2022 SC trip report and pics
I had to move my annual spring trip up a few weeks this year due to a side work gig I'll be starting in a few weeks, and I must have brought the Wyoming weather with me, because I was cold and ticked at the wind for 98% of the trip. I started the trip by trying to get my 83 year old dad his first turkey, and while we did not connect, he did get to experience a hot gobbler blowing it up from close distance in the swamp just across the property line. The bird gobbled ~150 times in about an hour before a hen finally made her way to him. On his final trek into a different property, we struck a bird about 60 yards out in high winds on our way to the truck. We had to bail into the woods and set up where we could...not good at all, as it was all clean, recently burned young pine trees and we were sticking out like a sore thumb. The bird came in quick and was a Jake, but dad couldn't get the bead on him before he saw us and got gone...but it was a great experience nonetheless.
On one day when Dad was taking a day off to recuperate, I went with a bud across the river from where dad and I had been hunting to a huge, beautiful old growth swamp to see what we could do with some fresh birds. My bud forgot the gate key, so we were walking in from the get go. We never heard a gobble on the roost, and only heard one bird gobble when we struck him with his box call while walking out. We did not give that bird much of a go, as 30 minutes earlier...as far from the gate as it was possible to get...we jumped a herd of pigs and promptly killed the only one that gave us an opportunity. I was thrilled to have a nice 60lb bundle of pork...until I realized neither of us had a knife. No way was I leaving that meat in the woods, so I did what I had to do. I think I'm going to send the pic to ALPS as a testimonial to the toughness of their vest. After the ~ 3.6 mile trek out, my shoulders were wrecked, but the vest held up like a champ.
On my last morning in the midlands, I went out solo to try to fill a tag, as dad was worn out and wanting to sleep in. I could not get a bird to gobble on the roost despite calling in a flock of owls that put on an intense concert. I got about to the point where I had killed that pig and decided to pull out the trusty copper and osage pot call, and as soon as I hit it, one gobbled 100 yards off. I eased my way toward the bird after determining that he was not wanting to come my way and spooked the hen he was with. I let her putt her way off taking him with her. I gave them about 45 minutes and circled around to try to get in front of them. I hit the copper again, and he fired off again from the other side of the road from his original spot. I got to about 70 yards from where I thought they were and decided not to make the same mistake twice. He hit my mouth call twice, and I shut up. He continued to gobble on his own, so I figured his hen was still hanging around him. I called to see if I could get her to come to me, he gobbled closer, and then he just appeared from the cane and thick into the beautiful yellow flowers and green grass that lit up the otherwise deeply dark and shaded swamp. I had the red dot on him with minimal movement, and he blew up into strut for a second or two. I thought about giving him some time to do his thing and thought about calling to get him to gobble in sight...then I remembered how quickly they can re-write the script and I pulled the trigger. His hen was ten yards behind him and to his left, and I did get to enjoy her antics for a few seconds as she jumped up on the downed tree in the pictures and putted as she looked at her boyfriend laying on the ground.
19,7#; ~1 1/8" spurs; 10 1/4" beard.
The rest of my trip was spent on the bank of the Tugaloo river with my best friends and college roomies catching fish and drinking beer. We caught a nice mess of filets and enjoyed a multi-species haul while fishing lazy style. Bag included a 10lb striper, a few 2-7lb channel cats, a fat white perch, a 3 lb hybrid, and a 14" spotted bass. I missed the morels and ramps part of the trip this year, as it was too early, but the pork and fish more than make up for that.
It was great to get to see that blue and white glowing head lighting up a dark spot in the swamp...never ever gets old. Hopefully I'll get another chance to share that same experience with my dad next year...getting closer and closer every year.
Hope your season has been and continues to be as blessed as mine.
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