Mitch tags his first of the year this morning!

[Grayfox]

Well we had another great morning. After last nights storm blew through early this morning, I actually slept in and decided to listen behind the house this morning and heard a couple a ways away. I got Mitch up and we made a plan. It was pretty windy but they were gobbleing real good. We set up on a hill and soon heard some comeing behind us so we got up and relocated to the other side of the hill. I heard them coming and soon saw their bright red heads comeing over a ridge. Soon they were on a sprint to the decoys but for some reason they went to our right and I could only get a glimpse of their heads over the hill. Mitch was twisted way to the right but the just sat over the hill not 30 yards away and answered all my calls with double gobbles. I gobbled and cut but just couldn't get them to come back over that hill. We were hearing more gobbleing to the North and we could tell they were working their way North too. We let them get out of sight and re setup on the other side of the hill with Mitch 15 yards North of me and me laying in a deadfall. I kept calling and soon had 3 groups gobbleing and working closer. I saw 3 standing on top of a hill 70 yards North of Mitch. They seemed pretty determined to wait for the hen to come to them so I just sat quietly and gobbled a few times. Soon I saw two slowly start walking down the hill towards us. Then one breaks into strut and then turns back and both end up chasing 6 jakes around. The jakes end up breaking off and going to our right and end up on the hill to my right. They kept gobbleing and could tell they were within 10 yards but was afraid to look. I saw Mitch start moving his gun slowly to the left and see the 2 toms comeing closer. They started to putt so I knew they saw him. I see him bear down and the gun goes off and there's a bit of flapping and birds are running and flying everywhere.

It was a great way for him to start the year. The bird had a 9-3/4" beard,1-3/8" spurs but only weighed 15lbs-4oz. It was missing a toe nail on one foot and had some srapes on the same foot so I'm not sure if that played any part of his weight problem. The bird should have been heavier but maybe it had a tough winter. Beautiful bird regardless. We'll be off for a week before he and I get back after them here in Wisconsin on the 20th. He still has a few bonus tags so we'll see if he wants to hunt or fish. I'm not sure which week I'll get him a tag for Minnesota yet but I've got season E.

Rob

[Borch]

Awsome hunt amd pass on my congrats to Mitch!

The bird looks a lot bigger than he weighed for sure.

[PurpleFloyd]

Very nice.

[reinhard1]

never hunted turkey's. wonderfull story and i can tell by that big smile he was as proud as can be. good luck.

[Archerysniper]

Congrats to the two of you and I confident mitch will have another bird down this year.

[birdswacker]

Way to go Mitch!!

I'm not sure witch season my son will hunt either all depends on the weather and baseball.

Rob,

You hunting MN with your bow?

[FrontenacPike]

Nice bird Mitch and great memories to go with it.

[mws4dux]

Congrats !! Great story

[Shu]

Congrats! Nice story

[sticknstring]

Way to go Mitch - Congrats!

[mknolls]

Nice bird, heck of a great smile.

[Grayfox]

Vance,

I don't know if I'll take the bow or not. I get tired of carrying that blind around when I hunt with the bow and honestly I get a little more excited when I'm sitting out in the open than hiding inside the blind where I can move around. Mitch and I will be hunting next week in Wisconsin. He's off Thursday and Friday and if I can put him on a bird early, I might get him a Minnesota tag and jump the border.

You hunting at all this spring?

[birdswacker]

I didn' get a tag so it's G-H season depending on timing.

Tonight Triston and I saw 4 different flocks of birds (8-12 each flock)on the way home from his baseball game. So there still bunched up a bit.

Tired of carrying the blind? What are you 43yrs old? (hence the name Graybeard)

[mrklean]

congrats on the bird