Rafe's 2014 bird

[Rafe Hollister]

Only 1 for me this year. Garner missed out on a couple chances during Youth Season. I missed a bird the first Saturday of season. I couldn't hunt the 2nd weekend. However, the last Thursday - Sunday, I hunted. Thursday AM I had a gobbler talking to me on the roost while I was finishing getting my stuff together at the cabin. I walked 70 yards from the cabin and sat down right by the gate. That one was on the neighbor's property and talked to me for 20 minutes. When he started walking away, 2 more gobbled up the hill. They were on a cliff above a cave and that whole hill is steep, so they had to come to me on the lane between the properties. I got set up where I knew the shot would be. I couldn't see them, but could easily follow their progress since they gobbled so much. When they were getting close to coming into view, another gobbled at me up the hill, then another one on the other side of the cabin, probably a little over 100 yards away from me. Fortunately, these guys finally showed themselves in full strut. I let them keep coming and was already aimed at a good shooting lane. I yelped to get them out of strut. They gobbled and put their heads up and that was it. Killed him at 6:46 AM.

[Rafe Hollister]

Check out the rusty-colored feathers around the beard.

[PoisonSnake]

That is interesting for sure.

[RB]

Good story, nice bird. The rust color is neat.