From: keith@clodII.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM (Keith Boyd)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Successful Turkey Hunt!
Date: 17 Apr 92 12:35:02 GMT
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu

Like the subject line implies, I had a very successful Turkey hunt
last weekend but am just now getting a chance to type this in. I 
do have to work a little every now and then, right?  Anyway....
  My hunt got off to a bad start last Friday evening when I went
down to the club to listen for any gobbler's that might be roosting
on our club lease. No luck. Although I heard one or two birds fly
up, none gobbled. This didn't mean that there were none on our land
however, so I decided to be there early the next morning. Well, I 
overslept Saturday morning and didn't get down to the hunt club 
until well after daylight. It was about 8:30 actually and I really
didn't expect to hear any gobble that late. Well, right as I stopped
the truck and got out, I heard one gobble! He didn't sound to far
off so I grabbed my shotgun and took off. I stopped every few minutes
to listen and try to pinpoint him. As it turned out he was just across
the property line on public Game Management Area land. Fortunately I had
bought a GMA permit just for such occasions. By this time, I had already
gone about 3/10 of a mile in about 20 minutes and was closing in on him.
It still amazes me how far that thunderous gobble can carry and sound
a lot closer than they actually are. I crossed the property line 
which was a barb wire fence running down the middle of a deep gully
which was actually an old road bed. I went another 20 yds and set up
at the edge of an oak hollow. It looked like a good place to start my
calling. It was then that I heard another turkey or possibly another
hunter calling to the bird, but I couldn't tell which for sure. The tom
gobbled again and this time it almost rattled the leaves....I had to call
to him rather than take a chance on the other "caller" being a real hen.
I did some yelps.....nothing... A few minutes later I did some more yelps
and and then some clucks.....nothing. The other "bird" did two or three 
cuts and he gobbled...He was so close this time my skin crawled. I did 
some more clucks and set my slate call down and got the shotgun up and
ready since I suspected he was coming my way. A few moments later I heard
some leaves rustling and then all of a sudden I saw a red and blue head
pop up over the edge of the hollow. I took aim and fired and he flew up
about ten feet and came back down and began flopping. When he moved out
of the way there was another red and blue head standing where he had been,
so I took aim and fired again....I now had too gobblers flopping on the
ground. Incredible!! There had been two gobblers all along and I didn't
realize it until they came in. Moments later I was attaching transport
tags to their legs to carry them out. (In S.C., we are given five "turkey
tags" which is the limit in the spring season, the tag must be attached
to the leg immediately after the kill)  I checked them in at a check
station and took their "vitals". The first tom was 14.5 lbs with a 10"
beard and 3/4" spurs. The second bird was 14.25 lbs with a 9.5" beard
and 1/2" spurs. This was the first time I ever doubled up on toms and
was elated over it, but I later found out that the other bird turned
out to be a club member. He had seen the two birds earlier that morn-
ing but was unable to get a clear shot. I apologized for breaking in
like I did but he is such a good caller I couldn't be sure if it was
a real hen or not. Fortunately, he was not angry since he had already
harvested three gobblers in the first week. (I told you he was good!)
So it turned out pretty good anyway. There is nothing like being in
the woods in the Spring with the Dogwoods in full bloom and the old
tom's gobbling as loud as they can! ;-)  BTW, I highly recommend the
Remington BB's and No. 4 shot mixed together. They are pretty potent
on the birds. 

Later...

Keith


 
---
| Keith M. Boyd  (NCR E&M Cola.) |  Nothing could be finer than huntin' and  |
| 3325 Platt Springs Rd. ________|  fishin' in South Carolina!  -Me-         |
| West Cola., S.C. 29170 | GO GAMECOCKS!  |  keith@clodii.columbiasc.NCR.COM |
| Vph: 803-791-6419   | From uunet: !uunet!ncrcom!ncrcae!sauron!clodii!keith |
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