Me, LarryBob and LarryBob Jr chased turkeys this morning. Like 10 minutes into the hunt something spooked eight deer who stampeded through a gaggle of at least 100 turks.
The turks took the opportunity to also stampede and beat feet from where I had hoped to dry gulch them. I figured I'd need to hang around for an hour or two while they wandered back into the wheat stubble where they had been foraging.
Entering the equasion were two BFHs ( very large hawks ) who dive bombed the turks. They nailed one and the rest scattered. Six of which came steaming right over me with afterburners smoking. I led the nearest trying for a clean head shot. POW! ...nuttin. I mentally replayed the shot on the way home & believe I led too far and maybe a bit over. No alabis - no excuses - no war stories... I flat missed.
Second shot I aimed for the entire turk. POW! ...nuttin. While leading the turk, it flew behind a tree which absorbed most of my pattern. Rats.
I heard LarryBob get off a shot and a little later, LarryBob Jr fired three times.
LarryBob also missed, but LarryBob Jr smoked a nice hen turk & rooster pheasant. The guy who owns the property introduced us to a neighbor who gave us permission to hunt his place! Another good old boy!
Me & LarryBob speak good old boy & yukked it up with both landowners for most of an hour. This is time well spent & it gives them time to see what kind of people will be stomping around their property.
We both gave land owner the 1st gift certificates to Applebees & Chilis. His wifey likes to dine out when the come to the big city.
We didn't get any more shots except Jr shot at a pair of mallards. Which flew off unscathed.
So no turks for me, but I enjoyed myself immensely.
Life is good! SW
LarryBob Jr's turk & pheasant
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Buttes where we hunted way the heck & gone south of Whitney
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Barely visible to the right is one of the large hawks that scattered the turks.
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