PODCAST: A Banded Bird at Dead Skunk

I’m now tagged out in 2025.

This morning, I went out to Dead Skunk Hollow and set up in some cedars overlooking pasture at the head of the draw. Yesterday, Foxtrot Charlie had gone there in the afternoon, and worked a bird for a couple of hours before coming back to camp. While he was in the cabin, stowing his gear, I went out to the Thoughtful Spot. The bird that had given him fits had finaly showed up and was parading out in front of the blind and gobbling his head off. When Foxtrot Charlie came out we got to sit around and watch the bird doing his thing for the better part of an hour. Sadly, FC had to go back to town, but I went out this morning and set up in the cedars.

As the light began to increase, I realized the gobbler and a bunch of hens had roosted about 50 yards down in the woods– way to close. I stayed fairly quiet until they had flown down. After an hour or so, the hens had all gone off to feed and left the gobbler. I started calling with my homebrew box call and got him riled up. I switched to my Quaker Boy pushpin as he drew near. After a lot of give and take, he decided to pop out into the field about 25 yards from me on my left side. I had to swing around and take the shot with the shotgun poorly mounted on my left bicep.

YOW! 12 Gauge 3″ #4s are stiff even when the gun is nestled in my shoulder. This was cosmic! However, I rolled the bird and he never got back up. He stopped flopping in a short bit, and I went out to retrieve him. I had quite a surprise. Not only was he sporting an 11″ beard and 1 1/4″ spurs, but he was also wearing a green leg band from the state.

This is probably the best bird I’ll probably ever take. I got him weighed (23 pounds) and got some pictures and then gently slipped him into a plastic barrel liner and laid him in the bottom of the freezer. This one is going to the taxidermist.

Here’s the podcast