PRDATR Report post Posted April 30, 2016 Flash back to early January and I get a text from a friend asking me if I was interested in a trip to Sonora to hunt Goulds. Well since I didn't get an Arizona tag it was a no brainer. So off we went last friday and met in a small town just this side of the border after work and got settled in. Morning came and we made our way across the border and met our host for the next few days. From there we traveled to his hometown to meet his family and pick up supplies before heading out for the drive to their cattle ranch. Weather was cool and sunny as we arrived at the ranch in just under an hour. We unloaded our stuff and took a quick tour of the ranch house before piling into my friends truck for a drive around the rather large ranch which was a mix of mesquite and grass covered hills to riverbottoms with juniper, oaks and beech trees at an elevation of 4200 to about 5000' after we had walked to a location about a mile from the ranch house to look at the first spot. On the way back to the ranch we heard a gobble not far from the road but with our shotguns back at the ranch we returned to the ranch for a cold beverage while the brother of the host served up dinner. We sat around on the patio after dinner and watch the moonrise before settling in for some shuteye. We rose an hour or so before sunrise and headed out in search of gobblers but they were quiet. Driving we went past where we had heard the lone gobbler the evening before we saw him and his hens making their way through the bush. We went just past them and parked the truck jumping out like a Chinese Fire Drill and headed in their direction. They found us just as we found them and we froze and setup. The Tom was oblivious to us and gobbles and strutted as we called but the hens had busted us and were headed for the hills with the lovestruck Tom in tow. I grabbed my shotgun and headed up the hill behind us paralleling the flock and after about 30 yards I saw the hens making their way up the hill in front of me. I duckwalked in their direction as one by one they went up of the hill. The Tom materialized from some mesquite bushed and slowly made his way in the direction of the hens as he pecked the ground looking for something to feed on. He put his head down and I hurried to a lone bush about 10 yards in front of me and waited for him to present me with a shot. As I lifted the shotgun he picked up his head to look around and I put my front sight just below his head and pulled the trigger. It was a good hit at a little over 30 yards maybe a bit more and he started flopping around as I ran to get him. High fives all around as my hunt was over less than 24 hours after I had arrived. His beard needs to be measured but it a typical beard about 8-10" long. We put the bird in the bed of the pickup and went off in search for a bird to fill my friends tag. He will chime in soon with his own story. I am now on my way to my Turkey Slam. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted April 30, 2016 Great job buddy!!!!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eagle#eyes Report post Posted April 30, 2016 Awesome looking bird Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PelaPapas Report post Posted May 2, 2016 Congrats, great looking bird! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
naturebob Report post Posted May 2, 2016 Pretty bird congrats..............BOB! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cramerhunts Report post Posted May 3, 2016 Congratulations on a beautiful bird! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
