The 2016 turkey season was a tough one for me. The birds in Kansas just wouldn't come close enough for my 12 gauge smoothbore and the birds in Missouri didn't want to play at all for the most part. I had six jakes behind my house that I figured I could surely kill one of but they proved tricky as well. I got a new longbow and bowhunted behind the house most of the time but the jakes did not like my decoys and would never come within range. After two weeks of nothing, I decided to scrap the bow and grab the flintlock. I knew I could get one of those youngsters into its range!
I set up Thursday morning well before daylight. I started hearing quite a few gobbles as the sun lit up the sky but I couldn't get a single bird to answer my calls. I wasn't worried. I knew those jakes usually came by at around 7:30 heading to a field that borders my property.
At around 6:45, I heard the god-awfullest commotion in the leaves coming towards me and my first thought was that it was a herd of deer coming to my salt lick situated about 10 yards from where I was sitting. I quickly turned on my video camera to hopefully capture some footage of them before they spooked over my presence.
I didn't have my gun up because I was waiting for deer so imagine my surprise when a big ole gobbler comes walking by at 20 yards looking for the hen he had heard over this direction. I quickly threw my flintlock to my shoulder and brought it to bear but the movement caused the gobbler to alarm put and speed up his gate. Fortunately, the tom right behind him wanted to see what the fuss was about so he stopped and stretched his neck out nice and pretty. That was his mistake and the Lord called the poor thing home.
He turned out to be a fine bird; 23.2 lbs, 1" spurs, a 12" beard and a 7.5" beard.
I shot him with a 12 gauge smoothbore made by my good friend, John Pruitt. I used 70 grains FFF, 1 overpowder card, 1/4" lubed wad, 1.5 oz. #6 shot in a paper shot cup and 1 overshot card. The shot distance was 21 yards.
Here are the double beards
I had him cut up and put away in short order and then I set about turning some of that raw material into some fine vittles.
Here is a link to the video I shot. Unfortunately, there are three trees in exactly the wrong place. However, you get the hear the big "CLICK" when I pull the hammer back and see the sparks and smoke when I shoot. The first bird you see is the one that spooked. The second one just dropped when I shot him.
Flintlock Longbeard
Darren
I set up Thursday morning well before daylight. I started hearing quite a few gobbles as the sun lit up the sky but I couldn't get a single bird to answer my calls. I wasn't worried. I knew those jakes usually came by at around 7:30 heading to a field that borders my property.
At around 6:45, I heard the god-awfullest commotion in the leaves coming towards me and my first thought was that it was a herd of deer coming to my salt lick situated about 10 yards from where I was sitting. I quickly turned on my video camera to hopefully capture some footage of them before they spooked over my presence.
I didn't have my gun up because I was waiting for deer so imagine my surprise when a big ole gobbler comes walking by at 20 yards looking for the hen he had heard over this direction. I quickly threw my flintlock to my shoulder and brought it to bear but the movement caused the gobbler to alarm put and speed up his gate. Fortunately, the tom right behind him wanted to see what the fuss was about so he stopped and stretched his neck out nice and pretty. That was his mistake and the Lord called the poor thing home.
He turned out to be a fine bird; 23.2 lbs, 1" spurs, a 12" beard and a 7.5" beard.
I shot him with a 12 gauge smoothbore made by my good friend, John Pruitt. I used 70 grains FFF, 1 overpowder card, 1/4" lubed wad, 1.5 oz. #6 shot in a paper shot cup and 1 overshot card. The shot distance was 21 yards.
Here are the double beards
I had him cut up and put away in short order and then I set about turning some of that raw material into some fine vittles.
Here is a link to the video I shot. Unfortunately, there are three trees in exactly the wrong place. However, you get the hear the big "CLICK" when I pull the hammer back and see the sparks and smoke when I shoot. The first bird you see is the one that spooked. The second one just dropped when I shot him.
Flintlock Longbeard
Darren
op: :hatsoff:
