ANOTHER BANDED TURKEY

Got another banded tom on my NE Colorado hunt.

I went roosting the evening before in a steady wind and rain. I wasn't expecting to hear much with the weather but gave it a try anyways. Once I figured the birds were in the trees I started moving along and looking for them with binos. I didn't think my odds would be very good at that either as the trees were starting to leaf out now. About a mile from the truck I spotted a turkey in a tree just before it got really dark. I was pretty sure it was a hen, but it was all I and to go on. The bird was in a very open area and I would need the cover of darkness to get in close.

Early the next morning, under a sky heavy with thick clouds, I was slipping in to get close to the bird I saw last night. I wanted to be about 120 yards from her. Without the clouds I doubt I would have even attempted to get that close as there was a bright moon up. I found a decent set up with plenty of time to spare and settled in to await the dawn.

Usually this is one of favorite parts of turkey hunting. Being in position near some roosted birds and listening to all the sounds of a new day coming to life. This dawn was not so active though with wind and dark clouds putting a damper on things. At least the rain had stopped. I heard a pheasant crow in the distance and just one robin sound off. When he gobbled I about jumped out of my skin! He was close and I think I jumped about an inch off the ground even sitting with my legs straight out. The gobble caught me by surprise. I didn't know where he was and started slowly scanning the trees near me, there weren't very many. A second gobble had me pinpoint him just 60 yards right in front of me. The hen or hens would be beyond him and to the right. My odds felt good. At fly down time all I had to do was try to be the first bird on the ground by doing an assembly yelp. I was pretty sure I could get him to fly down to my side with that. Slower than molasses I got my knees up with the gun pointed his way.

It happened exactly as I thought and he landed about 30 yards from me and died at 25. I waited a while to let the other birds get out of there, but one still flew out of a tree when I walked up to the tom. He laid on his beard and spurs so I rolled him over to see what I had and there was the band! I couldn't believe it. My second banded bird shot in the same season and 5 years after they stopped banding the turkeys. This band was more worn then the first one I got and I wondered if this tom might be even older than the 6 year old tom the other banded one was.

I took some pics and headed back to the truck.

I kind of knew the biologist that had done the study and his office was on my way home. So I stopped by and chatted with him instead of just calling the band number in. My tom, #239, was banded on Jan 6th 2009 making him 7 years old! This was the oldest bird reported from this study so far.

The biologist wanted to take some pictures of the well worn band and I snapped some of him. I thought it was kind of neat that the bird had been handled by this guy over 6 years ago and now here it was before him again.

Now I have killed 2 banded turkeys in the same season and both were very old birds and I am worried sick. That is a HUGE amount of luck and what is this going to cost me in the future. Just how much bad luck are the turkey gods going to want before my bill is considered paid up.

But in the mean time......When you hot...you hot!! YeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaw!!!! I am lovin' it!!