Congrats to dadfsr

Wasn't me, it was Dad. I haven't even been out yet- our season doesn't start until Tuesday!

I was trying to get one of my pay yards done (mowing through water in some of it) and then get my yard done this afternoon but lost an idler pulley on the mower on the first yard when I was almost through so I finished it off with the push mower and headed home.

Said the heck with it and told my wife I was just gonna go back in the woods to see if I could find any turkeys-even though the wind was gusting up 25+ mph.

Got an area on the north side of the neighbors woods that I knew would be kind of out the wind with enough open space between trees that I thought I might be able to see if something was coming in-about a 20 minute slow walk in to it. Got sat down about 4, called a couple of times with Dan's boxcall (THANK YOU DAN!!!!), broke out the bottle of water to get a couple of drinks and was just putting the bottle in my vest when I realized I could see a blue/red head back in the brush moving my way.

Got my gun up and pointed in his direction and ready for a shot.

I was so focused on watching him that it took me a bit to realize that there was another bird closer to me...a bearded hen!!! I had never seen on before so that kind of got my attention for a bit. She was probably 20 yards away and closing fast on me while the REAL tom was still twice that distance out.

He decided to stretch his head up to take a look at her and I let him have it with old Mossberg Ultimag shooting Hevi 13's...I LOVE that Hevi shot!!!

45 paces away and he rolled back, flopped a couple of times and that was it. About then I realized there was another bird on behind him yet that could also have another hen-maybe another bearded one?? So at 4:30 I was taking the 20 minute walk back out....got to be one of the shortest hunts I've had.

This is the best bird I've taken yet-24#, main beard was 9" and it had 22mm spurs.

I'm not sure how to figure out the score but I bet someone on here will figure it out for me

Pics are coming-I sent a couple off my iPhone to Dan and the good ones are on my wife's camera. Maybe between the two of us we can figure out how to post 'em....awe heck with it-prolly send them all to Dan and let him put 'em up ;D

Now-how about the rest of Team 16???

Congrats Doug

Thanks Dan!!!!

Great story and pics...

Congratulations!

You can score that bird at..

www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/turkey_score.html

Dont forget to put him in the contest thread..

Dan's turn now..

Dad, from the pictures you sent me, it appears as though the beard may have been 9.5" based on the longest strand- depending on where you were holding the tape at the body....?

If it was a 9" beard, the spurs convert to .897"; "Your score is 24 + 8.97 + 8.97 + 18 = 59.94"
If it was a 9.5" beard; "Your score is 24 + 8.97 + 8.97 + 19 = 60.94"

I'll let you put it in the scoring thread.

Congrats....h.h.