#1 Missouri Bird

Limbshot · Post by **Limbshot** » May 3rd, 2018, 4:56 pm

Well I was starting to think that I was not going to fill a Mo turkey tag this spring for the first time in quite a while. A couple of close encounters didn’t pan out, other zones that usually have birds were VACANT. It was just a bit of struggle. This morning it all came together. I was excited to get a call from my Dad yesterday asking if I could make it down to the farm for one last hunt together this year. He had finally located some birds frequenting a bottom field and we were optimistic. Got down this morning and set up and birds started gobbling right where we expected. Long story short, 3 longbeards escorted 7 hens and 3 jakes around the field for two and a half hours and never got closer than 80 yards!!! They finally separated from the hens and were circling wide around us heading to the neighbor’s and we thought the day was over. Something out in the neighbor’s field spooked them and back they came. Making their way out into the field to a gap in the opposite fence and into the adjoining field. Dad told me I should relocate in the other field (over 800 yards away) and told me to get a move on. With his ankles, he couldn’t make the trip, I was going to stay, but he insisted I get on them, so away I went. Made the trek to the distant field through the river bottoms and finally got into a spot with an easy ascent to the field edge. I slowly made my way up expecting to be well ahead of the birds and much to my surprise, the first gobbler was straight in front of me at 30 yards (thank goodness for rose bushes). I turned on my green dot and held on an opening in front of him. Once he hit the opening, I clucked with my diaphragm and up went the head into the “shoot me” pose and I let him have it. 19.5 pounds, 10.5” beard and 1-1/16 and 1-1/8 inch spurs. The birds taken on the hunts with my Dad just seem to mean a little more than the solo birds. SO GRATEFUL we still get to share these moments together!!!

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