On April 18, 2003, in Copiah County, Doug Borries harvested Mississippi’s state-record turkey, which scored 79.18 on the National Wild Turkey Federation scale, weighed 24 pounds, 11 ounces, had 11 7/8-inch-long beard and spurs measuring 1-3/4-inches long. Borries also has taken 22 Grand Slam turkeys in 18 consecutive years, and has also taken three Royal Slams, including Mexico’s Gould’s turkey.
The afternoon before Borries harvested the state-record turkey, his father had hunted the same turkey.
“My daddy found that tom, and then three hens dragged him past me,” Borries said. “The turkey came in to the side of my dad, who had to move around a tree to shoot him, which spooked the turkey. I wanted my dad to take this really big gobbler.
“The next morning, I told Dad to set-up to call the bird, and I’d set up on the far left or far right of him. But I mentioned that if I heard another bird gobble, I’d leave this spot to take the other turkey.
“When the big turkey started gobbling, and Dad called to him, I heard another turkey gobble and went after that other turkey. Before I could reach the second turkey, he shut-up. However, Dad’s turkey kept on gobbling as he walked away from Dad. So I moved, got in front of the huge turkey, set-up and started calling to the yelping hens with a Preston Pittman Exciter diaphragm call. Next, I let the hens walk within 5 feet of me without their spotting me. Then, the big longbeard showed up at 20 steps, and I took him.”
Mississippi turkeys feel hunted from the time they’re hatched until they die of old age or have shot in their heads. Also, skunks, coons, possums and other ground predators find and eat turkey eggs and small chicks.
“Four or five hunters often try to take the same turkey,” Borries said. “In South Mississippi where I primarily hunt from Hattiesburg south, turkeys have more hunting pressure than any other turkeys anywhere.
“To be successful, you have to know where the turkey wants to go and then get in position to take him, even if you don’t call to him. The three keys to turkey-hunting success are position, perseverance and patience.
“Everyone who’s trying to take a gobbler thinks he or she will get a gobbler to come to them by calling, so hunters call often. I assume that once a turkey answers my call and gobbles twice, he knows where I am. This information is all the turkey needs to come to me, so I stop calling.
“I always give the turkey another five minutes to 1 hour and don’t move once I decide the gobbler won’t come to me. I’ve taken many turkeys by staying in the spot where I’ve called from longer than I should have. Patience will help you take more turkeys than masterful calling.”
Editor’s Note: This is part of the article “Tough Customers” found in the April issue of Mississippi Sportsman magazine. For more on how to kill turkeys that hang up, pick up a copy of the magazine from a local newsstand. Click here to subscribe ensure you don’t miss out on any of the great Mississippi Sportsman articles.
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