2015 Spring Turkey Hunting thread - Post your season updates here!

[whiskey]

Considering how well the deer season thread went this past year, I thought we should do the same for Turkey Season. We are just a couple weeks away from the youth hunt and the start of regular season. Alabama opens this weekend too! 

 

I am planning to hunt Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana this year. Anyone else planning to travel this year?

 

Yesterday I saw the first longbeard behind the house. He was across the river, but his hens were in my backyard. I heard him gobbling down river last week. I love hearing them gobble in the morning, it's like a drug for me. 

 

 

 

 

[whiskey]

Some of past years birds to get us warmed up...

 

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[whiskey]

DaveS, 

 

I am still planning to haul your wrinkly old butt out on a turkey hunt this season. I'll wait till it's warm enough for ticks, so you have something to complain about. :D

[DaveS]

DaveS, 

 

I am still planning to haul your wrinkly old butt out on a turkey hunt this season. I'll wait till it's warm enough for ticks, so you have something to complain about. :D

You got that S*** right! Leave it to you to be so caring!

I got the land, got the birds, but no know how.

 

Dave

[TacoBubba]

Here are a couple from seasons past.

[10-Ring]

This will be my first year to turkey hunt. I'm a total newb. How can I best learn how to effectively call? What are the easiest calls to learn to use? Do I need decoys? If I'm successful, what's the best way to clean one? I could write encyclopedia volumes about deer behavior and deer hunting. I would be lucky to fill out a business card with what I know about turkey hunting.

[whiskey]

This will be my first year to turkey hunt. I'm a total newb. How can I best learn how to effectively call? What are the easiest calls to learn to use? Do I need decoys? If I'm successful, what's the best way to clean one? I could write encyclopedia volumes about deer behavior and deer hunting. I would be lucky to fill out a business card with what I know about turkey hunting.

 

There are lots of youtube videos, but I learned hunting with others. I recommend you get out there and listen to turkeys and call very little. Learn to cluck, purr and yelp and learn when to use them. A slate call is the most versitale, IMHO. I use mouth calls too, but a slate is easier to learn on. Call less than you want to. 

 

Decoys can help, but you don't have to have them. I use them less and less each year. 

 

I just breast out my turkeys. I don't cook the legs and thighs. I have tried in the past, but quit messing with it. If you have cleaned a deer, you can figure out cleaning a turkey. I bone out the breast. Split the skin and pull it out of the way and filet out the breast into two large pieces. 

 

Give it a go. If you get frustraded, I am sure you wouldn't have any trouble finding someone here to come call for you and show you the ropes, me included. 

[Chris]

Almost time to shoot a thunder chicken in the face! Can't wait!

Checking my blinds and patterning my guns this weekend.

We had a flock of 70 hens on the property a few weeks ago and since then tons of sign that they are still nearby.

We'll see if they are still in the hood come opening day, but confidence is high.

[whiskey]

Next weekend is the youth hunt. I hope everyone is getting a kid introduced to hunting. Turkey hunting is a great oppertunity for kids. Toss them little bugger eaters in a bilind and let them take a nap till the birds get there. 

[whiskey]

No youth hunters today?

I hunted Ft Campbell today. Lots of birds, but not in front of me. Back at it tomorrow.

[whiskey]

Fort Campbell paid double this morning!

[MacGyver]

Nice birds!

[10-Ring]

Got out and patterned my gun yesterday.  I'm glad I did.  I'm shooting a Remington 870, 12 Ga, 28" barrel.  I feel good with my pattern out to about 25 yards.  After that I don't feel comfortable with the shot.   I was shooting Winchester 3" No. 5s.  Popped my buddies Primos Jelly Head choke in and I would confidently take 30 yard shots with that set up.  May go spend the money on one.  What kind of range are you guys getting out of your turkey set ups? 

 

Unfortunately I'm working 6 days a week right now on 11 hour shifts so what I thought was going to be a turkey season where I was going to get to spend lots of time in the woods has suddenly become a season where I will be lucky to get out a few times, but at least I'll be raking in some decent pay checks. 

[whiskey]

Got out and patterned my gun yesterday.  I'm glad I did.  I'm shooting a Remington 870, 12 Ga, 28" barrel.  I feel good with my pattern out to about 25 yards.  After that I don't feel comfortable with the shot.   I was shooting Winchester 3" No. 5s.  Popped my buddies Primos Jelly Head choke in and I would confidently take 30 yard shots with that set up.  May go spend the money on one.  What kind of range are you guys getting out of your turkey set ups? 

 

Unfortunately I'm working 6 days a week right now on 11 hour shifts so what I thought was going to be a turkey season where I was going to get to spend lots of time in the woods has suddenly become a season where I will be lucky to get out a few times, but at least I'll be raking in some decent pay checks. 

 

 

Well, not that I recommend it, but I shot a bird stone dead at 57 yards (lasered) last year. My buddy had just shot one at 55 and I was set up behind him a couple yards and shot mine when he jumped on the dead bird. We both thought they were close than that. That said, I don't mind shooting to 45 yards. I am shooting a Pure Gold .670 choke in my short barrel Mossberg and shooting Hevi Shot Mag Blends. At 30 yards my pattern is about the size of a basketball. I went with a .670 to keep closer shots easier. The .660 and .650 chokes are pushing guns easily out past 50 yards. 

 

You should look at doing a couple things to improve your patterns. Look for a good choke turkey choke tube, nothing wrong with the Jellyhead. Deep clean your barrel and get all the plastic wad build up out of there. I polished my barrel and it helped. You can google that if interested. BUT THE EASIEST... Go buy some Winchester Longbeard shells in #5 or #6. These things are amazing. Most of my buddies have switched to them and have 50-60 yard guns now. Not that you need to stop calling, and start long range killing, but it is helpful when you misjudge the distance. 

 

By the way, I shot at about 15-20 yards this morning. 

[Dirtshooter]

Hey Whiskey I thought turkey season opens April 4th, 2015 are you a youth or what?? Just had this conversation with a neighbor that thought it opened yesterday.

[whiskey]

Hey Whiskey I thought turkey season opens April 4th, 2015 are you a youth or what?? Just had this conversation with a neighbor that thought it opened yesterday.

 

Correct. TN regular season opens on the 4th. This weekend was the TN youth hunt. However, I was hunting at Fort Campbell. They opened this weekend and have a 2 birds a day / 4 per season limit. Birds killed on Fort Campbell are not counted against your state limits. It is a certifiable pain in the butt to hunt on post, but since I live close by, it makes it worth it for me. 

 

I usually open my year in Alabama around the 15th of March, then Fort Campbell a week before TN season, then TN followed a couple weeks later by the KY opener. This year I am also hunting Indiana's opener on the 22nd of April. My wife thinks I have a problem... I think she is pretty kind. 

Edited March 30, 2015 by whiskey

[JWC]

Good luck to all. I'm out this weekend. Going camping with the family. But I ain't going far I may swing back to the house and grab my gun and vest and go to a small property I can hunt near the campground on Sunday mornin'. who knows.

[Slappy]

I can't hunt because I'm working. Hopefully next Thursday and/or Friday will be nice days to hunt.

[Dirtshooter]

Well I went this morning and never heard or saw one, I heard 1 shot about 7:30 on the other side of the lake. Took the wifey out riding around and saw a tom strutting about 4 pm but couldn't get a look at his beard. Oh well that is why they call it hunting and not shopping. I think the cool weather this morning probably didn't help matters.

[FJCrusing]

Apparently the storms on Friday really separated and broke them up so they spent most of the day trying to find each other and regroup.  I never saw a flock bigger than 3 all day.  Did see 10 hens, 4 jakes and 9 deer.  Took one shot at a larger / mature Jake but missed.  Probably go back out tomorrow.  Good start to the season considering how many turkey I saw.  Hope everyone else did well. 

[Wingshooter]

I had a fun afternoon! Went out mid day and setup on a wooded ridge where I know they like to roost. I set the decoys on the trail, and I called very little. I heard gobbles from 3 different directions on other ridges for a couple of hours but decided to stay put. About 30min before sunset, I had a conversation with some turkeys, lol. We went back and forth for about 20min, and I heard them getting closer. They sounded like walkers dragging their feet through the leaves, haha. I could see a couple of heads bobbing up the trail leading the flock. Hurry up!!! Don't they know it's almost end of legal shooting time? There must have been a dozen, but they were slooow. I didn't see any beards on the first two to arrive within shooting range, and then I made a rookie mistake. I shifted my weight and leaned to the side to get a better look down the trail. Nope! Lead hen busted me. Ahh, oh well. At least there is plenty of season left. I got my "SIT STILL" reminder early on in the season. had a blast working those turkeys, though. So much fun without even firing a shot!

They just walked off and didn't seemed too spooked, so hopefully I can catch them there again.

[whiskey]

Had a good opening morning trying to get a young boy his first turkey. Had a big longbeard come in and strut past the blind as close as 5 years at times, but the boy couldn't get the gun on him when he was far out enough to shoot. Still it was cool to experience it with him and his dad.

This morning I wasn't sure I would make it out, but mustered the will on just a few hours sleep. Went solo this morning and set up in the woods close to where the birds had roosted the day before. Worked out perfect. I had two gobblers to my left and two to my right, about 100 years apart, me in the middle.

At fly down they all come together in front of me but hung up about 80 yards out. Took me till 7:30 to get them in range. This one was the lead bird.

[FJCrusing]

Congrats! Nice looking bird.  What kind of shells and choke do you use?

[whiskey]

Congrats! Nice looking bird. What kind of shells and choke do you use?

I have a Pure Gold .670 choke and I am shooting 3.5" Hevi Mag-blends. I have shot both the mag-blends and straight 7's and they both work well.

I had enough shells for this season, but plan to switch to the Winchester Longbeards for next year. I shot a few and they pattern well with my set up.

[Slappy]

I'm in the turkey woods this morning with my ole man. All quiet right now. Always having s good time though.