Who will be Boss Gobbler 2015 Klintworth Ranch

[wapiti792]

When I got back and fooled around a blind or two it was obvious I had no mojo. I took a shot at a bird too far and got bailed out by a clean miss, then another at a jake that was walking too fast at close range. Strike two. I am the worst turkey hunter on the planet.

When I got back for a sandwhich Nick told me a big strutter was up a coulee and asked if I was game. Does a fat kid like cake? As I eased over the fence and noticed a bull he told me he was a good boy but to watch the horses...

I eased into the junipers and heard the tom hammer a gobble. I eased off my boots and tried to ease along the cattle path. When I got to the last bit of cover I sat my chair up. No sooner had I sat my rear down did I see a hen and just a bit of fan over the prairie grass. He was going away and I let him. If I would have called it would have been loud.I had to give him some space. When I did call he was out of sight. Soon I had hens coming from 4 directions and ended up with 6 within 20 yards. Pinned down and nervous...man I loved it!

Finally they eased down the next ridge leaving me between them and the Gobbler. As if he read the script there he was closing from 30 yards eyeing the hens and paying no attention to the ghille blob hunkered down with a sharp broadhead loaded. Just as I controlled my heart rate to just under stress test levels and began to draw I heard something snort...or whinny or toot, heck I don't know. I just know one minute I had a mount picked out and a gumbo made and the next minute I have a bay and Blackie in my lap. The two amigos...Nicks horses. Yeah they came to say howdy, sending my bird too far out of range and they into range. Needless to say, game over. Or so I thought...

I worked the bird even after my company and had some more company by way of 4 jakes in range but in direct fire of the bull Kip rode first and then a wad of cows. I finally got clearance for a launch but had a head shot only at a Jake that made me at the last moment. Strike three for the day and trip.

 

*Some more company

[wapiti792]

That night was festive as ye shall hear. Spotted catfish, wine and stories. Joey and Ryan (Nicks youngest son) also did some serious turkey decoy fabrication. He managed to take two decoys worth about a hundy and turn them into well,you decide. He recreated some type of turkey visual obscenity and took poor Ry along as he was the material man. Bailing wire: check. Sharp knife: check. Drill: check. It was a mad scientist at work with an innocent young man as an accomplice. The end result was a thing of beauty. Evil scientist, no way. Pure genius. This had to work. Patten pending, I give you the Decoy to make grown men blush.
 
*Moves with the wind

I will let Joey give you the turkey tally...and perhaps design plans for version 1.1. The next morning was more attempts by me to find a bird that liked my decoys. I sat some in my ghilli. I sat some in blinds. I pouted some and enjoyed the success of others. It didn't seem to be in the cards. After losing my first tom in 5 years last week in IL to a low arrow and the coyotes I got a little bummed. Nick kept me in the game, letting me stalk and move or sit blinds but for some reason it was tough. I decided to cook my dish for the guys and end my hunt early, drink some fine red wine and soak up a Kip story or two.
 
Nick bailed me out when he spotted some strutters heading to a blind he had set up. I grabbed my gear and piled in his rig. Before we got there we spotted a lone tom heading to a strutting area to hit before roosting. I bailed out, kicked off my boots and eased into position near the farm equipment and a barn. I got spotted but it was too late for him. An arrow was gone and it hit him mid-ship, maybe a little low. He did a summer-salut, made it to his feet and a few yards before he stalled out. I put another arrow in the boiler room after my follow up missed the spot I wanted. I was so excited I flubbed the first one.

So, after all of this: bad shots, long sits, blown stalks, unraveled string trackers, good Bulls, bad horses and badgers (hey we don't need no stinking badgers)...I had a beautiful tom! Unconventional but I will take it.

 
*Beauty of a bird

 
*In situ, Mag Handle same year as my wife (74). Still looking good like her!

[Kip]

Nate you and my wife are kinda right.When she saw me on the bull she just shook her head that a 64 year old man still acting like a teenager.The reason I had on Mike's jacket was I could not find mine.Mike I would never have used it knowing where it came from until after the fact.Very sorry should have known better.

[wapiti792]

Not at all my friend! Glad you had it. That is the closest I will ever get to a bull    It has had a life of adventure. Glad you are home safe and sound.

[joebuck]

When I came in from hunting that evening and was shown the pic of Kip on that Bull, my errand shot on a Jake was immediately forgotten!!  I laughed so hard.  Kip is the best camp companion. he is game for anything and thank goodness for his dish washing skills.

It became very apparent after first day of hunting, these birds were Henned up pretty bad. Decoys or calling was futile. I tried several different decoys and as mentioned ,made up a X rated version...but couldn't get a gobbler to come in and fight to help me draw an undetected fan protected shot.

[Fritz]

Great story and birds! Congrats to all!
"Turkey Dekes to keep them occupied...my Jake took a broadhead at home in IL the week prior. I don't want to talk about it  [Smile] " Cracked me up Michael! I was in Ks this yr and decided to take a practice draw on my brand new avian x jake. Lets just say "I don't want to talk about it!" Lol!!!      

[FerretWYO]

This is an awesome story so far. I have another buddy that shot his avian this year too.

[Fritz]

Randy, I almost cried after I shot mine! Little goop and he was good to go!

[wapiti792]

I used plumbers tape and goop...it was a single bevel head and nearly took his head off! I was trying to shoot a gobbler off his back as he was assaulting my poor Avian X. Shot a little low  

[Fritz]

Michael, there wasn't a turkey in sight when I shot mine! I just picked a spot, drew and my clicker went off and I shot the dang thing! If I could, I would have whipped my own butt! Never had that happen before, crazy! They do look real. That's my excuse and i'm sticking to it.

[awbowman]

Originally posted by Kip:
That evening all the hunters gathered around the barn for a crawfish boil hosted by Joey and his compandre who I had not met except reading his posts in past hunts(reading through the lines of his post I was sure he was a hoot).he also had a compradre Clark.I also met up with Jeff Springer and his son Zach who I had met at bear camp and also in Louisiana.The boil was a sucess.The next morning was a quik hunt some Jakes came buy following some hens and I filled my second tag.
     

Kip, you are to young to be riding bulls!  

[Whip]

Great stuff, even if it does make me homesick!
Even when the birds don't cooperate hunting the Klintworth ranch is turkey hunting nirvana.  And Kip on a bull?  I would have paid good money to see that alone!

It seems we've heard from half the crew so far.  Do the rest have some stories to tell?    

[awbowman]

Originally posted by wapiti792:
......... Spotted Cat!!!!!!!!! .......

One of Ville Platte's finest delicacies.  Kip will say he's just an average Ville Plattian cook, well maybe so, but that still ranks high with me.

[wapiti792]

Whip there were a couple of other birds killed but other types of weapons were used...

I know Tippit and Zach had some traveling to do. Something I need to tell you Whip...our spot was a bit of a bust. I did have a hen come right to me raising cane. She made me when I flinched as she stepped into the hole I was buried in. She still wouldn't leave. After a while she left calling me some bad words. I couldn't figure it out until I looked to my right at the base of the little pine my Waldrop was leaving against...I had set up right on her nest! I left it undisturbed but took a pic. That has never happened before!
 
*Nest

I did have another run in with some birds but passed jakes after my tom. I sat up near a fine ambush point and nearly got it done. I saw something in the tree near me that puzzled me some. When I asked Nick he just said "Joey was here."...Ok got it. Didn't need an explanation. My thought was if the biodegradable tissue is there, where is the land mine. I started checking my feet...


 

[joebuck]

This bird woke me up from a nap gobbling in driveway

 

[LookMomNoSights]

Way to get after em guys!  Nice job on your first Kip!      

[Kopper1013]

Congrats to all!! Great story's guys

[Duckbutt]

Like Whip said... y'all just made me homesick is all.  
Best hunting camp on planet earth.
Hope to do it again some day.

[wapiti792]

Missed you Julian! I hit the old home place north and nearly got it done. Someday we are gonna make another hunt together my friend.

[Duckbutt]

That's good to hear.  Is there a good roost up there again?