I wanted a big gobbler, and fate smiled favorably on me this morning. I watched this bird and 4 of his buddies feeding on some cattle feed in an open meadow. The meadow is bordered by some trees and brush, so I got behind a pine tree and waited. Sure enough, he and his friends came my way after getting their fill, and at about 25 paces, he took an arrow that hit him in the neck; I was aiming for center mass, and missed the spot by a few inches. He ran off but quickly slowed, and went into a bit of brush. After watching where he went in for a few minutes, I approached to find him well and truly dead.
He has a 9 1/2 inch beard and spurs just over a 1/2 inch, and is a beautiful representation of Meleagris gallopavo Merriami. I think I will get this one mounted.
The Morningstar strikes again.