Texas Turkey Hunt

[Tennessee Elkman]

Spend last weekend in Shamrock Texas opening weekkend of turkey season. 9 of us killed 33 birds and one song dog. His coat was in great shape, I guess the heat hasn't gotten to them yet. Birds were mostly 2 year olds but we did kill a few 3-4-5 year old birds. Not many jakes so next year is really going to be tough. Hunting here in Tennessee this weekend but we are battleing a cold snap and the birds have gone silent....

[grayghost]

I was with Elkman when he rolled that 'yote with a smokin' 140 grain bullet from his 7mm08. We were working some Turkeys, when a coyote bolted from thick cover and made a run at the small flock. Elkman picks up his rifle and I give a crow call to stop the predator in his tracks: broadside. Elkman shoots: coyote drops: Then Wiley got up and ran 50 yards! We couldn't believe our eyes. I was attempting to use his video cam but the auto focus kept a clear image of some cottonwood limbs (our blind) 3 feet in front of us and everything in the field was a blur. My bad, and what a video it would have been. Elkman put a perfect shot at 80 yards; Wiley rolls at the impact; lays there about 15 seconds then gets up and trots off (about 50 yards to a thick brush fence row). We sit there another 30 minutes (we're still trying to hunt Turkey if the coyotes will stop chasing them) before we go out to investigate. We get to the spot and there is a small piece of flesh. We follow tracks 25 yards and another, larger piece of flesh. Another 10 yards and we pick up a 3.5 inch piece of shoulder bone. We're thinking "what the hell?" We walk to the fence and see the large male coyote stone dead. Elkman picks him up and we're totally amazed: the exit hole is as large as a tennis ball, right through the left shoulder. Entrance was right behind the right shoulder. How that pup ever stood up was one thing, but to run off 50 yards? Prime Texas yip-yapper and will make him a nice tanned pelt. I took my first Rio Grande Turkster with Elkman that morning and what a day we had! Good hunting, grayghost