QuoteOriginally posted by Charlie Lamb:
Yeah, you make it look easy. Must be because you work your ass off at it.
     

Charlie could be on to something here...
Curt and Cade are a deadly duo. Keep up the good work, guys.

Curt you are truly the turkey Guru!

Pix are all finally ready to go, I'll get this one started later today my friends!

Tough when you work for a living and have 2 kids playing baseball/softball on 4 teams.....it never ends!!!

lots to share....

Looking forward to it curt!

Ok, here we go....

Of course this hunt was the culmination of a months worth of scouting. Most days I had to get to work by 7:00, on those day it was basically just listening from a distance.

But on the weekends, I'd be up pre-dawn set up in a strategic spots with camera to just watch and film...
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I managed to get some pretty good footage and learn an awful lot about the birds I'd be hunting.

I roosted these birds the evening before opening day and also roosted some in another area.

We decided I'd do like we did last year...I'd hunt this spot on Friday by myself(like I did last year and killed this bird)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4EeOht57Fw


Then, if it looked promising, go back on Sunday with Cade(when he killed his big bird)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOHG1Ro1iao

I was set up as the sky was going gray and the birds started hammering!!!

Last year everytime we hunted here the birds flew down toward us and lit in the field...not this time....they all flew out a couple hundred yards away in an overgrown field....I'd wait...I knew(hoped anyway) it was just a matter of time before they'd come looking.

Over the next hour I'd barely hear gobbles in the distance. A hen walked by and came back, but never got close. She hung around, preened, and fed...

Then I heard a double gobble behind me, but without a doubt closer....she went right toward them.

Just before they came out into the field, I saw them at about 125yds. behind and the the east of me...game on!

They took a little convincing...some calling and they could clearly see my decoy spread...a strutting jake in a breeding set up over a hen, and another hen off to the side....but that real hen was over by them.

I really thought they go with her as she walked off....but I guess they liked what they saw and heard....after about 10 mins....they started my way!!!

Once they decided to come, they came fast and were on me in no time!

They both went right to the strutter, but pulled up short of hitting it, and looked to be starting to circle around it.....they went quartering away at about 8-9yds...

After having both birds last year run off out of camera frame to be recovered later....this year I promised myself I'd try to do it right and do all I could to put a bird(or two) down quickly, and hopefully in camera frame.

My chance was before me and I took the 1/4 away shot and put the arrow exactly where I was looking!

I knew it was perfect as he ran off about 20yds. and went down and was dead in seconds....in camera frame!!!!!    
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His buddy wouldn't leave...
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Like I said, we'd palnned to hunt this spot again in 2 days, so I'd do all I could not to spook anything and blow the spot...so I just sat and relaxed and watched this gobbler walk off and back, and repeat it several times.

Then this gaggle of crazy jakes showed up...
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That jake harassed my dead bird for almost an hour! What a show I was again witness to!


His buddy still wouldn't leave...
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"Cy", I have no idea just how many turkey's I've killed with this bow...
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I "deadly duo" of calls from fellow TG'ers. The sexy slate was made and given to me by Bob Palmer, and the sweet box call was donated by Joe M. in the St. Jude auction...
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Then the real show began.....the heavies showed up!!!
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More tomorrow morning...

Great story and pix, worth the wait.  

Wow! congratulations on a nice bird.

These boys were tanks, the tough guys of the area no doubt!  Both looked to be at least 3 yr olds with big spurs. One in particular caught my eye.
His head was noticeably bigger with a huge hanging white caruncles over his eyes.
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You can really see the white hanging caruncles in this picture...
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As you can see after almost an hour the bird with the big head managed to get himself pretty tangle up in the string tracker string...
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As they walked a away I was afraid he'd "hobbled" himself with the string hoping it wouldn't lead to his downfall. There was nothing I could really do for him though, except he'd get it off. Right then and there he became known as "Hobbles"...
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it wasn't the last we'd see of "Hobbles"...


A coyote finally showed up and cleared the field of turkeys, so after over 2 hrs. I could finally get out without spooking anything!!!

Exit...
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The side that was relentlessly pecked...
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The side that wasn't...
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The wicked VPA 1 1/4" 3 blade!!!  I've now killed 3 deer, a coyote, and now a turkey with the same head...
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He was a beautiful 2 yr old with typical 3/4" spurs...
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And 9" beard...
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The new camera...Sony CX-900..
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Heart shot...
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Now on to Cade's thread    :eek:

Beautiful pics, and a great story. Thanks!

Bob

Great Pictures Curt, Congrats again.

Incredible photos!! Can't wait to see the video!! Way to go brother!!

Excellent job Mr. Curt!!  

Same head that went thru the yote here? Cool!!

Wow. That is awesome and great pics.  I will check the vids soon

Wow Curt, the new camera is insane!  The clarity is awesome    :eek:  

Congrats buddy, you surely are at the top of your game when it comes to turkeys!    

Great story and pics. Thanks for sharing. Congrats.

Incredible pics Curt. Congratulations.