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Random hunting story...2005

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    Random hunting story...2005

    I’m not a real turkey hunter. I’ve killed 5 or 6. I think all of them but the one that’s the focus of this story were with a bow over a feeder.

    I only got one with a shotgun…and it turned out to be one of my favorite hunting experiences over the last 40 years.

    It was Spring of 2005 and my Uncle Joe and I had just got on a new lease north of Brackettville (about 20 miles north of town off of 674 towards Rocksprings). We had both been hunting East Tx and were ready for a change. I found a lease online with two spots and we signed up…sight unseen.

    We were going to drive down together for the first work weekend. About 400 miles one way. My uncle had reminded me before the trip that it would be turkey season when we got there. I didn’t think much about it until a week or so before the departure date. I knew nothing about turkeys and don’t think I had ever seen one in the wild at that point. I got on the ol’ dialup internet and did some quick research.

    I headed to Walmart or Academy and bought a call and some 12 gauge turkey loads. The call was either Drury’s or Primos glass striker type call. I roughed it up with some sandpaper and started practicing with it all week. Drove the wife, neighbors, and coworkers crazy.

    We got up to the lease late the first night. The guys were smoking something on an old BBQ pit and we threw some meat on there. One thing led to the other and we crashed out late.

    We got up around daylight to start setting up feeders and feed pens. We were waiting around for some of the other guys to load up, when for some reason I opened up the BBQ pit to look inside.

    The lid made a hellacious squeak. I instantly heard a loud gobble way down in a draw (dry riverbed) below camp. I opened the lid and closed it again and got another gobble.

    I told my uncle, Y’all are gonna have to wait on me. I’m going to get that gobbler." My confidence faaaaaaar exceeded my ability.

    I threw on some camo, grabbed my Winchester 12 gauge and turkey call and took off at a quick walk/trot down into the draw.

    I don’t know what happened to that original tom, but when I got set up against a tree on the steep bank of the draw, I hit the call and a bird answered from a long way off. He was actually across the highway from us towards the Kickapoo Creek/Nueces River on an adjoining property.

    I had never called a turkey, so my first instinct was, “The more the better”. Every time I laid down a string of rookie hen talk, he was sounding off. And then he got quiet. No answer.

    I figured he was too far away and would never cross 674 to come onto our property. I didn’t realize when I first set up, but I was about 75-100 yards from a big water crossing under the roadway.

    I waited and waited and then when I hit the call again, that dang gobbler was inside the culvert (under the road) and his gobble echoed out of there like the voice of God in full surround sound with Dolby DX enhancement. It gave me chills. I hit a couple soft calls and threw it down on the ground and raised my shotgun.

    He must have read the script. He made it through the culvert/crossing and came running down the dry riverbed at a fast pace, head stretched out like a Golden Corral VIP member when the chocolate fountain gets turned on.

    He stopped 20 yards in front of me and went into full strut. I knocked his head off with the turkey load. It took a few seconds to sink in. I had did it. My first turkey hunt. First set. Ten dollar friction call. I started dancing up and down, violating most firearms safety rules, and almost fell down the steep bank. I slid down on my butt to the draw and picked him up. He was heavy! Great beard and spurs.

    I felt like the king of the world carrying him into camp with my Uncle Joe and 8 or 9 strangers staring at me as I walked up the hill with the tail fan and wings spread out behind me.

    “What y’all doing boys? Thought I would get in a quick hunt while y’all were fiddle fartin’ around at camp”.

    They all started laughing and shook my hand and clapped me on the back.

    The lease boss said took him and came back and said he weighed just over 21 lbs. Not sure how accurate that scale was, but he felt every bit of that.

    I was only on that lease for one year (anthrax zone), but that 10 minute turkey hunt was well worth the entry fee.

    The yellow X is where I think he was when he first answered me. The blue X is where he crossed under 674 onto our lease. The red X is where he died. Red circle is where I “called” with the BBQ pit lid.

    God bless Texas!

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    Last edited by Chew; 04-20-2022, 02:45 PM.

    #2
    Isn't it amazing how fun and simple that can be. Then sometimes, it doesn't matter if you had a truck load of live hens, the gobblers won't come in.

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      #3
      Great story!

      Comment


        #4
        That’s a good story!

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          #5
          That was a good read.

          Comment


            #6
            And here we have Chew before promotional exams.
            Standing tall and ready to take on any turkey.

            Great read though

            Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

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              #7
              Originally posted by Quackerbox View Post
              And here we have Chew before promotional exams.
              Standing tall and ready to take on any turkey.

              Great read though

              Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
              No promotions here!

              Comment


                #8
                I enjoyed the read. Thanks for posting…I sure like seeing some hunting threads.

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                  #9
                  Thanks for sharing that.

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                    #10
                    Fantastic story.


                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                      #11
                      Hechava story, thanks for sharing!

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                        #12
                        Random hunting story...2005

                        Awesome story. Call that a “making it look easy” hunt. My first deer was something similar. Then the following season reality kicks in that the rest of your hunts will cost you a considerable more amount of time, effort, and material resources.


                        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                          #13
                          Great story

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                            #14
                            “at a fast pace, head stretched out like a Golden Corral VIP member when the chocolate fountain gets turned on”.

                            Lol.

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                              #15
                              Enjoyed the story from the Chew archives!

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