Jersey A Week

jode hillman

jode hillman

Well-known member
Set up on last Thursday not expecting much. It was rainy and cold all week previous and the birds weren't talking or strutting much. I Went to my usual spot when there's no hot birds. I sat and waited for sunlight.about 6:15 I hear a bird hammer from an area there hasn't been birds all season. I beat feet and as I get near, soon see hens roosted all around. So I get up against the nearest tree and wait. I let the birds fly down and proceed to get into an argument with a hen. However the whole time the birds are moving away. I decide to change tactics . I let them slip away and moved 200 yards around, in front of them. I get set and after 1/2 hour I see and hear the gobbler in a little opening surrounded by his hens. He wasn't gobbling, just showing off. I waited until his hens started to drift away before I called. A few clucks and a Yelp. Instant gobble looking right my way😀! He proceeds to gobble, strut,Walk , right in my direction for 5 minutes. Every time getting 1 yard closer. I had a good opening in the tress at 40 yards. He hit the opening, gobble and lifted his neck..... Bang, the heavyweight 7s did there job! A real nice Jersey bird. 1-1/8" Spurs, 10" beard, and legit 22 lbs on the old grain scale. A classic hunt from start to finish.









 
Cool,,,,,,,,,, thanks for sharing. Nice hunt and nice work getting your Tom. I just have to ask; you sure you trust that scale? Looks like it is better suited for a wall hanging. ;>) ;>) heck, you bird could be 24 lbs or even 25 lbs, on a good day it might make 26lbs. ;>) ;>)
 
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you sure you trust that scale? Looks like it is better suited for a wall hanging. ;>) ;>) heck, you bird could be 24 lbs or even 25 lbs, on a good day it might make 26lbs. ;>) ;>)
Click to expand...

[size 5]I'm with Jode (and the late Guy Clark) on that old scale:

"....stuff that works; stuff that holds up; the kind of stuff you don't hang on the wall..."
;-) ;-)
 
Congrats Jode.

I was able to get out Saturday to hunt a farm I have never hunted before. I scouted and roosted some birds on Thursday since I wasn't going to have time Friday. Saturday morning was hot and humid and I was dreading the onslaught of mosquitoes and gnats. I made the trek down the hedgerow and along the deer fence until I found a nice overgrown spot to settle in. I set the decoys out and estimated to be about 150 yds from where I saw the birds roost two days ago. As I settled in, a nice breeze started across the open fields and to my delight I never saw or heard a mosquito. Waited about 15 mins and gave a soft yelp and was shocked when a tom sounded off only 30-40 yards away. He kept gobbling every few minutes, and I kept him interested by answering about every 5 or so gobbles. Legal shooting time was 5:35 and by 6am I was getting worried that I was picked off because by now, hens should have flown down or at least stared an argument with me. I never heard another bird make a sound other than the tom. Finally a few minutes later two hens flew into the field and walked the direct opposite direction I was setup. I knew the gobbler was about to follow suit, so I gave him a few more purrs and he sounded off and flew down, right into full strut. He cautiously walked in posturing and circling the jake decoy. I could see he had a decent beard, but he has been beat up recently by the number of tail feathers he was missing. He finally turned completely away and I was able to shoulder my gun. I let him put on a show as I waited for him to separate from the decoy before I made the shot.

Decent bird, but I have been spoiled as this is my smallest in my short turkey hunting career. - 20lbs 9.5in beard, 7/8th spurs I think he was an older bird as his spurs were worn down quite a bit.
The hunt was actually over way to quickly. I wish I was able to call a little more and really fool the old bird, but I'll be out again in D-week on another new farm and will be much more selective.

I'll try to get a picture up later today.
 
Alright, congrats Jode! That's a great bird by anyone's standards, not just NJ.

This story sounds somewhat similar to another one you told a cpl yrs ago. Any chance you were in the same area and have played this same game with a henned up bird before?
 
Cool,,,,,,,,,, thanks for sharing. Nice hunt and nice work getting your Tom. I just have to ask; you sure you trust that scale? Looks like it is better suited for a wall hanging. ;>) ;>) heck, you bird could be 24 lbs or even 25 lbs, on a good day it might make 26lbs. ;>) ;>)
Click to expand...

Haha!!! Yes Lets just it works better than it looks. I tested it with a 10 pound weight I had laying around. It was dead on. I even checked the weight against the shopping scale I have. Not that it matters, I rarely weight how much of it I can eat in one sitting. Lol
 
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Kyle, actually yes. This area used to hold a lot of birds up until 3 years ago. At that time a new landowner cut out most of the hedgerows and big roost trees. The planted grapes and was working out their every day. After a couple years stuff finally started to calm down. The birds ended up being roosted in one or two trees that were their favorites for years. I was surprised to see them back. However I knew just how to work it being I have killed them here before. I'm hoping the trend holds up as it is a great setup as long as I'm patient!!! Good memory
 
you sure you trust that scale? Looks like it is better suited for a wall hanging. ;>) ;>) heck, you bird could be 24 lbs or even 25 lbs, on a good day it might make 26lbs. ;>) ;>)
Click to expand...

[size 5]I'm with Jode (and the late Guy Clark) on that old scale:

"....stuff that works; stuff that holds up; the kind of stuff you don't hang on the wall..."
;-) ;-)
Click to expand...
Bob you know what they say about great minds......lol
 
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