Turkey Season, How did you do?

[roverboy]

Got a 14lb. jake 5" beard, 1/4" spurs this morning at 10:00. Sorry still can't post pics. I'm stupid or something. I don't know.

[MCSCOTT]

I just about give up. Everything was perfect yesterday morning. Got in the woods a good bit before daylight and got set up. Shortly after daylight I hit the call a little, and had one coming across the field from the woods on the other side. He was headed in our direction, but taking his own sweet time about it, and gobbling alot. It wasn't long before I looked way down on the other end, and noticed someone walking right throught the middle of the field. The guy walked right to where the turkey was gobbling, and headed in the woods after him. Last time I heard him gobble it sounded like he was in the next county.

I bet I would see less people if I hunted public land than I end up seeing hunting private land. One of these days, hopefully while my dad is still able to hunt with me, I will find a decent place to hunt.

[Guest clutepc]

I bet I would see less people if I hunted public land than I end up seeing hunting private land. One of these days, hopefully while my dad is still able to hunt with me, I will find a decent place to hunt.

public land is bad these days with the weather being like it is I'm seeing more and more people. Hang in there!!

there are a few WMA's that are away from the housing areas and that's the ones to hit if you do go to any.

I had someone taking pictures of my decoy the other day thinking it was a Turkey.. I've started going to some different ones after that one.

I think the Watching Wildlife program the TWRA has started is probably adding to some of the additional people in the WMA's, most of the people I've met didn't know that these are also hunting areas.

[DaveS]

I must be doing something wrong...I yelp, pur, and cluck just like my books says...but PIGS keep showing up...I need to get TGO Whiskey to straighten out my calling. That squeeling noise coming off my diaphram call just ani't working!

[roverboy]

WD-40 maybe the hogs think they're turkeys. At least you got good hog hunting where you hunt. All the places I hunt there's no hogs. About 20 miles from me are hogs but I've not seen any sign or hogs here yet.

[memphismason]

public land is bad these days with the weather being like it is I'm seeing more and more people. Hang in there!!

there are a few WMA's that are away from the housing areas and that's the ones to hit if you do go to any.

I had someone taking pictures of my decoy the other day thinking it was a Turkey.. I've started going to some different ones after that one.

I think the Watching Wildlife program the TWRA has started is probably adding to some of the additional people in the WMA's, most of the people I've met didn't know that these are also hunting areas.

I think I would have a nervous breakdown right then and there. That is awful.

[roverboy]

I had a friend of mine tell me once he had some decoys set up once and he saw a guy trying to sneak in close for a shot. He told me he didn't know if the guys eyesight was bad or what. The guy finally seen that they were decoys and walked off. My friend said he never moved but cracked up after the guy left.

[MCSCOTT]

I'm still wondering why the guy that messed up my hunting never noticed my decoys. They were set up in the edge of the field out in the open on the side of the hill. He was a pretty good distance away, but I know I would have noticed them if I were walking around looking for turkeys. All he was paying attention to was the gobble from the woods on the other side though, and kept heading that way until the turkey left the area.

So let me ask this.....Is waiting until after daylight, and then walking around all over the county every time I hear a gobble trying to wear them down until they don't run or fly off the correct way to hunt? If so I would be just as well off to ride around on a four wheeler or in the truck until I see them and try to run up in the middle of them and get a quick shot off. I was under the impression that I should try to get in close to them before daylight, set up, and start trying to call them in close enough for a shot after they fly down.

I think next weekend I'm going to just go back to the area with my gobble call, and see how far I can get this guy to follow me up and down those hills.

[ShaunM]

Got one yesterday around 3:00 pm. It had 7 3/8 inch beard and half inch spurs. Not sure what it weighed. This poor guy looked beat up. I guess he might have been in to many fights.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Hunting101

[Guest clutepc]

.

I think next weekend I'm going to just go back to the area with my gobble call, and see how far I can get this guy to follow me up and down those hills.

I try and go during the week, there seems to be a lot less traffic in the woods then.

As far as decoys and people, when the season started I had a lady walking her dog, she saw me in the ground blind and my decoys, she kept walking right by me coming within 20 yards of me.. could have cared less what I was doing,

then when she came back she didn't have her dog on a lease so he came running up to me....yea nice...some people I just don't get..

Edited April 20, 2010 by clutepc

[Guest clutepc]

Got one yesterday around 3:00 pm. It had 7 3/8 inch beard and half inch spurs. Not sure what it weighed. This poor guy looked beat up. I guess he might have been in to many fights.

Nice!!

[roverboy]

Hunting101 is he a jake? I'm asking because his tailfeathers don't look even. But his beard and spurs seem a little long for a jake though.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Hunting101

[Guest clutepc]

I'm curious what types of decoys everyone is using, jake and a hen, 2 hens, 1 hen?

I've never had much luck when I used my Jake decoy, I normally use 1 or 2 hens is all.

I don't own a strutter so I'm curious about those to how well they work.

[ShaunM]

Hunting101 is he a jake? I'm asking because his tailfeathers don't look even. But his beard and spurs seem a little long for a jake though.

No but he was a young bird and he did look rough. The land I was hunting on is were I hunt coyotes and it's full of them. I thought maybe he had a run in with a coyote or something. On his stomach he was missing a bunch of feathers and his was missing some tail feathers, some even looked like they were ripped or torn.. It's possible that he could have been a jake but most jakes I have killed have never had a 7 3/8 inch beard but I guess a jake could have a beard that long. Heck a friend of mine killed a tom the other day that had 7 beards so anything is possible.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Hunting101

[ShaunM]

I'm curious what types of decoys everyone is using, jake and a hen, 2 hens, 1 hen?

I've never had much luck when I used my Jake decoy, I normally use 1 or 2 hens is all.

I don't own a strutter so I'm curious about those to how well they work.

I use a jake and hen decoy.

[DaveS]

Nice bird!

[ShaunM]

Thanks but it wasn't the prettiest bird I have ever taken. Good thing is you don't have to eat the feathers lol! I took the turkey breasts to a place here in Murfreesboro called Slick Pig and they are going to smoke it for me for a small fee. Can't wait to get it back tomorrow. If it tastes as good as there other food then I will be in turkey heaven.

[Guest clutepc]

mine was the same way, I wasn't sure if someone shot at him or if he'd been fighting, I probably would have had the whole bird mounted if it was how the fan looked on the one side.

Not that he was that big just thought it would be a cool mount to have.

[Guest clutepc]

went to the woods this afternoon, about 1000 ft from the entrance to the WMA there were about 10 birds, 5 of the Toms all in Full strut, right beside the road, I should have taken a picture.

Then I walked in the woods and walked up on another like a dummy and spooked him enough to fly off..

going back in the morning and hope to get back on them, there were some nice Toms in the group.

[ShaunM]

Yeah mine had missing feathers all over it's stomach. When he started to come in I could see a spot on him and couldn't figure out what it was. He got in around 30 yards then that spot turned out to be were he was missing some feathers. Overall he looked rough he wouldn't have won any beauty contests.

[ShaunM]

went to the woods this afternoon, about 1000 ft from the entrance to the WMA there were about 10 birds, 5 of the Toms all in Full strut, right beside the road, I should have taken a picture.

Then I walked in the woods and walked up on another like a dummy and spooked him enough to fly off..

going back in the morning and hope to get back on them, there were some nice Toms in the group.

Good luck! I am going this week sometime. I am going to try and hold off for a really good one since I only have 2 tags left. I have seen a few in the areas I hunt that had 9 inch beards or bigger. Seen one 2 weeks ago that looked like he had a 11 or 12 inch beard but it was a thin beard.

[whiskey]

I found 3 dead Turkey carcasses on the side of my road today. Breasts, Beards and feet cut off. I am positive some Jack-@$$ killed these three gobblers from the road on land he didn't have permission to hunt. I do have permission and I am the only one hunting there. I saw these 3 birds strutting next to the road on Sunday and I stopped and ran them back into the woods. I hate law-breaking poachers. I hope they choke to death on the meat. Luckily I have alternate places to hunt, but I am going to be royally peeved if I don't see the gobblers near the house again.

[Guest clutepc]

Yeah mine had missing feathers all over it's stomach. When he started to come in I could see a spot on him and couldn't figure out what it was. He got in around 30 yards then that spot turned out to be were he was missing some feathers. Overall he looked rough he wouldn't have won any beauty contests.

He must have been a scapper but that's only skin deep ugly ,

I'm sure he won't taste like he was missing anything..

11-12" beard!! wonder how old that one is...

Edited April 21, 2010 by clutepc

[roverboy]

Hunting101, still a good bird though. Youall was talking about decoys. I use only a jake now. Because I had my decoys out in my storage building and mice ate a big hole in my hen decoy. Need another bad. Maybe some time this week I'll get one. The jake I killed the other day came right into the jake decoy. Killed him at 25 yards and think I hit him with the shell wad. It was laying right there beside him.

[Guest clutepc]

Not sure if I posted this but this is how my season started with my bow..

I went to the shotgun after I clearly missed this bird, they were just not coming in closer than this. I think it was just because I'm moving too much, I'm going to try and get one more with the shotgun then a bow for the last.

I did this at 3 speeds and zoomed in, he was a big bird that hurt to have a miss on but that's turkey hunting.

I have the feather I shaved off his butt in my truck as a reminder to stop shooting so low and back!..lol

Edited April 21, 2010 by clutepc