21lbs

This was the second weekend of the spring turkey hunt.  I didn't get out last weekend or during the week, so this morning was go time.  Larry and I picked up an extra, Jim Ward, to take us to one of his spots outside of Clinton.  We parked just off Hwy 8 on the road to Vanastra at a Rail Road crossing.  Our destination would be 500m back towards Clinton off of the tracks.  We had never been to this place before, but Jim assured us there'd be a gobbler or two.  Sure enough...

We set up while it was still dark and early.  It was about 5:30.  We set up a big tom decoy with a fanning tail, and 2 hens.  We set the tom closer to us, so as to draw in the birds towards us.  They'll notice the hens, but then go for the tom....  So it was all quiet for an hour, an hour and fifteen minutes.  There was lots of crows, geese, various finches, and two herons that flew over.  All of a sudden we heard a gobble in the distance.  It seemed quite far away.  We decided to keep calling.

Lo and behold our calling got more intense, and this boy's curiosity increased too.  Our buddy Jim was speechless to witness this process first hand; setting up, calling, hearing responses, and calling some more.  It didn't try to get through the bush too quietly either.  We never actually seen it until its fateful last few seconds, but heard it gobbling and walking for some time.  There was a ridge which it walked up and over.  Sure enough, it spotted the hens, but was inching closer to our tom decoy.  Larry was sitting on that side of the blind - So Larry took the shot.  Just one.

So the scale doesn't lie - 21lbs basically.  We never actually put a tape on its beard or spurs.  But I would guess that the beard is 7 inches, and the spurs were just at that inch mark. 

We stayed out and hit another field for another 90 minutes.  A hen walked all around us soon after setting up and calling.  It was very weary though to say the least.  It kept its distance quite safely, but was curious.  Hens are not a legal shot, unless it has a beard.  This didn't have one.  Plus, it wasn't that close to me at any given point.  But it was fun to watch and hear it call.

So Larry continually gets it done - whereas me, not so much.  Oh well.  I had a great time and there still is lots of time to get one myself.  I think I'd go back and see if there are any buddies of this guy still around.