NWTF Winner Hunt '23

ilovesprig

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Aug 3, 2012
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Escondido
One of the two Spring Turkey Tune-Up special area winners was Jason Mettler...To say he was pumped is an understatement...Josh Kettl (Flydown Custom Calls) and I met Jason at 5:00 am at Lake Henshaw...For a hunt that is supposed to be a "Gimme", wasn't shaping up that way early on...We sat for about an hour with only a couple of distant "Shock" gobbles heard...At about 7:30, we heard what a appeared to be a gobble below us...Josh and I both hit the single-sided box calls...We got our 1st real response...Then nothing...15 minutes later, we tried again and got gobbles from 2 different directions...Perfect...Then a hour and a half hour goes by and they haven't moved...We then discuss making a move to cut the distance...I suggest, "Let's let them stew some more"...The next thing I know, I see Josh lean over and say something to Jason...I see Jason raise his gun...Before you know it, a big longbeard comes running around a scrub oak with a hen and another long in tow...And, Josh says take him...Kapoow!...Monster tom down!...25 lbs, 10 1/2' beard, 1" spurs...... :blush:

What an exciting and fun hunt...Jason's 1st longbeard and he was still shaking so bad, he couldn't hold the scale still...:joy:...Folks this is what it's all about.......:heart:

ps...Thank you Janice Mendenhall and Lake Henshaw Resorts for this opportunity...:clap:


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Good work Steve!

What do you think finally got them to come in? Any tips/tricks you like to try on hung up birds?
 
Good work Steve!

What do you think finally got them to come in? Any tips/tricks you like to try on hung up birds?

Adam,

They write books about gobblers hanging up and what to do about it...In this case, we just gave him time...What probably happened was, the 2nd guy showed up and he threw caution to the wind...Fatal mistake.

Sunday, Jacob and I called in a lone big boy that gobbled his fool head off, but he hung up right behind us (And, that property is a no no)...He was so close we could hear him drumming, but he wasn't coming one inch closer, jake decoy or no decoys...It would've been a good time for a gobble call...Which I didn't have in my bag......:confused:
 

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