Osage Roost
All Hunting => Spring Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Fl Panhandler on January 07, 2010, 08:28:37 PM
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How many folks have harvested a multiple bearded gobbler? I hunted this guy for 3 weekends in a row. I got to see him twice. He was always surrounded with hens. The next to last weekend that I could hunt, he was sounding off while I was walking down the hill where I knew he was roosted. It was WELL before daylight. When daylight started I gave him a couple of yelps to let him know I was here. He cut me off and I shut up. I thought I was going to play hard to get and see if that would peak his curiosity, when a boss hen started cackling at him. Man that really got him fired up, so I cackled right back at him and he blackballed. The boss hen and I talked back and forth to him and I thought he was going to have a stroke with all the gobbling he was doing, and so was I. Anything she would do I tried to mimic. This lasted for somewhere around a half an hour I think. I hunt private land, and I thought I would try something a little different, for me at least. I did a fly down cackle and then gobbled with my box call then shut up. Less than a minute later he glided down silently in front of me about 15 yards and threw his head in the air to try and pick out his competition, I think. I shot and he went straight down and never twitch a feather. He was a great bird and I am honored to have harvested him. He had 1 3/8" spurs and weighed 20.5 lbs. He was also one of the hardest birds I ever had an encounter with. How 'bout it anyone else got a story?
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/double_beard_3.jpg)
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Rick,
Great bird and story. I have killed two multiple bearded gobblers in Missouri.
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What a story. I've never shot a double beard, but a friend I hunt with whacked a triple beard many years ago in MO.
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Nice! never got one!
Mike
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Great story and bird!!!!! *bannana*
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Glad to see you won the battle! *up* Nice bird!
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The beards from the two multiple bearded gobblers I have taken are on the left and right side of the top display.
(http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq59/hunter2233/Picture004-3.jpg)
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Rickey,
Where did you procure those beard boards? They are awfully sharp. Do they hold 9 beards?
Rick
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The beards from the two multiple bearded gobblers I have taken are on the left and right side of the top display.
(http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq59/hunter2233/Picture004-3.jpg)
OK Rickey, That is Impressive! Some fine Trophies indeed! You the man! *up*
Mike
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Rick,
I got the bottom two boards from Midwest Turkey Supply and the top board off a gentleman on eBay. They all hold 9 beards each. The call on the bottom left display is a Knight & Hale double glass that was the first turkey call I ever owned and a call I used to kill several turkeys. I have not used it in several years but would never part with it.
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Man you are one turkey slaying fool!!! That's an awesome display there!
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I've only killed one and that was this past year.
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I killed an GA eastern many years ago that had a double beard. I havent seen another since...
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I have taken many double bearded toms over the last 34 years, a couple with three beards, one with four and a number of bearded hens, but the most phenomenal bird was harvested two years ago near Oakalla, TX. I had been hunting a 6,500 acre tract since a little after noon without much action for quite some time. Then I heard a gobble in the direction I had just come from walking a high ridge. Once he answered me again, I decided to cut the distance by jumping off into a ravine and scaling the other side which was much quicker than going back along the ridge. As luck would have it, the tom was covering ground as quickly as I and I crested the ravine just in time for him to bust me a 30 yards!! I ran to the left as he disappeared over the next ledge; switched to a slate call and settled in. For the next 30-45 minutes I neither saw nor heard a thing. Just as I was about to move he thunder gobbled right over my right shoulder, and then went silent for another 20 minutes. I caught him sneaking through the switch grass in front of me at 35-40 yards. I still could not see the beard, but was convinced he was a shooter from my glimpse of him running away the first time. I took the shot and he darted into the road clearing and went to flopping. When I got to him, I could not believe my eyes - there were many beards, 8 to be exact!! He is listed in both the NWTF and SCI record books in the non-typical category for Rio Grande turkeys.
(http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b89/G8ORB8/08dawkinskraus-1.jpg)
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Preston
That's a keeper there!! *up* *up*
My wife took a Rio some years back in her quest for her first slam that had seven beards. The longest was 11 1/8 inches and the shortest was 4 inches, w/ 1 7/8 inch spurs. There were four gobblers and I was fixed on the last one cause he had two really thick beards. Malinda was on the other side of a larger boulder from me and she shot the fist gobbler in the bunch as he came past her. Couldn't believe my eyes when that bird I was watching few away.........thought sure she had missed............until I stood up! Boy was I watching the wrong turkey!! LMBO!
Had we been paying attention to records back then, the total beard length was 34 1/4 inches. A real freak in any book! LOL!
Bill
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I killed one with 4 beards this fall in Pa.
Jon
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Malinda strikes again! She has a real eye for trophies. I know what you mean about scoring and record books for turkeys - it is certainly a new thing for me too. I would love to score some of the birds I have harvested in the past. I'm still a sucker for a single, thick & heavy beard. The multi-bearded birds are just what they are - non-typical. I think Rios are more likely to have more than one beard?
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Preston
Like you, I have taken quite a few gobbler w/ multiple beards along w/ several hens w/ beards......one of which had two. I still like to see those broom stick beards.............!
Bill