Here are the 2 turkeys we got on opening day near my house on King's river. You can tell there was an expert caller involved in this excursion by the size of the thumper heads on these boys! Kelley was a happy camper to get one on opening afternoon and get to sleep in the next day. She's single, has a job and 17 cats and only 4 of them are pregnant??? We've hunted together for many years and she just keeps getting to be a better hunter all the time. As I vaguely recall, we MAY have imbibed a few barley pops to celebrate our uncommonly good luck that day! And of course we had to get the old lucky pink flamingo in the picture to "fish" my buddies with!!


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Danny with a 21 lb. gobbler taken on opening morning. He had an 11 inch beard and 1 inch spurs. On that day, I called in three separate groups of birds. These eastern birds are extremely wary and my trick is what I call the c.l.o.g. method. I call very softly and rarely answer a gobbler once he's gobbled at me. Once he's heard me and answered, he's already fooled, he knows exactly where the "hen" is and any calling after that point can only put them off. The clog method means "call left on ground." They will very often walk away gobbling, making you think they're gone and never coming back, but the trick is to wait them out, silently. It may take them 2 hours or more to return. But... if they answered and something doesn't happen like getting messed with by another hunter etc., they will come back to get that hen. They are VERY stubborn about that and you can bank on it. I've waited longer than 4 hours for one to come back, but they always do. If you sit and continue to call to them, they won't usually come in and it will normally spook them, ruining your chances. You just have to have faith that they will return and have the PATIENCE to sit them out. Sometimes they will return and start calling as they come, but DON'T CALL!!! The temptation is overwhelming to pick up that call and sound off, but it's a mistake. You HAVE to make them wonder where that hen went and if you call, they'll just stand out there and gobble, waiting for the hen to come to them. THAT is nature's way, so contradict it and wait them out silently. They can and do appear silently, but they will come back. It's GREAT to hear them come back in gobbling since you know where they're at, which is much better than them sneaking in and catching movement. I've been hunting these stubborn rock heads for over 35 years and time has taught me the easiest way to fool them is with patience and minimal calling...C.L.O.G. 'em!!!

Send your success pictures and I'll post them here for all to enjoy. I'll get Kelley's picture posted here ( she's a hell of a lot cuter than I am) once I figure out how to get it from my phone camera!!!

Good luck out there!!!!

I received a picture from a customer who took a whitetail doe in Colorado with his .45 caliber Southern mountain rifle.  Good job Mr. Hulett, it's a fine way to enjoy hunting the hard way and getting the satisfaction of doing it right! John said she only went about 45 yards! Round balls work very well when carefully placed...

The photo on the right shows a very nice 8 point buck Paul Cameron took at 65 yards with a PERFECT head shot!  Southern Mountain  rifle in .45 caliber...can this guy shoot or what?!