International Bird

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GLS
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International Bird

Post by GLS »

Went to a favorite spot on land which was recently burned. It's a longleaf pine hill bordering a swamp. Birds started up at 7:00 a.m., three came in and 2 left at 7:15. Sometimes it's easy. In my haste to get out of the woods and back home, while reeling up the string he came in on, string got tangled up on burned palmetto fronds, abandoned and the key to success fell out of my pocket so they aren't in the photos. American Wild Turkey shot with Chinese shot (1 5/8 oz. TSS9) out of an Italian hull, through a Russian 20 ga. Baikal MP-18 single-shot, aimed with a Burris red dot Fast Fire III made in the Philippines. Trigger-jerker Georgia Cracker. Called in with a rivercane "yelper" made from rivercane cut during the woodcock season. Beard not much, 9.5", left spur 1 5/16 inch; right, 1 1/4".

Image

Image


99% of my success was just showing up. For every easy bird like this one was, the others put you through the wringer, and then you don't succeed. I don't weigh birds anymore as it is bad enough from their vantage point to shoot them, but it would be worse to deprive them of gaining weight in the future years when I recount his story. :wink:

The oral history of the location is that during the Civil War, locals hid their cattle and valuables in the swamp to protect them form plunder by Hazen's Division of Sherman's Right Wing as the marched through Georgia to the sea. The open swamp is surrounded by titi ("tie-tie") shrubs ("hells") which can grow 20' feet tall, often laced with cat claw briers and are almost impenetrable to move through. I know a few ways into it, but they still present challenges. I almost went into one of those areas, but even on a good day they can be challenging. I had flashbacks of getting cut up, losing calls, Thermocells, etc. moving through that crap. Glad I took the path of least resistance and showed up where I ultimately went. Gil
Last edited by GLS on March 28th, 2018, 1:13 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Shellwaster
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Re: International Bird

Post by Shellwaster »

Congrats Gil on the successful hunt and thanks for great story. The only thing that would have made the hunt and story better was if it were me sitting in the beautiful charred swamp, squeezing the trigger with the business end of my scatter gun pointed at the unsuspecting bird.
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el diablo
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Re: International Bird

Post by el diablo »

Congrats on the bird! Great story as always.
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Re: International Bird

Post by MAK »

yeah baby great start go get um Gil
MAK
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Re: International Bird

Post by BrowningGuy88 »

Congrats!

Gotta love the easy ones!
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gaswamp
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Re: International Bird

Post by gaswamp »

that will do.....nice story and nice spurs
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Spuriosity
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Re: International Bird

Post by Spuriosity »

WTG, Gil!
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Hognutz
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Re: International Bird

Post by Hognutz »

Nicely done. Congrats, Gil!
May I assume you're not here to inquire about the alcohol or the tobacco?
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Cut N Run
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Re: International Bird

Post by Cut N Run »

Congratulations. Nice curved hooks.

Jim
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Waddle Whacker
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Re: International Bird

Post by Waddle Whacker »

That’s a stud....congrats, Gil.
Feel, don't think. Trust your instincts.
timbrhuntr
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Re: International Bird

Post by timbrhuntr »

Nice old bird congrats. I understand why you don't weigh them. A few years ago I was in Georgia hunting and one of the guys shot a bird. In camp he was saying what a heavy bird it was maybe 24 or 25 pounds, He let me pick it up and I said maybe 20. He got all mad saying you don't know anything about turkeys. Well just so happens I had a scale in my kit so I got it out. He finally let me weigh it 18 and some change. :D
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Grumpy
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Re: International Bird

Post by Grumpy »

Good Job and a good read more to go I suppose !
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
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kythunter
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Re: International Bird

Post by kythunter »

Congrats!
hobbes

Re: International Bird

Post by hobbes »

Congrats! Good looking bird.
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Re: International Bird

Post by Prospector »

Awesome. Great hunt and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Fine bird; congratulations. Need to get me a trumpet; never tried one but I love new calls!
“Son, Turkey HUNTING starts at 40yds and in. If you can kill him farther that’s all you’re doing- KILLING. Make him think he’s answering you, call him up, kill him closer-Man! Now that’s what it’s meant to be…” Johnnie Keel ( an Old Pro most never know)
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howl
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Re: International Bird

Post by howl »

Nice!
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guesswho
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Re: International Bird

Post by guesswho »

Nice, congrats. Gorta love those hunts when they happen. I once drove 50 miles to retrieve my string and key, found my boots in that spot too!
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ylpnfol
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Re: International Bird

Post by ylpnfol »

congrats! thats a nice bird, like those spurs and your use of such a diverse arsenal to procure them..... :mrgreen: :thumbup:
you never know, unless you go

David
pedro
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Re: International Bird

Post by pedro »

Nice bird! Sharp spurs.
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202P&Y
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Re: International Bird

Post by 202P&Y »

Good bird and story!
Proverbs 3:5-6
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devastator
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Re: International Bird

Post by devastator »

Congrats,Great story,Great spurs!!!
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OLE RASPY
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Re: International Bird

Post by OLE RASPY »

Good goin Gil. Nice. Good read. Congrats on a fine Tom.
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