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Rick J
04-24-2005, 11:03 AM
Just got back from a 3 day visit to my brother in Kansas. He is a big time bass fisherman and I went back to try for spring turkeys. Got there at 11:30 at night - he picked me up and drove a couple of hours into Missouri to a private ranch and slept in the truck - up at 5:30. This was my first ever turkley hunt and it was sure exciting. Hunting heavy hardwood forests with plowed under corn fields all around. Saw and heard a number of birds and called in a few but not close enough - talk about eye sight!!! The slightest movement and those birds were gone!! Also saw a number of white tails. Hunted until 11 then off to a 28 acre bass pond on the property. We got a small john boat all geared up and ready to go when we heard a bird gobble on the other side of the pond. Took boat across and off we went - about a half mile of stalking and we came to a corn field and saw a gobbler on the ridgetop. The last 200 yards were on hands and knees through thorns and brambles to the edge of the trees. My brother started calling and the bird came around and started a slow amble towards us eating away and stopping now and then to gobble. Talk about tension. At about 40 yards he started to turn away so I took the shot and down he went! My fist bird - close to 22 #'s with just over a 10" beard and inch long spurs. Back to the boat and what an afternoon. In 3 hours or so we had over 50 bass - had two break off that were easy 4#'s. Did not have a fly rod so we were using conventional gear but what a great day!

The next day we had a tornado alert around Leavenworth and had hail the size of golf balls - farther east the hail was the size of soft balls!!!! Spent a couple of hours touring Cabelas. A truly awesome store!!

Had a try at a Kansas bird my last day and saw maybe 5 gobblers but could not get close enough. Great trip!

Darian
04-24-2005, 11:50 PM
Rick,.... sounds like a great trip and apparently you didn't run into any tornado's on your trip.... 8) Too bad you didnb't have your fly gear there for the bass, tho. Still a great trip. :!: :!:

Did you keep any of the fly tying material from the Turkey :?: :?: :?: