Tom scores a tom!
May 09, 2011
Chip Flory
Tom scores a tom!
Turkey season was starting to "drag on" a bit at the Flory hunting hole! In fact, it was delaying the start of seeding some clover on our food plot... just didn't want to risk too much change in the area and spook the birds.
We're in kind of a strange situation. Just beyond our property line is a really nice ridge covered with mature hardwoods. That's where the birds roost. Unfortunately, there's also a creek that separates the roosting area from our hunting area. In the morning, it's rare to pull a bird across the creek. It can happen, but it's got to get late in the season. By the time we get birds on our side of the creek, most of the hens have made their nest and are sitting tight -- that's why we hunt hardest during the latest of four season in Iowa.
This weekend, it all came together. Tom and I were out in the timber before sun-up Saturday morning and the birds were really active. We had at least a half-dozen birds blowing-off on the other side of the creek. When we didn't get a bird to cross over at first light, we backed out.
After a few chores, we got in the blind on the food plot around midday. (The winter wheat we seeded last fall looks awesome, by the way.) We did a little calling and could tell a bird was coming our way. When that bird got into view, Tom didn't waste any time. Heck... he said it was there and that he had a shot and I couldn't even see it. One shot with the 3 1/2-inch Federal Premium 12 gauge turkey load from the SP Remington 870 and that tom barely even flopped at about 40 yards. Tom said all he could see was the blue and white on this bird's head when he pulled the trigger.
It's a nice bird! 9 1/2-inch (and thick) beard. 1 1/4 hooks (one was a little shorter than that) and a really nice fan. His wing tips were groomed off from all the strutting he's done this year, too -- I love that part about big, dominate birds.
You'll see some of the action this fall in our annual food plot show! Hopefully, Tom will also have a buck down this fall on the food plot by the time we have to put it together, too!
Don't forget...
If you can't watch on RFD-TV every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. CT or Saturday at 10:30 a.m. CT, you can always watch the shows here on the web site.
And most importantly, keep on having fun outdoors on the farm!