Sneak and peak turkey

[kings6]

Our fall turkey season kicked off a couple days ago so I’ve made a few trips up the road to the farm I maintain and tried to bag one of these sharp eyed buggers. Yesterday was a zig day rather than a zag day so no luck. I went up again this morning to try the flick that lives on the other side of the farm and after crawling over fences and ripping my pants and tender flesh parts on the top barb wire I was finally able to knock one of the stragglers down. No handguns allowed so it is shotgun or bow here in Oregon.

Since I gave my inherited shotgun to my nephew so he would have something of his grandfathers whom he never got to meet, I use the only scattergun left. This a 40 year old Stevens Topper single shot 20 gauge that lives in the barn for shooting gophers. I have four, well now three, of the original box of #7 1/2s left so that’s what gets carried. No being a true “turkey hunter” but turkey noodle soup eater, I don’t do much of the full camo, face net, decoy thing. Instead I hunt these birds the same way I often hunt deer. Spot and stalk hunting. Knowing the land on the farm like I do and since I’ve spent years cutting trails for elderly owners to walk and ride on I use my binos and the tree and brush cover to sneak up on these big wild chickens. Not the traditional turkey hunting way but it seems to work. Nothing scares a flock of wild turkeys like when a non descript fir tree has a little black hole about 3’ off the ground suddenly belching smoke and a bunch of screaming bbs!

I get one more fall tag and if I score with it I’ll be down to my last two rounds from the 40 year old box. S as big, I may have to go buy my first box of shotgun shells before next spring!😀

[bula]

Pretty neat ! Enjoyed the share, thanks. Stevens Topper ? I had an H&R Topper 12ga, worst kicking beast ever, as a 1st 12ga.. Then NEF made them, now ?

[kings6]

I just looked at the old break action and I was wrong. It is a Harrington & Richards Topper Jr relic.

[bula]

Darn, then I'm a relic..lol. Dad got me an HR Topper 12ga when I was..um, 14 or 15. An upgrade from a Savage 410. Had 2 friends that got the 20ga's that year too. Bunnies , pheasants and such took a hit that year. 

[kings6]

The butt stock is wobbly and I have to hit the barrel and action with a good coat of oil then the steel wool to get the rust down to a manageable level each year but hey, the turkeys don't know that! Besides, I dont shoot at any bird further than about 15 yards with it. Its funny how when I was skinning this bird out so many of the pellets were just under the skin. Oh, the mini lightweight by Kim Ralston does great at skinning and filleting turkeys too!

[junebug]

She deserves a bit more love than a splash and scratch once a year, then you make her work for you, and you make her sleep in the barn. Shame on you LOL! I still have my Savage 20 gauge I received when I was 12 or so. I let it sleep in the safe.

[theoldredneck]

Take the recoil pad off and tighten the stock bolt. Takes the Wobbly out. Down here in the south the end of the barrel has to be covered to keep mud wasp from building in the barrel.

[kings6]

I kept a T Post cap over the muzzle if this old girl.