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Was a rough year in a lot of ways. As I've said on here previously, my hunting partner got shot by another hunter opening week in North Carolina. My favorite thing each year is spending time in the woods with him so when that wasn't going to happen I got down. Anyhow, he's  always been a Model 12 man through and through. After what happened I told him I was going to carry my old 1928 20ga in his honor. Carried it five days and it watched birds die four of those. Might be something lucky in that nickel steel. Season ended a day early on a bird this afternoon that I was thankful to take. Quiet year. Very little gobbling. Had some super memorable hunts, though, and the absolute highlight was getting that friend back in the woods three weeks after the event and getting him a bird called up. I was at just the right angle to watch that sucker fold up when he shot. It was quite the sight. Year after year the highlight of my season is getting to hunt with him and I'm just incredibly thankful this world didn't lose him and I get to wander the woods behind him for a few more seasons. All in all, I'm ready for next April. Chomping at the bit for the next eleven months
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Very cool ending. A turkey is a nice prize but a close friendship is one of life's treasures.  Congratulations to you both.

 Sir, those are beautiful pictures....Except for the one with the black gun in it. Makes me remember days of old, days long gone.

Happy to hear your buddy is back on his feet and good to go!

Awesome, congratulations... I hope your friend is doing well...

Great story and a beautiful bird.
Glad you and your buddy get the opportunity to wonder the woods again.
That will be a hunt you and I'm sure he will never forget.

Great story your 1 heck of a good buddy there should be more like you.

 I'm glad your buddy was able to get back out there with you.

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I can't imagine shooting another hunter. A deer looks like a deer, turkey, a turkey. Face it, they are shooting at movement. Glad your friend is recovering and ya'll are looking forward to another season

Congrats on the birds and more importantly I'm glad your buddy was able to join you in the woods. Great pics

Quote from: WV Flopper on May 05, 2023, 10:38:27 PM
Sir, those are beautiful pictures....Except for the one with the black gun in it. Makes me remember days of old, days long gone.

Happy to hear your buddy is back on his feet and good to go!

The black gun is actually an oldy goldie too, he just spray paints hell out of it Its a Model 12 as well. That one's from 1948. He's still got the original 20" cylinder bore come on it. Started its life as a "riot gun." And I bet he's got 15 other Model 12s (a whole big collection of .410s), but that old beat up spray painted one he's turkey hunted with for decades is the one I'd want from his collection if I could only have one. He's killed a couple hundred with it over the past forty or so years. That's one of them if this stock could talk kind of guns.


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Quote from: worth612000 on May 06, 2023, 06:15:30 AM
I can't imagine shooting another hunter. A deer looks like a deer, turkey, a turkey. Face it, they are shooting at movement. Glad your friend is recovering and ya'll are looking forward to another season

I'm with you 100%. Absolutely shot at movement. There were some other circumstances, but in the end when he pulled the trigger it was because my friend moved. And that's why I'm so adamant about not adding movement to decoy spreads. Hunting decoys and especially male decoys is dangerous enough as it is. Add movement and there's no telling what Joe Blow will take a crack shot from his pickup truck or from the wood line. Day my buddy got shot another man in the same county, a member on this forum, almost got shot going toward a bird in a field when someone pulled up in a truck and shot the bird from the window. That was on private and they eventually caught him thanks to this OG member thinking quick and taking pics of the truck and license plate. But that to say, I'd have hated to been sitting anywhere near a moving tom decoy when that old boy passed by.


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CC, Congratulations.  Sorry to hear about your hunting buddy.  Here in Eastern NC, I have seen the same thing.  Less gobbling and hard hunting.  I did kill one longbeard and had NUMEROUS encounters with Jakes and could have shot another LB on Thursday but it would have been a poke, so I passed.  I too am looking forward to next April because our lease should have plenty of LB's with All the jakes that we let go by.  My season was capped off on Friday April 21st when I took an 81 year old young man and called in his first ever turkey to his gun.  GREAT SEASON IMO!!!!!

Congrats David on the Awesome season!

Thanks for the update on your friend, glad he was able to get out with you and hunt. Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Quote from: JeffC on May 06, 2023, 07:41:41 PM
Thanks for the update on your friend, glad he was able to get out with you and hunt. Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Three weeks to the date after he'd been shot, two weeks after he'd gone in for some serious doctor work as a result of secondary infection that could've killed him, he's in the woods with me and we get a bird called up. I see the bird coming and I think it's gotten past him. Right as that thought crosses my mind I hear the gun crack and in the same moment am at the perfect angle to watch the bird fold up. That was flat out the moment that made my season. I could've cared less if I killed another one. It was an overwhelming sort of happiness in seeing him back at it with me and us taking a bird. I love hunting by myself. I love chasing turkey solo. But when you've got a partner that you can work through the woods in sync and never say a word, just work together and make things happen, that's honestly what my favorite part of this whole thing is. I couldn't imagine having not gotten to hunt with him again. I've told him a hundred times, the day comes that you can't walk I'll carry you in a croaker sack. And I mean it.


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Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on May 06, 2023, 09:45:44 PM

Quote from: JeffC on May 06, 2023, 07:41:41 PM
Thanks for the update on your friend, glad he was able to get out with you and hunt. Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Three weeks to the date after he'd been shot, two weeks after he'd gone in for some serious doctor work as a result of secondary infection that could've killed him, he's in the woods with me and we get a bird called up. I see the bird coming and I think it's gotten past him. Right as that thought crosses my mind I hear the gun crack and in the same moment am at the perfect angle to watch the bird fold up. That was flat out the moment that made my season. I could've cared less if I killed another one. It was an overwhelming sort of happiness in seeing him back at it with me and us taking a bird. I love hunting by myself. I love chasing turkey solo. But when you've got a partner that you can work through the woods in sync and never say a word, just work together and make things happen, that's honestly what my favorite part of this whole thing is. I couldn't imagine having not gotten to hunt with him again. I've told him a hundred times, the day comes that you can't walk I'll carry you in a croaker sack. And I mean it.


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This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is what SHARING THE WOODS is ALL about PERIOD!!!!!!!  RELATIONSHIPS FELLAS!!!!!!!!  Being able to be in God's SPLENDOR and sharing with those we LOVE!  Being with a Hunting Buddy, sharing encounters with them.  Experiencing that moment when THEY kill their First Bird (my 81 year old) and sharing LIFE (in this particular case) with LOVED ONES.  Don't take it for GRANTED, it can ALL be gone in an INSTANT!!!!!!!!!

Amen. Great stories Dave. I'm glad your buddy is getting better. I only hope they make an example of the guy that shot him. Sorry, but there absolutely is NO excuses for this incident. Your friendship bond is more than admirable, congrats on a fine season, a scary moment, but in the end fond memories!

Quote from: bbcoach on May 07, 2023, 06:56:12 AM

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on May 06, 2023, 09:45:44 PM

Quote from: JeffC on May 06, 2023, 07:41:41 PM
Thanks for the update on your friend, glad he was able to get out with you and hunt. Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Three weeks to the date after he'd been shot, two weeks after he'd gone in for some serious doctor work as a result of secondary infection that could've killed him, he's in the woods with me and we get a bird called up. I see the bird coming and I think it's gotten past him. Right as that thought crosses my mind I hear the gun crack and in the same moment am at the perfect angle to watch the bird fold up. That was flat out the moment that made my season. I could've cared less if I killed another one. It was an overwhelming sort of happiness in seeing him back at it with me and us taking a bird. I love hunting by myself. I love chasing turkey solo. But when you've got a partner that you can work through the woods in sync and never say a word, just work together and make things happen, that's honestly what my favorite part of this whole thing is. I couldn't imagine having not gotten to hunt with him again. I've told him a hundred times, the day comes that you can't walk I'll carry you in a croaker sack. And I mean it.


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This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This is what SHARING THE WOODS is ALL about PERIOD!!!!!!!  RELATIONSHIPS FELLAS!!!!!!!!  Being able to be in God's SPLENDOR and sharing with those we LOVE!  Being with a Hunting Buddy, sharing encounters with them.  Experiencing that moment when THEY kill their First Bird (my 81 year old) and sharing LIFE (in this particular case) with LOVED ONES.  Don't take it for GRANTED, it can ALL be gone in an INSTANT!!!!!!!!!

Great Post!!

Nice write up and glad you two can still continue on.

Nice pics and season, I like seeing old guns still getting to the woods.
Glad your Buddy recovered and is back to hunting.

I saw his gunshot wounds on the GON forum, just brutal, it's great he is going back to the woods.

Glad he's ok. Looked terrible.

Great way to end the season bro, congrats. More memories Z