ALABAMA,NIGHT VISION,HOGS and TURKEYS !!

[proguide66]

Just arrived home from an adventure down south!! and what a hoot it was.
3 flights a blizzard and delayed hrs on end I finally arrived at 3 am.Got a room for 3 hrs sleep and was picked up from my freind Joel ( past guest from up north)and off we went without a moments rest for a week of turkeys and hogs.
Joel and his brother are avid outdoorsmen who's enthusiasm can easily bes seen while they dragged me all over the south at all hours of the day to persue gobblers and wild hogs. I never had a moments rest and am still not quite the same yet , maybe another weeks sleep.
I was a bit too early for the peak gobbler 'rut' action but my expert guides managed to locate gobbling turkeys each morning.
On day 3 ( I think) Joel and I were out snooping around and found a few gobblers and hens feeding in a field. We got into action , packed up the gear and jumped on one of their few electric powered ' BadBoy's wich is a converted golf cart like 4X4 wich is dead silent and packs 3 grown men easily through the swamp ect.




En route , we were crawling under a railroad through a drain tunnel with muddy water in it.Stooped over carrying decoys and guns we emerged to the other side to be greeted by a VERY pissed watermocasin snake damned thing was right at our feet and if it wasnt for the thick underbrush I would have screamed like a girlguide and ran but Joel saved the day with a blast from his shotgun..this breed of snake is very agresive and has been known to chase people for a bite or two..

I was already at peak adrenaline load while we continued our run for the area where the turkeys were feeding.
Luckily , we made it to a cut line before the birds did ( they move non stop kinda like carribou while feeding throughout the day) and quickly placed our decoys.
Joel immediatly started calling to the birds soon after we had got into position.About 10 minutes later a hen emerged from maybe 100 yrds...seriously , your heart starts beating like crazy and your hands start trembling..its nuts!!..Joel played with the call for another 15 minutes while she just stood looking our way.
to her right , the rest of the flock emrged from the bush.Right away a large gobbler came out and blew himself up in full strut...verry cool and hard on the nervs. They started coming our way and as soon as the gobbler saw our decoys he came a runnin with his fellow longbeard in tow.
We were whispering back and forth Joel," DONT SHOOT,DONT SHOOT JUST WAIT" I'm like " WHAT???"...I was locked on that bird and wanted soo bad to squeeze off but Joel was needing to be in line with the second one. FINALLY and of course when my bird went behind cover he says " SHOOT !!!"...DOH..I didnt have a clue he had one in sight when I sent off a ball of shot for a 15 yrd kill when Joels gun went off and smoked another one..A DOUBLE !!!!...WICKED !!!





Hi fives and lots of laughs we collected our gear and trophies ( including the snake) and headed for 'The Bad Boy' and back to the ranch for photos and bragging rights.

[proguide66]

Just when you thought it couldnt get more exciting , the boys were gearing up for a night of 'assault on hogs' 'Alabama style using gen4 night vision scopes on 308 assault rifles and 20 round clips!!!



Now I have a new deffinition of FUN !!

It was maybe 10pm as the 4 of us loaded ourselves and gear into the 4door dodge loaded and locked for a 'death squad' style assault on unsuspecting wild boars tearing up the local farm fields beyond recognition.

[Shooter]

Cool post. Looks like a blast!(except for the snake) Thanx for sharing.

[proguide66]

We turned off the interstate highway and pulled in behind a convenience store/gas bar . The farm field was maybe 200 yards behind the busy gas bar while we slipped out of the truck silently and headed off to the field edge
There , maybe 150 yards away were a group of feeding pigs , maybe 20 or 30 of em rotatilling the night away without a hint of what was about to be unleached on em!!

We crept to about 50 yards and took rest with bi pods on hay bails..." one...two...3BOOM wel , I mean brrrraaaapt...brrraaapppt powpowpow..braaaapt...brrrraaaaaaaapppppppt.....ho ly shit , pigs runnin everywhere , bullets wizzing , muzzle flashes from hell...squeels of dieing piggies , brass flying through the dark...then silence...followed by out of control giggleing and laughter....what an experience THAT WAS !!!!...( I'll probably never stop wondering what the customers at the gasbar were thinking.
Joel and his brother Kurt have permits to use the gear and TRY to get a grip on the local pig invasion...each sow has a few littlers a year at around a dozen piggies per litter...VERY hard to stay on top of.
The pic with Will and Joel posing is with a HUGE 'tusker' or boar they nailed a few nights previuos. One new idea wich looks cool is getting the cleaned skull dipped in camo pattern , kinda cool for the trophy room.


OH YES...I WILL be returning for more of that fun!!!

[303Brit]

Sounds like a stellar trip, thanks for sharing the pics and the stories.

303

[proguide66]

Not to be outdone by brother joel , Kurt relentlessly woke me at 5 am to continue our chase of gobblers.
A freind of theirs owns the ' Persuit Channel' and they video tape lots of outdoor action for him. Will was our camera guy and as well very well versed in the habits of wild turkeys.
Kurt was about as good a turkey caller you can get and on my last morning there they dragged me into the hardwoods and quickly called in my second 'longbeard' for a very exciting and adrenaline loaded 15 yrd kill.
Again , the expert calling combo'd up with the decoys ended in a long beard a comin a runnin.




I havent down loaded the second turkey pics yet...will in a bit.Too much fun , made coming home to
NO turkeys or night hogs depressing!

[killman]

That is quite the little smirk you got going on there in the pic holding the assault rifles with the night vision scopes

[proguide66]

That is quite the little smirk you got going on there in the pic holding the assault rifles with the night vision scopes

Still got it!!

[killman]

I guess. It's the "I can't believe we are allowed to do this shit" smirk.

[proguide66]

My second gobbler miught have had a more full beard or maybe even longer than the 10 1/2" left after a drilled him square in the chest



Kurt,Will and me with me gobbler,




This is a typical lane on their hunting lease that you will find the birds scratching.


Good filler for inbetween seasons here!!
Thise guys came here and left with 2 moose and elk last fall , Joels coming back for 3 weeks of moose/elk and grizz to fill his new trophy room , hope the good luck continues!!