guess
04-30-2005, 06:32 PM
It was getting late in the season, and the birds were not very cooperative for the most part. The weather was constantly changing from hot to cold; thunderstorms and showers; it was so windy it was hard to believe the birds even had any feathers left!
On Thursday, April 21, Wayne Kendrick {owner of Southern Outdoor Products} rolled into town in the late evening for a long planned Texas Rio hunt. The next day Jimmy "doodaa" Rhymes {owner of doodaa Productions} and Byron South {producer of "Coming To The Call" video series} got in to town. We were then joined by my good friend Ethan Harms, who is a young, up and coming hunter, that will be a good part of the future for the sport of hunting.
We decided to hunt a place where I had seen lots of good birds in recent months. We made a few stands, and at the end of each stand we would also call for coyotes. At one stand we called in a yote, but he came in so quick from down wind that he offered very little chance at a shot. We ended the day only seeing that one yote, and not even hearing a turkey. We gathered at my place to discuss the day and the days to follow. Ethan had to leave, because of a hunt he had already planned.
Saturday morning we hunted a new place along a creek bottom where I knew turkeys roosted in the past. We set up near the creek, and as the sun started to break on the horizon we heard several birds gobbling their heads off. But as they left the roost one bird went north and one bird went south; unfortunately, we were on the east side. One bird finally decided to come on in, but it was a jake. We then moved to another place and called birds, as well as coyotes; neither responded.
So we moved again, to a place where I took my first ever gobbler. As we crossed a creek, I did some yelping on my slate call, and a bird answered. He was close, and coming fast! We had to set up where we were, but there was a group of cattle and one disgruntled bull between us and the bird! We set up on a tree line hoping that the bird would follow it to our set-up, but he entered the timber and circled the bull. Wayne was supposed to be the shooter, but any hope for a shot was lost when the turkey deicided to cut around the bull, and head in Jimmy's direction. Byron and I were on the cameras! As the gobbler got closer, we could see he had a hen with him, but he got greedy, and offered Jimmy a tough 40+ yard shot through a thick grouping of trees. Jimmy's pattern held true. The bird had a 9 inch beard, and 5/8 inch spurs. We did the high fives, and celebrated, but had to move on. There were other turkeys to be chased. We moved to another place and saw an awesome double bearded gobbler that would not cooperate, so we laid around in the shade, called and listened for birds to gobble, but nothing. Oh and for future reference never lay back on the ground before checking for fresh green cow patties, or your new nick name will be "cow patty!"
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280536.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280558.jpg
guess,jimmy {doodaa} and wayne
After that we headed to my house for some BBQ'd hog, sheep and goat! It was a feast to say the least! We went back to the same area where jimmy killed his bird for the evening hunt. We had no success at all. Ethan called me right before dark to tell me he had just called in his first bird by himself, and killed it. He was very excited to say the least. It had a 9-3/4 inch beard, and 1-1/4 inch spurs!
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280555.jpg
ethan and his dad
Sunday morning we went back to the same area, and there were some other hunters hunting very close to the roost! Birds gobbled in every direction as the sun came up. As they left the roost they left in every direction but ours! One bird gobbled good, and wanted to come in but was hung up thanks to a fence. Plus, between us and the other hunters calling to him, he was so confused all he could do was work back and forth not knowing where to go! The other hunters moved in on him and spooked him! We never heard from him or the others again! We moved to another area and called yotes. Byron was able to connect on one of those! We had lunch and Byron and Jimmy hit the roads back home. Wayne, my wife {Michelle} and I tried another place for an evening hunt. Michelle hog hunted while Wayne and I hunted turkeys. Michelle saw one hog, but never got a shot. Wayne and I never saw or heard any birds.
Monday morning there were thunder storms, and the bottom where we had seen the most birds was flooded. We saw two good birds there, but were unable to get them to respond. So we decided to go to a new spot. I had to call yotes, but the oilfield workers have got it covered in wires for seismographs! On the way from one place to the other however we saw two birds flying into an area that I have permission to hunt, so we decide we would hunt it the next evening.
Tuesday morning we made an early hunt, and heard lots of birds gobbling. Four good birds gobbled their heads off, and we saw them at about 300 yards. Beards were visible with the bare eye! But they had other destinations in mind! Another bird was coming from our south, and moving fast! He passed by at about 100 yards, but wouldn't commit to us. He gobbled all the way by, and had at least a 9 inch beard! We stayed around for a while but all birds had gotten quiet! So we moved to a new location that we hadn't hunted yet. We walked down an old dirt road to a known strutting location. There were no tracks in the road at all, but we set up at an intersection between the road and a power line, and called for probably 30 minutes. We never heard or saw anything, so we decided to leave, but, as we left, we noticed that a bird had come in behind us and left the same way. And judging from the track size and shape we knew it had been a gobbler; but he never said a word! That evening a good friend and long time hunting buddy of mine, Regi Rowe, joined us for a hunt at the place where we saw birds fly into the day before. As soon as we got out of the truck I called and a bird answered right off, but he had hens, and he wasn't about to leave them. We decided to move on and try him again later. We immediately got another bird to gobble, but he was hung up on a fence. Just about the time we decided to move and try to pull him off of the fence, another bird gobbled from the hill above us! It was time to get very aggressive with our tactics, because time was running out, since Wayne had to leave the next day. I knew that the birds were getting ready to stage for roosting, so we moved around to try and either head them off, or pull the other one off of the fence, which ever worked. As we were about to set up they started flying off of the top of the hill! So we moved on to try the hung up bird. As we were trying to get him to gobble three more started gobbling! We were caught off guard, and just sat down in a small plum thicket. They were coming fast. I laid flat on the ground so that that I wouldn't get spotted, or interfere with Wayne getting a shot! The birds were very close, but Wayne's shot was blocked by brush. I could see them from my level but Wayne couldn't. Just as they cleared the brush they started to putt, so I told Wayne the second bird was best, and to "shoot, shoot, shoot!" He had dropped the first bird at about 10 yards, and the he had to jump up to get past the plum trees to shoot the second bird. He dropped it at about 35, 40 yards! Although they turned out to be young birds, they each had 9+ inches of beard! Well really one had a 7+ and a 2+ plus inch beard, and the other had a 5+ and a 3+ inch beard and 3/8 inch spurs! This made my second double/double for the season for my hunters!
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280557.jpg
regi ,wayne and Guess
Wednesday morning Wayne and I hunted again and saw one good bird, but he already had more hens than we could offer, and wasn't the least bit interested in us. We had a hen pass by at less than 10 yards, which concluded our hunt together! Although it was one of the hardest hunts I ever had for Texas Rios, it was still lots of fun with lots of good company!
On Thursday, April 21, Wayne Kendrick {owner of Southern Outdoor Products} rolled into town in the late evening for a long planned Texas Rio hunt. The next day Jimmy "doodaa" Rhymes {owner of doodaa Productions} and Byron South {producer of "Coming To The Call" video series} got in to town. We were then joined by my good friend Ethan Harms, who is a young, up and coming hunter, that will be a good part of the future for the sport of hunting.
We decided to hunt a place where I had seen lots of good birds in recent months. We made a few stands, and at the end of each stand we would also call for coyotes. At one stand we called in a yote, but he came in so quick from down wind that he offered very little chance at a shot. We ended the day only seeing that one yote, and not even hearing a turkey. We gathered at my place to discuss the day and the days to follow. Ethan had to leave, because of a hunt he had already planned.
Saturday morning we hunted a new place along a creek bottom where I knew turkeys roosted in the past. We set up near the creek, and as the sun started to break on the horizon we heard several birds gobbling their heads off. But as they left the roost one bird went north and one bird went south; unfortunately, we were on the east side. One bird finally decided to come on in, but it was a jake. We then moved to another place and called birds, as well as coyotes; neither responded.
So we moved again, to a place where I took my first ever gobbler. As we crossed a creek, I did some yelping on my slate call, and a bird answered. He was close, and coming fast! We had to set up where we were, but there was a group of cattle and one disgruntled bull between us and the bird! We set up on a tree line hoping that the bird would follow it to our set-up, but he entered the timber and circled the bull. Wayne was supposed to be the shooter, but any hope for a shot was lost when the turkey deicided to cut around the bull, and head in Jimmy's direction. Byron and I were on the cameras! As the gobbler got closer, we could see he had a hen with him, but he got greedy, and offered Jimmy a tough 40+ yard shot through a thick grouping of trees. Jimmy's pattern held true. The bird had a 9 inch beard, and 5/8 inch spurs. We did the high fives, and celebrated, but had to move on. There were other turkeys to be chased. We moved to another place and saw an awesome double bearded gobbler that would not cooperate, so we laid around in the shade, called and listened for birds to gobble, but nothing. Oh and for future reference never lay back on the ground before checking for fresh green cow patties, or your new nick name will be "cow patty!"
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280536.jpg
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280558.jpg
guess,jimmy {doodaa} and wayne
After that we headed to my house for some BBQ'd hog, sheep and goat! It was a feast to say the least! We went back to the same area where jimmy killed his bird for the evening hunt. We had no success at all. Ethan called me right before dark to tell me he had just called in his first bird by himself, and killed it. He was very excited to say the least. It had a 9-3/4 inch beard, and 1-1/4 inch spurs!
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280555.jpg
ethan and his dad
Sunday morning we went back to the same area, and there were some other hunters hunting very close to the roost! Birds gobbled in every direction as the sun came up. As they left the roost they left in every direction but ours! One bird gobbled good, and wanted to come in but was hung up thanks to a fence. Plus, between us and the other hunters calling to him, he was so confused all he could do was work back and forth not knowing where to go! The other hunters moved in on him and spooked him! We never heard from him or the others again! We moved to another area and called yotes. Byron was able to connect on one of those! We had lunch and Byron and Jimmy hit the roads back home. Wayne, my wife {Michelle} and I tried another place for an evening hunt. Michelle hog hunted while Wayne and I hunted turkeys. Michelle saw one hog, but never got a shot. Wayne and I never saw or heard any birds.
Monday morning there were thunder storms, and the bottom where we had seen the most birds was flooded. We saw two good birds there, but were unable to get them to respond. So we decided to go to a new spot. I had to call yotes, but the oilfield workers have got it covered in wires for seismographs! On the way from one place to the other however we saw two birds flying into an area that I have permission to hunt, so we decide we would hunt it the next evening.
Tuesday morning we made an early hunt, and heard lots of birds gobbling. Four good birds gobbled their heads off, and we saw them at about 300 yards. Beards were visible with the bare eye! But they had other destinations in mind! Another bird was coming from our south, and moving fast! He passed by at about 100 yards, but wouldn't commit to us. He gobbled all the way by, and had at least a 9 inch beard! We stayed around for a while but all birds had gotten quiet! So we moved to a new location that we hadn't hunted yet. We walked down an old dirt road to a known strutting location. There were no tracks in the road at all, but we set up at an intersection between the road and a power line, and called for probably 30 minutes. We never heard or saw anything, so we decided to leave, but, as we left, we noticed that a bird had come in behind us and left the same way. And judging from the track size and shape we knew it had been a gobbler; but he never said a word! That evening a good friend and long time hunting buddy of mine, Regi Rowe, joined us for a hunt at the place where we saw birds fly into the day before. As soon as we got out of the truck I called and a bird answered right off, but he had hens, and he wasn't about to leave them. We decided to move on and try him again later. We immediately got another bird to gobble, but he was hung up on a fence. Just about the time we decided to move and try to pull him off of the fence, another bird gobbled from the hill above us! It was time to get very aggressive with our tactics, because time was running out, since Wayne had to leave the next day. I knew that the birds were getting ready to stage for roosting, so we moved around to try and either head them off, or pull the other one off of the fence, which ever worked. As we were about to set up they started flying off of the top of the hill! So we moved on to try the hung up bird. As we were trying to get him to gobble three more started gobbling! We were caught off guard, and just sat down in a small plum thicket. They were coming fast. I laid flat on the ground so that that I wouldn't get spotted, or interfere with Wayne getting a shot! The birds were very close, but Wayne's shot was blocked by brush. I could see them from my level but Wayne couldn't. Just as they cleared the brush they started to putt, so I told Wayne the second bird was best, and to "shoot, shoot, shoot!" He had dropped the first bird at about 10 yards, and the he had to jump up to get past the plum trees to shoot the second bird. He dropped it at about 35, 40 yards! Although they turned out to be young birds, they each had 9+ inches of beard! Well really one had a 7+ and a 2+ plus inch beard, and the other had a 5+ and a 3+ inch beard and 3/8 inch spurs! This made my second double/double for the season for my hunters!
http://www.hunt101.com/img/280557.jpg
regi ,wayne and Guess
Wednesday morning Wayne and I hunted again and saw one good bird, but he already had more hens than we could offer, and wasn't the least bit interested in us. We had a hen pass by at less than 10 yards, which concluded our hunt together! Although it was one of the hardest hunts I ever had for Texas Rios, it was still lots of fun with lots of good company!