Texas Massacre...
Texas Massacre...
Dad and I had an awesome hunt in Texas opening weekend. We lost our best 3 places, but had a few options left and one new property, so decided to give it a shot and it turned out way better than expected. I was pretty excited to go, especially after not getting on anything opening week here at home. The weather was bad, but the toms were on fire and we didn’t check up until the last tag was punched
We rolled in Friday eve and set out to do some scouting. I glassed a few nice toms while driving around, but none were on the properties we had to hunt, so we were basically going in blind the next morn. I was pretty pumped though as last year was tough, we didn’t see any while driving around and Dad and I only took one bird between the two of us(We had a little debt to settle )
A cold front came through Friday and temps were dropping by late eve, so I was glad I brought my winter gear. Saturday morn we woke to temps in the low 40s with wind, fog, and cloud cover. I dropped dad off in a spot, then headed to the new property to give it a shot. As light came I heard one tom on the neighbor’s place, but he shut up after fly down and it was dead silent. Then about 8 the rain started, mostly a light drizzle, but the stiff wind made it kind of a pain since we were using FFs on our rigs(Even with the covers on it was tough). About 8:30 Dad texted me and said he was wet and froze “Come get me now.” I headed over and he’d hadn’t heard anything, but he did see some hens. We decided to drive over to a canyon we’d killed 3 birds in over the years, it was good for a bird every other year or so, so definitely worth a shot. Dad decided to stay in the truck and thaw out, so I slipped out to a point and cut. Bam, one fired off! We finally had a player! I hit the deck and slithered off the point in the opposite direction and climbed down near the brushy bottom to where I could see a few lanes 40yds or so and gave him some sweet talk. It wasn’t long and two toms were hammering and comin’ in hot. Those sneaky rascals hung up about 50yds out, then headed off with an occasional courtesy gobble. I gave it a while, then climbed back out to glass. I could see 3 big toms following a group of hens about 300yds out heading away and eventually off the property. It was exciting to play the game for the first time this season. We then decided to go back to where I started and try the one tom I’d heard early. We eased over twds the property line and set up about 150yds from the fence. As soon as I hit the call multiple toms answered! Game on baby! There must have been 10 toms hammering and it wasn’t long before a group was at the fence acting lonely. After about 30min of gobble fest, 3 toms couldn’t take it anymore and were headed our way. I finally saw them about 60yds out and they were swinging right(Dad’s on the left of me), so I got into position and when they popped out of the brush I picked the one in the middle and let him have it. His buddy a couple feet to the left was pretty darn unlucky as he suffered a broken neck from a flyer. Call it ammo conservation I suppose
Continued…..
We rolled in Friday eve and set out to do some scouting. I glassed a few nice toms while driving around, but none were on the properties we had to hunt, so we were basically going in blind the next morn. I was pretty pumped though as last year was tough, we didn’t see any while driving around and Dad and I only took one bird between the two of us(We had a little debt to settle )
A cold front came through Friday and temps were dropping by late eve, so I was glad I brought my winter gear. Saturday morn we woke to temps in the low 40s with wind, fog, and cloud cover. I dropped dad off in a spot, then headed to the new property to give it a shot. As light came I heard one tom on the neighbor’s place, but he shut up after fly down and it was dead silent. Then about 8 the rain started, mostly a light drizzle, but the stiff wind made it kind of a pain since we were using FFs on our rigs(Even with the covers on it was tough). About 8:30 Dad texted me and said he was wet and froze “Come get me now.” I headed over and he’d hadn’t heard anything, but he did see some hens. We decided to drive over to a canyon we’d killed 3 birds in over the years, it was good for a bird every other year or so, so definitely worth a shot. Dad decided to stay in the truck and thaw out, so I slipped out to a point and cut. Bam, one fired off! We finally had a player! I hit the deck and slithered off the point in the opposite direction and climbed down near the brushy bottom to where I could see a few lanes 40yds or so and gave him some sweet talk. It wasn’t long and two toms were hammering and comin’ in hot. Those sneaky rascals hung up about 50yds out, then headed off with an occasional courtesy gobble. I gave it a while, then climbed back out to glass. I could see 3 big toms following a group of hens about 300yds out heading away and eventually off the property. It was exciting to play the game for the first time this season. We then decided to go back to where I started and try the one tom I’d heard early. We eased over twds the property line and set up about 150yds from the fence. As soon as I hit the call multiple toms answered! Game on baby! There must have been 10 toms hammering and it wasn’t long before a group was at the fence acting lonely. After about 30min of gobble fest, 3 toms couldn’t take it anymore and were headed our way. I finally saw them about 60yds out and they were swinging right(Dad’s on the left of me), so I got into position and when they popped out of the brush I picked the one in the middle and let him have it. His buddy a couple feet to the left was pretty darn unlucky as he suffered a broken neck from a flyer. Call it ammo conservation I suppose
Continued…..
Last edited by Reloader on April 4th, 2017, 4:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Texas Massacre...
We headed back to the truck and drove down to a wheat plot for dad to try while I took care of my birds. I’m sitting there cleaning my toms and a bird fired off, so I rushed to get dad and we set up. By that time the rain was getting worse and Dad had had about all the fun he could stand, so we headed back to the truck to finish up my birds, then eased to town to grab a bite. After lunch we went right back to the tom from earlier and I’ll be danged he was still there and talking. After a long battle and increasing rain, the hens won and they left the other direction. We went back to camp to thaw and dry for a while. I think Dad was about to call it a day(5pm), but I kept egging it on and finally got him back in the mood since the rain had let up. We headed back to the canyon where I got on those that morn and eased out to a bluff. I let out a cut and a tom fired off about 3-400 out, so we hit the deck and slipped off the point in the opposite direction, then beat it around to the point and set up. I hit him again and was answered immediately. It wasn’t long and he hammered again and was gaining ground. A few minutes later I heard him spitting and told dad he’s coming! That beautiful rascal popped out of the brush about 40yds out in full strut and was easing straight twds us. You should have seen the barrel on that SX2, I was starting to think we might have a miss lol. When that big rascal made it to 25yds, he poked his head up and dad gave him a dose of Hevi 6s right up side the noggin! He was a dang nice bird, sported some nice hooks and had a real thick beard. Dad was pumped, the cold and wet no longer mattered at that point!
After some pics and celebration I told Dad I wanted to close out the day where all those birds were earlier, but said I’m going to cut before we head out of the canyon. I grabbed a glass pot and aluminum striker and let out a series of cuts when two toms dang near blew my hat off! They must have been 15yds! It was so thick in the bottom that they couldn’t see us, but must have heard me earlier. I hit the deck and dad got on the gun. They popped out in a lane about 30yds out and Dad cut one down! Talk about unexpected, but heck, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth….
After we took care of Dad’s birds, I eased back to the place where we killed my two and roosted some birds near the property line.
Continued….
After some pics and celebration I told Dad I wanted to close out the day where all those birds were earlier, but said I’m going to cut before we head out of the canyon. I grabbed a glass pot and aluminum striker and let out a series of cuts when two toms dang near blew my hat off! They must have been 15yds! It was so thick in the bottom that they couldn’t see us, but must have heard me earlier. I hit the deck and dad got on the gun. They popped out in a lane about 30yds out and Dad cut one down! Talk about unexpected, but heck, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth….
After we took care of Dad’s birds, I eased back to the place where we killed my two and roosted some birds near the property line.
Continued….
Re: Texas Massacre...
The next morn it was cool, cloudy, and breezy again, but at least the rain had passed. Dad wanted to try the canyon, so I dropped him off and headed to the birds I roosted. As daylight came there was a whole lot more than the two I’d heard that eve, there was a bunch, but they had a lot of company. I raised cane with those hens for 3 hours, but couldn’t budge their boyfriends. At one point I called off 3, but they hung up about 150yds out and went back to the hens. A text came through from Dad “BTD!” he’d called in a couple studs and cut a nice one at about 20yds:
Continued….
Continued….
Re: Texas Massacre...
I stayed put and eventually called some of those toms out, must have been 6-7 they came up a draw below me and went up on the next ridge strutting about 11am. Talk about pretty, they were bowed up with nothing but skyline behind them. They eventually lost interest in what they couldn’t see and eased over the ridge. I grabbed my gear and humped it out of the draw and made a loop around. I eased up to the ridge and spotted two about 150yds out, so hit the deck and crawled up to the top. The brush was thick, so I could not see well. I gave them some sweet talk and they must have ran up to me as I could see red heads just above the brush about 35-40yds out. I didn’t feel good about the shot, so stayed put. I was sticking out like a sore thumb and one got spooky, so they eased off the ridge. I decided to make something happen, so stood up and Oh my Goodness, there was a wad of rope toters and all at about 40yds. I picked one out and let him have it, then rolled another as they fled the scene. Not the traditional hunt, but I came to kill and the op was there… Both were nice toms:
Continued....
Continued....
Last edited by Reloader on April 4th, 2017, 4:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Texas Massacre...
I eased over to Dad and we commenced to taking pics, telling stories and cleaning our birds. After we had our birds cleaned, we headed back out and set up where I heard some in a creek bottom that morn. It wasn’t long and I heard a tom fire off a few hundred yds away. Then after a while another fired off right on top of us. He weaved his way through the oak brush and popped out on a ridge in front of us in range, Dad let him have it and the last tag was punched.
Nothing like going to a place where the birds haven’t been hunted with a pocket full of tags
And as Darrell texted me “Now, come on back to reality……”
Y’all have a good one,
Loder
Nothing like going to a place where the birds haven’t been hunted with a pocket full of tags
And as Darrell texted me “Now, come on back to reality……”
Y’all have a good one,
Loder
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Wow! Congrats!
- hookedspur
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Yahoo
Congrats on a great hunt
Congrats on a great hunt
- Shooter
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Geeeezzz Ronny, you ain't kiddin!!!!
Nice job to you and your Dad!!!!
BTW, where was Big John this time???
Nice job to you and your Dad!!!!
BTW, where was Big John this time???
Re: Texas Massacre...
Sounds like a massacre. Congrats
TURKEYS
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
COYOTES
DEER
SQUIRRELS
(all in this order)
- crenshawco
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Re: Texas Massacre...
That's a pile of birds. Congrats
Re: Texas Massacre...
Sounds like Little Big Horn to me. Great job Ronny.
- Waddle Whacker
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Man that sounds like fun! Glad you and your dad were able to share that experience. Congrats!
Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts.
Re: Texas Massacre...
Congrats Brotha
Nice Pile of Turks.
I Love Rios!!!
They love to Gobble.
Congrats Agsin!!!
Nice Pile of Turks.
I Love Rios!!!
They love to Gobble.
Congrats Agsin!!!
- Hoobilly
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Re: Texas Massacre...
man I am jealous!
congrats to you and yer pa!
beautiful pictures and great story's as usual
congrats to you and yer pa!
beautiful pictures and great story's as usual
- soiltester
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Great story and pics to prove it!! Congrats to dad and you, and it sure is fun when they gobble at a call, isn't it!!
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
- Spuriosity
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Re: Texas Massacre...
WTG Ronnie. Glad y'all had a bang up hunt.
Re: Texas Massacre...
congrat's to both of you - turkey hunting and turkey killin - with Dad - great combination
MAK
- Stinky J Picklestein
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Glad y'all had a better year than we did last year. Looks like a good time was had by all, well except the turkey's....
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects
I have no need for a 30-06, I have a shotgun
I have no need for a 30-06, I have a shotgun
Re: Texas Massacre...
Thanks guys!
- poorcountrypreacher
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Great stories, Ronnie! Congrats!
- Spurhunter
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Man that is awesome. Great story - Congratulations to the both of you.
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Preserving Hunting Memories for a Lifetime
View my products at:
http://www.Etsy.com - HarringtonOutdoor's
http://www.Ebay.com - Gobblergetter
NWTF Member
NRA Member
Re: Texas Massacre...
That's one hunt with your dad you will never forget! Gil
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Re: Texas Massacre...
Congrats Ronnie!!! And to your Dad too.