What a great day!

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  • customcutter

    What a great day!

    Met up with hm2 clark this AM, and headed out to the Rafter T Ranch. We were going out to sight in the rifles, and shotguns, do some pre-season turkey scouting, and hopefully try and get on a few pigs. I've lived in Fl most of my life, but never taken an Osceola. Always saw turkeys in deer season and turkeys in deer season. I've mostly hunted on leases in Ga, or on the family ranch in Al. I've seen my share of turkeys, but never expected what I saw at the Rafter T today. If we saw 1 turkey we saw at least 75-100, mostly in groups of 5-10. Before we got to the ranch house after turning off the main road we counted 25-30. We saw one group of 4 mature gobblers gobble simultaneously, less than 30 yds away. For an avid turkey hunter it was better than gun porn. I told hm2, I was in "Turkey Heaven".

    We finally got the shotguns and rifles sighted in. I only got to put 2 rds down the tube after getting zeroed in, but those 2 were sub 1/2 MOA. The rancher showed up and needed to move some cows that were down range of our berm, so we put the guns up, and helped with some chores.

    Later that evening we went and climbed in some stands, saw 2 deer, 3 coons, and a few other critters. The hogs never did show up, but it was one great day.
  • Drifter
    Chieftain
    • Mar 2011
    • 1662

    #2
    Sounds good indeed. The folks that don't venture off the pavement other than during deer season really miss a lot of what the outdoors has to offer.
    Drifter

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    • bluebird
      Bloodstained
      • Oct 2013
      • 72

      #3
      Your exactly right!
      Originally posted by Drifter View Post
      Sounds good indeed. The folks that don't venture off the pavement other than during deer season really miss a lot of what the outdoors has to offer.

      Comment

      • customcutter

        #4
        BTW, anyone wanting to complete their Slam on turkeys. You can google the Rafter T Ranch, and they have guided hunts available. Osceola's are one of the more difficult birds to get.

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        • #5
          Turkey hunt two years ago

          Two years ago I went turkey hunting and ended up with this... I must be a bad turkey hunter.
          [IMG][/IMG]
          .....
          [IMG][/IMG]
          .....
          [IMG][/IMG]

          Comment


          • #6
            Here you go CC. These are some pictures form where we were last weekend. (I still have to get help with the picture postings) First picture was a turkey hunt a couple of years ago. No gobblers taken but... about 4 pm I got tired and went down into that ditch that is the northern limit of our hunt area. I kinda walked up on the guy and scared him. Lucklay I had a 6.5 Encore pistol, so when he tried to bite me I shot him at like 10-15inches (2) 2nd picture I have no personel story just a recent picture to show what else is out there, probably eating the turkeys. (I dont think snake boots would help against this guy). (3) And last a picture from this year deer season same place, just to prove that turkeys do come by.

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            • customcutter

              #7
              Clark, we learned a long time ago to carry a side arm. It's handy when you have a malfunction, or bird shot won't handle the situation. It's also real handy when it comes to snakes. That second picture is all the more reason to hunt from a tree stand during deer season, instead of trying to spot and stalk, or jump and shoot deer. Like I told you last week we used to hunt with dogs, but we wound up hunting (lost) dogs instead of deer or hogs. I've seen way more game since learning to still hunt, and even more since tree stands became common. You're right about the snake boots, that guy would probably strike about thigh high and with enough force to knock you down. Pigs that size with that kind of hardware can easily ruin your day, or kill your dogs.

              Comment

              • Drifter
                Chieftain
                • Mar 2011
                • 1662

                #8
                At the risk of stating the obvious, that snake is huge!
                Drifter

                Comment

                • Klem
                  Chieftain
                  • Aug 2013
                  • 3509

                  #9
                  Nice one!

                  I'm sitting here at work at the moment and you've got me thinking about where I'd rather be.

                  Comment

                  • Double Naught Spy
                    Chieftain
                    • Sep 2013
                    • 2560

                    #10
                    At the risk of stating the obvious, that snake is huge!
                    Yeah, but he didn't get that snake 2 years ago turkey hunting, LOL.



                    Andrews, who is attending Troy University in Alabama and studying criminal justice, said he was deer hunting with family along the Suwannee River in Levy County, Fla., when they spotted the snake coming out of the woods.
                    Kill a hog. Save the planet.
                    My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yes, I'm glad I didn't embelish the snake story (I'm Irish you know), you would have caught me in a mistruth. I was just trying to show the people in the Great White North that Florida has a rich outdoor/hunting history that has nothing to do with our beaches. I live on the Cracker trail. I am proud to have known some Florida Crackers who rode on the trail. My county names it's best schools after Crackers. I don't know know any educated person who would ever find any insult in the word Cracker. Not as much game left anymore, but I think we are the last eastern state having a native umbrella population of panthers, and wolves. Big snakes big bears (gentle Ben was from Fla).sea cows, otters, gators, nutria, wild pigs, wild cattle, varmits in great variety. Interested parties should read the book " A Land Remembered". And then there is the fishing... But I digress (Its Fat Tuesday after all ).My point being is the great state of Florida is much more to offer than a sunburnt yankee in a bikini.

                      Comment

                      • Double Naught Spy
                        Chieftain
                        • Sep 2013
                        • 2560

                        #12
                        Yeah, that snake pic has a lot of baggage associated with it. There was even a Texas Parks and Wildlife investigation (according to the Houston Chronicle) to determine if the snake was taken in Texas and if there was a potential violation...as the claim had been made that it was taken near Lake Conroe, north of Houston. I am not sure what the violation would have been, but that was what was reported.

                        It has also been reported as being 10 feet long and from several different states. It does serve, however as a great example of forced perspective in photography where it appeared to be much longer than it actually was.

                        You forgot to add python season to your list of Florida attractions!
                        Kill a hog. Save the planet.
                        My videos - https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

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