a 5 min. from there to the woods. There was no light on and I could not get him to answer the door..even tapped on his window..I finally decided to just go and hunt. Like I said it was his first year and he was not really into it just something to do.
I get there and get pilled up in the tree as planed...I had a decoy out at 35 yards. At this point of my turkey hunting venters I used decoys. It starts getting light and he gobbles I let him go for a couple times and tree yelp. He gobbles back. in a min or two all 15 sail out in the field. One with a 10" one with 8" a bull jake and 12 hens.
This ol boy took controle of things righ off. He blows up and gobbles struts..but would not come. Middle size bird tries to come and he knocks fire from him. The bull jake start coming and he runs him over. He ain't coming and he ain't going to allow anyone else to either. This goes on for over a hr. He cups his wings and lines all 14 up and heads them along the edge of the water coming towrds me. When they pass they will be 75 to 80 yards nothing I can do I am pined.
When they get even with me I cut hard and he puts on a show...the middle size bird stands on one leg and rides the other. He wants me real bad...but big boy knocks him down again. He gets eveyone back in line and they continue on.
I let them pass and there is a small dip in the field after they get about 100 yards passed I can't see them..so I crawl too the edge of the field..ease through the brush to an old rail road track. I get on it go back down the field till I hit an opening. I ease out and there they are 80 to 100 yards out. I set up and the battle starts again. But it is the same ol game he ain't gona come and he ain't gona let anyone else. This goes on for about 1 hr. He cups his wings rounds eveyone up and back the way they came they go back.
I let them pass again and get up and take off running...man I wish I could still run. I get even with the tree I had been at and they are not 1/2 way back. I take off again and go to the end..I ease out they are even with the tree. I go down a little farther were the corner come in. I ease out they are just pass the tree. I go across and ease in the woods.
I am going to ease my way to were they flew out and walked in the evening before and wait this dude out. I knew I could not call him... it was the last day of season and now it was personal.
So I did and about 30 to 40 min. later here they come and I dust roll him. Sometimes just got to be were he want to go.
10.5" beard 1 and 1/8 spurs and 19 1/2 lbs.
As I walked out to the field to retrive my decoy and go back to the tree to get my things I see someone coming down the edge of the field. It was my buddy the reason he could not get up was he had gotten a phone call at 02:00 that morning that a good friend of ours had passed away of a hart attack at work that night. He had tried to call me I just did not here the phone.
The last day of the 1994 season I lost a good friend and did battle with a bird all morning...I was a winner and a looser all at the same time.
