Big Tub

Beautiful Dog!

Yeah! We got a female Britt. WOW can she whine. Crate training sucks.

Gorgeous dogs. You gonna take one?

I jumped on the deal that was presented last minute on this site. Day 1. We met at the Best Western in Douglas which took me about 2-1/2 hr to drive from Tucson but traffic at that hour in the morning was a delight. No turkey calls were to be found at Walmart but Jay assured me that Chris would do all the calling. I kind of wish I had one. At 7:30 am, I got to meet Dave, the other hunter, and we piled into Chris Roe’s truck who was pulling his Ranger. We crossed the border without trouble and picked up supplies at Beto’s place. The drive down to the Potrero Ranch between Moctezuma and Hermosillo was long and the last hour was on a challenging dirt road. This gringo was not used to the narrow roads, different language and traffic rules (use your blinker to tell the guy behind to pass, even though it was a double line). We got situated at an old ranch house about 3 pm – rustic living conditions with no continuous power but with running water. We drove 1/2 hr in the Ranger on a rough 4wd 2-track to likely area near a "represso" (pond). We walked up a wash but nothing. However, we found the center of all activity, a great strutting area around the pond. We did watch 2 gobblers and several hens walk up the road we drove down but nothing responded to our calls/decoys. At sundown there was lots of calling to the west on the roost trees. Lots more gobbling occurred at/near dark. Back at the ranch we had great carne asada and guacamole for a late dinner then to bed for a very early wake-up. Day 2. Up at 3am for bagels and we motored off to the represso. We set up under a large tree on the northern side of the pond about 4:30 am but it put us very close to the action. The birds started to come in from the west but didn't like decoys or whatever. They skirted to the back of us. Six hens nervously walk by and up the hill at 20 yd from me but the gobbler (s) stayed back. Things really slowed down after 9 am when it got hot so we went back to the ranch for a late breakfast of chorizo/egg burritos. The guacamole had milk and cheese, so the boys were worried about my lactose intolerance, which provided great entertainment in the blind later on when they were concerned the birds would hear me. It was super hot: too hot to nap. We set up ground blind on south end about 4 pm with just one hen decoy. The result was we got to watch a nice gobbler and several hens walk by from where we parked the Ranger in the wash, just out of range. Dave almost got a shot. Lots activity occurred after sundown. Day 3. Jorge’s rooster alarm did not go off so we “slept in” till 3:15 am; after which, we headed to the ground blind we had left set up. It was very quiet. 17 hens and 2 gobblers came right by the northern spot from previous day about 75 yards from us and went up the east side of the pond and then to the northern, sparsely vegetated hill up from the pond. Later another gobbler with a messed-up fan chased the other 2 gobblers off and came in with 8 hens, one of which was gimping. Another gobbled way off to east. Great morning watching and listen to the strutting. That wing drag was a new experience for me. After all activity ceased, Chris reset the blind to the northern spot behind the tree where all the action was occurring – this was an extraordinary spot with wing drag marks everywhere. The different flocks seemed to take turns coming into the pond and did not want to encounter other birds so we used no more decoys and no more calling. Machaca burritos and bacon, eggs, beans were ready for us for late breakfast. Temps were still very hot and dry which just shut down all activity during the early afternoon to include us! Somehow, we got intermittent texts through my Verizon cell phone and it seemed that Jay and his hunters on different ranches had scored. Heading back to the pond in the early afternoon, we checked out a new spot sort of on the way at 2 pm but there was no activity and then we were off to the ground blind. We sat in the blind till dark. Finally, many (14?) hens came into drink with no gobblers. The hens were very nervous but stayed a long time at 20-30 yards away drinking and eating out of the ooze on the north end of the lake. Day 4 -- last day. We got into the blind early by 4:30. Super quiet. No activity till late, which was very disconcerting. FINALLY, a hen came in alone and stayed a long time till poor Dave had a coughing fit. Then 9 hens came in about 9 am working right in front of the blind, which apparently no longer seemed out of place. The gobbler showed up and went around the opposite side of the pond to make sure other gobblers gobbling to the south did not take these hens away. He went right over previous south side blind location, along with another gobbler later on. Shoulda, woulda, coulda! Then another gobbler came in quietly with a few hens with lots of strutting across the represso on my side but out of range. He worked his way over to within 30 yards. Dave worked his way into position just in case we got a chance at a double (we practiced one, two, three, BANG several times during the slack time) and then I heard wing drags just outside the blind ... another gobbler had come in from the north to challenge the one I could see. My gobbler took off at the site of the new gobbler. He wandered out of range, so I gave Dave the ok to shoot what I thought was the close one which I could not see. Chris was going to stop him but TOO SLOW JOE! I looked back and the gobblers were together and Dave bammed the latter one. I shot but was so frazzled, I missed by a foot and a half as the first gobbler was exiting stage right. Chris jumped out and got Dave’s bird and had me set up again as there were many birds gobbling. He called and even tried the gobble call with lots of response but NOTHING but nothing came in so we decided to go after the closest one that was quite vocal. We got to within a couple hundred yards but could not get him to commit. We heard maybe 2 others but only one or two times so it was back to blind. Then another started gobbling down by the UTV. We tried to work him but he just went up the opposite steep hillside – he sounded like he was really close due to the steepness of the hill. He worked his way up to the top if the hill as Chris called in the blind and I set up to the south of the pond. Foiled again. Chris and Dave then returned to the ranch to take care of his bird while I sat the blind. I heard several gobblers while there but none came into pond. The clouds gave us a reprieve from the heat. Alas, it finally got hot but there was a good breeze, which made it so I could not hear well. Chris showed back up at 3 pm with some lunch for me. We had the blind quite open to keep it cooler. I was telling lots stories like the “pet turkey Gobbles” from way back. At end of story, around 3:30 pm, Chris noticed a really nice gobbler standing on the dam drinking. Thank goodness for the wind covering my story. We were careful to maintain absolutely no movement since the blind was so open. The gobbler walked toward us from 60+ to 30 yds right at the pond’s west edge. At 30, BAM! Straight into the lake as Chris had predicted. Chris scrambled out with boots untied and tethered together. The turkey was swimming out by his flailing and the pond was deep there at the steepest part of the bank. Chris stepped into the murky water and just as it was providentially planned, the turkey back flipped while 10 ft out and swam back to Chris. That poor turkey was a nasty, wet mess but HUGE. It had a nice spur on the right leg and nub on the other. PLUS, it a had a double beard: 10-6/8" and 6-5/8". True trophy status! Chris was really excited! I was shaking like crazy and could not get the phone set up to video Chris swimming after the turkey. Lots of high fives and hugs and hoopla resulted. We pulled the blind and headed back to the ranch arriving about 5pm, the first early quitting time of the hunt. I was so grateful for the total Providence on the last evening of the hunt with some extraordinarily difficult and unusual hunting conditions. The dried-out pics of the bird were much nicer than the shoreline pics! We back home very early the next morning as Chris had his next assignment to work his magic. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

A boat is a whole in the ground into which you throw money. As long as you realize that up front, you will do OK. We had a 16' aluminum 1963 Texas Maid with with a 85 hp Johnson. We used in for fishing and taking the kids to the lake. When they got into middle school and beyond, they were too busy and committed to go so the boating went away. Realize it is for a season and cherish the time you have with your kids. Do not get a bass boat! You will constantly be getting in trouble with that. I would suggest get an aluminum deep v with a 4 stroke motor to minimize maintenance and don't go into debt to do this. Lots of incomplete projects out there if you are handy. How's that for a bunch of random wisdom?

And that attitude and no pics is why this is not moving ... but here's a free bump.

Time for a new pup for you? We pick ours up on Friday.

It literally is empty now ... and of course now I wonder???

location?

"Some assembly required."

As well as Art and LeRoy. How sad. Maybe Ken can take us out? I hear he is good but then again it is from him that I hear it.

Location?

Does anyone even guide for crappie on Roosevelt???

Wish I had seen this earlier when I was visiting my son near New River. Would have had an excuse to go to Cabelas! This is quite a deal. My son in law loves his.