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My off season project (S)
#5080678
04/21/14 02:05 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
Well I finally had enough. When I work I work and when I play I work hard at playing. Things kind of got all balled up on me and catching up to me. The mother in law had a stroke 3 months ago and I have not had a day of fun, day off or even a day of rest since I went to Missouri on the spring goose hunt. My sister called and asked I come out to the ranch she and her husband lease from a friend of mine. They had cold Shiner beer, an inch and a half thick rib eyes and anything else you could imagine for table fare. I got up at 0400 Saturday morning, told mother in law she was on her own and I lit a shuck for Gonzales. My wife was up at Fort Hood helping our daughter in law with the coming of the 3rd grandbaby. O got to the ranch in time to slamm a few more cups of coffee and headed to the area of the plan to ambush a tom turkey. By the time I got the decoys out and my BIL's truck gone we could hear them gobbling in the creek bottom. BIL left and I hit the call. About a dozen birds boiled the creek valley with their gobbling. So much so I was not able to figure out if they were headed my way or just gobbling for the noise. 30 minutes into and the woods fell silent. My decoys were at the edge of heavy fog. 30 more minutes went by and I hit the old P. S. Olt box caller and I got a lone gobble from up and over the hill. I guessed it was 4 or 500 yards, very very faint. 5 minutes later I did it again and he boiled up with a gobble but this time noticably closer. I talked him into about 80 yards and he fell silent. I just gave him a few chirps and purrs and got ready. An old ghost of a turkey with a white head poked his head out at about 50 yards, for 5 seconds. That is all I saw and he left. Next day I got set up nearer the creek bottom. Daylight came and nothing. No roosting birds. I could not believe it. I sat there an hour after daylight and did not hear a gobble within a mile. I knew from years ago, if you don't hear them, you better move. I switched to plan B, got set up, parked the car and got into position. I called and heard no response. 20 minutes later, again no response. I was in the final minutes, telling myself I would call one more time and then go home. I swipedthe paddle on the old Olt and got answer. I did it again and he boiled up the gobble again. I kept talking until he was at the 100 yard mark, guessing of course, because of the woods. The first time I saw him he was trotting to the decoys, fanned out, wings dragging and he was hissing. I did a chirp and he gobbled. I figured out real quick I need to learn decoy placement is key. The day before I put the tom decoy in between where the turkeys should be coming and the hen decoys. That is what stopped the tom the day before. It stopped the second day tom right in his tracks at 37 yards. It was a 4 minute stand off and my tom was not getting any closer. He was facing me and I knew the shot would do what it was designed to do, kill him clean. I had patterned my gun at 30 yards and found a 20 inch pattern at 30 yards. 37 yards was not ideal, but I felt confident. Boom, 2 ounces of #5 lead 3 inch magnum turkey load. I might as well have dumped a truck load of bricks on that gobbler. He went down hard and he was finished clean. That was easter morning and it was my birthday. There is just something about the woods, Shiner beer, ribeyes, family, friends and mashing a turkey. Makes everything pure again.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081120
04/21/14 05:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,278
Fooshman
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,278 |
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081183
04/21/14 06:27 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850
Merican Duck Hunter
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 1,850 |
Nice job
Arise.Kill.Eat -Acts 10:13 I have read a bunch of stuff on the internet about Star Wars but that does not mean I can skin a deer with a light saber.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081270
04/21/14 07:12 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,867
LarryCopper
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,867 |
Shiner, ribeyes, and yard bird chasin'... good times!
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081333
04/21/14 07:48 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 787
Fallen Feathers Taxidermy
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 787 |
Fallen Feathers Waterfowl Taxidermy Jeremy Holmes Sherman Tx
Offering quality waterfowl taxidermy at a competitive rate!! Serving North Texas and surrounding areas since 2012
903-328-0541 call or text
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081361
04/21/14 08:17 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
Thank you fellas. That was the first turkey bird I ever shot with a shotgun. I was extemely impressed with the performance of the 2 ounce #5 lead pellet turkey load. Those shells pack an extreme wollup.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081442
04/21/14 09:21 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,811
Trout-killer
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,811 |
Sorry to hear about your MIL. I hope she has a speedy recovery.
Congrats on the turkey bird
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5081684
04/21/14 11:51 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645
Hogman4127
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645 |
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: Hogman4127]
#5081808
04/22/14 01:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,501
Guy
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,501 |
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5082632
04/22/14 04:29 PM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,721
Dave Speer
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,721 |
dang... I keep hearing about this turkey sickness. Safe so far Good job Wayne
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5082714
04/22/14 05:53 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
OP
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
What's happening Senior Dave? Dave you got to go call in a turkey at least once in your life. If you don't get immediately hooked, there is something wrong and you will need to drive straight to the nut house. It is like when that first pile of mallards drops in just outside of range and are heading out. Then you hit the call and they are back on again, over and over and over until they make the fatal mistake and the gun goes off. Multiply that by 10 and you're getting close to what spring turkey, done the right way, feels like.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5082787
04/22/14 06:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830
beaversnipe
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830 |
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: beaversnipe]
#5082872
04/22/14 07:50 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
I tried sobriety. It is not all that much fun.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5082933
04/22/14 08:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830
beaversnipe
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830 |
U need to go to aa meeting, i think they have one in shiner
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5083184
04/22/14 11:20 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645
Hogman4127
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645 |
When is that party you promised???? Some of us have to plan vacation time.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5083562
04/23/14 03:02 AM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830
beaversnipe
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830 |
Yeah, didn't you promised a craw-daddy bash?
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: Hogman4127]
#5083868
04/23/14 12:33 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
When is that party you promised???? Some of us have to plan vacation time. I probably won't make the May deadline. I have to put a roof on that building and prepare for the open house. I will have to have built a surplus of calls for the event. You really think yall are coming down? I will have to put you up in the bus if that is alright with you and your wife. Beaver if you are coming then I will without a doubt cook crawdaddys.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5084073
04/23/14 02:36 PM
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Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645
Hogman4127
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 645 |
We plan on it...as long as I can take vaction time then.
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Re: My off season project (S)
[Re: wal1809]
#5084099
04/23/14 02:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788
wal1809
OP
THF Celebrity
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,788 |
Well great! I would love to have yall down here. I will give you plenty of notice.
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