This past weekend, I finally knocked down my first ever NC longbeard. It was an awesome hunt, and I will never forget it!
I am a pharmacy school student at Campbell University. My turkey season up until this point has been filled with homework assignments, studying, and taking exams to end the academic school year. Last Friday, we took our last exam of the year and it was time to get serious about hunting. A real close school friend of mine has a family farm in Franklin County, and he generously allowed me to come hunt his property once school finished up.
I left for my friends farm early Saturday evening and had about 2 hours of daylight left to make something happen when I got there. I set up about 40 yards from the back corner of a large tobacco field. I didn't have any decoys so I relied on my calling to make something happen. I started yelping and clucking with my slate, but realized it was far too windy for any birds nearby to hear that. I pulled out my mouth call and hammered it a couple of times and it wasn't 5 minutes later I heard something walking in the woods right in front of me. All I could see was a red, white, and blue head bobbing back and forth in the woods. He was headed straight for an opening in the back corner of the field I was watching and sure enough he popped out about 20 yards from me. He was looking for that 'hen' and didn't pay me any mind. I yelped at him with my mouth call and got him to look behind him. As soon as he turned his head I raised my shotgun up and when we looked back my way, I put the big bead right where the meat meets the feathers and let him have it. I folded him up right there and couldn't have been more excited! The only thing I regret is not being able to share that moment with my good friend!
I didn't get an official weight, but the beard went 10 1/2' and his spurs were right at 1 1/4'
A big thank you to the Conyers family for letting me hunt their family farm and for giving me the opportunity to take my first ever NC longbeard!
I am a pharmacy school student at Campbell University. My turkey season up until this point has been filled with homework assignments, studying, and taking exams to end the academic school year. Last Friday, we took our last exam of the year and it was time to get serious about hunting. A real close school friend of mine has a family farm in Franklin County, and he generously allowed me to come hunt his property once school finished up.
I left for my friends farm early Saturday evening and had about 2 hours of daylight left to make something happen when I got there. I set up about 40 yards from the back corner of a large tobacco field. I didn't have any decoys so I relied on my calling to make something happen. I started yelping and clucking with my slate, but realized it was far too windy for any birds nearby to hear that. I pulled out my mouth call and hammered it a couple of times and it wasn't 5 minutes later I heard something walking in the woods right in front of me. All I could see was a red, white, and blue head bobbing back and forth in the woods. He was headed straight for an opening in the back corner of the field I was watching and sure enough he popped out about 20 yards from me. He was looking for that 'hen' and didn't pay me any mind. I yelped at him with my mouth call and got him to look behind him. As soon as he turned his head I raised my shotgun up and when we looked back my way, I put the big bead right where the meat meets the feathers and let him have it. I folded him up right there and couldn't have been more excited! The only thing I regret is not being able to share that moment with my good friend!
I didn't get an official weight, but the beard went 10 1/2' and his spurs were right at 1 1/4'
A big thank you to the Conyers family for letting me hunt their family farm and for giving me the opportunity to take my first ever NC longbeard!
