Did a little shooting today...

[nchawkeye]

This is what I did today....Opening day in NC and the birds were hot...I hunted until about 10 and returned at 2...Called in 2 gobblers at 3:15 or so...This is the largest, 11 inch beard...

I know it's not black powder, but I spend more time here than in the other areas...

[cayugad]

That is a fantastic bird there. What do you think that big hog weighed? Congratulations on a fine bird.

[Semisane]

Well done Hawkeye. I'm not much of a turkey hunter, but it seems to me that a lot of guys make the mistake of passing up the afternoon hunt.

[rt_con]

Nice pic ! Sounds like you had a great day.

Is that a Browning Gold ?

[nchawkeye]

Cay, he weighed in at 23 pounds...

Semi...I had 7 different gobblers going at it yesterday morning and had time to work two before the hens took them away...I moved to a green field at 7:30 and had 7 jakes within 20 yards by 8:00...I heard gobblers until about 8:30...I slipped out at 10 and returned at 2 thinking that maybe one or two would have left their hen they had in the morning and try to find another for the evening...

Well, for once that's exactly what happen...I set two hen decoys up in the field and sat back in a green beach chair, gave a few yelps and took a little nap...About 2:45 I hear a faint gobble...I gave a few yelps and relaxed again...At 3:15 or so I sent out a series of yelps and was cut off...Two birds come into the field about 5 minutes later with a gobbler with a 8 inch beard in the lead...

The big bird never gobbled...They made a bee line for my hens and when they got to within 35 yards the big one went into a strut...I yelped quietly and he stuck his head up and I popped him...

I had a heck of a time running the other bird from the field...I would mouth gobble and he would gobble back...

rt...That's actually a Browning B-80, made about 1982 if I remember correctly...I bought it from my younger brother in the late 80s for $200...It came with a 26 and 28 inch 3 inch mag barrel...With a Hastings .640 choke it is deadly...The gun fits me extremely well and I use it for deer, turkeys, squirrels, doves, ducks, whatever by just changing barrels and chokes...

It's a little unusual to see a turkey gun that's not all camo but I have never really had a problem spooking birds...I think it's really all about the set up that you put yourself in...

[cayugad]

That really is a nice bird. I love to turkey hunt, but forgot to apply for a spring license this year. Plus where I hunt, the farm was sold to some family that want it as a "hobby farm for their horses." I can't blame my friend for selling. What they were willing to pay him, he bought a new farm with a new house on it.

I never hunted with a camouflage turkey gun in my life. I killed more turkey with my 12 gauge $110.00 Westfield (Savage brand new bought in 1977) double barrel with Remington #4 three inch Nitro Mags then I care to count. Plain old wood on it, and nothing fancy, just a bead front sight. But be careful you don't hit both triggers or it will set you down on the ground real fast. I had two tags one year and was going to pull a double Tom. Had two nice Toms at the decoys, and I figured I could shoot the first, then swing on the second. So I put a finger on each trigger. Hit the front trigger, and the kick caused me to hit the back trigger and that's when I went over backward on the little stool. I got the first one at least.

[gman57]

Really nice Tom nchawkeye, our spring season opens next month I cant wait , but we can only hunt 1/2 day till noon.

[TNHagies]

Beautiful bird nchawkeye!

My dad and I both hunted for years and killed a ton of turkeys with a glossy stock, gloss barreled 870 Wingmaster. I've changed to a camo 870 turkey special now but it's hard to argue with the sucess of the past.

Congrats again on a nice bird!

[flounder33]

Beautiful bird, nice going.
Art

[Old/New]

Nice bird. I'll be going up this weekend to scout for gobs. We open up May1 (NY).