Turkey Season, How did you do?

[Guest clutepc]

Finally! I needed to get my first one down, it feels much better to have one out of the way.

He's a Jake but I've been hunting these things with a bow and missed twice this year and once last year so I went to a shotgun.

I was only in the woods an hour, I guessed where they were roosting and setup decoys and sat down against a tree.

I called about 3 times and dozed off , guess I was more tired than I thought.

Well, when I opened my eyes a few minutes later I had 3 jakes 5 yards in front of me.

I see why I'm having so much trouble getting them close with my bow, I'm moving too much.

I moved my finger and they picked right up on it.

Then I clicked the safety off and two of them started walking away but one stopped to see what the noise was....he's the one in the picture..

[memphismason]

Nice Bird Cultepc

[Chris]

Nice one Clutepc! I had a weird morning in the field. Same spot I hunted Saturday, but today there was nothing... no gobbles, no birds to be seen... very weird... this spot is always hot and have it so dead was very strange. The yotes have been very active, so maybe they drove the birds to another hill. Once turkey season is over, I'm taking those suckers out!

[roverboy]

Clutepc and hunting101 good birds guys. Glad you gottem. I went this morning and heard several gobbling. About 7:15 I heard a shot about 300 yards from me. Scared the crap out of me. Didn't know anybody else was around. It was my neighbor. He got a jake with about 4" beard. I just don't think I'm good at turkeys anymore..............

[Guest clutepc]

It was a odd morning Chris, I didn't hear anything, not one gobble.

I was hunting a WMA that gets a lot of hunters and people just going for a walk so maybe that's pushing them to other areas or giving them lockjaw.

normally in this area I can hear them gobbling all over the place.

Still surprises me how many people I bump into just taking a walk on the WMA's, you would think the sound of gun fire might make them think twice about it.

[huntingman]

Congratulations everyone, nice looking birds. Something must be wrong with me because I've never had the desire to turkey hunt. Well, that leaves more for everybody else.

[MCSCOTT]

Congratulations everyone, nice looking birds. Something must be wrong with me because I've never had the desire to turkey hunt. Well, that leaves more for everybody else.

Up until this year I felt the same way you did. I also never could figure out why everyone said it was so challenging to hunt them, because I've had them walking all over me before during deer season. After going though I must say, there's nothing like sitting in the woods before daylight (and even after daylight) and hearing them gobbling close by.

Plus the biggest reason we chose to hunt them this year is because they are eating up everything in the woods leaving the deer no reason to come into the area. My belief is that if you have a hunting area you're trying to manage to any extent, it's best to hunt everything in the area to keep the population of each species from running out all the others.

[roverboy]

Finally got one on the 15th. 19lb. 14oz., 10" beard, and 7/8" spurs. Killed him at 10:30 in the morning. Have trouble posting pics. Got one on s755.photobucket.com/home/roverboy_photos

[roverboy]

Sorry tried something didn't work.................. Edited April 17, 2010 by roverboy

[Guest Fenris]

I went for the first time ever this morning and had a blast. A friend of mine took me out and called in this one to about 30 yards. 8" beard, 1" spurs, and weighed 20-22 lbs. My friend set us up and called them in perfectly. It was a good morning. Probably heard about 6 gobblers and saw a lot driving around.

The wristband is in support of a good friend with cancer.

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Edited April 17, 2010 by Fenris
Sorry for the double picture. The one on the right shows the bigger version.

[whiskey]

Great job Fenris. Congrats on the bird.

My daughter and I went out after the birds this morning. Our first set up was a bust so I moved us just to the back side of a cornfield hill. I warned her that she had to be ready when the birds showed up because they would see her if she moved.

She did so good for about 30 minutes while I worked a hard hammering gobbler. The gobbler hung up just out of sight and we sat patiently and waited. I noticed movement to my right and looked to see a hen eyeballing us. Just then Lana could see the gobbler and I hear her whisper, "He's huge Daddy".

The hen started putting and easing away and I tried my best to coax her back, but she wasn't having any of it. The longbeard followed her over the hill and out of sight. We called a few more minutes, but no response.

I told her we should probably go and I raised up to my knees. Just as I raised up two jakes come over the crest of the hill. I told her "Shoot, Shoot, Shoot". They turned and started walking away and BOOM. She shot just over his head. They were about 35 yards out and just at the edge of the 20ga range, probably too far to be honest. But I wasn't going to just let them walk off. I looked back at her after the shot and the recoil had rolled her off the tree and she was flat on her back, laughing her head off.

We had a great morning and got oh so close to getting a bird. She said she had fun anyway. We saw two big coyotes just before sun up and that was the first time she had see one. I let her drive my new Tacoma 4x4 around the field roads and over a few bumps and hills. That really made the day for her.

Nothing like throwing caution to the wind and letting an 11 year old take the wheel of a one week old truck. Definitely one of the best mornings I have spent in the woods. Perfect set-up, perfect calling, perfect bird and just one eye blink away from putting icing on the cake. I'd do it the same a hundred more times.

[9teeneleven]

well, I was up late working on my computer last night, and I begin to hear an owl hooting. I've heard this owl before, so no big deal, except what comes next. Suddenly the most god awful (or beautiful!) racket of turkeys starts up! I live 5 miles from downtown, but live on 3 wooded acres. I know what I am doing first thing tomorrow morning. It's bow time.

[roverboy]

Had a nice gobbler coming in this evening about 6:30 and he was coming across a cattle pasture. He needed to come about 25 more yards. That would have put him about 40 yards. Anyway a Charlais cow started coming down the pasture and the gobbler turned and went over the hill. I didn't know they was afraid of cattle.

[Rightwinger]

Seen more ticks than turkey when hunting! Sucks to be me right now.

[Guest clutepc]

Well I had a great day, got lucky and went to a area I don't hunt this afternoon, walked in and called and had one gobble pretty far away, I setup and he would gobble at everything but wasn't moving.

So I picked up and moved toward him and got set back up, then I called again, well then he was right where I was.

So I didn't call anymore and worked my way back that direction.

Got setup and started calling and then he was back where I just was..

So this time I just stayed put like I should have to begin with, I would call he would gobble hard but this time coming to me fast, guess he was tired of all the running around I know I was.

Anyway. 20 yard shot on this one..

20lbs, 9" beard, 7/8" spurs

Look like someone took at shot at him and blew a hole in his fan on one side.

This is my 2nd Turkey and it amazes me the rush they can give you.

I actually have video of this one, I turned my Iphone on and sat in my lap..lol

different but it worked I guess, I'll post it later if it doesn't look too bad.

Edited April 18, 2010 by clutepc

[Rightwinger]

Way to stick to him! Nice bird! Wish I could have just heard one at this point. Well, gotta go scratch.

[Guest clutepc]

Way to stick to him! Nice bird! Wish I could have just heard one at this point. Well, gotta go scratch.

I was covered in Ticks the other day myself, if there is such a thing as a Tick nest I found it.

I've learned to stay away from evergreens, I seem to get more on me then than a big oak tree..

[Rightwinger]

I was going to get in a ladder stand today but that fella either removed it after deer season last year or someone else has stolen it. I don't have any land to hunt on with fields so I have to hunt from the woods and mostly ridges. Evening hunts are all like deer hunting for me as they won't answer a call so you ambush them on the way back to roosting areas. I get up off the ground whenever possible. Nothing showed up tonight but the ticks, mosquitoes and apparently a woodpecker that ate mexican earlier today as he crapped a six inch string on my right arm (ewww)

[Guest Bronker]

I was going to get in a ladder stand today but that fella either removed it after deer season last year or someone else has stolen it. I don't have any land to hunt on with fields so I have to hunt from the woods and mostly ridges. Evening hunts are all like deer hunting for me as they won't answer a call so you ambush them on the way back to roosting areas. I get up off the ground whenever possible. Nothing showed up tonight but the ticks, mosquitoes and apparently a woodpecker that ate mexican earlier today as he crapped a six inch string on my right arm (ewww)

You've been invited to Dickson over 1,000 times...

[Rightwinger]

Really? I'm not recalling real good these days but I'm positive if I had been asked to come to that field I've seen pictures of you two in, I'd be there!! With biscuits!

And Bacon!

Just admit it, until your boy gets that big sucka, you ain't letting no one in there with you! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Guest Bronker]

Really? I'm not recalling real good these days but I'm positive if I had been asked to come to that field I've seen pictures of you two in, I'd be there!! With biscuits!

And Bacon!

Just admit it, until your boy gets that big sucka, you ain't letting no one in there with you! Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Between me and McFlurry, we got room. And you should see that NEF now! It's a real set-up now.

[Rightwinger]

PM or text me the next time your going. I have the TGO bike ride next Saturday though. Unless it's raining. I hunt in the rain, don't ride motorcycles.

[ShaunM]

Well Rightwinger went to your home town this morning but only seen 1 hen. I heard a jake gobble a couple of ridges away but that was about it. Had a great time though enjoyed the scenery.

[TripleDigitRide]

I saw a few turkeys this afternoon when I stopped by David Crockett State Park. Made me hungry.

[Rightwinger]

I slept in and scratched yesterday's chigger bites.