PHOENIX PHIL
AH ambassador
For whatever reason, I have never killed a turkey. I started hunting while in college in Virginia and did hunt them a little there with a close call or two. But since graduating I have not had much chance to hunt gobblers. It's not something that I haven't want to do, I consider turkey hunting in the spring to be somewhat similar to hunting elk in September with all the calling.
Well sometime last year I had hoped to hunt with Erik aka @gizmo at his ranch in west Texas. But work just wouldn't let that happen. But now with a long project completed at work and with it some vacation hours to use or lose, it was time to go blow off some steam and make this happen.
So last Tuesday evening my long time hunting buddy Kevin aka @AZ KJ and I headed northeast for the 800 mile trip to some 11 miles southeast of appropriately named Turkey, TX and the Rockin' G Ranch. Some 13 1/2 hours and several cups of coffee later, we arrived at the ranch gate and let ourselves in. Erik was still in Amarillo (some 100 miles away) getting supplies. We got our gear in and took a nap. A little while later Erik and his dad Chris arrived and it was on.
Our first day of hunting was to be Thursday but we got a hunt in that evening. Decoys were setup and some turkeys did come to Erik's calling but hung up just a bit far out to shoot.
On Thursday morning we setup in the creek bottom again, but the birds moved off in a different direction going to the field above the creek. The birds were calling, but they were really not hot for the call yet. We moved up to the edge of the field and one gobble took interest in a decoy and seemed to come in. His buddy who he had been in a game of walk one way and cut the other off then walk the other way pulled him away. Meanwhile a large group of gobblers was at one end of the field, but they just weren't interested in playing.
Thursday evening, a fried of Erik's arrived to act as a second guide. Wade is a good gent and very easy to get along with. The four of us setup on another edge of the same field mentioned above on Friday morning. Just as I got settled in I could see in a large cottonwood down in the creek bottom a group of 3 birds roosted at the top. As light came on this group of 3 became a group of 8 gobblers. The one at the very top was gobbling and fanning in the pre-dawn light. As the sun began to rise I watched the birds one by one fly out in different directions. After some time, we did have a hen and gobbler approach us from behind, probably no more than 60 yards away. But they just wouldn't come in to check out the decoys.
Off to the cabin we went for breakfast. About 10:30am we split up. Kevin with Erik and myself with Wade. KJ and Erik went to a spot in the bottom downstream of Wade an myself. We setup a popup blind and a couple of decoys. Once settled into the blind, Wade let out a few light calls. Down in the bottom you can see very far to the right, left or in front. I was sitting on the left and looking to the right with Wade on my right and he was looking left. We'd been in the blind no more than 10 minutes. As I was looking right I noticed Wade raise his left hand and pointing to the left with his index finger.......all I could think was you must be kidding.
I slowly turned my head left and sure enough two gobblers, one in the lead and the other about 5 yards behind were almost in the decoys. The lead bird was moving from my left to the right. I couldn't bring up my gun until that bird's head turned and so I waited. In short order he turned left and was moving away from me, I raised my Benelli and managed to get it pointed out the center window without spooking the birds.
No good.....the lead turkey now turned to his left and started back in the direction he came from. Now I can't without making a major move point my gun at the bird. So I pulled my gun back in and opened a small hole on the left and got my gun out. About this time the bird that was further out has crossed the creek and about to disappear into the brush and the closer bird drops down into the creek. No problem I'm thinking, I'll get him when he comes up the other side. But he doesn't appear. About now I'm thinking it's time for another quiet hen call.
I guess Wade read my mind as he hit the call. The closer bird decided to turn back around and come back up the creek bank towards us with his head and neck stretched up nice and high. The 3 1/2" shell did it's job and the bird dropped without a twitch.
The shotgun blast encouraged the further bird to jump and bolt behind some brush moving to my right. I think well if he continues on he'll come into an opening to the right. Instead he decided to come back and check on his fallen comrade. That was not a smart move as he also came back with his head and neck stretched high and the second shell did it's job. This bird fell and flopped its wings a few times but never raised his head much less get to his feet.
Time between shots, roughly 5-10 seconds. No turkeys to my name to two, I couldn't believe it.
KJ and Erik didn't have any better luck that day nor on Saturday. I got to have fun with Wade calling for coyotes and exploring the ranch. The wind very likely contributed to much of the problem. Sustained 30-40 MPH winds isn't good for calling. Not to mention temps in the high 90's on Thursday and Friday which then plummeted into the 30's Saturday morning.
So it was decided to give it one more go on Sunday morning for KJ. He and Erik went back to the field that morning mentioned above. Again the turkeys weren't in the mood to be called in. But Erik brought his .22-250 and Kevin got a shot on a nice gobbler.
Outside of chasing turkeys, there were a few beers drank, a number of lies told, a lot of great food ate that Erik cooked and an untold number of laughs had! In other words we had a great time and I very much look forward to hunting there again.
Well sometime last year I had hoped to hunt with Erik aka @gizmo at his ranch in west Texas. But work just wouldn't let that happen. But now with a long project completed at work and with it some vacation hours to use or lose, it was time to go blow off some steam and make this happen.
So last Tuesday evening my long time hunting buddy Kevin aka @AZ KJ and I headed northeast for the 800 mile trip to some 11 miles southeast of appropriately named Turkey, TX and the Rockin' G Ranch. Some 13 1/2 hours and several cups of coffee later, we arrived at the ranch gate and let ourselves in. Erik was still in Amarillo (some 100 miles away) getting supplies. We got our gear in and took a nap. A little while later Erik and his dad Chris arrived and it was on.
Our first day of hunting was to be Thursday but we got a hunt in that evening. Decoys were setup and some turkeys did come to Erik's calling but hung up just a bit far out to shoot.
On Thursday morning we setup in the creek bottom again, but the birds moved off in a different direction going to the field above the creek. The birds were calling, but they were really not hot for the call yet. We moved up to the edge of the field and one gobble took interest in a decoy and seemed to come in. His buddy who he had been in a game of walk one way and cut the other off then walk the other way pulled him away. Meanwhile a large group of gobblers was at one end of the field, but they just weren't interested in playing.
Thursday evening, a fried of Erik's arrived to act as a second guide. Wade is a good gent and very easy to get along with. The four of us setup on another edge of the same field mentioned above on Friday morning. Just as I got settled in I could see in a large cottonwood down in the creek bottom a group of 3 birds roosted at the top. As light came on this group of 3 became a group of 8 gobblers. The one at the very top was gobbling and fanning in the pre-dawn light. As the sun began to rise I watched the birds one by one fly out in different directions. After some time, we did have a hen and gobbler approach us from behind, probably no more than 60 yards away. But they just wouldn't come in to check out the decoys.
Off to the cabin we went for breakfast. About 10:30am we split up. Kevin with Erik and myself with Wade. KJ and Erik went to a spot in the bottom downstream of Wade an myself. We setup a popup blind and a couple of decoys. Once settled into the blind, Wade let out a few light calls. Down in the bottom you can see very far to the right, left or in front. I was sitting on the left and looking to the right with Wade on my right and he was looking left. We'd been in the blind no more than 10 minutes. As I was looking right I noticed Wade raise his left hand and pointing to the left with his index finger.......all I could think was you must be kidding.
I slowly turned my head left and sure enough two gobblers, one in the lead and the other about 5 yards behind were almost in the decoys. The lead bird was moving from my left to the right. I couldn't bring up my gun until that bird's head turned and so I waited. In short order he turned left and was moving away from me, I raised my Benelli and managed to get it pointed out the center window without spooking the birds.
No good.....the lead turkey now turned to his left and started back in the direction he came from. Now I can't without making a major move point my gun at the bird. So I pulled my gun back in and opened a small hole on the left and got my gun out. About this time the bird that was further out has crossed the creek and about to disappear into the brush and the closer bird drops down into the creek. No problem I'm thinking, I'll get him when he comes up the other side. But he doesn't appear. About now I'm thinking it's time for another quiet hen call.
I guess Wade read my mind as he hit the call. The closer bird decided to turn back around and come back up the creek bank towards us with his head and neck stretched up nice and high. The 3 1/2" shell did it's job and the bird dropped without a twitch.
The shotgun blast encouraged the further bird to jump and bolt behind some brush moving to my right. I think well if he continues on he'll come into an opening to the right. Instead he decided to come back and check on his fallen comrade. That was not a smart move as he also came back with his head and neck stretched high and the second shell did it's job. This bird fell and flopped its wings a few times but never raised his head much less get to his feet.
Time between shots, roughly 5-10 seconds. No turkeys to my name to two, I couldn't believe it.
KJ and Erik didn't have any better luck that day nor on Saturday. I got to have fun with Wade calling for coyotes and exploring the ranch. The wind very likely contributed to much of the problem. Sustained 30-40 MPH winds isn't good for calling. Not to mention temps in the high 90's on Thursday and Friday which then plummeted into the 30's Saturday morning.
So it was decided to give it one more go on Sunday morning for KJ. He and Erik went back to the field that morning mentioned above. Again the turkeys weren't in the mood to be called in. But Erik brought his .22-250 and Kevin got a shot on a nice gobbler.
Outside of chasing turkeys, there were a few beers drank, a number of lies told, a lot of great food ate that Erik cooked and an untold number of laughs had! In other words we had a great time and I very much look forward to hunting there again.
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