Kentucky turkey hunting - days 15 & 16

Saturday - Didn't get to hunt today. I had to work until noon, then we had a bunch of friends over that afternoon for a Kentucky Derby party. Even without getting a hunt in, it was a great day with friends and family. Hopes are high for tomorrow morning.

Sunday - The patience and persistence finally paid off this morning with a thunder chicken double for myself and good friend Cory McBride. With a steady rain coming down, we decided our best option was to set up the blind in the field where I had the close encounter Friday morning and sit and wait. It's not my favorite way to hunt them, but with the weather and lack of gobbling, I felt it was be the most effective.

After 2 1/2 hours of sitting without hearing a single gobble or seeing a single bird, we were starting to get a little discouraged. That was when Cory noticed some birds off in the distance behind us - probably 150 yards out. When I peaked out at them, I just saw two birds and they were running for the woods. We sat there in disgust wandering how those birds would have spooked at that distance. As we sat and discussed our options, I took another look out of the back of the blind and saw a distinct white head bobbing our way. Soon that white head became a gobbler with six jakes in tow. The gobbler was making a bee line straight to the B-mobile and She-mobile decoys. When he got to within 20 yards of the decoys he began to act a little spooked, and I began to get concerned. I started having flashbacks of some of my recent bad luck.

I quickly made the decision to take a shot before he could bolt. The 3 1/2 inch Winchester #6s took the bird down clean and Cory was able to take down one of the jakes as they retreated. I didn't realize just how far out my bird had been until I stepped it off on the way to get him - 47 yards. That is by far the furthest I have ever killed a turkey, as most of the birds I kill are in the decoys at 20 yards. Cory's dropped at 37 yards. My tom weighed in at 21 lbs, with a 10 1/4 inch beard and 1 1/8 inch spurs. I am posting the pictures below. I still have one tag to fill and would still like to get my wife back out before the season is over as well. I won't be able to hunt again until Thursday, but then plan to hunt the last four days of the Kentucky season. As always, I'll keep you posted!!!