With the season closing tomorrow, and being already sick of tag soup, a lot was on the line today. I would not be typing this if I did not get one, but this was one of the most exciting turkey hunts I have ever had. I am still in a bit of disbelief.

It would be hard to describe why this was so exciting, but it gave me a good case of "buck" fever stretched over 10 or 15 minutes, a crazy improbable shot, a concerning recovery, and in the end, the smallest mature bird I've ever shot.

The short story is that I shot him on the fly, way out over a knife-slash ravine, 100 ft or more over a small trickle of creek. The long story involves a long stalk, a lot of calling, a bunch of challenging decisions and moves, and a really awkward, wild shot that miraculously connected.

When I finally spotted him, I thought I must have shot a hen because the head was so blue. But, no, it's a perfectly fine gobbler - probably a 2 yr old.


As I found him.
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

A bit soggy, but I've never been happier than I am with this bird. The family gun gets it done again.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

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BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)
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[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]