Confidence restored!

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Paulyoung
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Joined: March 30th, 2021, 6:28 pm

Confidence restored!

Post by Paulyoung »

After a frustrating and fruitless spring season in West Central Florida, we returned to Connecticut for our annual Doctor visits and to have the motorhome serviced prior to hitting the road for the upper Midwest and West coast this summer.

I contacted a couple of landowners who had given me hunting priviledges when we lived there, years ago, as well as a young man I loved to hunt with. We scouted what I consider the best area, which is just about 150 acres, on a Sunday morning and heard a few birds, but they were not on the property we had permission to hunt.

Monday was supposed to be a beautiful weather day, so we decided to give it a go anyway and try to get as close to the birds we had heard as we could. Well, they either relocated to our property or they were different birds who had been tight lipped the day before. 2 birds sounded off and we started in their direction to close the distance somewhat. Then a bird thundered really close to us that we must have walked right past. We hastily decided to find a spot where we could be back to back without making any more noise and settled in. As the light began to come up, Matt, who is a virtuoso on diaphragm calls, made some quiet, sleepy hen talk. Gobbles all around! We had not given ourselves away! about 10 minutes later, I saw the Tom we had walked by fly down. He was about 80 or 90 yards out. He gobbled once and the woods went silent. About 5 minutes later, I spotted him slinking and skulking towards us.

I raised my gun to my knee and took the safety off when he went behind a big oak at about 60 yards. He took his time and flirted at around 45 yards, moving 10 yards left, then right, but the shot was not unobstructed, and besides, about 5 years ago I resolved to limit my ammo choice to relatively light 2 3/4" loads and take only shots inside of 30 yards. Patience paid off and he presented a perfect shot with neck stretched at what measured later at 28 paces.
After the deed was done, Matt cut loose with some aggressive calling and the other 2 birds, which proved to be very vocal Jakes came running in and begged to be shot at 10 yards. The season was young, and Matt elected to pass them up. They hung around for another 15 minutes gobbling their heads off and inspecting the old man's corpse. Eventually, they left the area and we hiked out with this nice gobbler! I was elated after getting my butt kicked so many mornings by those Osceolas. Maybe next year......-Paul

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Hoobilly
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Re: Confidence restored!

Post by Hoobilly »

Very nice!
Osceolas are beautiful gobblers. Thankfully I was invited last spring to go with Robert McCormick and he put me on them.

Hoping to head east one day
Don't start none, won't be none!

https://foxtrotammo.com/
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soiltester
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Re: Confidence restored!

Post by soiltester »

Congrats for sticking with it and gettin' a dandy of a tom :thumbup:

What cha' shootin' ??
Is it a 535 Mossberg by chance?? :stir:
ever wonder where the white goes when the snow melts??
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joey46
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Joined: May 15th, 2017, 7:50 am
Location: North Port, Fl

Re: Confidence restored!

Post by joey46 »

Nice! Good story.
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935
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Re: Confidence restored!

Post by 935 »

Thanks for sharing the tom and the story.
Thank you Lord for creating these wonderful birds and allowing us to chase after them.
pullit
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Re: Confidence restored!

Post by pullit »

Congrats on a nice bird, great story
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects

I have no need for a 30-06, I have a shotgun
Swampstalk
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Joined: November 16th, 2018, 3:48 pm
Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

Re: Confidence restored!

Post by Swampstalk »

Way to stay with. Congrats!
Don
Paulyoung
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Joined: March 30th, 2021, 6:28 pm

Re: Confidence restored!

Post by Paulyoung »

soiltester wrote: May 9th, 2021, 8:48 pm Congrats for sticking with it and gettin' a dandy of a tom :thumbup:

What cha' shootin' ??
Is it a 535 Mossberg by chance?? :stir:
Remington 870.
Wish I had been toting the ol' Fox Sterlingworth, but it's stored at my buddy's place in Massachusetts. When we hit the road, I could only find room for 4 long guns. -Paul
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