2024 BIG GOBBLER FUN CONTEST - Leaderboard

[tom gobble]

Way to go Johnny boy, congrats

[Articcat]

Nice going TurkeyJohn congrats

[sabmgb]

great bird, good story. I'm still waiting for a double beard. Congrats

[Lenny]

24 hours to go!!!!!

Congrats to sabmgb and TurkeyJohn, a couple of really nice birds there guys. I would love to tell you about the huge tom that I called in last weekend, except that I got impatient after working him for over an hour, and he came in silent and cautiously, and he was down the hill from me, moving left to right through the trees, and I could only see his head and neck, so like a rookie, I aim for his head, and miss. Couple of flaps, and he folds his wings and walks away, as my 870 jams, and I can't get a second shot off in time. To make matters worse, my buddy was there, sitting against the same tree to witness my failure.....aggghgghhhhhhh.

And that's why we keep coming back.....good luck tomorrow everyone.

Current Leaderboard:

Top 10 Single Birds
1 CD94 44.25
2 Lenny 43.5
3 cdougs 41.5
4 Genec 39.75
5 TurkeyJohn 38.5
6 TurkeyJohn 38
7 finsfurfeathers 37.75
8 sabmgb 37.5
9 Arcticcat 36.75
10 tom gobble 36.5

Two Bird Totals:
1 TurkeyJohn 76.5
2 CD94 76.25
3 Jerryklimczuck 52.5
4 Arcticcat 51.5

[finsfurfeathers]

So ends the spring season. Closed the last day with pretty good hope to punch my second tag but just didn't pan out. To say I was a bit henned up is a little of an understatement but the big boy just didn't want to cross the line of no return. He was there but having whiffed on a bird earlier in the season wanted this one at dead to rights distance. Well at least he'll be bigger for next year.

[Wmay]

Last day of the season was good to me. I shot my first ever double beard. I glassed him from my truck for over 4 hours waiting for him to leave the rye field.
When he left the rye field and made commitment to an apple orchard that I could sneak too.
I ran in to where I figured he would pop out and still out of breath he stepped out right where I needed him. Lenny will be posting pics

[cdougs]

Hey everybody sorry for the late story!!
After many sits I killed that Tom. He was my goal Turkey for the property after watching trail camera pictures. He was the boss Tom for the area. I passed a few groups of turkeys before he finally committed in.
The first day he got to around 100 yards and wouldn’t move an inch, wanted my decoys to come to him.

Finally got him by using no decoys and sitting on one of the cattle paths that he seemed to use most.

He is my first Tom ever!! I couldn’t believe how big he was. Thanks Lenny for posting the pictures for me.
Next year I’m going to try to get one with a bow ��

[ihunt]

congrats everyone on your successful hunts. Sorry for the late post.

It was a difficult season for me dealing with quiet birds as it makes for boring hunts. Bad weather and busy schedule limited the hunts and opportunities. Was able to take advantage of the cool weather last day and finally luck turned my way. An interesting story and maybe some optimism for those on quiet boring hunts.

I was ready to pack it in. I was standing at the edge of the farmers field and made some last minute yelps and clucks on my glass striker call. I was using a box call all morning because I didn't hear any gobbles so thought the boys were not around and needed the box call to reach out far. Well to my surprise I hear a put behind me. I am leaning against a tree standing in the tree line, I turned around quickly to see what I thought was a hen only 7 yards behind me. Hens have been around all season and usually hang around this side of the field but haven't seen or heard any males. I see a head but cant tell if its a hen or a male. It continues putting searching for the mysterious caller that was me standing behind the tree only 7 yards in front of it. Finally through the thick ground cover and leaves, I see a long beard hanging between the greenery, a black body and the good old red and blue! Now I realize I have a problem. I'm standing in the open and my gun is on my shoulder and I have the caller in my hands with the bird only a few yards away. One wrong move and it will disappear into the thick bush. Well it was painfully slow and methodical, my heart pounding, the adrenaline kicking in I had to talk myself down and slow my excitement before this bird walked away never to be seen again. I put the call in my pocket and slowly grab my Browning Silver and raise it into position. My new low light high viz sights lined up ready for duty. Mr. Tom stuck out his head to scan for the lonely caller that drew him to this fateful moment. The 3" Winchester Turkey #5 roared! My heart pounded as the smoke filled the cold morning air. It happened so fast, I hoped I didn't miss in my hasty awkwardness hurrying to take the shot. The smoke in the early morning quickly cleared and the rolling and flapping of my success gave me my final answer.

Last day bird and what a beautiful last day it was. No pics of the sizes but it was a light bird but mature Tom with 1" spurs and 10" beard weighing in at only 15.5 lbs. Tom Gobble can vouch for me. Lol.

Congrats everyone on your success and all those hunts that didn't work out but made the ones that did special. Lets do it again next year.

ill try to figure out how to post pics...

[Lenny]

I love all these "last day" success stories! Congrats to everyone, I am just waiting on a beard length from WMay and then I can post the final standings.
I got up super early, and went to a spot that held birds every time I hunted it this year. Drove in through the field, and reversed into the spot where I always park. Got out of the truck, slowly and quietly close the driver door, and just as I am about the reach for the back door, my truck does that short triple horn sound to let you know the key fob is still in the vehicle. Before I can even curse, I am startled again by a loud shock gobble, within 10 yards of my truck. Well $*&#!!! What do you do? Drive back home and go back to bed? Sneak away and wait him out? Decided to get back in, drive accross the field, try to convince him the danger had passed, and then snuck part way back, put out a lone feeding hen, and let him know that everything was cool, nothing to see here, danger had passed. I was successful at convincing myself this would work. The tom proceeded to gobble at least 100 times as daylight brightened, I avoided the urge to over-call, just letting him know once or twice I was there, then he finally flew down, landing in the next field as far away from me as his glide path would allow, gobble a few more times on the ground, and walked out of my life....Yep, should have just gone back to bed!

Great season overall, 1 nice bird for me, and called in 3 more inside 25 yards. Got 1 friend his first tom. That's the good. I also missed a beauty tom last weekend, and parked under this tree they have never roosted in before......its always a learning experience.

Stay tuned for pics of WMay's bird and measurements.....

[Lenny]

Here are pics of WMay's second bird
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And our official standings for 2024:

Top 10 Single Birds
1 CD94 44.25
2 Lenny 43.5
3 cdougs 41.5
4 Wmay 40.5
5 ihunt 40
6 Genec 39.75
7 TurkeyJohn 38.5
8 TurkeyJohn 38
9 finsfurfeathers 37.75
10 sabmgb 37.5

Two Bird Totals:
1 TurkeyJohn 76.5
2 CD94 76.25
3 Wmay 70.5
4 Jerryklimczuck 52.5
5 Arcticcat 51.5

So CD94 is our big winner overall, with the highest single score, and just nudged out on the two bird total by TurkeyJohn in the final days of the season. I will PM the prize winners.

Congratulations to our winners, and anyone who entered a bird. Hope you all had a great season, learned something, had a few laughs, and lived vicariously through others stories - see you next spring!