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As good as mwrecks???

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
Lets face it, mwrecks is if not the best, he is one of the best deer hunters in the state. Now I read about all of this turkey killing business and thought its not really fair even if Mike works harder and smarter than the rest of us to wear both crowns. But who could challenge him?? I thumbed through over 400 numbers in my phone calling those who had a chance, then I asked them to call their buddies, then I checked internet forums. There was no man I could find who had killed a bird every time he carried a weapon. Dang now what:smiley_confused_vra

Then it came to me, I would rise to the darron/mwrecks challenge!!!!

Mind you I never had much interest in turkey hunting. I get my son out but he does all of the work while I doze. I have helped with the wheelin sportsman for 6 years on that turkey hunt so I do know what they look like.

So I started with what firearm might be up to the challenge. Lets face it if you are trying to do the impossible you best not skimp on equipment. I decided the only shotgun I have without a slug barrel locktited to it would have to do. This old mossberg has killed alot of stuff and last summer the action was getting sloppy. Rather than pay big money for new parts I "threw" it in pond. Hunter will tell you I was trying to shoot it one handed off the dock with one arm in a sling and dropped it but he is telling a fib:smiley_arrogant:
After 4 days on the bottom I had a snorkeling uncle come over to locate it.( I forgot to tie the rope to it before I dropped it in). He found it forthright. I let it drain and dry overnight and hosed it with wd40 the next day. All the sloppiness was gone and still goes BANG everytime. Even with all the rust it was still kinda shiney, not attract amish shiney, but maybe spook a turkey shiney. So I found a part can of John Deere green on the shelf and hosed her down. After the required 12.5 minutes of dry time Hunter and I took after it with magic markers. Looks like it is off the wall at Cabela's!! You'll see a pic later. I was limited as far as choke selection since the "full" has been seized in there so bad for 11 years I could not torch it out, full would have to do. I found some high brass pheasant loads behind the gun cabinet so I was in business weapon wise.

So now I needed a call and some dekes. I an in it to win it so I bought the cheapest call set and dekes Gander Mtn. had. I only had 10 minutes between work and the girl's play so I could not be real picky, in addition bought a tag. So I got home from the play and practiced with the slate call(I think thats the name) for 10 minutes. Made some noises that kinda sounded "turkeyish". Check that stuff off the list.

Now I needed to find some high tech camo clothes. Found a shirt I got at Rocky on clearance for $12, that looks pretty "springy woodsy". Damn! All my my pants were too big so I dug into the archives and found a pair, from I swear 1984 bought at Kmarts. A hat, boots, and camo makeup completed my outfit with the exception of a good dose of Off. I was outta propane for the thermacell.

So the plan was for me to drop off Hunter at his spot and head to mine well before light. Due to my extreme dedication to this I shut off my alarm at 5 and said fugg it I ain't goan!! Then I am awakened from my slumber to Hunter in the doorway "All my stuff is ready lets go!" Oh crap he did not shut off his alarm:smiley_blackeye: I haphazardly get my teef brushed and stumble out the door. I try and grab all the stuff I had so neatly scattered through the garage. It was kinda like an early morning scavanger hunt, HOW FUN!! I rounded up enough stuff to cover my carcass and hunt so away we went.
 
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swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
So I drop Hunter off (he can hunt alone now, he is da man) and head to my spot a few miles away. Instead of going to my planned spot I stop at the far edge of the hardwoods and scrape the thing on my call a couple times. A bird gobbles 2oo yards off instantly, dang how tough can this be?? So I grab my stuff and start sneaking in since it is full daylight by now.

He calling everytime he hears a crow or whatever at this point, so I am getting all jacked up as I rush to get set up. I realized I did not grab the right stake parts so I only got one stake for the jake. I set the hen on a stump. I looked at my setup with dissapointment. Hunter had told me to heat up some water and stuff them with rags last night to puff them out but I would not listen. My dekes looked like they had spent the night under Rosie O Donnel. Well not much I could do now the bird was pretty close.

I backed under a tree and did the call thing agian. He kept answering back but would not get closer. Now what?? I started thinking on my vast knowledge of the sport and remembered they doan like to cross water. There was a swamp between him and I. So I grabbed the jake and started to sneaky-sneak across the swamp. I figured they were 75-100 past the swamp and I could set up on the edge. I am kinda smiles like a loon at how smart of a turkey hunter I have become, this could be over before 8am!!

So I get 15 yards from where I am going to set up and all hell breaks loose!! I start getting hit with branches and all kinda racket above me...WTF?? I did not hear a plane going down....Then I look up and see close to a dozen birds flying in every direction above me. They sounded further than they were because they were 60' up a tree. Well I at least saw them....Just kidding, that was my plan all along. Since it is late in the breeding season I decided to use fall tactics and bust 'em up to call them back. You gotta think outside the box.

I chased and called till it seemed futile. Then I saw a jake heading away. I tried to close the distance and spooked him across the road where he strutted back and forth. It was like he knew I could not shoot across the road nor did I have permission to hunt there. Bastard. Maybe there is more to killing these dumb birds than I thought??

So I backtracked and gather my gear and headed to my origanally planned spot. Which is a brush blind I built last year to use while my shoulders healed and could not climb trees. I was gonna play the shoulder card but my guess is wrecks has his own aches and pains from his athletic days, so no hope playing that card.

Here is my blind.
144.JPG


I set up the jake keeping watch over the hen at the feeder. The feeder is empty and has been since Dec. before anyone asks.

147.JPG
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
So now it is about 8:45 and I get settled in and do the call thing a few times. Nothing. I am starting to think its time for a nap, the birds are done for the day. So I text with hunter and hit the call every few minutes, nada. Well this is not so much fun. Then i hear a gobble 200 yards or so to my sw.(I was facing sw when i took the pic of the dekes) This just lights up the crows but the turkey shuts up. So I say screw it and bust out my crow call, they start heading in so to get them really going I owl hoot 'em a couple times. I had crows all around me and was going to start dumping them when my a.d.d. took a break and my brain reminded me I was not here just to kill stuff, I was after turkeys:smiley_crocodile:

So now its around 9 or so and getting kinda warm out, a nap is sounding better and better, let wrecks have the crown. Instead I dug into my pack for a Pepsi, a sac o choaca-chunk cookies and go to town on them. Burn a heater and gave it another few minutes of quiet before I hit the call one last time and settled in for a nap. I was just getting comfy when a gobble broke the quiet maybe 80 yards away! Holy shit a legit chance at a bird?? Wrecks ain't gonna like this one bit!!

Only problem is the bird was coming from due north. I am facing north when I took the pic of the blind. So you can see that side is like 4' plus tall and thick as hell. I scrunch down in the blind trying to find an opening to look through....BAM....another gobble... I find and opening to peer through and there he is 60 yards out and I see beard boys and girls!!! :pickle:
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Story is not finished and I am already rolling!

My dekes looked like they had spent the night under Rosie O Donnel.

Best line so far in the story but there were smiles as I was reading. Thanks Randy.
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
Him is all yoked up dragging his wings just a trotting in. Holy Toledo here we go. Oh wait I can't very well just pop up out of the blind like a stripper from a cake (although I do have the body to do so) and start blasting can I?? Dang he has slowed up at 40yards and is wondering why everybody got so still and quiet. I am panicking trying to find an opening to shove my gun barrel out of but nothing is big enough.

Now he is at 30 yards and folded up and looking around a lil nervous but keeps coming. I find a hole a little bigger than a golf ball that I can stick my gun through of he keeps coming but it will be my only chance. To make it more fun he will only be at 14' when he hits the only spot I can shoot. Believe it or not he hits the spot and looks the other way. I poke my gun through the hole like a cowboy fighting off indians out his cabin window. That little motion got the bird's attention!! OH NO!!!
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
But it was too late for this dirty bird! BOOM!! I swear it was like a cartoon...he saw the barrel poke out, his eyes bulged, and kabnlowey!! He hit the dirt and started flopping!!

Sweet!


They he got up and started running off!! I busted him agian at 15 yards and he stopped that running follishness rotflmao

Here is my bird and custom turkey gun.

146.JPG
 
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JD Boyd

*Supporting Member*
3,173
0
Urbana
Here I thought the way it was going you ended up shooting the dec.lol... Looks like a nice bird too. Congrats!!! Best turkey story I've read yet...lol
 

swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
The beard is about 11.5, spurs are both at 1", and it weighs about 20lbs based on my crappy garage scale.

I am now among the elite. I have killed a turkey every time I set foot in the woods to do so. Anybody wanna buy some gear?? I think I'll just stop now.

O.K. under severe pressure from a few members I am going to post this last pic. I sure hope mike thinks it is at least kinda funny:smiley_boos:


162.JPG
 

twireman

Senior Member
2,929
149
Kingston, OH
:smiley_clap: wholly crap that was good!!!

Congrats!

this story alone will make me get my ass outta bed in the morning!
 
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swantucky

The Crew
1,594
122
Swanton, Ohio
All joking aside I know I am damn lucky. The only thing I had going for me was knowing every square inch of that land. I think its great we can even hunt turkeys up here, when I was a kid I never would have dreamed of killing a turkey 5 miles from home.

JD< I probably would have shot the decoy but he never got that far I was between him and them.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
The beard is about 11.5, spurs are both at 1", and it weighs about 20lbs based on my crappy garage scale.

I am now among the elite. I have killed a turkey every time I set foot in the woods to do so. Anybody wanna buy some gear?? I think I'll just stop now.

O.K. under severe pressure from a few members I am going to post this last pic. I sure hope mike thinks it is at least kinda funny:smiley_boos:


View attachment 6804


Stop being a wussy! That is funny stuff right there...even Darron would laugh at that...unless it said fugg darron.:smiley_confused_vra
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
Great story! Congrats on the bird. I have been one-upped by Swantucky. I better take notes on what to do because it doesn't work around here. Might have to start importing turkeys around here or it might never happen.
 

Kaiser878

Senior Member
2,633
97
ohio
Stop being a wussy! That is funny stuff right there...even Darron would laugh at that...unless it said fugg darron.:smiley_confused_vra


Oh yes he does get mad about that... a couple years ago I was having a good time with darron and gave him a fugg you post....he didnt like it...I still have the pic somewhere. were you really mad about that darron?