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Posted April 09 2013 - 10:42 PM After not seeing or even hearing a bird for two days and getting beaten to my area of choice by other hunters Monday morning, I had to come up with plan "C". I drove to an area I've never been in, and started hiking in to try to make something happen. Well, I realized I had parked on a huge path of scratching that looked fresh, started following it and within 1/2 hour I heard my first gobble along with some hen yelps...the chase was on! I caught up to a flock of 14 birds, 1 good gobbler, some jakes and the rest hens. They responded to my calls, but kept heading where they wanted to go, so I had to stalk them. I got close 4 times, going over two ridges, across 1 meadow, and then we played zig and zag on this one ridge, until finally I saw them through an opening in the trees. They were moving in a single file, passing one by one through the opening. I didn't know if "my bird" had gone by yet, so I took aim and watched as they went by. Then the big gobbler appeared and I blasted him from what wound up being a 71 yard shot. He weighed 17.3 pounds and had a 9" beard! I packed it up amongst the high winds that started about then and beat the rain (and mud) home. 2 for 2 on the San Carlos! Me and 3 of my friends that "took me" turkey hunting for the first time (back in '04?) have tags for next year-should be a hoot...er...yelp of a time. The picture isn't very good, only got 3 before the camera croaked. Thanks for looking, Tommy UPDATE 1/31/2014: I just picked up my 2013 San Carlos bird from Sven at Wildlife Wings Designs. I had him do a walking pose, just like it was doing when I last saw it. Sven did his usual awesome job! I forgot how big this Tom was.

After not seeing or even hearing a bird for two days and getting beaten to my area of choice by other hunters Monday morning, I had to come up with plan "C". I drove to an area I've never been in, and started hiking in to try to make something happen. Well, I realized I had parked on a huge path of scratching that looked fresh, started following it and within 1/2 hour I heard my first gobble along with some hen yelps...the chase was on! I caught up to a flock of 14 birds, 1 good gobbler, some jakes and the rest hens. They responded to my calls, but kept heading where they wanted to go, so I had to stalk them. I got close 4 times, going over two ridges, across 1 meadow, and then we played zig and zag on this one ridge, until finally I saw them through an opening in the trees. They were moving in a single file, passing one by one through the opening. I didn't know if "my bird" had gone by yet, so I took aim and watched as they went by. Then the big gobbler appeared and I blasted him from what wound up being a 71 yard shot. He weighed 17.3 pounds and had a 9" beard! I packed it up amongst the high winds that started about then and beat the rain (and mud) home. 2 for 2 on the San Carlos! Me and 3 of my friends that "took me" turkey hunting for the first time (back in '04?) have tags for next year-should be a hoot...er...yelp of a time. The picture isn't very good, only got 3 before the camera croaked. Thanks for looking, Tommy UPDATE 1/31/2014: I just picked up my 2013 San Carlos bird from Sven at Wildlife Wings Designs. I had him do a walking pose, just like it was doing when I last saw it. Sven did his usual awesome job! I forgot how big this Tom was.