Turkey hunting thread !

[halffast]

Since Kaiser seems to have fallen off the face of the planet I thought I would start it . The freaky weather and early green-up have made it a strange start to the season . I was fortunate enough to have set up 40 yards from where the birds were roosted this morning . It was really windy and the toms didn't start gobbling until full light . 5 jakes flew down and put on a chasing , fighting , strutting show all around me for about 15 minutes . They got as close as 15 yards but I let them walk . The longbeard , of course , sailed farther out into the woods and gobbled a couple of hens in which also brought the jakes to the action . He kept running the jakes off but they kept pestering him . Did some soft yelping on a mouth call and the whole clan started my way . Only did 3 different series of yelps but it was enough to draw them right to me , the big tom bringing up the rear . I had to hold the gun up for an eternity and finally , with the jakes and hens 15 FEET from me , I dropped the hammer on the old gobbler at 18 yards . Birds flew everywhere , some so close I could have swatted them with my gun barrel . Wasn't in a blind , just backed up against a tree and wearing a full suit of leafy cut , mossy oak camo . Great morning . He weight 20 pounds 14 ounces , had 1 inch spurs , and a 10.5 inch beard .

 

[cmoist]

Awesome! We saw quite a few near Mount Morris this weekend and one gobbler near the highway in Columbus. I took a trip to Nebraska earlier this spring and got a couple toms with a bow. Good work!

 

[Meister]

Ive had a group of birds behind the house for over a month now.. At one time I counted 35 birds in the field behind my track, about 180 yds from my deck.. Come Monday, no where to be seen.. I suck at calling so a buddy here at work may come this weekend to call`m in for me.. haha

 

[halffast]

Meister ,
There are some calls on the market now that are almost impossible to screw up on . A good pushbutton box will produce yelps , clucks and purrs pretty well . I like mouth calls the best due to the sound quality and lack of movement but have to admit that even after many years of using them , at times I still squeak out some funky sounds ( especially when a big gobbler is close and my mouth dries up like a desert ) . Most people over-call anyway but you have match the birds preference in each situation .
A true story : After a few years of turkey hunting I started to get better at calling and thought I was getting wise to the birds . One morning , on public land , I let out a few yelps as day was breaking . Across a small ravine there were immediately some squeaky yelps back . This turned into a series of about 50 nonstop yelps , squeaks , fweaks , and every type of sound you can imagine . I thought " D%*n , this guy snuck in on my setup and he is the crappiest caller I've ever heard ! " . The sounds went on for at least another 15 minutes continuosly . I was pretty disgusted and started to get ready to leave . Just when I was ready to yell " Shut the f@#k up ! " , the " world's worst caller " pitched of the roost and flew to my side of the ravine ! It was a huge hen . I was stunned . Half a minute later a gobbler flew over to her . I'd like to say that I got that tom but it didn't work out . He prefered her sounds over mine and she lead him off . Lesson learned .

 

[flyin polack]

He prefered her sounds over mine and she lead him off . Lesson learned .

Experts say that a turkey doesn't stand a chance at winning a turkey calling contest...go figure.

 

[Kaiser 878]

sorry randy...ha Sometimes my PR account works and sometimes it doesnt. It hasnt been letting me log in lately....

Congrats on the bird...


I managed to kill a bird today that over the last week turned into a nemesis of mine...Heres the write up



I started seeing this bird about 3 weeks before season. I watched him about every morning with his 3 hens. I assumed by the first day of season they would be on nests. About a week before season another guy got permission to hunt the property. I told him he could have the first two days...He hunted the bird and never saw nor heard him.

He showed back up on wednesday and I hunted him on thursday. I had him at around 40 yards but couldnt see him due to the rise in the field. He escaped. I hunted him friday...his hens took him away...he escaped. I had to work the weekend so I arrived back on monday morning and he wasnt roosted where he normally was. I decided to more about 10 minutes after legal shooting time. I found him about 400 yards away over the hill in another pasture. I set up and called...once again his g/fs took him the other way..

Last night I roosted him in his normal hangout. I knew this morning I had to get on him because I had to work wed and thurs. As light approached he started his usual gobble session. He gobbled for about 30 minutes and pitched down. He wade his way up the hill and behind me. he gobbled and I knew he was within 60 yards..I remained motionless and quiet and was hoping my new tactic would work. He saw my strutting tom decoy and made an about face and walked the other way quickly. I was baffled. He made his way to about 200 yards away and started gobbling. His hens flew the roost and went straight to him. GAME OVER....

I had a pretty good idea where they were headed....I went to the neighboring farm to see if I could persuade a bird to gobble...no luck. So I jumped in my truck and headed to the other side of the farm he was on. It was about an hour since I had seen him last and I peeked over the rise and sure enough...There he was with his babes strutting. I back up and sat where I saw them cross the day prior...After an hour I didnt see a thing. My ADD kicked in and I couldnt take it any more. I got on my knees and crawled up to the edge of the rise in the field. I saw his fan.....and he was within 50 yards. I belly crawled another 10yards undetected. I laid there motionless for 15 minutes. He and his hens worked to about 10 yards, he never broke strut the whole time...Once they got to about 30 yards I couldnt take it anymore.....BOOM!!!

Game over for the invincible tom....He is my biggest bird to date. 10 3/4 beard and
1 1/4 spurs and 24 lbs....It was a good feeling to kill the bird that made me look like a fool for the last week. I just wish I could have done it the conventional way...but hey....I figure sneaking within 40 yards of 4 turkeys in a wide open field and waiting for them to close the distance is a task in itself!

 

[Original44]

Nice birds Zach and Randy.

It's been pretty good hunting so far. My 11 year old son John shot his first long beard on Sunday of the young season. His bird had a 10 1/4" beard, 3/4" spurs and weight 22lbs. I shot a long beard on the first Wednesday of the season. He had a 11" beard, 1" spurs and weight 19lbs. Now I have to get my 13 year old son his first turkey.

I also got my elk tag in the mail this week for private land in Montana.

Good luck to all and hunt safe.


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[TPMX #8]

I shot a long beard Saturday morning,10" beard 19.5 lbs and 7/8 spurs
Called 4 in together,never seen that before.
Had missed one opening day when I called in two long beards but took a longer shot when they started getting nervous.
Great year this year,seems hens were bread early this year and gobblers were moving more

 

[Meister]

The group of birds behind the house have returned! There were about 12 of them out there yesterday morning when I was leaving for work.. Was wishing I had got up a little earlier. May try n whack one this weekend if I can find the ambition!

 

[Kaiser 878]

Today was an absolutely amazing day..Jen said she wanted to kille a turkey a couple days ago.....So she went and got her license and tag yesterday...

This morning we headed out on her first turkey adventure. I told her this wasnt going to be like deer hunting...We might hear one and we probably wont see one. I hadnt been back to this farm in a week...So i didnt know where or if the birds were still there.

We set the blind up in the dark and at first light had one light up behind us about 300 or so yards away...I instantly wrote the bird off because of the terrain in between us.....I caled to him a couple times just to hear him faintly gobble. about 10 minutes later...he was standing 50 or 60 yards behind us gobbling. I coudnt believe it. he gave us two gobbles and disappeared, I have no clue what happened to him. I told her there was no sense in staying and we packed up and left.

We pulled into a farm by my house and I told her we would go and call a bit and see if we could get one to gobble.....Nothing, big surprise.....

As we were leaving I looked at the other end of the farm in the pasture and there stood a bird strutting......Why he didnt gobble I dont know... So we hiked back up the ride and slipped down the bank leading to the pasture..Luckily the bacnk was covered in thick thorns and we were able to slip in to 100 yards or so...We got set up and i called...HE gobbled but it was faint and it sounded like he was on the ridge above us...So we ran to the top. Once again, got set up and called. nothing....after a few minutes I thoguht I kept hearing faint gobbles at the bottom of the hill.....So I told her I thought he was back down in the pasture....Once again we moved through the briars....

We got set up and I called....He gobbled, but quietly... I sat still....he gobbled again...I called this time....About a minute later he gobbled again and he was closer. I kept quiet still.....HE gobbled again....Closer yet...I told her to get ready...He was on a kamakazi death run....I saw the bird coming along the briars at about 30 yards....HE made a right turn to go up the hill....I purred to him, he gobbled rt in our faces at about 20 steps... Around the corner he came....stopped at 20 yards, no shot for Jen....HE saw something he didnt like...he took off and I told her to shoot......HE got to about 35 yards and BOOM!!!!!!!!!! He rolled like basketball across the pavement....DEAD BIRD!!!!!!!!

1 1/2 inch spurs 10 inch beard and 20.5 lbs
Probably one of the coolest turkey hunts I have ever been on... This bird was on a mission......Unfortunately his mission involved running into some lead!