# Got ours!



## take EM' close (Oct 21, 2004)

Well went over this weekend to where we turkey hunt and dad and I BOTH got MATURE longbeards. It was freekin' awesome. I got mine Saturday morning (opening day) and dad got his this morning (Sunday).

My story:
When we got to the ridge right before we drop into the bottom where we hunt we heard turkeys everywhere. It was literally a turkey farm down there. Gobbling everywhere.....hens everywhere.....it was GREAT! Anyway I split from my dad and went after a couple of gobblers. Well I did a flydown cackle and got everything even more excited. I went and set by this tree across from a creek bed. When I looked over on the side of this little knob where they were roosted on.....there was two strutters. They never came over to me either. They started moving to my left so I figured I'd get in front of them. I ran around and set down.....my first series I heard them and was like here they come. About 3 mins later....PUT PUTT PUUUUT. Didn't know where it was coming from till I turn my head.....BEHIND ME! I turn around slowly to see a big mature tom walking off. I turn around to shoot but he gets in the timber. So I went after him.....PUUUT PUTTT....up the hill I spooked some hens. So I say Damn.....I walk up to the top of the knob and when I crest the hill I see a fan. I start calling but they move off.....just jakes anyway. I walk over to the edge and call.....GGGOOOBBBBBLLLEE GOOOBBLLLE GOBBLE GOBBLE right below me. I look down there and see probably 30 birds. I knew they weren't going to come up to me.....too many hens. I sit there for a few mins taking video and pictures. Here's one:









They start moving into the trees....figure I better make a move. I walk down to a creek bed and around to them....by now I got a hen PIZZED at me and non stop clucking. I walk down below the little cliff type hill and come up the creek bed. When I top my head I see probably 3 toms struttin not 20 yard away. They see me and a couple of them kind of walk off...I never did SEE a beard but by his fan I knew he was big.....BAM! Dead bird. 
Here's mine.
9" beard
3/4" spurs
probably around 27 lbs.


























On our way up the steep @$$ ridge!:









Tail gate shot:









Last night I took some guys I knew down in the area I got mine and barely heard a damn thing. My dad went off a different way and heard the same....close to nothing. Well my dad didn't want to make the walk that he went on to his spot so we decided to go where I shot mine. We woke up a little late Saturday morning so we got a better start this morning (Sunday). When we got down there.....all was quiet. Then we started hearing VERY few. We decided to walk over to another ridge about 1/2 mile away where we were hearing probably 3 birds. When we got there we setup and I started talking. I pizzed a couple hens off again. While sitting....we heard a gobble back from where we had come. After about 5 mins we heard it again and he was closer. We thought nothing of it. Then when I was about to fall asleep...I look down in the meadow just to see a bird come out from behind a tree about 3/4 of a mile away. I told my dad he has a tom coming. I called 2 more times and the second time he interupted me and the chase was on. He come on pretty muchly a jog all the way across a HUGE meadow. My dad had to adjust his position 3 times to get comfortable for a shot. He went behind a little crest and dad made the final move. I could see his tail feathers barely.....he strutted right up to our jake decoy about 15 yards away and just sat there. Boy he was ready to do business! I cackled a few times....head came up....BAM! Dead bird #2. We were both pumped....it was better than TV. I wish I would've filmed it!!! Oh well.....here he is:
9" beard....acually probably like 9 3/8".....BARELY bigger than mine and my dad just won't give it a rest! I have yet to get a bigger bird than him.....this is my 3rd bird and only his 2nd!
1 1/4" spurs
probably around 27 lbs
Both birds were the same age....my fan was ALOT bigger but everything else he beat me. His had one feather in the fan that was all sorts of weird.









*Something I just noticed.....look in the first picture....doesn't that bird look like he's missing a tail feather too!*


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## take EM' close (Oct 21, 2004)

Here they are together. His beard was quite a bit thicker than mine.









On our way home I told my dad if we seen a strutter I was going to take pictures.....well we go through a little town of about 10 people....sure as sh!t theres a big ol' boy in someones front yard so we stopped and I got some pictures.

Lucky little bass terd!:









Check out his girl......SHE NEEDS TO TRIM THAT BEARD OF HERS!!! SHE'S ALMOST CATCHING UP WITH HIM!









Here's his second girl:









Here's a hen we seen on our way home too...she was lonely:









Not sure if you guys have heard of Devils Tower but there's an old Indian legend about a GIANT bear chasing little girls and they got up there by like the help of god and a little elevator rock...the bear couldn't get up to them and he scratched all those little rivet things. Anyway it's kind of neat....though after 8 years it gets to be just ANOTHER ROCK!


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## WingedShooter7 (Oct 28, 2005)

wow looks familiar :lol: lol saw it on avery thanks man


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Awesome! Sounds like a heckuva hunt. Congrats!
I shot mine this evening. 19 1/2 pounds, 9 1/2" beard 1" inch spurs. He came in to my hen/jake setup like he was on a string.


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## DeltaBoy (Mar 4, 2004)

Nice work dblkluk!

I was wondering if you shot your turkey tonight... Great photo too!


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## cut'em (Oct 23, 2004)

You guys are killing me!!! I still got three weeks till opening day. With all the warm weather we've been having you see birds strutting every day. gonna by a great start to the season. Congrats to all of you nothing beats turkey season!! :beer:


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## goosebusters (Jan 12, 2006)

27 pounds would be a new north dakota state record just to let you guys know. That seems like a huge bird to me.


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## take EM' close (Oct 21, 2004)

Ya...I guess I never changed it.....we weighed my dads the best we could and came out around 20.5 - 22 pounds.  My bad......


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