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Boss gobbler seasoned with black powder

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Skychief

69 Cal.
Joined
Dec 16, 2006
Messages
4,351
Reaction score
1,184
Location
The hills of Southern Indiana
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Think I'll try my hand at a photo essay....

Photograph 1: Looking West toward the island of scrub trees where I love to hunt for gobblers. Notice the two sycamores on the North end or right side of photograph. The West fork of our White River flows at the base of the hill in the background.

Photograph 2: The North end of the cover where "the magic" has happened more than once. I sit in front of the double-trunked sycamore shown here.

Photograph 3: Leisurely waiting on a tom to sound off to an occasional call. I'm combating mid-thirty degree temperatures, donned in Carhartt bibs and plaid insulated flannel shirt, while nursing some hot joe.

Photograph 4: Wondering if another notch will be scratched upon Ol' Betsy's walnut this season...........

Photograph 5: ................Looks like it! "My" gobbler rests between two hen dummies, 30 feet from my double-trunked sycamore, where he stood moments prior to this photograph being taken. He was a sight now!! Full strut with a glowing red, white and blue head, slowly revolving between his two prospects. His hopes seemed high that one or both would prove receptive to his gaudy advances.

Photograph 6: Judging by his hardware, this was not his first nor second season of romancing the lesser sex of his kind.

Photograph 7: And, the "hero pic" of a once-again satisfied hunter (who is luckier than he deserves to be).

At least he knows how fortunate he is to witness one of Spring's greatest spectacles, the timeless dance of the toms of Southern Indiana.

Best of luck to all and stay safe.

Best regards, Skychief.
 
Very nice IN hunting grounds, gobbler, and photo of the smiling, satisfied hunter.
Thanks for taking us along. Congrats! ~wiksmo
 
Hello Britsmoothy friend. Yes, my dummies have taken a little collateral damage over the years. Friendly fire, I suppose!

I thought of you as I was walking back to my truck after collecting this bird.

"Get some more pictures of the lay of the land and my honey hole for ol' 'smoothy"!

It's my hope that it added "something" to this thread for you and everyone else looking.

Glad to see you, Skychief.
 
Nice looking "hooks" on your bird Skychief. Nice pictures that made me feel as I was on the hunt with your.
 
Hello Britsmoothy friend. Yes, my dummies have taken a little collateral damage over the years. Friendly fire, I suppose!

I thought of you as I was walking back to my truck after collecting this bird.

"Get some more pictures of the lay of the land and my honey hole for ol' 'smoothy"!

It's my hope that it added "something" to this thread for you and everyone else looking.

Glad to see you, Skychief.
Your "honey hole" looks just how you have described years ago now. Good on you friend and take courage from all our best wishes and high regard we have for you 👍
Nathan.
 
Sure good ole boy.

It's a Thompson Center New Englander. Cylinder bored 12 gauge. It's a favorite of mine (like many of my guns!). I used it this year as it's shorter barreled than my fowler and balanced in a way more suited to how I would use it. I've had some retina issues and am shy of much recoil right now. So, I found I could balance her on my knee and grasp the buttplate with my left palm. Held inches in front of my mug I could sight on Ol' tom's neck and squeeze off the shot with no recoil to shoulder head (nor eyes). Of course this from a leaned back, seated position.

I used a lighter load than normal and wouldn't have taken a shot much more than 15 yards. Thankful that he read the script, even though he was a slow reader. Took a bit of coaxing to get him that close.

Completely unorthodox but by gosh I burned the black powder this Spring!

I think a lot of these shotguns. They have everything they need and nothing that they don't in my opinion.

Best regards, Skychief.
 
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