Jeff-Widgnwhacker-Wallis
05-17-2006, 11:24 AM
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/571/prostaffnewsheader1dd.jpg
May 12, 2006
Calling all Toms
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3781/derek16gb.jpg
Turkey hunting has been tough. The birds have been henned-up all year and the season is nearing the end. Guides on the Krooked River Ranch near Haskell were working hard to get their hunters birds.
At 4:45 a.m. Roy Wilson, owner of Texas Best Outfitters, pointed to a painting of two strutting toms in a field of wildflowers that hangs on the wall of the dining hall. “ That is what you are looking for,” he told Derek Rambo.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/552/derek39ae.jpg
All the other guides laughed, but Rambo took it in stride, as he was the new guide at the camp. The new guide gets the worst of it, forced to travel the farthest and work the hardest. But that is what he loves the most hard work.
Rambo has entered and won many calling contests, but this morning he sat quietly in the dark listening to the yelps and gobbles that were all around him.
http://img490.imageshack.us/img490/2613/derek21lf.jpg
He was sitting with his hunter in a spot where he felt the turkeys would move after fly down. He made two soft yelps while the birds were still up and two more when they were on the ground.
After thirty minutes, two toms and two hens came into view. The birds worked slowly in his direction, the toms in full strut. Both hens and toms were moving in and out of the brush. Gobbles were few but a couple of birds slipped in on the left side and gave a few territorial gobbles, not even bothering the locked-up toms.
One of the hens started running around doing the kee kee call, a call heard mostly in the fall. The big toms came out after her but there was an extra bird, probably one of the birds from the left.
http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/6052/derek51kn.jpg
Now there were three toms strutting. “Take the one in the middle when I yelp and he looks up,” he said. Feathers flew and a nice tom was kicking on the ground. “I guess we saw the painting that Roy showed me come to life this morning,” Rambo said.
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7622/derek43lo.jpg
When he walked back into the camp house, the other guides could see the success on his face. He pointed to the painting. “We saw that and we brought one home.”
The other guides were skunked.
You can reach Texas Best Outfitters at www.krro.net or at (325) 773-2457.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID J. SAMS www.lonestaroutdoornews.com
May 12, 2006
Calling all Toms
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3781/derek16gb.jpg
Turkey hunting has been tough. The birds have been henned-up all year and the season is nearing the end. Guides on the Krooked River Ranch near Haskell were working hard to get their hunters birds.
At 4:45 a.m. Roy Wilson, owner of Texas Best Outfitters, pointed to a painting of two strutting toms in a field of wildflowers that hangs on the wall of the dining hall. “ That is what you are looking for,” he told Derek Rambo.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/552/derek39ae.jpg
All the other guides laughed, but Rambo took it in stride, as he was the new guide at the camp. The new guide gets the worst of it, forced to travel the farthest and work the hardest. But that is what he loves the most hard work.
Rambo has entered and won many calling contests, but this morning he sat quietly in the dark listening to the yelps and gobbles that were all around him.
http://img490.imageshack.us/img490/2613/derek21lf.jpg
He was sitting with his hunter in a spot where he felt the turkeys would move after fly down. He made two soft yelps while the birds were still up and two more when they were on the ground.
After thirty minutes, two toms and two hens came into view. The birds worked slowly in his direction, the toms in full strut. Both hens and toms were moving in and out of the brush. Gobbles were few but a couple of birds slipped in on the left side and gave a few territorial gobbles, not even bothering the locked-up toms.
One of the hens started running around doing the kee kee call, a call heard mostly in the fall. The big toms came out after her but there was an extra bird, probably one of the birds from the left.
http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/6052/derek51kn.jpg
Now there were three toms strutting. “Take the one in the middle when I yelp and he looks up,” he said. Feathers flew and a nice tom was kicking on the ground. “I guess we saw the painting that Roy showed me come to life this morning,” Rambo said.
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7622/derek43lo.jpg
When he walked back into the camp house, the other guides could see the success on his face. He pointed to the painting. “We saw that and we brought one home.”
The other guides were skunked.
You can reach Texas Best Outfitters at www.krro.net or at (325) 773-2457.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID J. SAMS www.lonestaroutdoornews.com