Theron

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Theron — Tue, 08 May 2007 03:45:11 GMT

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Hunted hard the last two days on WMA trying to get Pop a longbeard in. Had a hen at 10 yards that stuck around for 45 minutes Friday morning. Butt went flat!
This morning we had 2 gobbling close and 2 way off down at the old Tyger River stomping grounds. At one point they had us surrounded and when one came in at 15 yards, you guessed it, Pop couldn't get around on him and was facing the wrong way. Then a nice guy and his son blundered into our setup and ran them off. We talked to them for a few minutes before parting ways and they were good guys and apologized for messing us up. I told him "No harm, you didn't know we were here and we had our chance." It was good to see a fellow and his young son hunting, reminded us of ourselves years ago when we were green and blundering into other hunters setups . On the way out I somehow spotted a bedded deer about 80 yards off. It was a pretty fair sized buck with velvet knobs. We watched him with binos as he chewed his cud. Fantastic hunt and we didn't have to clean a gun or a turkey!

Hunted the Monday and Tuesday for Pop on a Tyger River WMA tom. We thought we had him figured and set up real nice Monday morning. He flew down, strutted and gobbled on the ridge about 100 yards above us for an hour and a half. I finally got up and walked off behind Pop calling hoping to drag him on in. The tom gobbled 3 more times and then just walked off. Hunted the rest of the day and saw a jake at another spot. Tuesday we sat up on the ridge. The tom roosted further down the swamp but answered me a good bit before moving off. We pulled stakes and moved around the ridges to try to cut him off. We ended up on a knoll where two ridges met and heard a gobble below in the hollow. We sat down and I called lightly. He gobbled further off in the swamp. So I figure it's the last day right? Blow his ears off! Cutt, yelp, cutt, cutt, cutt, yelp and a hen cranks up out there. I just cover over her calls with my own for several minutes and the tom gobbles about 15 times. Then she is getting closer and Pop is breathing all funny. She comes into view on the ridge to the left walking straight up his gun barrel. She gets to 15 yards and I am praying she goes on by. A jake tops the ridge and stands looking. The hen sees something she doesn't like and starts putting and moving off to the left away from us. I again cover over her calling with cutting and a few low yelps. Then his majesty eases up the ridge to see what's going on and fans at about 75 yards. The jake steps off to the side and the tom strutts a couple times before standing to try to figure out where his hen went. I low purred and clucked hoping he would come on our way but they finally slid back off the ridge from where they came without their hen about 5 minutes later. That was the last time we saw them. Now we got him patterned real good! I told Pop on the way out, "I'll kill that bird next year." He replied "Huh! I might kill him myself." Apparently I had deserted the home team with my statement so I told him "Good Luck!" and we eased on home at about 2 PM after a few more fruitless setups in the heat. There is always next year the Good Lord willing.

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Theron — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:05:49 GMT

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These are year old gobblers I called up 4 different times at two different spots. After the first time they came in I decided to dig my camera out and see just what I could do with them. I don't shoot them anymore, they are quite gullible and a little easier to kill than older toms. They got within 10 steps at one point. It was great fun.

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Theron — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:01:57 GMT

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After two dry weeks this morning I used my last tag. While I have been in turkeys it's been a bunch of jakes that have come in close. Donnie really put me on a good one today though.
This morning we got a tom to gobble early. He answered a couple times from the ground then went quiet. He seemed to be following the creek that curved well out to the right around some high ground. We then moved on out the ridge in hopes of cutting him off. After setting up about 400 yards further down the creek and calling for 10 minutes we still heard nothing. I thought that maybe we had moved too far in circling him so we started back along the edge of the hardwoods slowly. Once we came to about halfway back to our original spot we again setup. Before I could call a tom gobbled well across the valley from where I had just called. This was to our right. He was answered by a gobble from the first tom back to our left in the direction we had started from. Now that is a good thing. I faced the newer bird and called. He immediately gobbled and gobbled on his own several times. This went on for about 10 minutes with him getting closer and the first tom gobbling back up the creek occasionally. Finally the second tom got close and went quiet. I put the glass call and striker down to get my hands on my gun. The seconds ticked away like drops of molasses on a cold morning. I eased my yelper to my lips and gave a few clucks with my hand cupped to the side in an effort to throw the sound behind me. I thought I heard pfffffffftbrrrmm. Yes, there it was again pfffffffffftbrrrmm. I then saw him fan and his head come up over the ridge and from behind a tree. He stepped into view in full strutt and eased forward. He stopped, folded up halfway, and looked me over. BOOM BOOM BOOM went my pulse in my ears. He again strutted forward easing further to my right. As he went behind two large trees I was able to slide around the tree about 30 degrees to get lined up. He stepped clear of the trees into the last opening before a thicket would block my shot. I eased the safety off and he obligingly stretched his neck up. BOOM! Down he went and off I was running to him. As I neared him he scooted away and smacked into a large oak right at the base. I was on him then and it was over. He was well hit but it was a few steps over 40 yards at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:time Minute="30" Hour="8">8:30 AM</st1:time>. He weighed 21 pounds, had a 10" beard with 1 3/16" & 1 1/16" spurs. What a way to end the season!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

4-5-07

Theron — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:42:30 GMT

4-5-07

Went hunting after work today. Heard some crows and figured they were harassing a turkey so I headed that way. Stopped on a ridge, cutt and yelped once and was answered by a gobble. He was about 150 yards over on the next ridge. I set up the decoy since the woods were fairly open. Sat down about ten yards back and cutt lightly on the slate. He rattled off again. He stayed in about the same spot for ten minutes or so but answered each time I lightly cutt and yelped. I shut up then and within 5 minutes he gobbled twice on his own. I scratched the leaves a few times and he gobbled closer. Then I heard him walking fast and moving to my right coming up the ridge. I spun on the tree a bit and worked the yelper to my lips to give a few clucks. He rattled my head again and walked faster. I saw him still moving right at about 70 yards and clucked twice more as he went behind some brush. He topped out the ridge and strutted. Slowly he worked his way toward me and saw the decoy. As he neared 40 yards he got behind two big trees. I could see him through the gap as he worked his way toward me strutting the whole time. As I hit the safety and he kept coming. Now I am nervous, he is getting too close. He finally clears the trees at 20 yards and I clucked twice with my mouth to get him to fold up and stand. He did as I aimed and BOOM! Down he went and I ran to him. 17 lbs. 10 3/4" beard (longest strand) and 7/8" spurs. 5:20 PM

4-2-07 PM hunt.

Theron — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:39:47 GMT

4-2-07 PM hunt.

I went after a tough old tom Saturday evening. This old bird knows what a man in camo is and leaves putting the instant he steps in the open at 75 yards no matter what I try. I saw him several times during deer season and it was the same story. This year I put a pop up blind out before the season so they would be accustomed to it. Yesterday evening I slid in it about 4 PM. I had a hen decoy and one of those jake fan things (first time I have tried it) about 10 yards away. I called mildly about every ten minutes. Around 4:30 a hen came in and walked past at 15 yards. About 5 PM the old tom topped the ridge and spied the decoys. He had two hens with him and from that point on I clucked softly and purred. This seemed to interest him and for a while there I thought he was going to come on in. They ended up circling me at 60 yards and flew across the river. Well shoot! About 20 minutes later I went out and pulled the decoys, should have known better from my experience with this guy last year. I got back in the blind and called about every ten minutes till 7:45 PM. It was getting late so I started to get my stuff together to leave. That's when I heard them walking above me on the ridge. Then the woosh woosh woosh of 3 turkeys flying up to roost. I slowly unzipped the door and stuck my head out a bit to see the gobbler up in a tree about 20 yards from me. The hens were also nearby. He drummed on the limb, gobbled 3 times and traded tree limbs till he settled in about 50 yards away. So there I was stuck in the blind till complete darkness came and I could sneak out.......

This guy is gonna be tough.

Then Monday evening after coming home from the great hunt where I duobled with Donnie that morning:

Went back after the "tough old bird" this evening. Thought I had him at last. Got a bird to gobble and he came in strutting after 7 PM with two hens. Shot him at 30 yards (from the blind) just after he gobbled his last time. Ran to him and stood on his head to find it wasn't the old bird.

This guy weighed 19 lbs. had a 10" beard and 7/8" spurs.

I'll take 'em! Won't see any frowns here.

Monday April 2nd.

Theron — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:35:52 GMT

Monday April 2nd.

This morning we couldn't get to those two toms before they hit the ground. Then a hen yelped twice and they went quiet. I had an idea of where they were headed and we chose to make the big circle (about a half a mile) in hopes of intercepting them later on. We did just that. Got them to gobble once at a crow call and quickly set up. I sanded my slate and was about to call when a hen stepped in the logging road about 60 yards out. I clucked ONCE and two gobblers stepped out. One immediately turned and started toward me and fanned. I dropped the call, got my hands slowly on the gun and found THE BREECH WAS UNLOCKED! It's a pump and the slide moved as soon as I touched it. Never have I had that happen and can only guess that the button on the rear of the trigger guard hit something on my vest maybe when unslinging it. So here I am with two toms approaching and the hen following. I try to get it pushed forward and locked quietly. It won't. I try again and then harder, CLICK! They straighten up and stare hard this time. Hold my breath, Lord help me! After about 5 seconds they drop their heads and start forward again. Now I am focused. Waiting for the heads to line up for a two for one shot. It doesn't happen. The larger tom makes it to 20 yards and stands on his tip toes. I ain't greedy, BOOM! He flattens, the other bird flies straight up, the hen runs back about 30 yards, I short stroke the pump, take aim at the second tom as it lands and the gun won't shoot! LOL! So there I am in the pickle again trying to work the slide when BOOM! my pal shoots the second bird. He had been to my left rear facing away and was watching over his right shoulder. When I dropped the first tom he immediately got up and went left far enough to get a clear shot as the second tom landed. He said he was waiting for my second shot and realized "he is waiting for ME to shoot, BOOM!" So the he got me outta my second pickle. Mine was a 20 lb. 9 1/2" bearded tom with 1 5/16" spurs at 20 yards. Donnie's was 18 lbs. 10" beard and had 1 3/16" spurs.

3-31-07. Opening day tom.

Theron — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 01:19:42 GMT

3-31-07. Opening day tom.

I went to a friend's 200 acre cattle farm this morning just outside of Ft. Inn. I had heard a gobbler there yesterday morning at about 9:30 AM on the lower end of the property where two creeks meet so I backed out quietly to return today. This morning before daylight I was back. I sat on the ridge between the forks this morning and did the usual routine. I had a decoy out, tree yelped, flew down (with turkey wing) and sat tight for over an hour calling lightly without hearing a thing. About 8 AM I eased up the ridge to a pasture and saw a hen slink off through a thicket. From there I worked my way up to the highest point on the property over looking mixed pasture and hardwood stands. I sat against a big pine and called lightly on my slate. I was answered by a faint gobble. After about three more gobbles I could tell he was up and across a creek over 300 yards away. I moved forward about 50 yards to a group of cedars and had a nice view of a pasture bowl bordered on the lower side by hardwoods along the creek. I put my decoy out and got comfortable. I again used the slate to cutt lightly and was immediately answered with a closer gobble. About 5 gobbles later I saw the tom clear the woodline and stretch up to see the decoy. He broke down and strutted in all his glory. He then worked his way up the hill to the decoy and strutted sideways into the sunlight several times. At about 40 yards he stood on his toes and really checked my camo blob out. I held my breath and again he strutted closer. When he seemed to be well within range I waited till he raised his head again before making a solid shot at 36 yards. He seemed much closer but it was no matter. The #6's from the newly polished barrel and lengthened forcing cone that Mr. Johnny Stone ( http://www.shotgunchokes.com/index.html )did for me a few weeks back really put the whammy on him. It all ended at 8:45 AM. He weighed 18 pounds, had 1 1/16th" spurs and a 9 3/4" beard.

Though I don't deserve it the Lord has yet again blessed me.