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- Mar 15, 2000
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Past couple of weeks, I've been doing a lot of this...
And this happened...
19 pounds, 1" spurs, 9 1/4" and 6" beards. I'd been patterning this bird for a while, and he liked to walk a pasture fence line and gobble his fool head off. So I set up at zero-dark-thirty last Thursday right by the fence and waited for the fly downs. About every fifteen or twenty minutes, I'd yelp softly a few times and let it be. Three hours later, I was still waiting, still yelping every now and then. Finally, at 8:30, I yelped and he gobbled so loudly my heart skipped. Right up the ridge. Here he comes, I thought. Got my gun up and waited. And waited. And waited. Twenty minutes later, he gobbled BEHIND me. Damned bird had uncharacteristically crossed a fence, crossed a ditch, and walked down to the strip of field to my rear. I yelped one more time to confirm, and he went off again. Sure enough. Right behind me. It took me about twenty minutes to creep 30 yards down to the edge of the woods, which was fortunately overgrown and well covered. I finally saw him through a small break in the foliage. He was stock still, head up. In retrospect, he probably heard me and thought I was the hen coming to him. We both stood still for about ten minutes before he finally put his head down, and started feeding and moving away from me. I eased closer to the woods break, slipped my gun through a hole in the cover, and when his head went back up, he went down. Curious, I brought a range finder a few days later. At least a 50-yard shot--the longest I've ever made on a bird. Also the only bird I've shot standing up. Once, I got a jake off one knee just as he took flight, but I've almost always been crouched down by a tree.
So here's where the Becker comes in. The long boning knife made great work of the turkey breast.
I cut it up into roughly half-inch strips and marinated them using the recipe below.
Pretty clean head shot. I only found two pellets in the breast.
Here's where we get to my Dexwither's Tribute Lodge Sportsman Grill Setup. Everything you need in a 30mm ammo can.
Some diversion while I cooked...
And then... BAM. Deliciousness ensued.
And this happened...
19 pounds, 1" spurs, 9 1/4" and 6" beards. I'd been patterning this bird for a while, and he liked to walk a pasture fence line and gobble his fool head off. So I set up at zero-dark-thirty last Thursday right by the fence and waited for the fly downs. About every fifteen or twenty minutes, I'd yelp softly a few times and let it be. Three hours later, I was still waiting, still yelping every now and then. Finally, at 8:30, I yelped and he gobbled so loudly my heart skipped. Right up the ridge. Here he comes, I thought. Got my gun up and waited. And waited. And waited. Twenty minutes later, he gobbled BEHIND me. Damned bird had uncharacteristically crossed a fence, crossed a ditch, and walked down to the strip of field to my rear. I yelped one more time to confirm, and he went off again. Sure enough. Right behind me. It took me about twenty minutes to creep 30 yards down to the edge of the woods, which was fortunately overgrown and well covered. I finally saw him through a small break in the foliage. He was stock still, head up. In retrospect, he probably heard me and thought I was the hen coming to him. We both stood still for about ten minutes before he finally put his head down, and started feeding and moving away from me. I eased closer to the woods break, slipped my gun through a hole in the cover, and when his head went back up, he went down. Curious, I brought a range finder a few days later. At least a 50-yard shot--the longest I've ever made on a bird. Also the only bird I've shot standing up. Once, I got a jake off one knee just as he took flight, but I've almost always been crouched down by a tree.
So here's where the Becker comes in. The long boning knife made great work of the turkey breast.
I cut it up into roughly half-inch strips and marinated them using the recipe below.
Pretty clean head shot. I only found two pellets in the breast.
Here's where we get to my Dexwither's Tribute Lodge Sportsman Grill Setup. Everything you need in a 30mm ammo can.
Some diversion while I cooked...
And then... BAM. Deliciousness ensued.
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