blake
Life Member
Friday morning May 30th was a dismal morning at 4:00 a.m., as I sipped my cup of coffee and turned on the outside light every 10 minutes just to see if the weather had changed......It was raining, the wind was blowing 12-14 m.p.h. and my hopes of turkey hunting were waning rapidly. Wet weather and antique muzzleloading shotguns don't go well together.
I had hoped to harvest another spring turkey with my .13 gauge double barrel English made shotgun. I have become very fond of this circa 1830-1840's two row firearm. As I drank my coffee I wondered about who may have hunted with this old gun before, what had they shot with it. I sure wish I had some past history about this firearm.
By daylight the hard rain had stopped, but it was still drizzling so I decided I would have to wait out the weather. I checked the forecast again and it appeared the weather would clear around noon. There would however continue to be a chance of scattered showers through out the afternoon and evening. It also didn't mention anything about the wind dying down.
By 11:30 a.m. the sun was out and I was on my way to my favorite turkey hunting property. I have hunted many properties over the last eight years but, I have harvested six gobblers off of this property in as many years. It is only 40 acres, mostly timber with a nice wooded ridge any many roosting trees. There is an area on the ridge approximately 200 yards long and 40 yards wide that is open; an is a preferred strutting area for gobblers.
Ridge top looking west
Ridge top looking east
I parked my truck in the property owner's old homestead, charged up both barrels with 90 grains of FFFg Black Powder from my buffalo horn, pushed an over powder card in place, then a fiber wad, next came a shot cup, then I poured 1 ¾ oz. of number five shot down each barrel and then the over shot card.. I was ready for some turkey action; it was 11:45 a.m.
I climbed the 300 yards up to the ridge walking very slowly and stopping often to listen for lengthy periods of time hoping to hear a gobble or two. As I reached the top of the ridge I was starting to think that there maybe no birds were on the ridge today. I hadn't heard a sound other than woodpeckers, crows, and Blue Jays. I was surprised that a gobbler hadn't shock gobbled at least once to the sounds of the other birds.
I planned to set up in the same Evergreen tree that I had harvested my muzzleloader gobbler last spring. Last spring I had cut out a spot of me to sit next to the base of the tree. I had also trimmed out several small shooting holes in different directions. Everything looked just the same as it had when I left it last spring. I didn't have to do any trimming this year.
I put up my Double Bull folding chair and settled in for a wait I looked at my watch and it was 12:35 p.m. I pulled my slate out of the Zip-Lock baggy that I had it in to keep moisture away from it just as two Canadian Geese flew over. The geese let out a short series honking...................I heard it! I had no idea which direction it was from, but I was certain it was a gobble.
Corey Gersdorf Slate Call
I made two soft clucks, the gobbler answered back. I was now fairly certain that he was down over the hill east of me. I let out a yelp followed by a couple of short clucks and suddenly had three gobblers hammer back at me.........and they were close.
I spotted two of the gobblers approximately 50 yards northeast of me. I was trying to think how I was going to get my firearm swung around on them when another gobble caused me to rethink my strategy. This bird was somewhere right in front of me? Finally I picked out the red head and neck looking for the hen that he thought should be there. This big old gobbler was 25 yards away and closing. I settled the front bead of the old two row on the gobblers head a pulled the hammer on the leftbarrel.
Now if any of you have ever fired a muzzleloading firearm you are aware that often you don't get to see the target for a brief period of time until the smoke clears. That Evergreen tree retained the smoke very well and I was able to enjoy the smell of burnt sulfur for a few moments longer than normal.
Once the smoke cleared I couldn't see any sign of the gobbler at all and I was starting to doubt my shot. Then I heard the sounds of wings flapping against the ground.
This fine old gobbler weight 22.00 pounds, had a 10 ½ beard, & 1 ½ inch spurs bilaterally.
It was a perfect day in the woods and I enjoyed every moment of it!
Thinking of you Cassie Jo.
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Congrats!
