Alabama longbeard

[wattlebuster]

Been a silent spring but the gobblers have finally started talking. I got on this bird at daylight but as I closed the distance I could hear he had his ladies roosted close so I just hung around him all day since he was the only game in town. He would gobble once every 30/45 min or so and then about 1:45 he ran out of hens and started gobbling and I promised him something special if he would come see me. He came to 30 yrds  strutting and drumming and I let Achilles do what he was built to do. He went down and is now in the freezer for being so romantic. He weighed about 18lbs and has a 10 inch thick beard and 1 inch spurs. Its the first bird for this smoothbore that I built this last fall/winter and named it Achilles. The load this 12 ga likes is 100 gr of Fg followed by a wonderwad and a 1/8th thick hard cardboard overpowder wad then 110 gr of copperplated #4s topped off with a thin overshot card. I hope all you longbeard chasers have a great season this spring

[alyce-james]

Sir; Nice looking bird. The wife agrees with me, seldom, we have a great stove, oven, and dinning room table the pictured bird would fit and look great  on. Thanks for sharing the pictures. AJ.

[roundball]

Man Wattles, you clean up a road kill better then anybody I know............LOL.

Hey, great job...good patience waiting him out, and your new smoothie obviously delivered as designed !

[wattlebuster]

Just goes to show ya a fat redneck will eat might near anything Thanks guys

[LH]

Sounds like a good hunt and you did a fine job of hangin in til the deed was done.  In the words of a famous American,  "From where the sun now stands,  he will gobble no more,  forever".   

[Robby]

Great job Wattlebuster!!! Had one in the yard this morning, but three more weeks till he's in any danger.
Robby

[Osprey]

Alright, way to go!  Glad to see somebody get the season kicked off on here. 

I've got a week to go and want to hunt so bad I think I'm going to bust!

[PPatch]

Sounds like an enthralling hunt by a very diligent and patient hunter who knows his turkeys, good job!

Over here in Georgia we've got a couple of hen's coming down to feed in the field in front of the house, one just left a few minutes ago. I believe they are on the nest as I see one or the other morning and evening. Two gobblers were in the area last week but I have not seen them for over a week, bet they are out romancing on their stomping grounds. Ah, spring...

dave

[Shovelbuck]

Congrats!!! Good looking bird. After what seems like forever, our season starts next Saturday.

[Topknot]

Way to go Wattle, aint nothin better than huntin in our bama woods. Nice bird!