Recent posts

#1

Turkey Guns / Re: Best Turkey Gun Builder?

Last post by Greg Massey - Today at 11:47:41 AM

Buy the gun you like with camo or coating you like.  Put a choke and sight on it.  Spend the rest on gas to go hunt.   

This right here ... X2

#2

Team GOATS 2024 / Re: GobbleNut Hunt Log 2024

Last post by GobbleNut - Today at 11:47:09 AM

Monday, May 6th: Depart the house at 2:50 a.m. with plans to arrive at my chosen hunt location by gobble-thirty...and manage to get to that 9,000 ft. elevation just right.  The weather forecast is for high winds throughout the week, and although I am hoping the morning will start out calm for at least a while, when I step out of the truck, I am disappointed to hear the wind already beginning to pick up...but it is not so bad that I think I will not be able to hear gobbling from a good vantage point.

I gather my gear and head up an open canyon bottom towards a high point where I anticipate I might hear birds, and after a half-mile hike, I am in position on a ridge from which I have typically heard gobbling in the past. I wait for volunteer gobbling at "prime time", but as the skies lighten, I hear nothing.  Furthermore, I am disappointed when "tried and true" locator tactics fail to raise a response, as well.

Either the gobblers are silent this morning...or there are none within earshot...so I head further into the area, walking towards a series of draws further from the road. I cross several shallow, open draws and timbered ridges calling and hoping for a response from a gobbler, but am a bit disappointed that, for the next hour, I am getting no responses...or hearing volunteer gobbling from somewhere.

I am now a mile and a half from the nearest road...and am getting into some very "turkey-looking" country...and am seeing fresh evidence that they are around here somewhere. I move along slowly down a ridge, calling off into the bottoms on both sides.  The wind is now gradually getting stronger and becoming an issue for hearing anything beyond a couple hundred yards, but as I call at one point, I get a distant gobble-response from down a shallow draw off to my right.

In the wind, the gobble sounds weak and abbreviated, and my first thought is it might be a jake...but I also recognize that the wind could easily be distorting it.  Nonetheless, I judge that it is distant enough that I need to cut the distance, so I quickly head down towards it. 

This area is moderately open, and I have moved down maybe seventy yards when through an opening 150 yards away, I see movement. Picking up the bino's, I pick up a turkey moving up the hill towards me. Instantly, I drop down where I am at, hoping the bird has not seen me. Now sitting, however, I cannot see down to where the turkey is, so I have no idea whether I have spooked the bird...or not.

My quick sit has put me behind a small bush to my front, and another immediately to my left...both just high enough for me to see over the top and thick enough to break up my outline.  I could see a ways down towards where the turkey was, and figured if it was the gobbler and I was lucky enough that he had not seen me, he might come up where I could see him on his way...so I focused my attention down the hill in that direction. For the next fifteen minutes, I would call softly at intervals, intently focused on the area I figured the gobbler would approach from. No response...nothing.

My focus should have been broader, apparently, because I finally glanced to my left over the top of the left bush, and I immediately spotted a turkey standing and looking at twenty-five yards. Unfortunately, the slight movement I had made to look that way caught his (it is a jake) attention and he immediately becomes alert , looking my way and obviously seeing the movement.

To his right, I see another turkey about to come into the open. He steps just far enough for me to spot a white crown and red head, indicating it is a male turkey, but hesitates to come fully into the opening due to the nervousness of the jake.  In the meantime, I have cautiously raised my gun behind the concealment of the bush and get it positioned for the coup de gras if the opportunity arises.

The jake starts walking slowly back towards the other turkey, which keeps him from coming on out into the clear. He moves just enough for me to catch a glimpse of a beard, but not far enough for me to confirm he is a mature gobbler. I am on him but hesitate, not wanting to take a chance that he might also be a jake. I have a window of about three seconds to make the decision to shoot or not, and in those seconds, both turkeys turn and walk out of sight. 

I watch intently for a while longer, calling and hoping they will reappear somewhere, but they do not...and that is that.  I eventually work my way back towards the truck, calling as I go, and with the wind gradually working towards hurricane force. At this elevation, I know that the wind will not subside the rest of the day, and as such, I make the decision to bag this location and head for something lower...hoping that the winds are less of a factor.

One of my honey holes is lower down, and I decide to head there, spend the night in my truck, hope the winds subside overnight...and give 'er a go in the morning.  As the sun sets that evening, the winds seem to be dying down. There is hope for a morning hunt...

#3

Turkey Call Classifieds / Re: Multiple calls for Sale (T...

Last post by Sir-diealot - Today at 11:45:09 AM

Is the Fetters still available or was is sold? Thank you.

#4

General Forum / Re: Mexico?

Last post by Sixes - Today at 11:42:39 AM

To each his own, but I would not personally take that chance.

I'm sure those 2 Aussies and the American surfer heard it would be fine to go camping and surfing.

#5

General Forum / Re: Word Association Game

Last post by Sir-diealot - Today at 11:33:50 AM

Prison

#6

20 Gauge Turkey Guns / Re: Benelli SBE 3 20 gauge

Last post by Tailwalk - Today at 11:33:22 AM

From benelli


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#7

Pot Calls Forum / Re: Buster"s Custom Calls

Last post by Sir-diealot - Today at 11:32:59 AM

I ordered my red slate persimmon a couple months ago and had it within a week or 2. 

Just saw this, thank you.

#8

The Roaring 20's 2024 - The Reckoning / Re: Kickin' it in the morning

Last post by afhunter1 - Today at 11:02:47 AM

Awesome hunt and congrats.

#9

General Forum / Re: Lightweight Comfortable Ch...

Last post by BDeal - Today at 10:59:43 AM

Alps Mountaineer. Identical to the heavier camo version (Vanish) but substantially lighter with an aluminum frame.

Why don't they produce it in camouflage? I don't know, ask them, I have, twice, but they still don't. Anyway, spray paint takes care of the colors, even if it is ugly.

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What specific model? Alps makes a bunch of different models of mountaineering chairs. Thanks!

#10

General Forum / Re: I’m a spurs guy

Last post by Tomtom97 - Today at 10:56:20 AM

Some long sharp spurs for me!


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