I was once told " you very seldom miss a turkey , you just didnt kill it" that makes sense to me, i just didnt kill a few in my day too. :rotf:

1892 grade 0 hammer reporting from PA.

Turned the photo.

Nice one Harold❗️
See you at Ernie’s??





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Nice bird Harold. Is that a slug gun you used? I see a scope mounted on it.:)

Dylan great job!

Harold looking good!

Saturday morning found me walking the lowlands with a Damascus 16 gauge GHE, a mouth call and 6 shotgun shells. The romance I vision involves no blinds nor decoys. A love affair, just me against turkey. The morning awoke to a gobbler in a romantic mood. He was gobbling on the roost at the river’s edge. I headed in his direction with the intention of flirting with him at first light. We had a great romantic affair underway when like flipping a switch he shut up, obviously not impressed with my “I love you”. I sat quietly for an hour enjoying the morning waking up all around me. Amazing creation we get to enjoy on mornings such as these. I finally decided to move a little closer to the dance floor, making my way towards the field that lay on the banks of the river. I spotted lover all puffed up dancing around a hen looking pretty. He quit talking to me because he found his true love. Knowing I had no chance to get within range I eased away to leave the lovers to themselves. The season is winding down. I have seen lots of turkeys the past few weeks but still haven’t been successful. Or maybe I have been.

I’d call that success. I spent Saturday roaming and calling blind. My watch told me I put in seven miles. I had several encounters, made some blunders, and enjoyed the heck out of the morning. Reggie, you are so right about the beauty of morning in the turkey woods.

Too much!
 

I’m starting to worry a little bit about my Parker brothers. First, we got Big Mike, in another thread, wanting to fillet a stripper and now Reggie’s flirting and romanticizing with a gobbler. What’s happening out there? Or, maybe I don’t wanna know. :rotf::rotf:

A testament to TSS shot. NH bird this morning with a Stevens single shot .410 using Federal #9 TSS. I killed the bird at 40 yards. He was stone dead and never moved.

Congratulations!

Steve that is a beautiful Tom, congrats!

Yea. TSS is great, killed a half dozen birds in past few years. They hit the ground dead, don't even flop. I'm a believer. Sure, I've killed probably 40 birds with lead, but TSS is amazing.

W O W !!





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I had a local guy tell me last season that he’d slam dunked a gobbler at 70+ yards with a 20 gauge shooting the TSS stuff which he claimed he laser ranged before shooting and I thought he was uhm let’s say stretching the truth . But I suppose if it can be done at 40 with a 410 perhaps his 20 gauge claim was legit .

I bet it was. I laser ranged my shot today.

I talked to some duck guides on the upper Mississippi River that say tss #9 is amazing on long shot cripples. A bit too rich for my blood but I hate to see a wounded bird slip away. I’d love to try it on turkeys where you’re not firing a lot of shells. Nice looking bird

Rick, try it, you won't want to go back to lead.

Beauty! Well done.

April in the central west Alabama almost high hills in the early morning is a wonderful time.
No sounds but a Barred owl and a large Pillated woodpecker...sun rays catching the trees.
Then, almost a mile distant through the oak and hickory a strange almost muted gobble, then another- same bird.
Moving down toward a small field, I found a well located if not hidden spot and called to this forlorn turkey. He gobbled right back-the duel with this Eastern wild turkey was on.
No decoy or blind, just an older hunter challenged since his first gobbler at 14. ( Who says turkey hunting is not a disease?)
After more yelps and gobbling exchanged, at about 65 yards I caught movement through the wood thicket. He was definitely headed my way East to West, looking for a hen or a fight-or both. He closed still moving to 50 yards, but he was looking sharply as only an old gobbler can, and he was headed for a high bushed berm, 20 yards away. Decision time, as the berm would serve as cover for this denizen of the forest blocking shotgun #4 pellets. He was'nt coming any closer as he had made up his mind. Old gobblers get old by use of acute vision and trusting nothing until seen, preferably beyond any normal shotgun range.
But he had not figured on a 1924 Long Range LC Smith 3-in gun, or maybe a 1925 VHE
Parker 2 7/8 in shotgun with 3 in Long Beard #4s.At the shot-right barrel- he was stunned but not down or gone-standing... left barrel closed the distance**This morning it was the LC Smith and its 32 in full choke barrels that did the business at 51 yards. Longer range than I am comfortable with, but this 21 pound -10 inch bearded fine gobbler was about to leave...
almost. A noble Eastern gobbler. Maybe I can get a picture, if he will quit trying to run off with the LC Smith...