Turkey hunting stories
 

Anyone go this weekend? Not hearing many in North Ms.

Hugh, we have another month to go before our season, and our birds are still in flocks...although I have seen some Toms wandering along with the family groups near our house.

Oh, for gobbling time! Good luck to you down South.

i went friday i had no luck...not a sound or a track or a dropping seen....i have heard of 2 gobblers killed in my area.....others say the same thing i did no luck yet.... i did get them long range 12 ga shells the new tss tungston federal load in no 9 shot with 2 1/4 ounce of shot.i did pattern it in a benelli automatic...it will take a turkey at 70 yards on paper.....with room to spare unbelievable pattern...also got a 20 ga load 3 inch that got 1 1/2 ounce of shot in it called 3 rd degree suppose to be good up close and mid range and out to 50 yards...aint tried the 20 yet ive never hunted with a 20 ga for turkeys...just the old 8 gas the 10 ga my favorite and the 12 ga used a 16 ga a coupla times but never got a shot with it....charlie

this new tss shot does say on the pacage it could be harmful to gun barrels so shoot it at your own risk it says on box...the shot is harder than steel.....charlie

The 20's are great with the tungsten shot ; very impressive on ducks. Patterns like nothing else in a 20 with great penetration.Cannot bring myself to use it in a Parker but good in the 1100 3".

I would think plastic shot cups with #8 or 9 shot should be okay in Parker barrels.





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I was thinking the same thing if I was gonna shoot the new shot I’d use an 870 , 1100 or 11/87 . And if you scored the barrel no biggie just get a new barrel .

SC comes in Wednesday and Georgia comes in Saturday. Looking forward to it and hope other "stuff" does not get in the way of me going at least by Saturday

report from north Miss. Opening day Friday the 15. Winter trying to turn into spring. Overcast very little wind temps. in the high30's. heard a couple just across the railroad off of club property, but they will cross on to us they do it all the time. Set facing east 100 yards off the railroad 50 yards from a small field and here comes the train. Trains do seem to mess up turkeys. I think It is because they have seen and heard them since the day they were hatched. After train got out of the way the woods settled down I yelped a couple times and leaded back against my tree just enjoying being there. After 3 or 4 minutes A turkey gobbled then a gobbled again in a couple minutes. Then I realized the turkey was behind me. ( I am totally deaf in my right ear and have awful time with sound direction ) I slipped to another tree 4 feet away got set. About this time he was to close to move and I was in a open area too open. there he was dark as night with red head bobing as angled toward me. He got to about 75 yards and stopped fanned out gobbled and really put on the show. I yelped a time or two over the next 20 minutes and he walked back and forth looking for than hen. It was so damned open where I was and the gobbler knew if there hen there and she moved he would see her. He gobbled and gobbled and double gobbled on his own. Never in 48 years of turkey hunting have I seen a gobbler get this worked up this early in the season. It was like late April and all the hens are nesting and he had been cut off for week by all the girl turkeys. He was so loud I was thinking That he was going to call up every turkey in the bottom. All at once he starts acting uneasy looking back and walking back and forth and here comes 2 gobblers fanned out the running toward him. They face off gobble at each other and play whip ass for a short time while I setting there praying they run the SOB by me. ( had that to happen one time) All at once they stop and the 2 newcomers begin to walk off. Guess they made there minds there was no need to fight since was no hen. After a very short time the first gobbler just walked away and I just relaxed thinking only six more weeks of this and what a way to start the season. Know where I will Saturday.

Daniel, It sounds like you were in the right spot and got to see a good show. A successful hunt in my book. Keep us posted.

Headed back to Savannah River end of the month for turkey and hog. Found lots of birds and quite a few hog. Killed this big sow with friends Weatherby 300 magnum after missing a couple “chip shots” with my Parker. I’ll run slugs in left barrel and turkey load in right barrel. Good luck to all and hunt safely.

I have hunted several places along the Savannah River. There are lots of good areas

Daniel what a great story of your hunting experience. It got me excited thinking about chasing these birds. Season for me is still another month away.
A couple of pictures from 2018 to jump start the Parker Turkey adrenaline.
Pictures of Hunt with Member Bob Hayes in Florida at his lodge with my 8 gauge and a Gobbler in New Mexico with my 32” 20.

nice 8 gauge and turkey...them barrels on that 20 ga look 4 foot long.....good luck on up coming hunt...charlie

SC opens tomorrow. I am thinking of taking one of the big bores this weekend. We'll see

I'm really looking forward to this spring and chasing mounting Merriam's. Gotta wait til the snow melts and the green up starts before they'll be on their leks.

Report from north Miss. The war goes on but not many battles being fought. After an outstanding opening morning, the turkeys have all but gone in a hole. Sunday my son was in town and he wanted to try an afternoon hunt after the bird I was on opening morning. He just knew that decoys would do the turn the trick. We got on him and got him fired up. In about 15 minutes here he comes. Stops gobbles and looks at the fanned gobbler and hen walking round but not coming in. after a while he just eases off down the bottom. Have not heard him since. Most of friends are not hearing much. But it is just March 20 and I have had some outstanding years when I did not heard one unti April. But when the season is open it is HARD not to go.

Season opens Saturday here. Can't sleep. Turkeys everywhere.

Headed out Sunday hoping for a repeat of last year!

Early lifter short 10, $125 grade, first known exposed hinge pin Parker!

Planning to go tomorrow

i plan on going to mills...good hunting.....4.00 comes early mills.....charlie

Been out in W. Central Alabama. Cool mornings and tracks, but "All quiet on the Western Front".

Technical: What is the general opinion on using HEVI or Bismuth in vintage barrels?
I have a SuperFox, Long Range LC Smith, and a BE grade Fox. All are 1920s guns
with 30-32 in barrels and full chokes. The LC Smith got the last gobbler-lead Super X
# 5s. Really would like to know about non-toxic shot shells...........

The 1923 Parker AAHE is like a Boykin Spaniel that has to stay home on a duck hunt.
It guards the safe.

Bismuth and Nice Shot are the go to non tox for vintage barrels in my opinion. I shoot Bismuth loaded by RST for my waterfowl hunting. Personally I don't worry too much about turkey loads, as I sort of use the same logic I use Bow hunting, and seldom take a shot over 30 yards, and never take a shot over 40 yards, and typically take a shot at 15-25 yards. At 20 yards, I don't know of a load over 3/4's of an ounce of lead 4's,5's or 6's that wont get the job done, regardless of gauge. Was hunting with David Boyles this week, and he was shooting a nifty DHE 20 using RST 3/4 oz 2 1/2" 4's, and his bird died where it was standing. I was shooting RST short 10, lite's 1 1/4 oz of fives, and my bird was dropped like a bad habit.

Man, I'd hate to be a bearded turkey anywhere near where you two guys are hunting...:eek: Talk about getting snuffed out before your time....:cheers:





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Here is David Boyles grandson Cortland, myself and David doing the posing on this past Monday and tuesday. 16 parker, short 10 parker and 20 parker respectively!

.Like I said before...:eek: and :cheers:





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That is awesome!

i will be back in the woods saturday morning...first hunt i seen nothing not even a track last saturday seen no turkey but seen some tracks and had a hen come by out of sight but was clucking away....so this saturday hopefully is the day to see a big tom....them are some fine guns and turkeys you boys have there....good hunting to all....charlie

Mills and I are going back Saturday. I got him some new Turkey clothes. It will be fun even if all we get is breakfast at Altman's afterwards

Charlie, why limit yourself to Saturdays? You’re retired aren’t you?





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dean i was retired but went back to work....i will take a week off in a coupla more weeks....the turkeys aint gobbling like they should so far but hopefully when the bugs begin to be in the fields times will change.....charlie

i have no turkey storey to tell this weekend...thursday morning going to work a rear tire blowed out on my pickup went about a quater mile before i could pull safely off the rode no damage other than tire...i jacked the truck up took the lug nuts off aluminum rim was stuck to the axle...called several people for help but no body answered ....call the wife it was now 6.15 am told her to bring me a sledge hammer she says what is that....after explaing what it looked like and where it was she brought it to me about 20 minutes later....knocked the rim off but took several blows....got the spare and it was about flat so a short ride to a truck shop they aired up my tire....went back to truck put on the spare let the jack down...bow was i pooped...my daughter came by and stopped she grabbed up the blowed out tire and throwed it in the bed....thank goodness for that.....they said for me to rest a while when i got to work this i did i had a easy day so saturday morning i was setting at the tire shop at 7.00am to get new tires on the truck...plus now a sledge hammer rides with me....i went home got the tractor out and my grandson came over a help service the tractor...then at 3 oclock my brother came by to visit and there went my evening turkey hunt...oh well next time....charlie

Mills and I had one really close on Saturday but wouldn't come in, as usual.

This morning Dad and I heard one way in the distance and he went the other way

Is there any research on wild turkeys coming close to examine engraving on
graded shotguns- to comment on the quality of Gough workmanship?

If not, maybe I'll just take a M-12 Heavy Duck gun and use the Fox or Parker AAHE
like a decoy hen. The hens are around but the heavier birds must be 4 yr olds
that have gotten smart - quiet, and sneaky................

the model 12 duck gun is one fine turkey gun....in fact i need to get me a heavy duck gun... charlie

Went this evening to call for a friend, we were on a real small place, only 37 acres..but lots of sign etc. ... got all set up.....started calling, and immediatly got a pissed off Hen putting all arond us....kiss of death on a small place like this...thank god they make whiskey!!

Out Back
 

Yesterday evening late I had 23 in the back yard including 3 Toms and at least 3 Jakes I could see. Had to snap the pics through the back door glass. 21 days and counting before the opener.

That's a good sign to see those Jakes. We've had such bad hatches the past several years here that I don't see many Jakes and the gobbling birds are generally pretty old...and cagy.

The struggle continues this weekend. I might take the heavy duck

Incredible hunt in the Deep South for Savannah River swamp gobblers! I had birds all over me morning after morning before smoking this bottomland tom yesterday at 7:45AM. Heard six different toms and this twenty pound 2 year old snuck in without a peep to check the decoys. First spotted just his head periscoping over road bank at ten yards (couldn’t see his beard) then he angled out toward jake decoy revealing his 10” beard. He passed behind large oak giving me the chance to lift the Space Age Parker and draw a bead. Dear friend, hunting buddy, call maker and PGCA member Niles Oesterle provided the longbox which was magical talking softly to these Dixie devils. Truly a turkey hunt of a lifetime for this damn Yankee, southern birds are tough customers! Sorry these photos load sideways.