It seems like every year there is a particular turkey that nearly drives me to the brink of insanity while trying to kill him. This year was no exception. The history for this particular bird started on opening day when I got in a lil late and next thing you know this turkey had me penned on the ground with me laying flat on my stomach as I had to lay there motionless as he drummed about 10 yards to my left in a thicket and then continued to walk behind me as if knowing there was no way I could shoot him. Well after several more encounters with this bird and some really good hunts with him hanging up at about 60 yards, he finally made a mistake on Saturday. I went down to my lease with with the sole intention of calling in a bird for my buddy who has hunted hard all year and been unable to get a long beard so I decided that we go after Mr. Consistent. This particular turkey roosts in the same general area and gobbles pretty well most mornings on the roost and Saturday was no exception. We were at my listenting spot and he was the first turkey to sound off, I knew which turkey it was and so we went after him. We got within about 125-150 yards of him and set up. The set up is like this, the turkey roosts in an SMZ that is at its widest point about 150 yards wide and on both sides of the SMZ is fresh clear cut. Well this turkey lately has had a pattern of pitching down in the clear cut only to strut and gobble his head off until he can see the hens walk out and meet up with him. So I sat my buddy in the SMZ hoping that the turkey would come down the bottom like in years past, but I decided at the last second that I should sit on the far left side of the SMZ on the edge of the clear cut just in case he tried to pull the ol sneak around. Well it was about 5:30 and this turkey was pretty hot on the roost, all I did was some very soft tree yelps to let him know where I was at and every time I yelped he hammered. So I shut up and decided to listen for him to fly down. Saturday morning was very foggy at my least so I figured the turkeys might stay up in the tree a little bit longer than normal...Wrong! The turkey continued to gobble for about 5 minutes on the roost and then it got real quiet, and about two minutes later I catch some slinking through the fog in the clear cut to the left. Becasue of all the brush and thick fog at first I couldnt really tell if it was hen or gobbler or what it was, and then I saw that big black body and that red head and I said thats gotta be him so in half shock I put it on him and let him have it. Well after the shot all hell breaks loose. Becasue I rushed the shot in my state of shcok the turkey is hit hard but he's still got some life in him. Well I run up after him to put a follow up shot on him and when I put the bead on him I hear a hunter's worst nightmare...click. My gun has jammed and about that time he hits the air at about 6 feet falling every 20 yards or so. Well I take off after him and after some cutover gymnastics we were finally able to catch up to him and finish him off. He was a great bird with good thick beard and sharp spurs. Alabama bird #3 didnt make it easy but it sure was awesome to carry him outta the woods!

Nice one! I know about those kind of birds!

Way to close the deal.

Congrats

Good story, great bird!

Congrats

Congrats on a good bird!

Congrats on a nice bird

Better watch out, the rumor around work is...if you kill too many, I'll kick you out.

NICE bird...I just couldn't close the deal two weeks ago. He was within 60 yds twice. I actually saw him the second time with the LOOKOOUT MAN staring "that invisible hen" down at 35 steps. Fortunately for the LOOKOUT MAN, I did not want to shoot him while looking at the BIG BOY.

there ya go! Well done!

Dr. B

Congrats!

When do you want to go to Dan's again Carter? There is a good one up there you can go after.

keep him occupied the rest of the season! It seems like a lifetime ago when I had unmolested turkey hunting!

Very nice gobbler,congrats!!

Congrats!!

Congratulations!

Congrats