Hog Pictures from Ranger Creek Ranch
Ranger Creek – The Strut N’ Squeal
-727742.JPG)
-775949.JPG)
Well the boys are back from the 1st Annual Strut and Squeal at Ranger Creek Ranch and quite an adventure it was!. I’ll be posting pictures as they come in from the guys. Right now, I’ve got two posted of the 1st 2 Rio Grande turkeys taken by yours truly and Llew Boyd. Despite extremely high winds(30-40 mph), the team’s final tally was 8 Rio Grande Toms and 14 hogs. One trophy boar hog weighed about 265 lbs and had a full mouth of teeth.
I really don’t know how to describe Ranger Creek Ranger other than the lodging is truly unique, the food truly Texan, and the topography truly diverse. We hunted everything from wheat field lined river bottoms to arid canyon environments. The wildlife was also diverse. Spotted were numerous deer, Aoudad Sheep, coyotes, skunks, bobwhite quail(tons), road runners, cottontail rabbits, Jack rabbits, hogs, dove, ducks, and rattlesnakes. Its a wonderful ranch where it is very easy to put together hunts for multiple species like ducks & quail, whitetail deer & hogs, turkeys & hogs……
To bide you over til the pics arrive, I’ll tell you about my 1st Rio. Llew and Lou arrived at Ranger Creek about 1:30 in the afternoon in time to quickly throw on our hunting gear and head out to a food plot deep in the canyon. When I said throw on , I mean throw on. When we got down to the plot, I noticed that I had forgot to put on my snake boots and was hunting in my Crocs! Atleast they were my camo Crocs! I quickly found out they were not much protection for the many cactus plants that abounded. As we were walking to the plot, I was commiserating about how windy it was. The forecast was for 30 to 40 mph and it was living up to the predictions. It was howling. This is typically no way to turkey hunt so of course we eased into the food plot to find 2 mature Toms strutting their way across the plot. My idea to attempt to circle them was quickly deemed stupid after my camo Crocs came in contact with a cactus. Fortunately, the 2 toms just eased off into a ravine and we were able to set up. You know, when I hunt Eastern Wild Turkeys in the afternoon, its a leisurely process that involves setting up on travel lanes and trying to roost birds for the morning. Much to our surprise, we were inundated with turkeys all afternoon as they seem to follow a circuit from one food plot to the next. The problem was they were all hens and huge numbers of jakes. I am definitely going back to Ranger Creek next year after all of the jakes that we saw! With the wind blowing at hurricane levels, it was tough to hear anything. I resorted to occasionally calling and typically a couple of jakes would show up. About 5:30, I laid into my Albert Paul box call and was answered by a gobble that seemed like it was right next door to me. We were hidden behind a bush and really couldn’t see to our right. I whispered to Llew to get his gun up and the Tom rounded the bush about 15 feet away as Llew aimed. 3 shots later, the Tom was still running and he took flight. at 39 yards, I folded him in the air with a load of Hevi Shot. He weighed 21 lbs., had a 9.5″ beard, and 1 and 1/8th inch spurs. A great start to the hunt.
Keys to the hunt:
1. Rios move all day and this pattern occured the entire week. I called in 2 bird after 5:00 p.m.
2. In windy conditions, you have to be patient and use a call that can pierce the wind. Box calls are great for this.
3. Due to my bad footgear, we were really limited in what we could do with the 2 toms present when we arrived. Eventually they eased off and we were were able to set up. By being patient, we didn’t blow the set up.
4. For more information about Ranger Creek, contact me at 615-604-0581 or louhoop@yahoo.com
Until Next Time,
Gobble & Strut!
A Turkey Season Detour thru Lousiana and Texas is upon us!
I had to take a break from turkey season to check out a little Louisiana hospitality. I joined Dave Cook, President of Cook’s Mechanical Services, and a group of his loyal co-workers for 2 days at Calcasieu Charters in Lake Charles LA chasing Redfish and Speckled Trout. The 1st day, they caught 120 trout and 45 redfish. The guys took over 200 lbs. of fish back to East Tennessee. Calcasieu is one of our great Outdoor Connection properties. For trips like these, give me a ring at 615-604-0581 or e-mail me at lou@outdoor-connection.com.
The members of the 1st Annual “Strut and Squeal” are headed to Ranger Creek ranch this week to chase Rio’s and Hawgs. We’ll post pictures on the blog while we there.
Until next time,
Gobble & Strut!
A South Carolina Bird hits the ground!
Here is a new blog from my good friend and hunting buddy from Charlotte NC, Don Tardif, about his 1st bird of the year. Don is a member of the 1st annual Strut & Squeal posse headed to Ranger Creek Ranch for 5 days of Rio’s and hogs!. Here is Don’s hunt in his own words:
It was April 4th, 2008, just 4 days into the new turkey season. I was hunting alone on our Chester County, South Carolina property. My business partner and I had yet to take a bird of these 200 acres we purchased just a few years ago. We were both excited about this new year as we had just last year done our first timber thinning and had planted several new food plots for the prior deer season. To make matters more interesting we were seeing several birds prior to the beginning of the season and the first 3 days as well. For some reason however, the birds were not gobbling and when we did see them in the fields they were not responding to calls or paying much attention to the decoys. (I am sure this had nothing to do with my ineptness as a caller).
After the first 3 days of several buddies trying to bag the property’s first bird to no avail, I decided to take my vast experience of having killed 3 birds in my 44 years on this earth and head out alone. Today my strategy was to “run and gun”. The wait and see approach had not worked and I was determined to get a bird to at least gobble. The first 3 days of the season had brought rain and wind and much frustration for me and the other hunters. The morning of April 4th started out the same with overcast skies and drizzle. I couldn’t get out to the property until 8:00 AM that day but began my journey in the woods just the same. Our property is surrounded by creeks, has very diverse topography, and many rolling hills. I began heading to the back and figured I would work my way around the 3 areas we have seen them roosting the most. The morning was slow and very frustrating. I spent 3.5 hours trying to locate a gobble to no avail. By noon my attention deficit disorder had hit its’ limit and I decided to head back to the cabin and call it a day. Just as I was beginning to take a short cut to the cabin at the last second I decided to walk all the way down to the “Three River Stand” and check for fresh tracks as we had seen birds in their earlier in the week and thought it may be a good spot to scout for the next time I came down with my 9 year old son. With the motivating factor of delaying going back to the office I was off.
Sure enough no new tracks and no gobbles. It looked liked the birds had won again. As I moved towards the final turn heading back to the cabin a group of crows came through raising all kinds of noise. Just as they passed over I heard a gobbling sound from where they just came from. It appeared to be a good distance away but after going on 4+ hours at this point a gobble is a gobble and sure got me fired up. I decided to see if he would respond to my box call. Sure enough I barely had finished my attempts at talking to this bird and he gobbled back. I knew he was far enough that I had some time to scout the area and try and figure out where he may come in so I quickly did that and set up. Only there was one problem, I had left my decoys disassembled on the ground where I thought I would hunt next time so I was going to have to see if I could get him to come in without the decoy in place. Luckily for me, recent dozer work had created a pile that I could sneak in behind and my only hope was that the tom who had to cross the creek to get to me would walk parallel with the creek and as soon as he passed the edge of the dozer pile it would be my only chance for a shot. Sure enough after 4 days of literally no gobbling, I found the one Tom that was determined to make up for the lack of gobbling in the woods. From the first time I called him and he responded we were now talking back and forth for over 15 minutes. I knew he was getting close but until he crossed the creek I had no shot. At last, after seventeen minutes of me doing my best imitation of a hen that needs something, the woods became real quiet and I decided since I was a novice to this turkey hunting world I would drop the call and just hope my plan would work. Sure enough the Big Man had it in his plans that morning as literally the bird peeked his head at the exact spot I needed him to come out at and after one step further he had taken his last.
Not the biggest bird in the world but with a 10” beard, 1” spurs and weighing in at 24.8 pounds it was truly an experience I will never forget. Taking a Tom with a guide is one thing but working one with my skill level or lack there of, and having it pay off is just a heart pounding experience.
Don
Tips from Don’s Hunt:
1. Never give up! I have killed just as many turkeys between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. as I have from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Morning’s henned up gobbler can become noontime’s lonely gobbler real quick.(For another blog about a late morning hunt, go to April 12, 2007 in the archives)
2. Gobbler’s have an adversity to crossing barriers like creeks, fences, ditches, etc…… Don did a great job of dealing with his barrier by setting up so he was in range. If the turkey came up to the edge, Don was shooting and thats what happened.
Great Job Don!
Until Next Time,
Gobble & Strut!
Bradley Dicken’s 1st Turkey of the year
My good friend Brad Dicken’s took his 1st bird of the year last week. For those of you who don’t remember Brad from last year, here is his better side. Here’s his hunt in his own words:
Most people don’t like to hunt in the rain. And for obvious reasons I don’t either. However, Rain comes and rains goes, and I will bet anyone or anybody, that when it stops you see more turkeys than you would on a calm warm morning. That’s what happened on Monday of March 31st. I went out back in a drizzling rain and went to a place that I knew from previous years was the best hardwoods area for a roost and food. Low a behold I saw what looked to be a leaf blowers activity at every step. These scratches were fresh! Like I either just bumped him or he was just around the bend. I called with some yelps, I called with some cackles, I called and called but no answer. So I just knew he had been bumped. Before I left that spot, I remember what a old buddy of mine from Pennsylvania told me, “If you think she looks good, there’s somebody else that wants to talk to her, but he’s looks and sounds differently than you do!” Basically, try a call that you think sounds good to you, then bring out something that sounds different. So I did! I pulled out the Stinger. A slate call that Woodhaven makes. If you don’t have one, buy one! I’ve tried them all. It usually wins every year at the turkey shows and I own one. I also believe is carrying several strikers. This particular time I used a metal stiker to get the loud and crisp sound that would cut through any wind. Sorta like a boat paddle, aka Box Call. I hit it one time, and he hammered 80 yards to my left. I hit the ground, he came running up and my featherless and purrs did the rest. He gobbled two more times to get my decoy to come off its stick and somehow float over to him. Curiosity always kills the cat. That cat’s in the bag and on my wall now. I will throw in a safety tip as well. Don’t shoot a gun next to a downed tree. I am just now getting my hearing back. It was stupid but the turkey and my hearing paid a toll.
Thanks Brad!
Until next time,
Gobble & Strut!
2nd Tennessee Hunt – TrophyBassLake.com
Well, it was back to Chuck Bean’s trophybasslake.com farm for the second hunt of the year and it was definitely a hunt. Not a killin but a hunt! Attached are 2 pictures that tell it all:
1. The picture of the ground is one of a turkey scratching. To me turkey scratching is maybe the thing I look for the most when I am scouting property to hunt. Its a sign post for where birds travel, where they feed, where they roost, and where they hang out. On days like today where the temperature are cold, gobbling can be a minimum and scratching tells me where I want to set up if I don’t hear birds. Parts of Chuck’s farm look like they have been raked there is so much scratching.
2. The other picture is of a power line that disect’s Chuck’s property. While they are small dots in the distance, those dots are Tom turkeys. They are also strutting about 20 yards away from Chuck and I were set up at first light. Unfortunately, we had left and did not get back for the party. Chuck and I probably saw 8 to 10 mature gobblers and about 50 hens all in one group and as a group they stayed. When birds get like that, your best strategy is to try to get in front of them for the ambush and we were never able to get there. However, it was a beautiful day and we had a great time watching these beautiful birds.
Tips for the hunt:
1. Look for Scratchings as the signposts for where you should hunt! Mark them with your GPS so they are easier to find in the dark when setting up!
2. Some days, you just can’t pull birds from the flock. You’re best bet is to try to get in front of them for the ambush. Again, scouting can help you know where to set up for that opportunity!
Until next time,
Gobble & Strut!
Tennessee Opener – March 29, 2008
Welcome back to Year 2 of howtoturkeyhunt.com! I hope we can add to your knowledge on turkey hunting by blogging some really good hunts. I am hunting two new properties in Tennessee this year so that should add for some excitement and good tips on scouting.
I started counting the days to the Tennessee opener about 2 months ago when deer season ended. After organizing my turkey gear, re-organizing my turkery gear, sighting my gun, practicing on my calls, and scouting my turkey properties, it was finally time to go.
This year for the opener, I was invited to hunt at the farm of my good friend, Chuck Bean. Chuck has a beautiful property about an hour of west of Nashville where he practices quality game and fish management. To learn more about his property and practices, go to his website: trophybasslake.com. Chuck is also a youth wrestling coach, former TN state wrestling champion, and Division I wrestler. He has coached both of my sons, Russell and Christopher(Smiley) and has been instrumental in their success as wrestlers. Also on the hunt were my son Smiley, and longtime friends of Chuck: David Thoni, Tim Terry, Chris Mattox, and son “Puddle”. Special guest was Mike ” 4 toe” Huffine. Mike is an expert in Quality Deer Management and has been instrumental in the development of Chuck’s farm.
We showed up Friday night where a fine wild game meal of venison chops was enjoyed along with a blazing camp fire and the NCAA basketball round of 16. Friday was a windy, rainy night with a low of about 48. The weather forecasted for Saturday was not much better with overcast skies, a chance of rain, and gusty northeast winds.
5:00 came early Saturday morning and everybody jumped out of bed………..except for Chuck, Tim, and David. David was finally dragged out and off we went. Chris was hunting with puddle while David was teamed up with “4 toe”. Smiley and I eased into the woods and worked our way down one of Chuck’s wooded ridges occassionally stopping to owl hoot. This was not a morning to hear a lot of gobbling as it was cold, misty, and windy. Based upon past scouting, I knew some spots that I had seen a lot of scratching. I was also looking for a wooded hollow where Smiley and I could drop out of the wind. Smiley and I soon found what we were looking for: a blown down tree top at the edge of a hollow protected from the wind that led down to the headwaters of Chuck’s bass lake. We had elected to bring our chair blinds as Chuck’s woods have been “select cut” and are very clear. The chair blind is a great tool for turkey hunting as they are light, easy to set up and very comfortable. We set up our chair blinds and our hen decoy. This year, I am testing different motion devices and I connected a battery powered remote controlled contraption that moves any decoy up and down in a pecking motion.
After being sure we were ready, I elected to start calling with my box call. Typically, I start with a softer pot call but the a box call really cuts through the wind and this was a morning where I would need to be as loud as possible. 4 cuts and 1 yelp were immediately answered by the roar of a gobble at the bottom of the hollow. I whispered to Smiley to get ready and he got his gun up to his shoulder. Now that I had his attention, I hit a couple of more cuts but mainly remained silent. When searching for an approaching gobbler, I always look for his head. The head of a sexually aroused Tom will turn very white and I find it to be very visible in dim light of early morning. I spotted the bird about 70 yards out in full strut as he came over the rise on the edge of the hollow. I whispered to Smiley, “There he is. Do you see him?” “No!” was the answer. I purred softly on my pot call. He immediately sounded off with a gobble. “I see him now!” Smiley whispered. The big Tom strutted and drummed in to about 30 yards moving in front of our bobbing decoy from left to right. When he stepped behind a tree, I whispered to Smiley, ” Take him when he steps out” When the Tom stepped out, Smiley whispered that he didn’t have a shot and the big Tom started to put as if something was not right. Not wanting to take a chance, I aimed the ole’ 870 and let the Hevi Shot and Primos Jelly Head do the job. The big Tom catapulted over backwards and flopped down the draw.
Have you ever tried to get out of a chair blind in a hurry when you feel the need to chase a flopping Tom? The instructions say to lift the front edge back over your head. Right. After unsuccessfully trying to get the stakes out of the ground and lift the front I simply laid my gun outside and dove out the front. The Russian judge would have definitely given me a 6.5 but who cares. I picked up the gun and ran to my turkey which was flopping in his final throes. He sported a 9.5 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, and topped the scales at 21 lbs. A great start to what is hopefully a great seaon!
Keys to the Hunt:
1. Everybody loves to read about and watch turkey hunts where quiet, warm spring mornings are full of the sounds of gobbling and singing birds. However, it is not uncommon in the early spring to have to deal with rough weather: cold temperatures, snow, blustery March winds, and rain. When these conditions occur, gobbling can be slim to none. You better have a plan and this is where scouting comes into play:
a. Based upon past hunting and scouting trips, we headed for an area I knew
turkeys frequented. Turkey scratchings, droppings, and feathers are a
sign post for travel routes for turkeys
b. In windy conditions, turkeys like to get into quiet areas where they can
hear. The hollow we set up on was an ideal place for a Tom to frequent and
be out of the wind.
2. Box calls are my preferred call for windy mornings. They are really loud and cut through the wind.
3. Chair blinds or other ground blinds are effective tools on cold, windy days as they keep the wind off and allow you to move to stay comfortable.
Smiley’s keys to the hunt(a beginner’s perspective):
1. Always have a place to hide before you call. That way, you know where to go if a gobbler answers nearby.
2. You don’t have to call very much if their nearby and moving towards you.
Until Next Time,
Tight Lines & Struttin Toms,
Lou & Smiley
Turkey Season Is Upon Us! Be a Boy Scout! Be Prepared!
Well you can tell turkey season is just about upon us. All of the signs are there. The Giant’s win in the Super Bowl is a distant memory. College basketball is rapidly turning into March madness. The NWTF convention just wrapped up in Atlanta(please come back to Nashville where your actually appreciated!). More importantly, the temperature is starting to climb into the 60’s frequently enough to let you know that spring is just around the corner.
It’s time to get ready for turkey season and there’s plenty to do to get ready. Here are my suggestions:
1. Support the U.S. economy and make a trip to your favorite local hunting and fishing store to look at all of the new turkey gear that is out there.
2. Get out all of your gear that you so carefully stored from last year(see my May, 07 archive) and be sure your clothes still fit, your calls still work, and your shotgun shoots straight.
3. Speaking about the latter, be sure to go to the range and pattern your shotgun at 20, 30, & 40 yards using one of those cool turkey targets.
4. Scout, scout, and scout some more. Now is the time to figure out where your birds are roosting and traveling. More on scouting in my next blog article.
5. Put your calls in the car with you and start practicing. This is guaranteed to make you a better caller and to also save your marriage.
6. Book a trip to chase that species you’ve always wanted to go after. Whether’s its Easterns, Merriams, Rio’s, Gould’s, or Oceola’s, I can put you on the hunt of a lifetime. Go to my website at http://www.huntfishlive.com/ .
More articles in coming days on scouting, new gear, and tactics. Until later,
Gobble & Strut!