My good friend and hunting partner Jerry Cusick had one of the toughest spring turkey hunting seasons during this Wisconsin 2013 season. We all had some seriously tough weather to contend with but nothing like Jerry experienced so it is good he killed this unique gobbler.
Story as told by Jerry Cusick:
What I remember is it was downright cold that morning (First day of 3rd WI turkey season). I was bundled up pretty good and that was just barely warm enough. I was hunting above the river bluff on the edge of a picked corn field. There was gobbling in the dark before legal time, but nothing after fly-down. It was at least 2 hours later when I heard a faint gobble somewhere down the bluff. I called and he did not answer a hen yelp. I switched to deep drawn out gobbler yelps and he gobbled back. In my scouting the day before I found male turkeys still hanging out with other males, so I wasn’t surprised that it worked. It only took about ten minutes and he came up from below. I had a hen and jake decoy out and there was also a live jake that had walked in minutes before. The adult gobbler immediately went into strut and ambled towards the live jake until he moved off. The adult tom then turned and came right into my set-up. He never gobbled the whole time I watched him and he never broke out of strut either. I could hear him spit and drum clearly many times before I finally pulled the trigger at about 10 yards. He had good spurs, a triple beard and the odd thing was the treble hook with swivel that I found imbedded in his waddle. I have no idea how he got it, but believe he may have tried to roost in a tree near the river where someone had lost their tackle up on a limb.
photo and kill by Jerry Cusick.
Triple bearded wild turkeys are rare but what was imbedded in the turkey’s neck is even rarer.
A Treble Hook in a wild turkey’s neck?!
photo courtesy of Jerry Cusick.
I have killed a lot of turkeys over the years many of them near rivers and streams that experience heavy fishing pressure but I have never seen a fish in a wild turkey. Nor have I ever heard of it happening before, ever. How is the world would a fish hook find its way into a wild turkey’s neck?
N.C.L.W. says
Very interesting
Charlie Elk, glad to see this website has a demonstrable history of sharing contributions from others for years! So while my comment is clearly all these years late it must be just like the ol’ saying goes – Better late than Never?! We find what we do when we do it and none earlier. Thanks for the link Sir.
My guess as per the presence of the hook in this bird is that it’s a trapping attempt. I have heard of many insidious traps set out for Turkey and this is one of them… A truly horrid thing indeed. Now I am in no way against legitimate Trapping endeavors I am no fan of the gross a d inhumane concoctions of poachers.
Charlie says
Sharing is an important part of life; no one person has all the good ideas or experiences.
Trapping a turkey like that never crossed my mind and I think you are right on. There are some prepper sites with absolutely gruesome methods.
Jerry is a sheriff who will be very interested in this. Even at this late date. Thank you.
N.C.L.W. says
That’s right, Charlie! Not even John Moses Browning had ALL the good ideas… Well said.
I am glad to hear that you’ve got the ear of someone who may be able to do something concerning the problem. One never knows what they’ll find when they head out afield, such a thing may turn up again in the woods…That said – I do hope it won’t happen again!
huntfishtrap says
Some idiot’s trapping attempt would be my guess, too. Disgusting.
JM says
Wow…disgusting, but look at some of the responses….definitely gives weight to the idea that it could’ve been done by someone “trapping”…which is something I would’ve never considered until HFT+NCLW brought it up…..