last chance

[charlie cleveland]

well theres two days left for an old tom to give hisself up to the old 8 ga ill be totin monday and tuesday...plan on staying from before daylight till the sun goes downthese two days...i just tried one of my 8 ga reloads at 75 long steps these 2 1/2 ounces of no 2 shot put 10 holes in the 5 gallon plastic bucket that was used for pattern...allthe shot went thru at least one side and some penatrated both sides of can...i know some say dont shoot past 35 steps but im gettin deperate for a turkey and if he comes in at 75 steps or under i will take the shot...im asured this gun will cleanly take a turkey at this range cleanly if i do my part...wish me luck.... charlie

[ch]

GOOD LUCK.

[charlie cleveland]

got up at 4.30 this morning and shoulda got up at 4.00 at 5.15 it was daylight...well set up my decoys and was in the blind at 5.30....well i set in that blind for 11 hours and never seen aor heard anything like a turkey... was wore out time i got back to the truck and lord itwas warm today....needless to say i will not be in that old blind in the morning.. will change locations hope to do better got a long walkin the morning will leave the heavy 8 ga. at home trhink ill use the new 3 1/2 inch stevens double its 7 lbs lighter than the 8 ga..well gotta get up early....ps forgot to say i road up to st.louis with a buddy of mine saturday to get a couple small tractors...when we got there to the place i stepped outa the truck gues what i heard a gobbler was sounding off about 200 yards from the truck...yep you guessed it i did not have my shotgun with me... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

got up this morning at 4.00 sure didnot feel like going old bones didnt get enough rest...but pushed myself and was in the woods beforedaylight....was a beautiful morning every bird and creature around was voicing off their calls...was gonna set up on a road over looking a hill but i heard a gobbler...he was about 300 yards away but i could only close the distance by 100 yards for there was some hens giving the treetop clucks just beyond me...i got my 2 hen decoys out and gotin a natural blind behind a big pine....as i was clearing out a shooting place i heard two more gobblers i d hit the jack pot more gobblers gobbling than i had heard the whole six weeks of the season and here it was the last day...only one gobbler kept gobbling though the other 2 after flwing off the roost were silent.. i did not know whether to go after the gobbler or wait him out..he sure was vocal gobbling at every thing that made a noise...the gobbler slowly made his way to my little setup he was over an hour getting to me..he steped out into the old logging road i was setup on he sure was a sight to behold feathers blazing in the sunand blowed up like he was mad at the world...what a fine display he put on..the old gobbler was about 50 yards out he kinda hung up at that distance he wanted them hen decoys to come to him after all he was the boss around there... i had not made a call to him since he had hung up so i gave a couple soft feed ing clucks and he came in about 20 yards as he walked i noticed he was crippled...he again hung up he was in the kill zone but i waited...then a live hen had come up behind my decoys i could have not had a better helper that hen lured that gobbler in ..i let him get up to the pine tree i was setting behind and gave him a load of 2 3/4 inch hevi shot no 4 s.yes i did have a 3 1/2 mag in the left barrel i aint got the right barrel fixed yet...well the old gobbler met his waterloo this morning at 7.00 hed been a worthy apponent... he weighed 20 lbs. 11 1/2 inch beard and 1 inch spurs... he was a 3 year old by my standards...as i cleaned the bird i found shot in his leg some body else had drawed first blood but not enough... i sure was thrilled to get this turkey last chance and the last day..... i took some pictures but they failed to post will try again.... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

forgot to add the gobbler was taken at 20 foot...head shot... this is the closet shot ive ever had on a turkey in 50 plus years of hunting them.... charlie

[Dean Romig]

Keep trying to post the pictures Charlie. I'm glad you finally killed your bird - Lord knows you worker hard enough for him!

[J. A. EARLY]

Charlie,

Good job. The only successful turkey hunter is one who goes no matter what. It is so easy to stay in bed. Tomorrow will be my 15th day up at 4:30 chasing a bird-brained animal smarter than any human in survival instincts. Sometimes I think it is crazy and my wife says it is an obsession, but next year one does not remember all of the bad days, only the ones when you got your birds.

I'm glad you got him. I remember your pictures from last year of the soaking wet bird. That is the sign of a true turkey hunter.

[Dean Romig]

I wrote this several years ago and hung it on the wall of the bunkroon at camp as an incentive to one or two late risers in our camp. It is good advice to anyone who hesitates when the call is plainly heard...



.

[charlie cleveland]

thanks all for the comments and encouragement.... DEAN that truly is a good thing to hang on the wall im going to barrow it and hang it on the wall too. J. A . KEEP HANGING IN THERE....i know it takes a lot of self will to keep pushing morning after morning with no success but it happened for me the last day that ended in success... fellas we need a full report on them turkeys yall fixin to get.... only thing better that coulda been better for me if i d carried the old parker ten yesterday...hope you boys are chaseing them old turkeys rite now.... charlie

[Larry Mason]

Congrats Charlie!! I knew it was just a matter of time.

And thank you, Dean. "Just do it" is outstanding and will be printed here if you have no objections.