Tell us about your hunt, and don't leave out all the details,lol.
So here is the story behind my first bird. I have not heard much gobbling at all so far this year. I have been concentrating on hanging cameras on food plots and seeing where they are feeding. I found a hot plot in the woods where an old bird was hanging out. I got a pic of him several days in a row with some hens. This past weekend I went there and setup at daylight. I called soft and sparingly, hoping to get them to come by. After about an hour, I hear spittin and drummin. I look to my right and see 9 hens feeding my way. Up on the hill i spot 3 white heads. All 3 were in full strut. The first 2 were coming in fast but the big one was slowly working toward me. The 2 younger birds came right in. I waited on the big boy. When he started to get in the edge of range, a deer burst into the plot and spooked them all. I quickly had to settle on one of the other gobblers and pop him. Nice start to the season, but now I'm after the ol' man. 9 inch beard, 3/4 Spurs, 17 lbs 5 oz.
(http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg137/yelper67/775B1861-33DB-4DC5-BBCD-371C6CA2BA3B.jpg) (http://s247.photobucket.com/user/yelper67/media/775B1861-33DB-4DC5-BBCD-371C6CA2BA3B.jpg.html)
Great story and a great bird!!! Congrats. yep time to go after big boy.
Very nice, great story and bird. Congratulations!
Fantastic story!..... good work on not being indecisive, too many hestitate.
I reckon yal want to hear my story. the pics are on the entry page
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This guy come right into my calling not long after sunrise. I think there's something wrong with him...He didn't have a beard and he had the sickest sounding gobble I've ever heard. Anywho I'm on the board at 18 pounds
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Quote from: Dmason3 on April 01, 2016, 08:50:29 AM
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This guy come right into my calling not long after sunrise. I think there's something wrong with him...He didn't have a beard and he had the sickest sounding gobble I've ever heard. Anywho I'm on the board at 18 pounds
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That's funny right there. Bet he did have a sick gobble,lol
Congrats Birdman, thanks for sharing your story!
Story behind bird number 2: Located a couple gobbler at daylight. This one gobbled when I was walking in. I setup on him about 100 yards from him on an old logging road that is now a food plot. After fly down, I was quickly cut off by a boss hen. I let her have it. She got fighting mad. After I was sure she was starting my way, I shut up and waited for the show. She came right by me, and you know who wasn't far behind. He walked up and stuck that head out......I met him with a load of MagBlend.
8 3/8 beard, 7/8 spurs, 14 lbs 14 oz
Heck YA, way to go!!!
Season one done and no luck for me. Had a couple at like 50 yards opening morning but didn't feel comfortable. The birds around here are real henned up yet
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That stinks. Is there another season there? 6 days for me and I'll be finally hunting.
Got 3 weekends left here guys. Got a couple of really good birds that I'm after. They have been pressured heavy and I'm patiently waiting my turn at the old boys. Hopefully I can tag out with one of them. Time will tell.
Maybe they will make a mistake and you can wrap a tag around one. Good luck.
My next season to hunt starts this Friday so I'll be back at it. Hoping the hens start nesting soon
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Good deal, keep after em. Monday morning and it's on for me!!!!
Congrats.
Wednesday Apr 20- Third day of the season, third location. Went out to the landlocked farm property in the next County where I was 2 for 2 as a guide last year with a H.S. buddy and my Father. I set up in the tree row that T's into the south back woods with cut corn fields on either side, roost gobbles abounded with the closest being across the field to my right (west). I put an Avian X Jake and laydown hen to my right and a feeder hen to my left. After a couple tree yelps, which the gobbler to the west honored, I shut right up until he flew down even though he gobbled many more times on the roost and ground. About 7:00 am I saw him crest the rise of the west field in full strut. He covered about half of the field but then held his ground strutting. A bird continued to gobble in the south woods and the first gobbler went down to the edge to meet him. The second gobbler emerged and was limping real bad. I surmised that either someone peppered him or he sustained an injury in a fight. Gobbler #2 contined to hobble, gobble and strut to the center of the field but stayed out about 50 yards suspiciously eyeing the decoys. In the mean time Gobbler #1 left the south woods edge and came slowly north right up the tree row. Gobbler #2 closed to about 45 yards. He was obviously much bigger and I wanted to put him out of his misery but Gobbler #1 was now in my decoys and pushing the Jake decoy in circles. What to do? I suppose I could have waited to see if #2 would get closer, but with a strutter 17yds in front of me I opted for the "bird in hand" and waylaid him. Adding to #2's misery by wounding him more would not have proved anything although with Long Beard XRs and a scope I've probably got that shot in my bag. I reckon it's human nature to second guess yourself but I'm sure I made the right and ethical choice.
2 yr old, 19.5 lbs, 9 1/2 in beard and 3/4 inch spurs. Thank you Good Lord!
Nice bird! Love the story
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Heck Ya!! Way to go. The birds here in Mo are kicking my ars. I've been on birds all weekend but they are so henned up right now. Wont get back out till the weekend.
Quote from: turkey harvester on April 25, 2016, 08:45:00 AM
Heck Ya!! Way to go. The birds here in Mo are kicking my ars. I've been on birds all weekend but they are so henned up right now. Wont get back out till the weekend.
Dad and I had a 500 acre lease in NE Missouri for 12 years and the birds there were always tough and rarely came to the call. My theory was that because there were more birds in Missouri than any other State (750,000 high water mark about 2004) there just wasn't any shortage of hens, at least in April when we were there). You didn't hear turkey talk of any kind after fly down. Tagged a boat load by patterning them and basically bush whackin 'em.
That's the way it is now. Hardly any noise coming from the hens after flydown. This joker has alluded me all season so far. But there are a couple other guys hunting this property, which sucks. Sunday I got bout 60-70 yards from roost. He always has hens close by. He'll gobble his brains out on the limb and basically shut up after flydown. I know why, I just cant seem to convince him or the hens to talk a little. I may hunt a new property Saturday morning, providing its not storming, and see what happens. Nobody been there in years. If not I'll crawl into his bedroom and wait him out.
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Finally got it done yesterday. Sat up where I've seen a lot of turkeys but we're always henned up. We got a real bad storm come through Wednesday night and wasn't sure what to think. Got sat up and heard maybe 5 gobbles on the roost, none anywhere near me. I had to go to work so it was this set up or bust and didn't have time to run and gun. Soft calling and some yelping every few minutes. After about 30 minutes of light a single hen works her way over towards the decoys and just starts hanging out. I'm just learning how to use my diaphragm call so thought what the heck. I started cuttin and yelpin and she joins in. We go back and forth for probably 20 minutes. She can't decide if it's the hen decoy or a hen in the brush she can't find that's trying to pick a fight. Out of the corner of my eye I see one then two then two more turkeys on a dead sprint running at me. I reckon they were coming to watch the fight. This guy hit an opening and immediately strutted, for only two steps though then he went back into sprinting at the decoys. As soon as he got into them I popped him in the head. I've been able to call hens all season just no toms haha. It finally worked out for me
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Congrats! The ladies will get them in trouble every time. Ha
Way to stick it out. That's a dandy for sure. I finally get to hunt. They're calling for severe weather tonight but maybe be gone by daylight or soon after. May have to swim to my spot but I'm going anyway. Maybe one will wanna play.
After passing on a bird the first evening I sat (back in March), I was thinking I may have made a mistake. Out of five or six people who have hunted our farm since, maybe two or three birds have even been heard, much less seen. It was looking like the season was over early, as everybody had pretty much lost all interest in chasing ghosts.
My buddy and I decided to get out and hunt one more time yesterday. It was, once again, looking like a bust. We only heard one or two gobbles, and they were not interested in anything we were saying. After sitting for a bit, we got up and "walked and called". About 8:30am, we got to a road which had a cleared out drag area for the loggers. I wanted to show my buddy this spot because it will be primo deer hunting in the fall. Well, after looking at the spot and blindly calling, he heard a hen. Next thing we know...a gobbler sounds off down the road. We run to the road and are making our way down when he quickly jumps out of the road. It was about that time we saw a hen run across the road, and I started having a huge coughing fit. I don't know what happened. but I could not stop coughing. I thought for sure I ruined any chance of getting on that bird.
Well, my coughing subsided and he called again...gobble gobble gobble! We walked down the road a bit and he gobbled again. This time, it was time to get up against a tree and get ready. Another call and he gobbled. One more call, and he cut us off, this time much closer. All I had to do was get my gun up and wait. Next thing we know, here comes a white head bobbing through the woods towards us. As soon as the bird is in range and in the open. I line up my sights and squeeze off a shot. I see the bird flap and I sprint to him. But, next thing I hear is my buddy saying "he's in the tree, shoot him in the head!" At that time my heart sank as I thought I made a bad shot and he flew away. I ran up on the bird, who was walking in circles. I let another shot off, this time putting him down for good. One neck step/flapping fit later, I had killed the only bird anybody has had a chance to kill all year.
Here he is:
(http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/josephferg3/Mobile%20Uploads/imagejpeg_0_zpsdkuv64dm.jpg) (http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/josephferg3/media/Mobile%20Uploads/imagejpeg_0_zpsdkuv64dm.jpg.html)
Well I guess the turkey God's aren't happy with me for some reason. After all the sever weather Friday night I woke up to rain. Future cast said it was going to be out of there shortly so I went. Sat in my truck till 6:15 when rain let up and proceeded to hunt. Started blind calling in a green field, wind was blowing bout 25 mph. After a few I heard one. I dogged this bird for 4 hours playing cat and mouse with him. He stayed 2 steps ahead of me. Finally got around him and could see him. I could see glimpse of him all morning but no shot. He is strutting and working his way towards me and a freakin tree top crashes to the ground. Well the gobbler only gobbles one more time after gobbling his brains out for 4 hours. Talk about bad luck!!!
Sunday- In same spot but now I know where he likes to be. I'm hunting a private farm but others have permission to hunt as well. Normally its first come first serve to the good spots. I get there at 4:30, plus I'm sick, and head out. My truck is parked in front of the gate in the field I hunt. As I'm starting down into the woods I hear a truck. Its driving in the field I'm hunting!! I wondered how did they get around my truck. Well a bird gobbles and I head to him on the route I was originally going to take. I'm 50 yards to where I need to be on this little flat half ridge and he gobbles 30 feet in front of me. Then another to my right. I said crap!!! I just sat down and stayed quiet. A coyote came in and they shut up but I watched them fly down to the half ridge. 3 hens and 2 gobblers. Gobblers split up and shut up. Couldn't get anything to talk or work all morning so I went back to the house. Upon my arrival at my truck, apparently I left my keys in my truck and some douche bag got in it and moved it so they could drive around up in the field. I went up into the field to have a talk with the douche but his truck was already gone. Drove out the other end of the property. Needless to say my season has sucked!!!
Congrats Deerbasshunter3, you done a number on his head!!!
Quote from: turkey harvester on May 02, 2016, 09:22:20 AM
Well I guess the turkey God's aren't happy with me for some reason. After all the sever weather Friday night I woke up to rain. Future cast said it was going to be out of there shortly so I went. Sat in my truck till 6:15 when rain let up and proceeded to hunt. Started blind calling in a green field, wind was blowing bout 25 mph. After a few I heard one. I dogged this bird for 4 hours playing cat and mouse with him. He stayed 2 steps ahead of me. Finally got around him and could see him. I could see glimpse of him all morning but no shot. He is strutting and working his way towards me and a freakin tree top crashes to the ground. Well the gobbler only gobbles one more time after gobbling his brains out for 4 hours. Talk about bad luck!!!
Sunday- In same spot but now I know where he likes to be. I'm hunting a private farm but others have permission to hunt as well. Normally its first come first serve to the good spots. I get there at 4:30, plus I'm sick, and head out. My truck is parked in front of the gate in the field I hunt. As I'm starting down into the woods I hear a truck. Its driving in the field I'm hunting!! I wondered how did they get around my truck. Well a bird gobbles and I head to him on the route I was originally going to take. I'm 50 yards to where I need to be on this little flat half ridge and he gobbles 30 feet in front of me. Then another to my right. I said crap!!! I just sat down and stayed quiet. A coyote came in and they shut up but I watched them fly down to the half ridge. 3 hens and 2 gobblers. Gobblers split up and shut up. Couldn't get anything to talk or work all morning so I went back to the house. Upon my arrival at my truck, apparently I left my keys in my truck and some douche bag got in it and moved it so they could drive around up in the field. I went up into the field to have a talk with the douche but his truck was already gone. Drove out the other end of the property. Needless to say my season has sucked!!!
FOR SOME REASON, it still amazes me that there are people who would have the nerve to get in a stranger's truck and move it...wow...
Quote from: turkey harvester on May 02, 2016, 09:39:50 AM
Congrats Deerbasshunter3, you done a number on his head!!!
I would say he looks pretty good to have been shot twice! Either way, he is a dead bird, and that's what counts.
Awesome story. Love hearing em
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Quote from: deerbasshunter3 on May 02, 2016, 11:19:34 AM
Quote from: turkey harvester on May 02, 2016, 09:39:50 AM
Congrats Deerbasshunter3, you done a number on his head!!!
I would say he looks pretty good to have been shot twice! Either way, he is a dead bird, and that's what counts.
That's what I'm talking about!!
Didn't get it done today. Had a bird gobbling his head off on the roost. He flew down and kept hammering. He was hung up for about an hour on the opposite side of the field out of sight. I was able to coax him in to about 50 yards but he was definitely skittish.
That bird was wary. As soon as I put my finger on the trigger he was gone. I mean I didn't even see him run. It was like the ground swallowed him up. That was all the action I had this morning. Will try to get out tomorrow. I did see a bunch of osceolas down in Orlando earlier in the week driving around town, reminded me that I'd rather be hunting than visiting the mouse. Oh well, you do what you gotta do.
That sucks about the bird. Maybe you can still get him. How much time do you have left? I'm assuming with not a lot of people on here that their season is done or they're hunting.
My season ended May 1st. Been hearing birds ever since. Ha
It's personal now. Went back to the farm today, had what I believe to be the same bird gobbling his head off on the roost. This time, I set up in the woods beside the field about 60-70 yards from the roost. He stayed on that roost a long time. I saw him fly down towards the field off to the right. I kept at it and I caught him moving through the woods across the farm road from where I was sitting. He was about 35-40 yards directly to my right. He was starting to head straight ahead which would have put him behind me. I clucked a few times, got a gobble out of him and turned him around. I lost him in the woods, but he was heading towards my decoy. I waited quite a while knowing this bird moves slow and cautiously. Nothing.
I then moved to the field. The field was empty, I set up a couple of yards behind where I was on Saturday. This position let me see more of the field because it was a bit higher. As soon as I clucked a few times, I see him move into the opposite end of the field. He moved kitty corner way behind my decoy and I lost him over a rise. Again, I was patient. I thought he might be gone, but I stayed put anyway. Then I see him stretch his wings. I bided my time, but at some point he had gone. Tried locating birds for a while longer then called it quits.
I did get out on Sunday too, different property (no gun hunting in CT on Sunday). Didn't hear or see anything. I'm hoping to get out again on Saturday. I think the season runs until next Friday, so hopefully I'll get out a couple more times.
Nothing much today. Didn't hear any gobbling at first so I set up on the field. Almost immediately, 3 hens entered back end of the field and made their way to me. Had one lookout hen at 35 yards and the other 2 came within 15 yards at one point. Heard a little gobbling off in the distance while they were there but I sat tight. Heard 2 shots in the distance too. Didn't hear or see anything else today. Probably have one more chance at this next week, don't think I'm going to get out tomorrow.
Dang they're giving you a fit. Don't know how much time you have left but hope you get him.
Good luck RIStrutStopper! Hope you take one down soon!
Sorry guys, I'm throwing in the towel. Went to the same farm today, heard a couple gobbles off in the distance and that's it. Now if this was a doe contest I would have scored a few points today, but it is what it is. Tomorrow is the last day of the season, but I'm not going to make it out. Tag soup for me this year, not for lack of birds though. 1 second of hesitation and blew the only shot I had this season at a longbeard.
It seems like it was a tough season for a lot of people this year. We saw very few birds on our property. I also heard from somebody in the upstate that people were seeing/hearing very few birds.
Definitely a slow year for me and a lot of my buddies down here. Birds were gobblin 3 weeks after the season closed. Stayed with hens all year. It was a very strange year for sure.