Youth Hunt Report

[whiskey]

No shots, but we were on birds. We got into place about 30 minutes too late this morning so we had to sacrifice our set up plan. No blind, No decoys. We got in a ditch in a windrow of trees between two fields. The birds pitched down to the far field so we belly crawled and laid in the mud bank of the ditch. As soon as I hit the slate two medium sized gobblers thundered with a couple of gobbles. The hens worked their way across the field while the gobblers took turns chasing a few Jakes out of the field. Then the two started our way. I purred and clucked them into a frenzy of strutting and gobbling. My daughter was too my right and the birds were too my left. She did not have a shot to the left at all with our dismal set up. I just hoped I could get the birds to walk across the field in front of us and give her a shot. They did not. They both strutted around for 20 minutes and stayed just 5 yards too far to the left. They finally wondered off and we decided to move uphill and try to head the group off at the top of the hill in the hardwoods.

We called a couple hours and no more gobbles or turkeys. We threw in the towel and decided to go back to the big field the birds pitched down in and set up for tomorrow morning so we could just slip in early. On our way back to the truck I took a short cut through the woods and popped out at the edge of a field road with a double bearded gobbler 30 yards from us in the field. He had heard us, but not seen us. We tucked in behind a couple trees, standing, no face cover. He was a little spooky, but when I hit the call he turned at started right back to us. I let him work his way within 15 yards of us, but again she had no shot. I just needed him to come up the road maybe 4 more yards and clear the big tree that was in her way. No dice. He turned and went up the field edge, dropping down out of sight. I couldn't get him back again. So close. So much fun. We will be back at it again in the morning, this time 30 minutes earlier.

[Guest Bronker]

About 0930, on our way out of the field, we walked up on four toms and a dozen or so hens "sunning" at the edge of the woods. JCochran88 was with me and my son. He was throwing soft purrs at them, which was driving them nuts, but they wouldn't close in more than about 70 yards. They gobbled and drummed, and spun in circles. But, they moved on with the hens.

They're not hot yet. But it's coming.

Nonetheless a great day. My boy is sleeping it off right now, but we're going back after them in a bit.

[ShaunM]

Took my little sister out but they wouldn't come in. I think they were hen'ed up. Guess we will try again.

[whiskey]

Well Sunday wasn't a total bust. We didn't go out and sit in the rain early but we did get to the woods for a few hours. We hadn't had any luck finding turkeys today and we were picking up to leave when we heard a gobble close by. We hunkered down and saw a young gobbler headed toward us in the woods. We had him in to 50 yards, but just couldn't get to the magic 35 yard mark I feel that her 20 gauge needs to be deadly. When we got back to the truck and were driving home around 1:30pm we saw 3 nice longbeards with about 40 hens. It's still too early to draw those big boys away from the pack. Still a great weekend in the woods with my daughter. I am hell-bent on getting her a bird this year. I am not going to hunt until I can get her one first.

[Guest redbarron06]

I am glad you guys are getting out with the kids. I will most likley take my little girl next year or the year after.

about what time are they starting gobbleing? i am still in TX and wont be able to get home until late thursday afternoon. No time to scout on Friday (honey-dos) gonna be out with the sun on sat morning though.

[whiskey]

Our birds were gobbling at 6:15. They flew down before 7. Sunrise was 6:42 and we should have been set up and still before 6.