Finally
Last night I found myself chasing "Muy Grande" again. I was bound and determined to get a great bird this year and set out exactly to do just that. I found this bird a little over a week ago... on about the 5th day of season. I passed numerous smaller birds in hope of smoking the grand daddy of them all.
Several mishaps lead to this bird eluding me over and over again, from Jakes dry humping my legs..LOL the 20 hens he had always on the lookout.... not to mention the incredible pressure on the public lands that had all but shut the birds up.
Last night I found myself in search of the monster again, but with short time to do so. I had to return to town for prior engagements before dark so there was no chance of me getting to roost the bird, which with all the hunting pressure, was the only time he would talk.
I snuck down to an area that I knew the birds liked to roost around. There was not a peep to be heard so I started searching frantically to see where the birds were going and if there was any fresh sign. I cut some fresh tracks, obviously no more than a day old and decided to follow them. I was pretty sure that this was the bird I was after due to the amount of hen tracks surrounding the big gobbler tracks.
I followed the tracks out across a clear cut that was a couple hundred yards wide to a little strip of trees centered in a little ravine in the middle of the clearing. As I walked into the trees I noticed that the ground was literally covered a couple inches thick in turkey droppings. It just blew my mind!! Merriam's are very nomadic and hardly ever roost in the same spot. But by the amount of sign within the trees I was sure that they were using this spot over and over.
As I sat amongst the trees, calling ever so sporadically, I couldn't get the thoughts of that big gobbler strutting out across the green grass right to me. Wouldn't that be a sight for sore eyes.... But it was not meant to be. My departure time arrived and still not a peep.
That night I decided that I would take another crack at the roosting sight the next morning. I knew those birds had to be in there, it just looked like too perfect of a spot for them not to be. I knew that there was no way I could make it across the park in any kind of light because surely the birds would see me coming and there was little chance of calling him across the meadow when he had all those hens (been there, tried that). I knew that I would have to crawl out across that meadow in the dark.
So this morning that's exactly what I did... I left a half hour earlier than usual and found myself belly crawling through the scattered shrubs, cactus and grass trying to close some distance on the roost trees. I crawled within about 60 yards and just laid there flat on my stomach waiting for light to approach.
As it got light enough to start seeing, suddenly a gobble erupted from the trees. As I scanned the trees, I noticed a shape I thought was a bird roosted near the top of a tree. A quick discrete glance through the bino's and sure enough it was him with that big rope beard dangling there in the skylight. He burst out a few more gobbles while strutting around on that tree branch but looked to me like he was thinking about flying down on the other side of the meadow.
So with a couple quick, very soft calls I drew his attention my way. He rotated right around on the branch and looked directly towards me. As the light grew I noticed that there were hens roosted all around in the trees. I called a couple more times very softly and watched in anticipation as he stretched his wings.... It was game time!!
He hoped off the branch and came from the tree like he was going to land 30 yards from me, but just before he reached the ground he spread those jumbo jet wings and soared directly over my head and landed about 60 yards behind me. I spun around on my stomach to face him but had to do it ever so slowly so the hens wouldn't see me move. As I turned to face him, I watched as he walked full strut right out of the clearing and into the trees towards the big canyon.
I thought to myself, wonderful, screwed again!! But why would he leave his prize possesion hens. I let out a few more soft calls and behind me I could hear the hens fly out of the tree and they landed about 30 yards behind me. How awesome was this... I was right between him and his ladies!!! A couple purrs and clucks later and the hens were talking it up in excitement. As I watched the tree line I could see that brilliant white tipped fan making its way back through the trees towards me. My heart started to race... I was in perfect position.
The gobbler cut through the trees strutting his way out into the park. As he entered the park I couldn't help but marvel at the sight of his iridescent feathers and white tipped sailboat fan catching the early morning light. As he reached 60 yards, I clicked the safety off. It was game time and I was about to pound him. I waited patiently for him to close the distance and present me with a good shot. I knew that he would eventually break strut and give me a good head shot.
As he closed to about 50 yards, a couple of jakes roosted across the clearing gobbled as they flew from their roosts. The big tom stopped, gobbled and outstretched his head high in the air. I took the shot!! I watched as the big toms head flopped over backwards, then back strait up. He just stood there, head wobbling from side to side, standing strait up as if he were on his tippy-toes. I had already chambered another shell, and although he was probably done I let him have another.
Birds went everywhere as the big tom set there flopping in the clearing. I couldn't help but laugh in excitement, as I had finally accomplished what I thought was seeming impossible... I had just smoked old "muy grande" after so many failed attempts!!
I never felt so good walking back out of the woods as I did with that big old tom over my back... I could hardly notice any weight at all I was so happy. As I returned to the truck to take pictures... I noticed that right by my truck door was a big pile of turkey poop. There were also fresh track that went right across where I had parked, and I hadn't even noticed them when I got out that morning (probably because it was pitch black outside). After I had left the previous evening that tom had walked right across where I had parked that night and took a big dump, as if he was insulting me for him outsmarting me once again. Guess that what goes around come around...LOL I couldn't help but laugh at the outcome and all that had happened, it was such a great hunt...
Now the pictures....
The bird has great spurs for the Merriam's around here... there usually worn down to nothing from the sandstone rocks....
Had to post the picture with the kid in it!! Crappy picture but oh well, he thought it was cool to be there...
