Gobbler kilt by a trail camera

RC · March 25, 2013, 08:19:00 PM

Gotta start with thanks to the Good Lord as he continues to bless. I also gotta admit I often get down right ...LUCKY.
My honey hole near home has been sold,clearcut and purty much mangled up. I had these birds figured out for sometime now as they do almost the same every year as they have since I been a Turkey hunter and thats been sometime. Since the carnage on the woods here I have been really saddened by the lack of Turkey sign. The Bottom Chris killed his bird in here a couple of years ago got cut as well so I had my mind set on public land this year and a new to me lease I was blessed to be able to get in.
Last Thursday I was walking around shooting my bow and waded a run of water onto an Island I`ve killed deer and Turkeys on in the past and found a few Turkey tracks and some strut sign and some dustings as well. I like to hunt an area with dustings because that usually means Turkeys at any time of day not just morning birds. I went home and got a trail camera and put it on an opening with scratchings and a dusting hole. I went back and checked it around 11:00 today and it had two different pics of Turkeys from yesterday. I have my camera set on 5 minute delay.....

RC · March 25, 2013, 08:21:00 PM

After looking at these pictures today I decided to take my blind down to the Island and get it set up . If nothing else it would be ready for in the Morning. I get down there...set up the blind with wet feet as the water had risen a bit and went over my boots. The wind is howling and I had to tie the blind down to keep it from flipping. I then realized I had left my Tree Shark tipped arrow on my desk in my bow room after I touched it up. No problem because I had a Dawgware full of tiger Sharks. I also typical of me on the first hunt of the year for me for anything forgot my vest with decoys and calls in it.I had a mouth call in my front pocket which ended up being enough...

steadman · March 25, 2013, 08:23:00 PM

4dogs · March 25, 2013, 08:25:00 PM

fnshtr · March 25, 2013, 08:27:00 PM

Love your stories RC!

Ric O'Shay · March 25, 2013, 08:29:00 PM

Patience, he'll be back.

edge2009 · March 25, 2013, 08:30:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by fnshtr:

Love your stories RC!

Agreed some of the best.

RC · March 25, 2013, 08:30:00 PM

RC · March 25, 2013, 08:31:00 PM

look at the strutter in the back...

wapiti792 · March 25, 2013, 08:43:00 PM

Surprise, surprise, surprise...kilt and RC in the same sentence!!!

RC · March 25, 2013, 08:46:00 PM

I get the blind set get inside and open two of the four big windows and leave the netting up. I usually only open one to keep the blind dark inside but since I had forgot my Dekes I figured I would need more shooting/seeing room. I yelped a few times ....After about 10 minutes I decided I would close one as there was more light inside than I wanted. I zipped the one to my right simply because I was sitting better for a shot out the left...plain laziness..lol.
After about 10 more minutes I started out thinking myself as we sometimes do...called a couple more times and was going to open the window back just in case a bird came around the other side of the blind. About that time I heard one hammer down...maybe 40 yards away.....

My blind has zip up windows that are loud so there would be no unzipping. Luck was with me as the Bird came into veiw on my left side. He was "dressed out" as Brother John would say. He would strut and drum then unfold and take a step or two. I got the bow up as he was blowing back up. I don`t like to shoot strutting turkeys as there is a whole lot of false target showing then. He unfolds and the Simmons hits hard and he strikes out ..barely able to run. He sorta tried to fly but could not get in the air. He was out of sight but I felt good...Another bird sounds off behind me...

March 25, 2013, 09:00:00 PM

Congrats, RC! Keep it coming!

Bisch

Steve O · March 25, 2013, 09:02:00 PM

And so begins the 2013 pile of dead stuff by RC!

RC · March 25, 2013, 09:24:00 PM

Here we go. To get to this place you gotta go bout a half mile out of the back door to here...

cross and go here...

cross and go up the bank...

Gods country. Set the blind up. I like to back the blind up against stuff for cover and to maybe cut down the places a bird can come from...

Cyclic-Rivers · March 25, 2013, 09:25:00 PM

Congrats RC.. wondering about the other birds fate.

Roughrider · March 25, 2013, 09:29:00 PM

here I was thinking a trail cam picture of a bird in a kilt ...didn't know they were Scottish.

tracker1 · March 25, 2013, 09:33:00 PM

Good job RC I always enjoy reading about your hunts

RC · March 25, 2013, 09:33:00 PM

Back to the tale. I sat and called and waited but the other Bird never showed. I got out and heard him fly through the swamp spooked...no patience on my part and walked the long 40 or so yards for my Bird. shot was 8 yards....

If not for the trail camera pics I would have set the blind for in the mornings hunt. May still go back.

2 year old. 9" beard and 7/8 spurs.Thank you Lord.RC

steadman · March 25, 2013, 09:34:00 PM

Congrats again brother

Thumper Dunker · March 25, 2013, 09:34:00 PM

Way to go.