Tagged out this morning...got a nice Tom!

[roundball]

04/28/07 - Took a nice 'Tom' this morning at 30yds...21 lbs, 10.5" beard, 1" spurs...gorgeous bird.

Sitting just in the edge of the woods along side a small green-field, I set up 3 hen decoys at 15yds and a Jake at 25yds. Never heard a single gobble all morning, but patience paid off at 9:00am...this Tom eased out of the woods and started for the decoys.

He would hunker down in strut position and walk with baby steps for a few yards, then come out of strut and return to a normal stride for a few yards, all the while heading for the Jake[url] decoy...in[/url] and out of strut position several times coming across the field...was really a highlight of Nature to see that so close and in bright sunshine his colors were beautiful.

As he passed about 5 yards behind the Jake decoy he went into strut position again and I leveled the Flintlock while he had his head down...when he came into the clear on the left side of the Jake, I made a clucking sound with my mouth (since my mouth call was safely in my vest ! ) and he broke strut raising his head & neck again...dropped him where he stood and he never moved. Been a great season for me this year and both of my turkeys were taken coming to that new Flambeau Jake decoy.

Plus, this Flintlock is a turkey hunter's dream.
(.62cal/.20ga Flintlock, 80grns Goex 3F, 2 Oxyoke lubed wads, 1+5/8oz #6’s, Circle Fly over shot card)

 

[Rebel]

Way to go Bill. :thumbsup: Sounds like that jug choking is really paying off for you. That is one nice tom. Congrats. I may just have to get me one of them jake decoys. :grin:

 

[rabjr]

Grats again! :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

"...I may just have to get me one of them jake decoys..."

Made by Flambeau, called the Msster Series...I bought what they call the Master Series Flock Set:
1 upright Jake
1 upright hen
1 bent over 'feeding hen'

The Jake is so realistic it's incredible...size, proportion, detail, and most important the coloring...reds & blues on the head and neck...got mine through Cabelas...you can see them at[url] flambeau.com[/url]

 

[Rebel]

I have a Flambeau hen but not having much luck with just her. May have to try a jake too and see how that works. Congrats again.

 

[PreglerD]

Congrats for that nice turkey. Is the gun a smoothbore or rifled? Didn't understand that.

 

[roundball]

Congrats for that nice turkey. Is the gun a smoothbore or rifled? Didn't understand that.

It's a GM (Green Mountain) .62cal Flint smoothbore that I had Jug Choked

 

[jethro224]

Congrats roundball! :hatsoff:
Nice bird. Great pics too. :thumbsup:

 

[snagg]

Roundball:
Nice bird for sure. Congratulations. :thumbsup: You've really got that smooth bore tuned in.
Is two birds the limit in N.C.??
Great job.

 

[roundball]

Roundball:
Nice bird for sure. Congratulations. :thumbsup: You've really got that smooth bore tuned in.
Is two birds the limit in N.C.??
Great job.

Right...two tags...and the 2nd tag just started not long ago as the turkey population has continued to grow / expand so well in NC.

More recently the WRC also added a one week either-sex winter season in January.

And this year (or last) they added a special "youth day" a week before the normal mid-April season opens.

IMO, the restoration of strong Turkey populations across the country is one of the best examples of wildlife management that I've seen in my lifetime.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Congratulations, Roundball. It sounds like a terrific hunt. You were due a little consideration after last weekend's disaster. Were using your hen calls or tom calls at all before he came in, or did he just happen by? Just curious. He is a terrific looking bird, and its nice to see that the extra money you spent last year to get that barrel Jug Choked is paying off for you. :hatsoff:

 

[lockjaw]

:thumbsup: how much calling do you do?...i think the less the better...but i have too little patience when turkey hunting...just not as big of a pay-off as a deer...

 

[roundball]

:thumbsup: how much calling do you do?...i think the less the better...but i have too little patience when turkey hunting...just not as big of a pay-off as a deer...

I'm not very good with lots of calls yet...able to make OK yelps on a box call and purr on a slate, but that's about it.

I'm of the opinion that "less is more" most of the time...this morning I never heard a single gobble...so about every 30 minutes I'd make a couple series of soft yelps then set the box down and drink coffee, etc.

Since this morning's Tom never gobbled I never knew he had come through the woods to the field...my guess is that he localized on my calls from 10-15 minutes earlier, came to the small green field which he was probably very familiar with, saw the dekes, and came out after the Jake...when I saw him coming across the field that was the first time I knew he was in the area because he'd been silent.

So I'm convinced both of my turkeys this year were because of the very realistic looking Jake decoy by Flambeau...drew them like a magnet.

 

[jeepwj992002]

Congrats RB! Nothing like a good ending to a crazy week.

 

[KyFlintlock]

SaWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET! Nice tom there Bill, way to go!!!!

wess

 

[roundball]

Congrats RB! Nothing like a good ending to a crazy week.

That's for sure...and it was a nice way to christen the new Trailblazer...maybe it's a good omen for future hunting :grin:

 

[Todd Rickard]

Nice bird and fantastic picture, Bill. Pictures will last forever, it makes sense to take the time to get the best ones you can. I noticed all of your photos are great. What type of camera do you carry?

 

[roundball]

Nice bird and fantastic picture, Bill. Pictures will last forever, it makes sense to take the time to get the best ones you can. I noticed all of your photos are great. What type of camera do you carry?

Actually, for basic snapshots like that it's really not the camera...up until this year when I got a little Canon digital, all the previous years were take with those cheap disposable $5 camers...I messed around with photograpy through the 80's and 90's...learned three basic things that make a big difference because most of us don't think to do it:

1) FILL THE FRAME...get close so you can see detail;
2) ARRANGE THE SUBJECT...wipe the blood of a deer's mouth, prop it's antlers up against a tree, etc.
3) GET DOWN ON THE SAME LEVEL as the subject whenever possible.

 

[Tater John]

Congratulations roundball, nice bird! Nice lookin' gun, too...

Rusty

 

[roundball]

Congratulations roundball, nice bird! Nice lookin' gun, too...

Rusty

Thanks...I had a great season this year...water hauls the past few.

(PS: Rusty, that Cougar is scheduled to arrive at your house on Wednesday, May 2nd...give me a shout)