Guyz, your advice and predictions were right on! Just got back from my first (and not last) turkey hunt to South Texas. I've never been to that part of Texas before (2 1/2 hours SW of San Antonio - near Cotulla) and I found it absolutely mesmorizing! The weather ws spectacular.
I had a riot chasing those buggars. The drought last year hit them hard. No one saw any Jakes. This spring has seen good rains.
On morning number two I bagged two birds. They had been pressured hard the opening days before my arrival, so they were kind of cagey. We had our best action after locating, then moving into the old boy's bedroom, and then soft calling (Kee-Kee). Both my birds came hard and fast.
Not knowing what kind of ranges I'd be shooting to, I dusted off my battle worn Browning BPS Stalker (3 1/2"). Since the Parkerized finish had been literally worn off it, I decided to try my hand at camo-dipping and couldn't be happier! Great & helpful folks there.
http://www.hydraphics.com/catalog/index.php It all proved to be more than ample medicine for the task. The country was at times more open than I expected and at other times MUCH more brushy than I'm accustomed to. In the more open country the huge prickly pear clumps are like broken sections of adobe walls. In the thick cover, the mesquite can be like alder swamps up here in Michigan. I had shots in both kinds of cover - at ranges a little over 30 yards.
On #2 bird I was surprised to see somebody had already taken a poke at him... apparently while in full strut, because he had a chunk missing off the top of his tail! So I guess I fooled one with a little extra education.
I'll try to post some pics.
Anyway, thanks again for your help getting this yankee up to speed on Rio's! - EB