San Carlos success

[Couestracker]

We arrived mid-day Thursday, went scouting that evening, Friday morning and evening. It snowed almost 3 inches Friday morning, by 11 am we were back in camp due to poor visibility. I took a 2 hr nap and when I got up, was amazed to see almost all the snow gone and ground dry.

 

 

 

 

 

We saw over 100 birds by the end of Friday, more than I've ever seen on a turkey hunt. We saw inconsistent groups, like 15 hens and 1 jake, a flock of jakes, a pair of toms, a lone hen and several large flocks of undetermined structure. We weren't able to roost any birds for Saturday's opener however, so we targeted the general area where we saw the most birds.

 

 

After parking and loading up, we took off into a flat area a mile or so South of a large tank. We only got about 80 yds from the truck when I heard a close gobble. We sat down and set up real quickly then I struck up a few soft yelps using the bear claw striker and Timberline Calls double slate call. He gobbled right back and was closer! Just then I thought, from the direction of the gobble, I bet he's probably going to be shot by Terry, then I heard the shot, turkey flapping sounds, and then Terry running over to secure his Tom. ☺

 

 

We spent a couple of days chasing birds, had some roosted, but they were very call shy and went silent after hitting the ground. I caught up with some, but they saw me before I saw them. They disappear fast!

 

 

Monday morning we went to a favorite area before dawn and heard several gobblers. We went down the creek from them and got set up. I did some soft tree yelps and they gobbled more. We didn't hear them fly down, it just got quiet. I called a few more times, and then I saw 2 nice toms coming up the creek bank. I let out some yelps, but they didn't respond, they just kept feeding closer to me. I let them get to about 50 yds (forgot my range finder!!), then when they got separated enough, I shot at one. It just kind of hopped a little, so I shot again. It hopped again, so I shot again, and it hopped a little again. Neither bird gobbled or ran off after I unloaded my 12 gage at them! I said an F-bomb out loud while reaching for more ammo, but they walked away and over a berm. I looked up at Terry and said, what am I shooting, blanks? Then I realized what happened, that I didn't actually aim the shotgun, just pointed in the toms direction. Rookie mistake!

 

 

We spent another day or so not locating any birds. Terry went home Wed late morning, so that evening I went back to where a flock gave us the slip one morning. I looked around and found the roost trees, so I got setup and waited silently. I was about to leave, as it was nearly dark, when here they came, 15 feet in front of me! Hens first, then as more of the flock caught up, some started flying up into the pines. I saw some toms, so I

slowly began raising my shotgun, but buck fever was in full swing, as my breathing got real heavy. The birds got noticeably nervious, putting and shuffling around, some still flying up to roost. I realized they heard me breathing, the biggest tom, which was at the back of the flock exited stage right. I'm still bringing my gun to bear on a tom, finally get it aimed, then shot him. He went down hard and was thrashing around. As I hurried to get up and over there, he got up and ran off before I could do anything! Dang it!

 

 

I spent a couple of more days hiking all over, trying to make something happen. Saw lots of places where they had been, even hung out there calling for hours, to no avail. I was killing myself hiking around on these rocks buried in grass, very hard on knees, ankles and back.

Saturday morning I went near where Terry got his bird. I arrived at dawn to hear some gobbles down the road. He responded to my soft tree yelps, plus I could hear some hens too. I heard them fly down, then all quiet. I waited a few minutes, then slowly made my way down the road, passed where they were roosted. A tank was about 200 more yards down the road, so I was hoping to jump them there. Then I saw some movement, them running away! They saw me before I saw them (surprise!)

 

I was pretty tired, sore and disgusted, as this was my 8th day of hunting. I decided to just go sit somewhere and call. I wound up a 1/2 mile south of the tank, sat a while and ate snacks, calling every once in a while. Then I moved another 1/2 mile south, sat and called a while. My back was covered well, brush cover to my left, open to the right. Then I saw 2 jakes, racing each other to get to that hen (me).

They stopped running right in front of me, looking. When they walked off to my left, I raised the gun up, poked it through the bush, aimed at the bigger one, yelped with my diaphragm call, which stopped them again, and fired. My first jake!

I had mixed emotions about that, I wanted a mature tom. But after reflecting on how much hiking, calling and hunting I had done in 8 days, plus last year had tag soup here, I got that good feeling that accompanies occomplishment and success.

 

I tagged my turkey and checked it out. His beard was about 3 inches and he weighed 12 lbs 4 oz, no spurs.

 

 

All in all, it was an great hunt! We saw lots of wildlife and other cool stuff. Like a herd of elk, 3 mule deer bucks together, some whitetail does, a nice antelope buck, Terry saw a bobcat that looked at him from real close, a bull walked up within 10 feet of Terry one morning and stopped. Terry had to look straight up to see it. Cool. Also seen was a bald eagle, some ospreys, blue heron and many new born calfs. In fact, we drove by a moma cow that still had after birth hanging from her, the calf lay motionless. Sadly, we figured it was still born. But when we drove by later, the calf was moving around, so that was good. Wrapping up the finds, a large horned toad, a baby bull snake and a matched set of 6x6 bull sheds. They were about 15 yds apart. I only took pics ATL.

 

 

 

 

One morning I heard a bear grunting nearby, when I moved on there was a fresh bear track near where I was calling from.

 

 

Another bear track on another day.

 

 

Well, thanks for reading! Next, I'm off to mentor at the Colcord Ridge camp in unit 23. Good luck to all the turkey hunters in a couple weeks!

[Redman]

thanks for sharing - sounded like a good time

[Flatlander]

I'd say there are worse ways to spend a week. Congrats on the bird!

[tjhunt2]

Really enjoyed reading about your hunt Tommy. Thanks for sharing. As I was reading I was wishing I was there.

 

TJ

[218buck]

Congrats

[bonecollector]

Enjoyed the read. Way to stick it out and fill your tag. Sounds like a great week in the woods to me.

[dmoto]

Great write up. Nice job! Gets me fired up for my upcoming hunt in 27.

[ready2hunt]

thanks for sharing.

 

I am not scared of snakes but there is just something about snakes in the pines- especially timber rattlers that I hate. I guess I feel that since I am not in the lower desert they shouldn't be there.

[rossislider]

Sounds like a good times despite a tough hunt. Congrats on the jake.

[azdonw]

Congrats! That was a great story. Hope to have one myself in a couple of weeks.

[cramerhunts]

Sounds like a hard but rewarding time spent in the mountains. Congratulations to you both on your birds and thanks for the write up and pictures! Nice job.

[AZkiller]

Awesome! Sounds like fun. I'm getting excited for the 28th

[PRDATR]

Nice write up. Congrats on a successful hunt.

[azruger]

Great times. San carlos has given me many great hunting memories with my grandpa. Congrats to you.

[AZHog]

Congrats on a successful hunt and thanks for sharing the story and pics!