1776Flintlock
Senior Member
Watkinsville, Georgia
March 29, 2016
A trip back to Georgia and due to time and distance only 2 ½ days to get 'er done!
Up here, after several successful years a seven-year Tom Turkey drought set in.
March 28- it rained steady on Sunday and in this Monday is was fog-land. Decoys, calling. Nothing, silence. A few hours into it and a hen pitched down in a field on the other side of the barbed wire fence. She was alone and did not attract a Tom nor Jake. Up to running and gunning and calling to no avail.
March 29- in a rolling wood lot. The Toms were hammering! But, they were doing that as they drifted away. Out of the woods for lunch. Tried a new spot, an unplanted peanut field. DSD jake and hen decoy set out 45 yards and a bit to my left. Two hours, nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye, a Turkey appears. A jake, rats! Then another jake! Then more! Four jakes! Bringng up the rear a big Tom, and a 2nd Tom! Off they all walk, taking a glance at my DSD decoys but moving from one side of the field towards and 200 yards out. Into the tree line they all went. For about 15 minutes they just went left to right and stayed in the tree line. Finally, the jakes, one by one, came out to the field heading to my DSD decoys. The Toms were staying in the woodline 200 yards out. Temptation sat on my shoulder , saying "shoot"! Being a retired LT. FF and now FD Chaplain, I said, devil go away. 65 yards, the voice said, "shoot". It was hard but i resisted with the seven year drought heavy on my mind. Finally at 45 yards both Toms were right at my DSD Jake! But wait, they were together, if I shot, I would hit them both. The devil said "shoot and toss the small one in the woods, no one will know!" I brushed him off my shoulder and waited. Just then, they parted. I was using a Bushnell Holo sight on my Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag 12GA. The sun, after the past days of rain and fog was so sunny, it was hard to see my red reticle in my sight! What to do? I placed one finger on the other side of the sight, got half the reticle on my finger to estimate where the center dot was. Trigger pulled and the Hevi Shot 3 ½" blended shot roared out of the shotgun! Down! He's Down! I Run out and look down at my at my Tom. I am in shock! Those are the biggest spurs I have even seen on a Tom I took! Then the saw the beard, long! Later measured at 13" with 1 1/2 " spurs and 21 pounds, so he eas an old gobbler for sure! What a way to end my drought and cap a career! As I walked back to my spot I found my shotgun wad at 20 yards laying on the ground. I picked it up and stashed it in my vest! I put him in the freezer as I got back to camp late, dropped him off at the Taxidermist. Due to budget constraints I did not opt for a full body mount. I will have the fan, spurs and beard mounted and got to take the breast meat home.
I did go out the following morning just for the sake of enjoying a ½ day afield without the drought monkey on my back. No birds seen nor heard.
I also found a place that developed the photos I took. When they arrived home my wife, who tolerates me hunting but does not generally 'get it' , said that is a great picture lets get it framed!
What a hunt! Almost a 1,00 mile drive back with a big smile all the way!
March 29, 2016
A trip back to Georgia and due to time and distance only 2 ½ days to get 'er done!
Up here, after several successful years a seven-year Tom Turkey drought set in.
March 28- it rained steady on Sunday and in this Monday is was fog-land. Decoys, calling. Nothing, silence. A few hours into it and a hen pitched down in a field on the other side of the barbed wire fence. She was alone and did not attract a Tom nor Jake. Up to running and gunning and calling to no avail.
March 29- in a rolling wood lot. The Toms were hammering! But, they were doing that as they drifted away. Out of the woods for lunch. Tried a new spot, an unplanted peanut field. DSD jake and hen decoy set out 45 yards and a bit to my left. Two hours, nothing. Then, out of the corner of my eye, a Turkey appears. A jake, rats! Then another jake! Then more! Four jakes! Bringng up the rear a big Tom, and a 2nd Tom! Off they all walk, taking a glance at my DSD decoys but moving from one side of the field towards and 200 yards out. Into the tree line they all went. For about 15 minutes they just went left to right and stayed in the tree line. Finally, the jakes, one by one, came out to the field heading to my DSD decoys. The Toms were staying in the woodline 200 yards out. Temptation sat on my shoulder , saying "shoot"! Being a retired LT. FF and now FD Chaplain, I said, devil go away. 65 yards, the voice said, "shoot". It was hard but i resisted with the seven year drought heavy on my mind. Finally at 45 yards both Toms were right at my DSD Jake! But wait, they were together, if I shot, I would hit them both. The devil said "shoot and toss the small one in the woods, no one will know!" I brushed him off my shoulder and waited. Just then, they parted. I was using a Bushnell Holo sight on my Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag 12GA. The sun, after the past days of rain and fog was so sunny, it was hard to see my red reticle in my sight! What to do? I placed one finger on the other side of the sight, got half the reticle on my finger to estimate where the center dot was. Trigger pulled and the Hevi Shot 3 ½" blended shot roared out of the shotgun! Down! He's Down! I Run out and look down at my at my Tom. I am in shock! Those are the biggest spurs I have even seen on a Tom I took! Then the saw the beard, long! Later measured at 13" with 1 1/2 " spurs and 21 pounds, so he eas an old gobbler for sure! What a way to end my drought and cap a career! As I walked back to my spot I found my shotgun wad at 20 yards laying on the ground. I picked it up and stashed it in my vest! I put him in the freezer as I got back to camp late, dropped him off at the Taxidermist. Due to budget constraints I did not opt for a full body mount. I will have the fan, spurs and beard mounted and got to take the breast meat home.
I did go out the following morning just for the sake of enjoying a ½ day afield without the drought monkey on my back. No birds seen nor heard.
I also found a place that developed the photos I took. When they arrived home my wife, who tolerates me hunting but does not generally 'get it' , said that is a great picture lets get it framed!
What a hunt! Almost a 1,00 mile drive back with a big smile all the way!
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