So last night I got off work and knew it'd be close to midnight before I got to bed...
I decided to stay at my buddies camp and hunt a spot between there and home...public land..I never scouted it or hunted it but saw lots of sign when I was fishing there...figured itnwas worth a shot...worse comes to worse I run n gun and see what I can find...
I got there a few minutes later than I wanted...about 10 minutes till 6 and it was lighter than I wanted...chose the 870 instead of the flintlock...I planned to run n gun till noon and not be near the truck...and radar showed storms approaching...it was storming at home so my plan already looked better than hunting from home..
Went to load the 870 and my magazine follower was all bound up...
Awesome sunrise on the walk in...
To my surprise I couldn't hear anything near the road..so I kicked the boots in high gear and took off down the gasline..
As I'm trotting I have my 870 apart trying to fix it...last year I lost some buffer and thought I had it all cleaned out but must not have got it all...no time or tools to fix it...hopefully the first shot counts I thought to myself...
I got to the last knoll before the mountain drops about straight off and waited...
Gobble-obble-obble... Gobble-obble-obble...
2 birds a good ways off...
I passed a old logging road that looked like it headed that direction so I jumped on it and took off..
I got in 200yds or so...figured I was still a good ways off..
I stopped and blew the crow call just to check...
To my surprise a bird about blew my hat off..had to be right over the crest of the hill!
A deer took off between me and the bird...not good I thought...
I hurried up and nestled in...did a little light calling and birds were gobbling all around..nothing real close...
Thought maybe he was sneaking in so I waited...I caught movement in his direction... "Ahhh dang deer!". Atleast it didn't run passed the gobbler I thought...
After 20mins I had birds left and right..nothing super close..and many waycin the distance..
I figured I'd ease up another 100yds or so onto the knoll and get between the closest birds and see if something would work in...
As I was looking for a spot to sit a bird hammered extremely close...within 100yds just over the crest...
"Ugh! He's probably on his way sit down quick!!".
I dropped down against a old downed tree and hit my aluminum call real light...
Seconds after I sit the call down I catch a bird that snuckcin behind a big tree...hen! She starts yelping and numerous gobbles errupt right behind her...
She gets to about 15yds..I'm not moving a muscle and she starts alarm putting...I had no cover..ugh!
To my surprise she started purring and clucking...the birds went nuts..
She worked to my right and when she got behind a tree I positioned the gun to where she came from..
Don't know how but she saw something and started putting and running hard...I told myself not to move...weirder things have happened...
As soon as I thought that a red head popped up where she came from....
Longbeard!
I saw 2 other heads pop up to his left...I knew I didn't have long to look at them...I made sure the coast was clear and touched off the Magnum blend.
He crumbled and his buddies took off flying.
650am. Quick hunt!
Pretty hard to get pics alone...but I have some pretty good ones...I carry a small tripod that holds my phone and use a self timer.
Quick measurements of 10.5" beard and 1 1/8th" spurs.
Awesome hunt....sometimes plans come together... Had I hunted at home it would have been pretty soggy..
It sprinkled a bit when I setup the first time...and after my photo shoot it started coming down pretty good...
Now onto tag #2....and with the flintlock Fowler!!
I dont regret my gun choice today...it'd been nice to kill one with the flintlock... But the weather was questionable..and I wouldn't have taken the shot with the Fowler...I haven't patterned it well enough to know it's limits...I knew he was well within Magnum blend range...
Oh....first bird I killed with my own calls..I bought the pots and materials and worked them down...I made those last summer..zebra wood pot with blasted crystal and slate (used the slate side) and the other I forget the wood off hand..but it's aluminum and slate..used the blasted aluminum on my 2nd setup..both with a locust striker.
I decided to stay at my buddies camp and hunt a spot between there and home...public land..I never scouted it or hunted it but saw lots of sign when I was fishing there...figured itnwas worth a shot...worse comes to worse I run n gun and see what I can find...
I got there a few minutes later than I wanted...about 10 minutes till 6 and it was lighter than I wanted...chose the 870 instead of the flintlock...I planned to run n gun till noon and not be near the truck...and radar showed storms approaching...it was storming at home so my plan already looked better than hunting from home..
Went to load the 870 and my magazine follower was all bound up...
Awesome sunrise on the walk in...
To my surprise I couldn't hear anything near the road..so I kicked the boots in high gear and took off down the gasline..
As I'm trotting I have my 870 apart trying to fix it...last year I lost some buffer and thought I had it all cleaned out but must not have got it all...no time or tools to fix it...hopefully the first shot counts I thought to myself...
I got to the last knoll before the mountain drops about straight off and waited...
Gobble-obble-obble... Gobble-obble-obble...
2 birds a good ways off...
I passed a old logging road that looked like it headed that direction so I jumped on it and took off..
I got in 200yds or so...figured I was still a good ways off..
I stopped and blew the crow call just to check...
To my surprise a bird about blew my hat off..had to be right over the crest of the hill!
A deer took off between me and the bird...not good I thought...
I hurried up and nestled in...did a little light calling and birds were gobbling all around..nothing real close...
Thought maybe he was sneaking in so I waited...I caught movement in his direction... "Ahhh dang deer!". Atleast it didn't run passed the gobbler I thought...
After 20mins I had birds left and right..nothing super close..and many waycin the distance..
I figured I'd ease up another 100yds or so onto the knoll and get between the closest birds and see if something would work in...
As I was looking for a spot to sit a bird hammered extremely close...within 100yds just over the crest...
"Ugh! He's probably on his way sit down quick!!".
I dropped down against a old downed tree and hit my aluminum call real light...
Seconds after I sit the call down I catch a bird that snuckcin behind a big tree...hen! She starts yelping and numerous gobbles errupt right behind her...
She gets to about 15yds..I'm not moving a muscle and she starts alarm putting...I had no cover..ugh!
To my surprise she started purring and clucking...the birds went nuts..
She worked to my right and when she got behind a tree I positioned the gun to where she came from..
Don't know how but she saw something and started putting and running hard...I told myself not to move...weirder things have happened...
As soon as I thought that a red head popped up where she came from....
Longbeard!
I saw 2 other heads pop up to his left...I knew I didn't have long to look at them...I made sure the coast was clear and touched off the Magnum blend.
He crumbled and his buddies took off flying.
650am. Quick hunt!
Pretty hard to get pics alone...but I have some pretty good ones...I carry a small tripod that holds my phone and use a self timer.
Quick measurements of 10.5" beard and 1 1/8th" spurs.
Awesome hunt....sometimes plans come together... Had I hunted at home it would have been pretty soggy..
It sprinkled a bit when I setup the first time...and after my photo shoot it started coming down pretty good...
Now onto tag #2....and with the flintlock Fowler!!
I dont regret my gun choice today...it'd been nice to kill one with the flintlock... But the weather was questionable..and I wouldn't have taken the shot with the Fowler...I haven't patterned it well enough to know it's limits...I knew he was well within Magnum blend range...
Oh....first bird I killed with my own calls..I bought the pots and materials and worked them down...I made those last summer..zebra wood pot with blasted crystal and slate (used the slate side) and the other I forget the wood off hand..but it's aluminum and slate..used the blasted aluminum on my 2nd setup..both with a locust striker.
