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Thread: There's Gold in them thar Hills

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Fort Kickass
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    50,993

    Default There's Gold in them thar Hills

    I've been eyeballing and trying to make work a trip west for several years now, where I can actually be the trigger man.

    One thing after another kept me from going. Finally said I'm damnit going this year flights and personal stuff aligned so I reached out to a couple of vague contacts polling for info and was totally surprised when one said, I've got nothing going on, c'mon. The hospitality displayed was incredible and I am not sure I can ever repay them on the same level I was shown but I'll certainly try. He doesnt hunt turkeys but kind of knew where they could be found. The entire trip was a whirlwind of not much sleep, a doozie of a blister, thin air, vertical climbs, briars/thorns/rocks/etc not like we've got here...

    I ended up with four birds in two states with a mix of public and private. All but one killed on public. I hunted three full days and half scouted/hunted the afternoon I flew in. I really wanted to hunt a third but I got hung up on a hammer of a pasture bird one day that I am still certain is half wizard. I swear that bastard would disappear into thin air and reappear 10 minutes later a mile away with a 2000' of elevation change. He survived and caused me to burn a full day chasing his ass and I hunted him every day I was there. I tipped my hat to him on the final day as I walked out. The farmer and his wife chuckled and asked me if I wanted to borrow a rifle. I told them I was mad at him, but if he hoo-doo'ed me that good, he deserved to live. They told me they wouldnt shoot him and he'd be there next year if a cat or wolf didnt get him so come back.

    A few pics:
    Crick.jpg
    hillside.jpg
    Snow.jpg
    Ukiah bird.jpg
    View2.jpg

    Frosted Tips2.jpg
    Hooks.jpg
    Turkey Rocks.jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images
    "Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration" -Izaak Walton

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Boiling Springs
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    Default

    Awesome congratulations buddy!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Knoxville, TN/Bryson City, NC
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    Default

    Hell yeah!
    "some men are mere hunters, others are turkey hunters"-Archibald Rutledge

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chapin SC
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    Default

    Good stuff BB!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
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    In the thick of it.
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    6,348

    Default

    Dang I'm jealous.
    Quote Originally Posted by ecu1984 View Post
    Go Tigers!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
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    Certified Piedmonster
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    Default

    Awesome.. Hope to make my first trip west next year.
    Quote Originally Posted by cajunwannabe View Post
    Man is merely a two legged locust, devouring wild lands, developing and prostituting wildlife and fisheries under the guise of "use of the resource" for tremendous profit and moving on. Will it ever end?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Horry, SC
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    Default

    Jealous, that's good stuff.

  8. #8
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    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lowcountry, SC
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    Default

    very nice!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Fort Kickass
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    Default

    A few pics of the pasture bird's lair:
    Mulie
    Mulie.jpg
    View from the top
    pasture bird.jpg
    View from the bottom Pasture Crick
    Pasture Crick.jpg

    A few things I thought pic worthy:

    The white dot is a mountain goat
    MTN Goat.jpg

    Wolf Shit
    Wolf Scat.jpg

    Wild Ponies
    ponies.jpg

    Painted Wild Ponies
    Wild Ponies.jpg

    Desert Rose
    Desert Rose.jpg

    Random Roadside Diner
    Road Kill.jpg


    Almost bought one for a certain member here
    Tater.jpg
    "Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration" -Izaak Walton

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Parole
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    5,092

    Default

    Congratulations. That landscape is beautiful

  11. #11
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    Feb 2018
    Location
    Border of both Carolinas
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    4,366

    Default

    Looks like a great time. Congrats!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Fort Kickass
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    A few observations:

    I over packed. Expected it to be cold. Shit. I sucked four liters of water out of my water backpack thingy a day.

    Chippewa snake boots are not recommended for mountain climbing. I left my lace up hiking boots at the riverhouse and didnt discover it until I packed the night before. Opted to wear boots already broke in over buying a new pair when I hit the ground there, provided I could find something in my size....

    Merriams are dumber than Easterns and Rios.

    Farmers hate turkeys.

    So much daylight. It's daylight at 0500hrs out there.

    Severe elevation changes plus anything over 3500' will kick my ass. Hard.

    This will be an annual (maybe bi-annual) thing, and I will allocate at least 7 days to it. This trip opened up some big game doors too.
    "Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration" -Izaak Walton

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
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    North Kackalacky
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    3,473

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    Congratulations!
    Vegetarian: Native American for Piss Poor Hunter

  14. #14
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    May 2003
    Location
    Cayce, SC
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    Looks like a you had good time BB!
    Bone....

  15. #15
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    Nov 2004
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    Awesome!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Summerville
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    Congrats BB! Looks like one hell of a trip!
    Member of the Tenth Legion Since 2004

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Wateree, South Carolina
    Posts
    48,812

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    Nice hunt. Great area of the country and an easy drive to get there. Find any arrowheads or the like?

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Fort Kickass
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    I tried to look but when I was out of the truck, I had my eyes in bino's.
    "Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration" -Izaak Walton

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Gobbler's Knob, GA/ Bamberg,SC
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    21,442

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    Outstanding. When Turkey hunters from the East finally make it out West, they kick themselves in the rear over not going sooner.

    Glad you had a great trip. Congrats on some nice birds. Fun times out there for sure.
    F**K Cancer

    Just Damn.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    602

    Default

    My phone must be broke. Looks like those turkey hunting lessons paid off for you, glad I was able to help you out

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