Turkey Story

[backstraps]

I love to chase big ole thunder chickens! Last year I decided to go after a mature gobbler, with stick n string, without the use of a blind or decoys. Just camo, bow in hand a mouth calls.

I located a monster bird before season. Juvi season is the weekend prior to regular season in TN.
I had my daughter setup on this old guy. He put on a show, gobbled his heads off, but he was henned up something terrible. I just couldnt get him coaxed into range for my daughters 20 guage to reach him.

So, after this juvi weekend, my daughters sports activities basically kept her from hunting for a good while. My goal was to get this bird on my terms. I hunted him everyday for 12 straight days! Was was within range of my Bowtech 9 different times. Something kept me from drawing on him or being able to get a clear shot of his vitals each time. There are some many encounters I had with him over the 12 days, I could make a short novel.

At any rate, day #12 began, I felt very confident he was close to meeting a Muzzy because his hens were beginning to leave to nest around 10-11 am I played his game most of the day, when I finally tricked him into leaving the couple hens he had strutted his but off for all day. When he came in, he gave me a 37 yard broadsided shot, that I took. I sent an arrow straight through his right side, just where his wing attaches. He "tightened" up and actually took off! He wasnt moving fast, so I decided to hurry and send another. This shot was near 50 yards. When the second arrow hit him it flipped him over!

He is my best turkey to date, and getting him on my terms, and having all the chases with him makes him a very special harvest to me. I just got him back from the taxidermist. I have mixed feelings about the mount, but it is what it is now I suppose.

In the NWTF rankings, he is the 38th all time bow harvest Eastern Turkey, and #2 in the state of Tennessee.
Scored 89.1250 I was fortunate enough to harvest another long double beard bird this season. Had I shot him with a bow he would have scored very close to this one!

I have mixed feelings about the taxidermist work...whats you honest feelings. Dont have to worry about my feelings here, I have not posted these pictures anywhere on the net. Would like to see if I am being too picky or if someone notices a couple things I didnt like about the mount :)

[Mountain Man]

Nice story!

Regarding the mount, I'm not a turkey expert, but IMO two things stick out to me - the leg and beard positions might not be correct. I think you might be stuck with the leg positions but depending on what your taxi did with the beards you might be able to re-position the beards so they lay more naturally along the breast. I know you want to show off the double beard but to me they appear as if they were just stuck into the mount at the wrong angle. See if you can fix that. Your taxi might have removed the beards, added a wire or something, and stuck them back into the foam manikin. If that's the case you should be able to remove them and re-position.

[backstraps]

LOL!!!! You got it

Those two things bothered me since I got him home..the beards stood out as soon as I seen him. I know the taxi was trying to enhance the fact he had double beards, but I wish they at least came out of his chest closer together. The taxi is an hour away, I still may have the beards fixed to lay on his chest better.

Thanks for the reply.

[Uncle Lou]

Congrats on that bird. Sounds like a heck of a season. I thought the pics were a little blurry, and you should be very proud of the bird. And yeh, push the beards down a little

[Mike.E]

Nie story, and way to go on the bird, its a bute. IMO, i think same as the others haha, push the beards down slightly. Besides that, from the pics, it looks pretty handsome!

[NatureBoy]

Great hunt, great bird! I wouldn't feel too bad about the mount unless you paid a lot. Then I'd be complaining a little. Who knows though, the oddities of it might get more stories out of it.

[eastwoodhunter]

Nice mount!