Well my season was difficult for multiple reasons, but I gave it one last shot in ole Mejico.
What a way to end the season!! In another country, seeing a completely different way of life, and marveling at the rugged beauty of the setting of the hunt. And I do truly mean rugged beauty. It was a mix of absolutely gorgeous scenery, interspersed with some of the most rugged terrain I've ever set foot on. That, and an old, somewhat primitive way of life, living with the animals made for a truly special and once in a lifetime hunt.
Our "outfitter", who in real life is just a good ole hombre from Mexico, picked our crew up in El Paso, took us across the border, and up, up, up into some remote mountains to his family owned 8,000 acre horse and cattle ranch. They were wonderful and polite people who live a simpler life with a family focus. We saw whitetail and Coues deer, porcupines, skunks, unique songbirds, and of course a bunch of Goulds turkeys!!
The weather was not ideal, with the wind howling at 20+ MPH sustained with frequent higher gusts. Still we all saw turkeys the first afternoon, but no one could get a shot.
The next morning was in the upper 30's with the wind just as strong. Nonetheless I heard 5 gobblers and a hen sounding off from the roost. I gave them some tree talk with a glass pot, and they answered. At 0610 they flew down. At 0615 two hens showed up. They started pecking around, clucking and purring. I caught movement out of my peripheral vision, and eased my head over to spot a gobbler walking in eyeing the hens.
The hens angled to the left and the gobbler followed. He came in and stood 15 feet in front of me!! I was statue still, contemplating my move. I had eased the stock up to my shoulder as he walked in, but the barrel wasn't raised and was pointing in the wrong direction.
He turned and looked directly away from me as a third hen came in. I quickly raised the gun, aimed for the back of his neck, and squeezed the trigger. He went down with devasting damage. It was 0620!! Royal Slam complete!!!
15 minutes later, I heard a distant shot as another one of my friends shot a gobbler also. That afternoon my other 2 friends scored as well.
3 hunts, 4 gobblers down, and memories to last a lifetime!!! We woke the next morning to a picturesque setting. No wind, temperatures in the high 30's, crystal clear skies, the sun warming up the crisp mountain air, and gobblers hammering in the woods all around us!! I'll never forget this trip!!
The pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the land and the turkeys. But here are some of them.
Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.
