iawaterfowler88
05-12-2006, 04:17 PM
On Sunday the 7th I managed to fill my 4th season tag on the year here in Iowa on our farm in Decatur County. As I walked in that morning I knew from previous years and my second season hunt where the birds would be mainly concentrated. So I set up in the exact same spot that I killed my bird earlier this year and waited for the birds to wake up. With shooting time at 5:35, a bird started talking a little about 200 yards to the north of me, along with a bunch of birds within a 1/4 mile atleast (some closer obviously). Well when he flew down he headed north, o well I knew this wasn't my only shot at this set up since there has only been one time this year that bird has actually come south and I wasnt set up quite right when he came by with his 8 hens. So my attention moved to the birds to the east, northwest, and to the south that were just gobbling their heads off. Finally around 7 I hear a bird out in the open Southeast of me, so in the ghillie suit I snuck to the ridge to see where exactly he was. He was about 200 yards SE of me in the food plot strutting, meanwhile a bird to the northwest of me was getting closer (still a ways away), but then would pull away. So while watching the bird to the SE I started getting agressive and he gobbled once, but never really came out of strut and continued to the east, I never did see the hen he was strutting for. All of a sudden I hear a bird to the south that sound like hes closing in, but he never gobbled back to me once I got turned, so I decided I was going to go to the bird to the west but I wasnted to make sure that this bird to the south wasnt just below the ridge coming my way. So I started crawling on my hands and knees to the ridge and the edge of the food plot and right as I got to my jake decoy I hear a cluck to my right and as I turn here is that bird from the west coming out of the tall grass into the shorter at 150 yards coming right at me. So he angled towards the woods a little allowing me to get a little lower, and finally he went into a small depression allowing me to hit the ground and get the gun up. It was cool to watch him see that jake decoy and the hen, because his head went from bright red, to a brilliant blue and white as he got into the food plot at 60 yards and started strutting. I could just barely see him while laying in the grass, but I could hear him drumming and spitting, and once in awhile I'd see his head pop up a little and his fan go out. I realized he was kind of angling to the south, which wouldnt allow for a shot, so I decided he wouldnt pick out the sound of a call knowing it was me since I was in the decoys. With a few soft yelps, he let out a thunderous gobble at 35 yards and turned right towards me. At 30, I stopped him....BOOM.....he didnt even flop. I counted 24 holes in his head and neck. The cool this was that I was laying in the EXACT spot that my 2nd season bird was standing at when I shot him. Anyways is measurements were something like this...22 lbs, 10 1/4 in beard, and 1" spurs....a good 2 - 2 1/2 year old. Heres a couple of pictures of him...(sorry for the shadows again, I had to put the camera on top of the car again on self timer and quickly get out infront of it and get situated before the camera went off....)
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4439/10002481or.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1434/4thseason5720064edit5vv.jpg
heres 2 of a huge morel I found.....im 6'5" and have huge hands and as you can see, its took up my whole palm.....shrooms and turkeys!! doesnt get any better than that during spring time in Iowa!!
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/7691/hugemorel5720062edit7nu.jpg
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/3575/hugemorel572006edit5vy.jpg
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4439/10002481or.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1434/4thseason5720064edit5vv.jpg
heres 2 of a huge morel I found.....im 6'5" and have huge hands and as you can see, its took up my whole palm.....shrooms and turkeys!! doesnt get any better than that during spring time in Iowa!!
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/7691/hugemorel5720062edit7nu.jpg
http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/3575/hugemorel572006edit5vy.jpg