All work and no play.....

[xarcher]

On a work-ation in SC this week.  Put one on the board this AM before going to work.  56-ish or so.  Doubled up with my buddy which was cool.  He doesn't hunt turkeys hardly at all and I think has only killed one or two in his lifetime.  Will post pics and score later.  Gotta go to work. 

[FullChoke]

 

[harleytom]

Congrats. Can't wait for story.

[FullChoke]

X2, Without a story, it's just another dead bird.   

FC

[xarcher]

X2, Without a story, it's just another dead bird.   

FC

you are right.  When people look at me funny when they learn about my sickness, I tell them "all dead birds look the same, but its how you fooled with them that you will remember forever".  So here goes...

I have a SC buddy that to my knowledge has only killed one bird in his life.  He hunts now and then but doesn't have the sickness.  He had come across some property that had birds and hunted them once last week but they put the slip on him.  He even called me at home after that with one of those "what do I do when the birds do _______ questions.  I did as best I could from 600 miles away.  But fast forward to this week....he invited me to hunt this place today AM. 

So I walk on to the property for the first time in the dark and we set up on a fairly steep hillside.  Grassy slope above us for maybe 40 yards to a grassy flat top.  Wooded slope below us for who knows how far.  Could have been 200 yards.  We set up about 50 yards apart from each other facing the wooded bottom since this is where he has been hearing the gobbles. 

Sun comes up.  Nothing.  Crows start yapping away.  Nothing.  I yelp a little.  Nothing.  I yelp a little more.  Nothing.  I cut and yelp.  Nothing.  So we sit there for an hour before I hear the faintest of gobbles.  Up the hill and to my left.  If up the hill is 12 oclock, the gobble is at 10.  So I turn around and face 10 oclock, but rather exposed.  I yelp a little and shut up.  About 5 minutes later he gobbles but now he is close.  Darn close.  So I jump up and move back a few trees to be better concealed but not more than 5 seconds after I sit back down, I see his head poke through the grass at the top of the slope at 10 oclock maybe 80 yards away.  So while I am watching him and trying to bring my gun up, my buddy does a little yelping from behind me in the woods.  THANK YOU.  On that cue, this joker walks right down my gun barrel from 80 to about 20 looking for that hen behind me.  Bang. Flop. 

I get up and my buddy comes out right behind me.  We weren't standing there more than a minute when I hear multiple gobbles at 1 oclock up the hill at that "get your arse down" distance.  So we let the first one lay there, hustle back inside the tree line and get set up on the closest big tree.  I yelp and get cut off by multiple gobbles.  So we both shoulder our guns and not more than 30 seconds after we sat down, 3 red heads are standing at the top of the slope.  Skylighted so we could see easily see all 3 long beards and pick the best beard of the bunch.  They pause there for a minute or two and feed a little, gobble a little.  And crane their necks looking for that hen.  They were just within range of my TSS 9s, but I did not know what my buddy's gun would do.  He was asking to shoot, through some thin brush, but I didn't know if his rig could pull it off.  So we managed to switch guns and I told him if he had an opening on the "best beard" he could take it, but also told him to be patient. They weren't spooked.  (SC allows 2 per day and I had a gun in my hand.  What would you have told him?)  Well his patience lasted maybe 30 seconds and he shoots, misses, shoots again and drops one at the crest of the slope. 

We climb the slope, peak over the edge to the flat top and the other two are still standing there.  I duck down and reload my gun (if you have been counting shots you would know my gun was empty).  Peek back up on the flat top and by now they were downstream of my buddy and if I shot, he would get at the very least a nasty muzzle blast.  We were busted and they scooted off.     

The novice turkey hunter sucked one into my lap, while at the same time bringing those other 3 jokers from another direction.  Just wish he had a little patience.  That will have to wait I imagine.  Would have been nice to get a double double.   

[harleytom]

Enjoyed the story. Congrats again

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on a great hunt

[FullChoke]

Aaaahhh, there was a great story there. It still amazes me how often I can walk into a brand new place and get on birds immediately.

Congratulations on creating a fantastic new memory.

FC

[mason3toes]

Cool story

[old frank]

Congratulations!