Melmac had quite a turkey season! He started the season (April 24 - May 14) by hunting near his home, near Truman Lake. He hunted hard the entire week, but for various reasons, had no sucess. The weekend of April 29/30, things changed. I could go on from this point, but I think Melmac says it better himself.

So, without further delay, here are Melmac's own words describing his "Show Me Showdown"....

I traveled to Albany on Friday night so I could hunt the 80 acres of my deceased Uncle. There have always been birds here. Everytime I go into the timber I see or hear turkeys.

In the past, the birds roost in the Southwest corner of the timber. The timber is hardwoods and covers 40% of the acreage. I will also mention the timber is smack-dab in the middle of the property with pasture all the way around it for the most part.

It was early (4:30a) when I started into the woods. I wanted to be there, set up before the toms began their ritual. I knew the creek would be the quietest way to sneak in without being seen. If I was to cut across the the open field that early in the morning I was for sure to be spotted by a roosted tom. So I decided to sneak through on creek sand. I figure my sillouette will be diguised below ground level.

The creek had obstacle after obstacle for me to cross through. Water, fallen trees and mud sloshing. I was slow and took my time for I had plenty of time I thought to get set up. Racoons started to fight each other making awful noises and running up and down a tree. It was almost pitchblack. The clamour they were creating would surely set the toms off on a gobbling frenzy. I was surprised no birds sounded out in a shock gobble.

I made to where I wanted to get set up and sat down. It was 5:10a and still pretty dark except for now I have a 1/4 moon which was 1 hr. ahead of sun rise. I could see a little better and could make out the tree tops and I started looking for roosted birds.

Five-thirty came and Coyotes began a howling session! Barking, howling and screaming as I call it. Every gobbler in the county lit up! There where gobblers in every direction except for the corner I just knew they would be in. I had to move and fast! I got up and headed for the closest tom. He was to the Northeast of where I sat. He sounded big and maybe I would get a chance to locate him and get set up before he could see me move in.

As I headed into his direction more toms continued to talk. Some miles away and others hundreds of yard. I was in the middle and I had my mind on one. The one I was closest to! I made it to a cedar thicket next to the grass field on the East side of the property. As I walked the Boss kept telling me his location. I decided to call him uphill through the Hickory trees which was between him and me. As I sat down we were not alone. A lone hen started to cut the cool morning air. I started to talk to her thinking I win the hen, I will bag the tom. She and I got along great. It was as if we had been friends for a long time!

The Boss kept his presence known and it was starting to get light. I could hear other toms on distant ridges but this hen was going to help me. It was 5:50a now and the sun would be up soon. I decided to be the first bird to fly down. ;-) I pretended to be a hen scratching on the ground. Purring and raking leaves. I would yelp a few times as if I needed company! I had seen something move to my right (south) through the folage. I thought it to be a strutting tom. The underbrush was thick and I could see movement but not what was moving. A couple of seconds later I noticed the gallop of a coyote. It was a dog investigating the hen he heard. He decided to move on for I think he smelled human in the timber.

Ten minutes later I heard the gobbler fly down and I knew he did not land in the timber. I guessed him to fly down more to the North. I guessed him to be over the North property fence. I knew he was roosting close to the property line and had hopes of calling him to me away from the line. I waited 10 minutes to be sure the hen was down too. I got up and decided to get closer and maybe get him to come through the fence. Just then another lone hen sounded, followed by some gobbles. These weren't all that far off I thought.

I recall a season ago when I had seen turkeys walk down a hedge tree row and through the back property gate. I decided if this was the case this is where I need to go. I was 80 yards away and had little time to get there. I setted into my newest locating knowing it was going to be a long hunt. My mind was prepared to hunt till 1pm if necessary. I had a report that the NW MO toms would abandon their hens around 10am or so to look for more hens. I thought this is when I would score if I was going to score.

As I sat down I knew I had made my first mistake of the day! I was going to be faced with the sunrise. I was staring straight East and the sun was just starting to peak. The scene to the East if you can picture the landscape as a hill, or hump slanting towards me. The hump was high enough to block 3/4 of the trees which were 300 yards+ away. I could just see the top 1/4 of the trees and this bright orange fireball rising up. I pulled my cap bill down so I could just see the top of the hump.

The gobbler to the North was calling out for that hen he heard in the early morning. His gobble was followed by what I thought to be two deep chested toms. These two gobblers were East of my location somewhere between me and the sun. They were quit some distance away. I called out to let the Tom to the North know I had moved. I figure he has got to cross back on my property. The hen to the East was present somewhere but my burning eyes could not focus. She sounded like she was 100 yards away and over the crest of the hill.

The whole time I knew the sun was going to make my camo coveralls glow and my blued Remingtom 870 reflect with highlights. I kept calling. I was rewarded with gobbles from every direction. I was having a great time! I tried to be quiet for the most part but I needed to know if any birds were still interested in me.

The next gobbles I heard came from the East and I thought they sounded closer. Could it be the two Eastern Toms were coming for me?

I decided if they were, I was going to remain quiet and listen the best I could. If they were coming my way, they will be coming down the hedge row to the back gate which I was trying to keep an eye on. The sun was now setting on the hump. The bottom of the sun was touching the hump and it was bright! My eyes are super sensitive to light. My eyes wanted to water and I knew better than to wipe them!

The North Gobbler sounded again and then I heard the Eastern Twins. "Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!!!" They were closer than before. I could not see anything but sun. A few minutes passed and the North Tom sang out and them I had witnessed the most scenic thing I had ever seen in the outdoors. I witnessed a 1/2 eclipse of the sun due to a turkey fan! One of the Eastern boys strutted blocking the sun's rays for a short period. With the colors of the tail feathers coming thru I could make out 3 birds. One must be a hen I thought. I knew 2 were gobbling.

They made me think of gun fighters the way they walked! They just stood there as if they were looking for something. They were! The were hoping to see the hen they were persuing. I thought I better sing out or they will walk away. I called a little and the Northern bird responded and followed by the THREE in front of me. I could make out 3 heads barking. Three I thought, three!!!

I guessed them to be about 60 yards out when they stopped again. I knew they were going to make me out sitting in the sun. I was crouched down and gun ready. All I need was less real estate and a positive ID on a head. I wanted the middle bird but I knew I better take which ever one I can get a shot on. I was starting to get nervous. I knew the sun had a spot light on me and if I even moved a muscle I would be made and my chance would be gone. They came to me in a horizantal line. All three facing me. It was frustrating trying to estimate their distance decause the sun was making my eyes hurt. I was hoping they would walk a little closer. I knew they had to be around 50 yards because of where I was sitting from the gate.

They would disappear into the shadow which was created by the hill and the suns location only to be seen after they gobbled. They would sound off and then stand erect to look for that hen they knew was here somewhere.

I knew thay were close but how close I could not tell. The North bird gobbled again and then the hairs on my arm stood up as I had seen my feathered gun slingers appear under my cap bill. I had a shot on the right bird, I wanted the middle bird. Realization set in. I had a shot - take it! BOOM!! I rocked with my 870, loaded with #5 shot, 3" magnums! I jumped up and pumped my gun fearing I had missed. I ran forward about 20 yards to see 2 heads and 2 really nice sized toms looking at me. They ran back over the hill leaving their friend behind.

My trophy weighted at 17.5lbs, had an 11" beard and 1.5" spurs. I am guessing my tom had lost some serious weight due to mating. I can't complain! I called those three birds 300+ yards through open pasture to my gun barrel. The time was 6:40am!

The weekend of May 6, Melmac again went to NW Missouri. He took his second Tom (Missouri allows it's residents two tags). This bird weighed 17 pounds, had a 10" beard, and had 3/4" spurs. He took the second bird from the same location as he took his first bird. Not only that, but he called in 3 birds the second time as well! Talk about a case of deja vu!

Then, to top it all off, he positioned another friend of his (David) in that location on May 7, and called in still another bird. David took a Tom which weighed 19 pounds, 10.5" beard, and 1 3/16" spurs.

That's quite a season.

The pictures which follow are of Melmac and the bird he took the weekend of April 30.

Melmac with "The Boss". He was hunting alone, so there was no one near by to handle the camera work. This picture he took by setting up his camera in "auto" mode with the a timer. As a result, the bird is a little bit hard to see.

Melmac's bird, his 870, and his call. This is a homemade wingbone yelper which he made from the wing of a Tom he took in 1998.

Melmac's bird, showing it's spurs.

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Copyright 2000© Jim Laumann. Portions Copyright 2000© by Melmac.