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Post by old3arrows on May 1, 2006 4:52:13 GMT -5
Last Thursday was an awesome morning to be in the woods! The birds were gobbling hard on the roost and by 0615 I was set up and ready. I was on a ridge top with at least 8 birds sounding off all around me. I called lightly on my favorite box call and no response. After working this a few times without success, I popped my old raspy hen mouth call in and BAM! The turkeys went nuts. Personally I thought I sounded terrible, but by now one had fallen madly in love with me. I tried to call lightly, but the old raspy hen sounded like a canadian goose with a bad cold. The more noise I made, the louder the tom gobbled back at me. We played this game for an hour until he thundered one last gobble out that felt like it hit me in the chest. He was in some heavy brush that gave me just enough time to reposition and rest my trusty 870 off the side of a tree. I clucked/honked twice, and he stuck his head out at 20 yards. The Remington roared and sent 1 1/2 ounces of #5 heavy shot in to his brain pan. I was one happy camper! I took him down to the Friendship General Store to check in, and he weighed 25#'s, had a 10 1/4" beard, and had 20mm spurs. All in all a great hunt. I headed back home to Madison County to catch up on yard work and gardening, and then hit the mighty White River for smallies. I took 12 smallmouth on night crawlers and 3 on a bright orange rooster tail by 0930 on Saturday morning wading the deep holes. I got home and hit a small patch of woods behind the house and gathered up a mess of fresh sponge mushrooms for supper. It was a great end to a relaxing week of vacation. Look out Rick Bramwell, I'm bucking for your outdoor page writing job at the Herald Bulletin!
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Post by Decatur on May 1, 2006 6:39:59 GMT -5
Wow! You had a GREAT day! Congratulations!
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Post by Woody Williams on May 1, 2006 6:46:24 GMT -5
What a day that you had.
You got enough "fixins" for a Thanksgiving dinner..
CONGRATULATIONS and thanks for sharing your story with us.
Any pictures?
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Post by songdog on May 1, 2006 6:59:51 GMT -5
Congrats, and you do spin a pretty good story . I think you just may be in line for that fellers job.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 1, 2006 7:00:10 GMT -5
.......... After working this a few times without success, I popped my old raspy hen mouth call in and BAM! The turkeys went nuts. Personally I thought I sounded terrible, but by now one had fallen madly in love with me. I tried to call lightly, but the old raspy hen sounded like a canadian goose with a bad cold. The more noise I made, the louder the tom gobbled back at me. We played this game for an hour until he thundered one last gobble out that felt like it hit me in the chest. He was in some heavy brush that gave me just enough time to reposition and rest my trusty 870 off the side of a tree. I clucked/honked twice, and he stuck his head out at 20 yards. The Remington roared and sent 1 1/2 ounces of #5 heavy shot in to his brain pan. I was one happy camper! ............. You sound like me and my mouth call. I reserve it for close in "CLUCKS" and even those aren't all that good. One of the first birds I ever killed was in Missouri and I hot footed it up and down a couple of hollows to get to him. I was much younger then.  . I was gasping for air and when I got set up I tried to yelp with the mouth call and got BLAHHH. Terrible!! Much to my surprise he gobbled a back and came immediately. I was still gasping for air with my foot on his neck.. Funny critters these turkey birds.. |
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Post by Indyhunter on May 1, 2006 7:50:22 GMT -5
Anything would be an improvement over Bramwell's articles.
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Post by huxbux on May 1, 2006 21:43:04 GMT -5
Nice story, nice bird & sounds like a day we all dream of having but only comes along once in a blue moon. I'd say you were blessed on that day. congrats!
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Post by booner1331 on May 2, 2006 9:08:14 GMT -5
Congrats on your bird
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Post by old3arrows on May 3, 2006 13:56:03 GMT -5
Here's a pick of that awesome day!  |
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Post by lpcustomcalls on May 3, 2006 15:38:50 GMT -5
Excellant story. Great job on the hunt and the weeks collection of fish and mushrooms. That is what being afield is all about. Are you a veteran by chance? The brain pan comment sounds very familiar to me. :-)
As for the mouth call, I am not a very good caller with one as I prefer handmade yelpers. That being said, my father and I both had luck opening morning and decided to go back out the next morning and see if we could work some birds using some different calls and calling methods. All I took out with me was a mouth call. I was working a ridge and heard two birds sound off on the ridge across from me. I believe is limited calling and soft calls when hunting and this has always worked for me. So, this time I went loud and agressive. The two toms went crazy. I called this way three times and kept calling through their gobbles. After the third time, I sat down behind a large tree and they walked within 10' of my position. When they didn't see a hen, they moved on up the ridge away from me. I didn't want to spook them, so I let them walk. I was surprised at their reaction and will utilize this method next season.
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Post by smokepole72 on May 3, 2006 19:52:44 GMT -5
With that kind of luck i would have stopped and bought a lottery ticket.....you would be a millonaire by now
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