Hunting Connecticut for the big birds

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bigbore442001

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This past Saturday I arose at 355 AM to the tune of some country artist. I grabbed a bite and two cups of coffee to revive my senses. Donned my permethryn infused clothes and I was headed to my spot.

When I arrived it was somewhat light out. I heard three gobblers to the southeast of my truck. Unfortunately it is on the property of a gentleman farmer who will not allow anyone to hunt. Such is life.

I grabbed my TC Black Mountain magnum and headed up the hardwood covered hill.Several years ago I saw an ad in a for sale magazine regarding a TC Black Mountain Magnum 12 gauge single shot shotgun. It was at a great price and unfired. I had to get it. My turkey load is 100 grains of h777 FFg and 2 oz of no 5 shot. The gun patterns well and I have taken a bird with it in the past.

I set up my simple stick blind and inflated my blow up turkey decoy. Then I proceeded to sit.

I kept on hearing three distinct gobblers calling in unison on the gentleman's farm. They did this for some time then shut right up. I did make a couple of hen yelps but they did not respond in any way, shape or form. In fact it seemed they went further away to another gentleman's farm( again non huntable).

I sat in the cool morning air. When I arose in the early morn the thermometer registered 30 F. Good thing I did not plant anything in the garden yet.

After a while I heard another a gobble behind me due south. It was on another gentleman's farm land where again no hunting. I guess I am lucky in that I have this spot more or less to myself surrounded by "gentleman's farms". No competition but no birds seen that were shootable.

I sat and then heard another gobble off to the far northwest. I decided I needed to do something. I started to walk northward and across the dirt road. The lowland has a marshy but sandy bottomed brook running through it. I saw turkey tracks in the mud and soon heard two gobblers sound off. They were now two hundred yards or so to the northwest of my position. I know all of the rules mandate that one should not stalk or still hunt the big birds but I knew they weren't going to cross the marshy brook and stands of skunk cabbage coming into bloom.

I treaded very carefully and set up with my back against a big silver birch. I made some calls and purrs with my diaphragm call. No matter how much sweet talk I made it did not matter. The gobblers did not respond to anything except a shock gobble to passing crows.

It seemed that if some crows passed by and cawed the birds gobbled. I knew there were two gobblers ahead of me but again no matter how much I tried to sing " I got what you need" in turkey talk they ignored me.

I recall someone from Montana telling me that shooting a 22 in the air will get them to reveal their location. Well I figured I could shock gobble them but that did not work. I didn't use a 22 but I did use a crow call. Again the birds now disappeared

Soon it was approaching the noon time cut off to hunt spring turkey thus I packed it all in and went to visit my parents.

The other day I oiled up my TC because I noticed a bit of rust on it. This was a mistake in some ways. I told myself that I should fire the gun off and put in a fresh load.

After some quick shopping I went to the range and capped a musket cap on the gun. POP.

Sure enough a misfire. Ballistol is good but I should have dried out the chamber area of the barrel. I put on another fresh cap. POP. Again!!!

I unscrewed the cone and dribbled some H777 FFG from a speedloader. Another cap and it went off.

Lesson learned. When I arrived home I put on a kettle to get some boiling hot water. I took the barrel and cleaned it in the sink with some hot soapy water. Then I poured hot boiling water down the muzzle and let it air dry. Now I put on a very,very light coat of Gunzilla oil which dries to a film. Now the bore is bone dry and ready for a fresh load for turkey.

Since Sunday hunting is verboten I plan to do stuff around the home that needs to be taken care of. But come Monday morning the plan of attack is to sit in that spot where I heard the two gobblers and see what happens.
 
Better luck next time. Turkeys are so unpredictable. Some years they come running to you and other years they avoid you like the plague.

That was an interesting report on the oil in the barrel. Something to think about with out guns. Good heads up.
 
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