Well, I got my butt outa bed early and drove up to my place to finally see if I could call in a gobbler properly and take him with a scatter gun, the way real turkey hunters do it. Set up Henrietta and plopped down in some agarita around a shin oak. Had them answering from way off along the creek, then later a couple of hens came in to investigate, then even later a gobbler exploded close, of course...behind me. I got scooched around and blasted him a second before he realized that something wasn't quite right. His buddies stuck around just out of range. I tried for a true double, but they decided to saunter off and look for some hens that weren't quite so aggressive.

Walking back to the pickup, what do I see sunning on some boards of my old, dilapidated barn? None other than my nemesis - Spermophilus variegatus (I kid you not, that's his real name.) - ROCK SQUIRREL. I put the sneaky-sneaky on him and, taking my trusty 12 gauge, I blew his vermin posterior to kingdom come.

Where the spawn of the squirrel devil was perched:





Afterwards, I realized that I hate rocks squirrels so much, I'm willing to redecorate the front of my barn in order to kill one:




A good day:



After I got the truck and picked up my bird and paraphernalia, I almost got a "triple" when I bumbled through a small group of axis. They caught me by my unawares and I did not want to take that wild shot on the biggest buck just as he's turning to "boogie". Tried to put the stalk on them, but they'd put it in high gear.

Two worthless animals...Great kill

Congrats!!

Congrats and great pics.

Looks like you had a good morning. I hate tree rats, you done real good there.

Great job.

Nice

Nice!! So...How does it feel to be a "real" turkey hunter

Well done. Congrats on the Tom.

Thanks everyone. I did it quite a bit in my 20's and 30's. Don't remember my knees and back aching trying to stay still though, even sitting on a pad. Young man's game.

Ground Buzzard and a Tree Rat...Don't get much better !

Man, isn't that the truth! I think back when I could sit in a fork of an old oak, half a day waiting on deer. Try that now and I would need careflight!