The Baron
45 Cal.
- Joined
- May 10, 2004
- Messages
- 927
- Reaction score
- 15
Well, after having to tend to work matters on our opening day of turkey season, I was finally able to hit the turkey woods this past Wednesday. I hit a favourite spot kinda blind as I have not had any time to scout the property for this year. Based on a report of strutters being spotted in a particular field (I got that tip at the coffee shop at 5am, but it was all I had to go on) I set up in a small green field. I heard 2 single birds gobbling on the roost - one to the south and one to the west. Both were quite distant. At about 6:30am, a hen walked past the end of the field, into the larger field to my left. I called to her a bit and she was not happy with that, so we had a heated exchange of words. She then ran to my left. I realized a few minutes later she had run to join a jake/Tom which were to the left in the larger field. The jake and Tom both came right to the page wire fence bordering my little field (about 40 yards away) and strutted and gobbled. They stared longingly at the hen decoy (had a jake out too) but, try as I might, I couldn't convince them to come through the opening in the fence to my field... even thought they walked right past it as they left. :shake: The hen then stole them away, and I tipped my hat to her for being a better caller than me. I tried to belly-crawl to the fence and call them back, but oddly that didn't work. :haha:
After the 30 minute strut and gobble show, they drifted off. I then relocated to some woods to the west, across the big field. Long story short, I made a call at about 8am and a bird gobbled hard down the hill to my right. I repositioned slightly at my tree and was forcing myself to count to 500 in my head before I called again. When I hit 155, the bird hammered close and appeared about 70 yards away in the open hardwoods, angling right at me. I love seeing their lil' white heads coming through the woods! And, it never ceases to amaze me that they can pinpoint the location of a single yelp, from 200+ yards away.
So, as I sat watching the beautiful sunlight shining off the 42" barrel of my 20ga. Caywood Type "C", which I now had to get moved 90 degrees to my right, I thought this might get tricky. On the first 30 degrees of barrel movement, the Tom caught me and putted. He stood alarm putting, but I jumped into some purrs with the mouth call and was able to calm him down. I then gambled on a yelp, and he tucked back into strut and continued his approach (whew - thank God he was too horny to think properly!). The Tom moved in line with some trees so I was able to finish my movement. He strutted to the gun and turned to the right. When he stepped out of strut at 17 paces, the ole flintlock went BOOM nice and fast and I had my first flintlock turkey. :grin: He went down like a stone to 80gr. FFFg behind two overpowder cards, a pre-lubed wad and then about 1 oz. #6's with 1/2oz. #4's on top for good measure.
Tale of the tape... 19lb 1oz, 8 1/2" beard and 5/8" spurs. Not a whopper, but I was pretty happy. I have shot my local birds with blackpowder percussion guns the past two years, but this was my first bird with a flintlock. It was a pretty rewarding feeling to take a bird with a gun that uses a piece of rock for ignition.
Not only was this my first flintlock turkey, but it was the first day I ever carried a flintlock afield for any game. I am pretty happy with the results. Thanks to all for the tips and help here, which no doubt prepared me well for my fateful encounter. :v
After the 30 minute strut and gobble show, they drifted off. I then relocated to some woods to the west, across the big field. Long story short, I made a call at about 8am and a bird gobbled hard down the hill to my right. I repositioned slightly at my tree and was forcing myself to count to 500 in my head before I called again. When I hit 155, the bird hammered close and appeared about 70 yards away in the open hardwoods, angling right at me. I love seeing their lil' white heads coming through the woods! And, it never ceases to amaze me that they can pinpoint the location of a single yelp, from 200+ yards away.
So, as I sat watching the beautiful sunlight shining off the 42" barrel of my 20ga. Caywood Type "C", which I now had to get moved 90 degrees to my right, I thought this might get tricky. On the first 30 degrees of barrel movement, the Tom caught me and putted. He stood alarm putting, but I jumped into some purrs with the mouth call and was able to calm him down. I then gambled on a yelp, and he tucked back into strut and continued his approach (whew - thank God he was too horny to think properly!). The Tom moved in line with some trees so I was able to finish my movement. He strutted to the gun and turned to the right. When he stepped out of strut at 17 paces, the ole flintlock went BOOM nice and fast and I had my first flintlock turkey. :grin: He went down like a stone to 80gr. FFFg behind two overpowder cards, a pre-lubed wad and then about 1 oz. #6's with 1/2oz. #4's on top for good measure.
Tale of the tape... 19lb 1oz, 8 1/2" beard and 5/8" spurs. Not a whopper, but I was pretty happy. I have shot my local birds with blackpowder percussion guns the past two years, but this was my first bird with a flintlock. It was a pretty rewarding feeling to take a bird with a gun that uses a piece of rock for ignition.
Not only was this my first flintlock turkey, but it was the first day I ever carried a flintlock afield for any game. I am pretty happy with the results. Thanks to all for the tips and help here, which no doubt prepared me well for my fateful encounter. :v
