Successful MI Opener

[Topgun 30-06]

Went out well before daylight for the MI opener today to call for a friend as my tag isn't good until May 7. One bird was gobbling at 6AM before daylight and then another chimed in about 100 yards from him at about 6:30AM. They finally came down from about 125 yards away through a small swamp and worked their way over to the little bit of calling I was doing and Pete wacked the bigger of the two at 7AM. It was the biggest bird I've ever called in---24#11oz on a nice digital scale a guy had at the sports shop where Pete was registered in a contest. The bird was weird because both spurs were blunt and less than an inch long, but he had a full fan and an 8 1/2 inch beard. Pete was so excited killing the heaviest bird of his long career that he got me all excited and I forgot I had my camera in my breast pocket and never got a single picture of the friggin bird, LOL! I hope this weekend when I mentor some kids for our NWTF Chapter that we have that kind of sucess!

 

[Wally Dog]

Congrats Topgun. Often 2 year old birds are heavier than older ones.
WD

 

[mixedbag]

Got into 6 birds on the youth hunt here last Saturday.Had one at 30 yards but my son wasn't comfortable with the shot he had.Regular season opens this Saturday,but he still gets the gun.I have alot of dead turkeys in my past and get a kick out of watching/helping him.he's actually a pretty good caller now at 12.We hunt all heavily pressured birds on public ground.We are just willing to get back alot further then the rest so our success is pretty good
Congrats on your tom!!!

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Thanks! Normally a 2 year old easter, which I think this was, will have about 1" long fairly pointed spurs. This Eastern reminded me more of the Merriams that we've taken ou tin the Black Hills where the spurs wear down because of the rocky environment they live in. Anyway, this was the best weight-wise ever called in. The one in this picutre is my best bird ever taken in 2006. He was 3 or possibly 4, had 1 1/2" sharp spurs, a 10 1/2" paintbrush beard, and the fan is 30" wide by 20" high, by far the biggest fan I've ever been involved in taking.

 

[putm2sleep]

Like how you did those feet / spurs on the mount Topgun! Nice work. Love to hear about you taking youth out too.