Got a nice Tom last night.

[brazosland]

Was dual Hog hunting and Turkey hunting on a friends ranch in South Texas while down here on a business trip.

Brought the Pedersoli Kentucky I refinished last spring with my son. I don’t like to travel with my expensive guns when staying in hotels or generally being in areas where lots of vehicle break ins occur.

Plus this rifle is very accurate and easy to carry. Being a .50 it’s light in the hand and capable of hunting anything anywhere.

First time I hit the box call I got a distant gobble. Started moving to close the distance and they did the same. “They” being three mature birds all about this size.

I got to within about 100 yards and called them in to about 40 where they all hung up and started strutting.

They wouldn’t come closer and I was worried they would figure out I wasn’t a sexy babe...my calling is decent, but I’m a bit of a one trick pony on the box call. Tried calling softer to sound like I was moving away, got behind a huge tree to muffle the sound...nope. So 45 yards or so was what it was going to be. I’m good with that, it was a fair hunt.

One .490 ball center mass and he was DRT. No meat lost either on the side profile shot. Not the biggest I have killed but a very nice bird.

 

[Lonewalker]

Well done , enjoy the bounty of your efforts. Nice bird Nice rifle

 

[Rató:rats]

Nice bird. Very nice shot pouch.

 

[erhunter]

Congrats, nice bird and great shot!

 

[brazosland]

Two more pics. Can’t believe we don’t have a ruler or tape in this ranch house...

Spurs are pretty decent. Will measure when I get home.

 

[Musketeer]

Look at all that potential arrow fletching! Nice bird. Well done.

 

[Sparkitoff]

Very nice! Congratulations!

 

[brazosland]

The bag is a small haversack by Sarah Miller. Can’t say enough good stuff about her.

http://bvcolonialcrafts.com

 

[Ponderosaman]

That’s a great bird. I’ve had really good luck bringing them in closer at short yardages by making soft clucking noises with no call just my mouth. Looks like you don’t need any advice though.

 

[azmntman]

NICE! Now Thats a mature gobbler, can tell by the smooth pattern at end of tail. LOVE the way you displayed on that tree too! I start in 8-9 days. Thanks for sharing! 99.9 % of us know what a successfully turkey hunt requires, others? well they eat crow

 

[brazosland]

That’s a great bird. I’ve had really good luck bringing them in closer at short yardages by making soft clucking noises with no call just my mouth. Looks like you don’t need any advice though.

That’s good advice. Been Turkey hunting every year since I was a teen, not a junkie like some folks, but I really enjoy it.

I like to get them in under 30 yards just because. Killed plenty with a shotgun, rifles are legal here in Texas and I have no issue using one. Many a Jake in the fall has fed camp after getting hit with a deer rifle. But it’s fun to get them in close. Yesterday...45 yards was close enough!

I tried some soft clucks and some feeding purrs and even just let it go by being silent for a couple minutes (that seemed like hours...), they just weren’t going for it.

I never could get the archery bug, got a $1200 bow collecting dust. And I have no shortage of very nice rifles, but the last few years the challenge and appeal of black powder just makes hunting that much more interesting and thrilling.

I reached the point years ago where duck hunting was no longer about body count. If I don’t get their feet down with a call I’m just not motivated to shoot. More and more deer walk by for the same reason now.

Different points in your life, different priorities, right? Each day I realize what a blessing this life is, and how lucky I am.

 

[Britsmoothy]

That sounded like a fantastic time.
What kind of powder charge and weight. did you use?

 

[brazosland]

75 grains of 3F Goex clover leafs 2” high at 50 yards with a .490 ball and a .015 patch.

 

[JohnnieT]

Looks like a great trip! Well done!

 

[hanshi]

You got a really nice tom with that rifle! Congratulations are in order.

 

[Weber]

Nice bird

 

[deermanok]

Congrats on a good hunt.

 

[Skychief]

Thanks for sharing Brazosland. Awesome bird.

 

[zerosprk]

Nice, congratulations!

 

[TGJaeger]

Congratulations! Beautiful Bird!