# An Eclectic fall gobbler...



## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

...rode in the truck this morning.

Hopefully he'll share the story later.


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## jliv07 (Jan 13, 2014)

Congrats!


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Now that there is a gun with some history behind it. Nice bird too!


-DallanC


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

An Eclectic fall gobbler...



hawglips said:


> ...rode in the truck this morning.
> 
> Hopefully he'll share the story later.


I don't get it?


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

BPturkeys said:


> An Eclectic fall gobbler...


...I'm hoping Eclectic will comment on his turkey.


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## Eclectic (Jun 9, 2014)

[URL]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff168/hawglips/2014-12-1FillmoreFall3_zpsa4fb0db6.jpg[/URL][\img][/FONT][/COLOR]
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000][/COLOR][/FONT] 
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000]I have not been overly enthusiastic about the Division's decision to allow 220 fall turkey permits within the Southern Region ever since I saw the boundaries of the individual hunt areas. I think that the idea to allow fall hunting in spots where wintering turkeys have become a nuisance is a great one - I have been advocating such for years. That having been said, NONE of the fall hunt areas (within the Southern Region) contain an "overabundance" of turkeys, but 3 of those areas DO have nuisance birds from now til spring break-up. I like the fact that they've opened up fall seasons here in Utah, but they sure could've done a better job pinpointing problem areas, and a "male only" hunt would have been better - I don't think that we should take hens anywhere in this state - we don't have enough turkeys yet![/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000][/COLOR][/FONT] 
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000]Oh well, I obtained a fall tag within the SR, and selected an area where wintering turkeys have posed problems with homeowners for over 15 years. I went out for a couple of days 2 weeks ago and passed on 100 hens and poults the first morning - I had decided that mine would be ONE tag that wouldn't fit around a hen's leg, and until the last day of the season, I would try to tag a big boy. I tried for 2 hours the second morning to get in front of a large mixed flock that held two longbeards to no avail - too many eyes made getting out in front of them very difficult. I decided to wait a few days before trying again in hopes that more adult toms would head down out of the mountains.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000][/COLOR][/FONT] 
[FONT=Arial][COLOR=#000000]I had a free morning, so I got up today and headed to my pre-determined spot. I exited the truck well before fly-down and crossed a creek bottom to a PJ-covered side hill that allowed me to get above the cottonwoods along the creek where the turkeys roosted. My objective was to avoid the hen and poult flocks and to try to find a flock of gobblers upon which to try my luck. After walking about a quarter mile along the side-hill, I spied about 50 turkeys in a couple of large cottonwoods...so I sat down and waited. Soon yelps pierced the pre-dawn air, and when a jake sounded off, I copied him with a tom yelp and a gobble of my own. (I have a Quaker Boy World Champ mouth call that allows me to make great gobbler yelps and kee kees as well). Multiple gobbles sounded back at me, including one from about 250 yards farther down the creek that sounded like a mature tom! I glassed in that direction and saw a full fan on a large turkey as he prepared to fly down. Shortly all the nearby birds had flown down, and I could head in the direction where I saw the "full fan" fly. I gobbler- yelped and gobbled as I carefully walked, and deep gobbles and yelps would answer me nearly every time. The idea was to try to take advantage of the tom's desire to elevate his status within the pecking order, so my calls were designed to challenge him. I finally crested a small hill, so I let off a series of yelps, ending in a gobble. A tom answered me immediately and sounded within 60 yards of my position, so I sat down right there! I waited a minute and gobbled again - he answered me even closer, so I shouldered the old Remington 870. Shortly I saw a white-fringed fan appear about 40 yards out behind a cedar. I waited quietly for a few seconds before he stepped out from behind the tree. He slowly raised his head without me having to putt at him, so I pulled the trigger at 7:21 AM. He was a 2 1/2 year old, 16 1/2-pounder with an 8 inch beard and 5/8 inch spurs. Beautiful morning - beautiful turkey![/COLOR][/FONT]


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

Congratulations!


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

Nice bird!


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

Great bird, and even better story! Thanks for sharing!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Welcome to the forum.

.


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