It wasn't pretty, but I came out on top. Morning hunt got ruined by work, managed to slip out around noon, so I headed to the lease for an afternoon hunt. I let a buddy borrow my Nova barrel after his blew up so I was without my usual Turkey gun. I brought my auto wit me that only shoots 3" and that's where it went south. I had to borrow some shells from the camp and all they had was 3" 1 7/8 #4's. So I thought I'd make due and headed off. I set up on a food plot and put my decoy out. After about an hour 4 hens came up milling around. I watched them for about an hour and then here comes a Jake. That Jake was strutting his stuff when thunder roared outta the woods. It was a Gobbler comin to run Jody outta his bedroom. I watched that Gobbler strut and drum for those while keeping that Jake away for an hour. Finally the hens walked my way heading back into the woods, the Jake followed about 10 yards away, and the Gobbler kept his eye on him about 40 yards out. Right before he stepped into the woods, I slapped the trigger on him. Almost no effect, if I woulda had my usual 3 1/2" #6 hevishot, Ida dirtrolled him. He took off flying so I let the last 2 go and crippled him off like a goose. He crashed into the woods on the other side of the food plot, and THE RACE WAS ON. I took off after him chasing him through the briars, then he ran back across the food plot and I was right on his spurs. He made to the other side into the woods when I fell flat on my face. I tucked and rolled and told my feet to move. I chased him through more briars when I fell again, this time couldn't get up, was completely exhausted. He ran to a ditch and laid down about 20 yards away. We stared at each other like in an ol western when I realized I'll never catch him. I retreated back to the blind and grabbed a 3 1/2 and KNOCKED HIS BLOCK OFF! If someone would have been filming it would've went viral on YouTube. I looked like a hillbilly chasing an ostrich wit an empty gun. I wouldn't have made an instructional video out of it, but I bagged mines. Sorry for the long post, but its quite a story.
20lbs, 3/4" spurs, 9.5" beard
03-24-2012, 10:52 PM
Longville Longbeard
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