Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

For me, opening morning was textbook. I went after several birds, things went sideways for all sorts of reasons until 10am when 2 birds committed and 1 left.
I've been hunting more than I thought I'd be able to since then and have mastered calling in stealthy hens. This has also led to me being busted more than a few times.
Right now on the 1000 acres I hunt the big boys are gobbling on the roost then silent when they get down. Either hanging w hens or they know there is a bullseye on their head.. they are weary.
I hunted a friends farm a few days ago and unknowingly set up to close to a roosting bird. He flew off before first light and the other birds were non responders to calls the rest of the morning.

I've basically been enjoying the sunrises and using mouth calls as my trick. Pretty much just bring my gun and a padded seat to try and stay mobile. I've been able to watch some cool strut and drumming shows but may have to blow the dust off a DSD hen this next week.

Hope everyone is having some type luck and enjoying being back in the woods again.

"Sucks" pretty much sums up my spring thus far.  My first leg in OK can be summarized with "too many hunters, too few birds, and too high winds".  Unfortunately, the first few days here in NM can be summarized with the same comment, but add 8" of snow to the mix.   ;D

Headed up again today to try to get back on track.  Expecting better weather, fewer hunters, and more cooperative gobblers this time around.  ....We'll see..... :D

I am gonna play it pretty close to the vest  till the end. Maybe throw out a teaser once in a while to keep y'all guessing. I haven't been out much but I have had fun!

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My opener was met sitting on a bird gobbling it's head off on the roost when two no bodies come waltzing down the road 15 min before fly down within 75 yds of the roost half huntched like that would make a difference. Don't worry it gets better. They set up right there. My buddy and I don't let our presents be know and pull some more birds in from up the cut. Next thing we know they are running and flying for their lives cuz the yahoo's thought they can sneak up on them in the cut! Had a few kind words. They are east-sisters that ain't ever hunted Easterns on Weyco.
Slept in day 2, family day 3, hunt day 4. Put all the eggs in my basket to hunt the bottom of the cut. Birds are up high this time. No wait got two across the creek ready to pitch over on que. WHAT THE XYZ!!!! Here's two new yahoo's walking on the road again!!!!
Day 5 move to see friends in the south central part of the state and put on dad duty. Perfect! Go scouting in the little turkey country there is and what do you know put a strutter and 9 hens to bed from over a half mile away across a river. This is open country now. Day 6 up and packing in the dark and set up decoys 75 from the roost I'm sitting 95. Can't see squat. I am set on roost pre-nautical twilight preferably astronomical. Get a gobble sounding weak. Two bird pitch opposite and into a field long ways out. Third way to my right, forth way to my left, forth one flys back up, then valla the rest pitch straight in my decoys including a the JAKE! Not shooting. Move spots play cat games with a 4 Jake's and a gobbler along a private fence line for 2 hours. Actually call there 3 hens past me.
Day 7 time to move to our property (stay at a friends as mine is bare land). Mind you I have my wife and twin girls but two cars doing the visit family and friend and turkey hunt combo. I low key every year try to pick up an instate slam and I know of a good spot I've killed an "Rio" the last two years like same roost but lots of other birds. 15 min south is a new piece of public I roosted birds youth weekend and 15min north is 1200acres a prime time private I just gained access to. I go with what I know. Leave at 2am drive 2 hrs set up in my spot where birds "always" roost. Coyotes start ripping and birds start gobbling. I counted 8 different roost within the mile. My roost... moved up the hill 100yds. I don't move. Birds fly down and then fly back up...coyote? Birds fly down and I admire Tom strutting. Plan to move ahead of them, too slow, go back to my spot. There were 2 more roost sub 400yds maybe they'll come. Calling bird fires off on direction of first bird. Glass he's perched on his cute rock ledge 100yds over the fence 400+ yds away. I move to him sub 150 yds. He moves to me 50 then bloop he's off the bluff and walking up the canyon gobbling his head off. I talk story with him he keeps moving up then hangs up. I'm back at my spot now debating life. I have a phone call at 10am, no service, it's 8:15. I pack up and convince myself if he's still there when I walk back to the truck I'm gonna go to him again. Grab my strutter and up the hill I go. Check my pins and think he's about 150 over the crest. I call he answers or someone else did. I move closer call again he answers where I think he should be. Start to move.... uh-oh red head peaking. I stop hold the strutter in front and call. He's strutting and getting closer. I inch forward to find some dirt amongst all the rocks. Range 40 yds. Struggling to stab decoy. Decoy down. Pulling gun back and up. Blouch! 20yds bird down.
At the friends and the birds are gobbling wife is napping and I'm itching to roost. Be here until Sunday have 1 new hunter coming for sure and like 6 open invites. Rain forecasted this weekend.
Good luck y'all.


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I've been out twice got busted at 20 yards on my first hunt haven't heard a bird sense. Headed out in the morning for a little bit but work has limited my time out.

Can't complain. I managed to call in and kill a gobbler by 8AM on opening morning in MN. I'll be hunting WI starting on May 5th. Up here, cold weather's always a factor, but the long range forecast looks promising.

Has not started yet, going to set up two blinds tomorrow and test turkey vest and see if it will give me other options. Hoping I can get some pictures tomorrow anyway.

Well.. Congrats to those who have scored and sending good vibes to the team for success the remainder of the season.

I understand the headaches of public land. Most of my life I was a public land only hunter from south Florida to Montana. My weapon of choice was a bow. It was a lifestyle.
For over 35 years I had a dream of owning a property where I could hunt out my back door. I would often daydream how nice it would be while walking miles on a WMA or be reminded of it when other hunters walked in on me.
Several years ago my land dream became reality.
Public land made me the hunter I am today.
Stay relentless in your goal of a longbeard... Hard work usually pays. Cheers to Success!

Things improved dramatically over the last couple of days,....two mornings hunted, two gobblers down!  Details and stories later...

(https://i.imgur.com/qXG6ARhm.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/0BREgBXm.jpg)

Beautiful Birds, and a spectacular background. I will hunt Merriams' in the mountains at some point, G_D willing.

Congrats gobblenut. How much damage to your truck?

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Congratulations GobbleNut and nice photos, really like the second one. I thought that was a Merriams' but am still learning, notsure let me know I was right by his comment.

Tagged out in Georgia and the first zero for my Florida birds in I don't know how many years...bitter sweet!


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Great job and congratulations to all!


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In a word....horrible.  13 days and nothing. The only saving grace is my son shot his first bird during youth season.  Closest I got was this morning.  Bird would only gobble to a crow. He never answered my calls.  I never saw him but he was close.

Quote from: Happy on April 24, 2021, 07:29:39 PM
Congrats gobblenut. How much damage to your truck?

Not too bad.  First one I had to speed up before he got across the road,...ended up taking out one headlight.  Second one was flying, so I was lucky to get him.  Caught the upper part of the windshield just as he was about to clear the cab.  Got lucky, though, and he landed in the bed.  In my book I should get extra points for that!   :toothy12:

Quiet on the eastern front. have barley heard a gobble. have had three birds are in the area and have seen them throughout the season just wont say a word though. still have about two weeks here in VA. may try and go out of state for more season but will have to see how the schedule works out.  :gobble:

This bird came in w 4 hens to a Gooserbat OsS call this morning and I shot him at 15 yards underneath the canopy of a old cedar tree. Solid Virginia bird that's going to score well.

Spent most of opening day sitting on the toilet, never made it out. Not a great start to the season and my guts still do not feel right.

That stinks

Quote from: RiverBuck on May 01, 2021, 09:15:40 PM
That stinks

Figuratively and literally!

Quote from: avidnwoutdoorsman on April 21, 2021, 09:47:02 PM
My opener was met sitting on a bird gobbling it's head off on the roost when two no bodies come waltzing down the road 15 min before fly down within 75 yds of the roost half huntched like that would make a difference. Don't worry it gets better. They set up right there. My buddy and I don't let our presents be know and pull some more birds in from up the cut. Next thing we know they are running and flying for their lives cuz the yahoo's thought they can sneak up on them in the cut! Had a few kind words. They are east-sisters that ain't ever hunted Easterns on Weyco.
Slept in day 2, family day 3, hunt day 4. Put all the eggs in my basket to hunt the bottom of the cut. Birds are up high this time. No wait got two across the creek ready to pitch over on que. WHAT THE XYZ!!!! Here's two new yahoo's walking on the road again!!!!
Day 5 move to see friends in the south central part of the state and put on dad duty. Perfect! Go scouting in the little turkey country there is and what do you know put a strutter and 9 hens to bed from over a half mile away across a river. This is open country now. Day 6 up and packing in the dark and set up decoys 75 from the roost I'm sitting 95. Can't see squat. I am set on roost pre-nautical twilight preferably astronomical. Get a gobble sounding weak. Two bird pitch opposite and into a field long ways out. Third way to my right, forth way to my left, forth one flys back up, then valla the rest pitch straight in my decoys including a the JAKE! Not shooting. Move spots play cat games with a 4 Jake's and a gobbler along a private fence line for 2 hours. Actually call there 3 hens past me.
Day 7 time to move to our property (stay at a friends as mine is bare land). Mind you I have my wife and twin girls but two cars doing the visit family and friend and turkey hunt combo. I low key every year try to pick up an instate slam and I know of a good spot I've killed an "Rio" the last two years like same roost but lots of other birds. 15 min south is a new piece of public I roosted birds youth weekend and 15min north is 1200acres a prime time private I just gained access to. I go with what I know. Leave at 2am drive 2 hrs set up in my spot where birds "always" roost. Coyotes start ripping and birds start gobbling. I counted 8 different roost within the mile. My roost... moved up the hill 100yds. I don't move. Birds fly down and then fly back up...coyote? Birds fly down and I admire Tom strutting. Plan to move ahead of them, too slow, go back to my spot. There were 2 more roost sub 400yds maybe they'll come. Calling bird fires off on direction of first bird. Glass he's perched on his cute rock ledge 100yds over the fence 400+ yds away. I move to him sub 150 yds. He moves to me 50 then bloop he's off the bluff and walking up the canyon gobbling his head off. I talk story with him he keeps moving up then hangs up. I'm back at my spot now debating life. I have a phone call at 10am, no service, it's 8:15. I pack up and convince myself if he's still there when I walk back to the truck I'm gonna go to him again. Grab my strutter and up the hill I go. Check my pins and think he's about 150 over the crest. I call he answers or someone else did. I move closer call again he answers where I think he should be. Start to move.... uh-oh red head peaking. I stop hold the strutter in front and call. He's strutting and getting closer. I inch forward to find some dirt amongst all the rocks. Range 40 yds. Struggling to stab decoy. Decoy down. Pulling gun back and up. Blouch! 20yds bird down.
At the friends and the birds are gobbling wife is napping and I'm itching to roost. Be here until Sunday have 1 new hunter coming for sure and like 6 open invites. Rain forecasted this weekend.
Good luck y'all.


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Little further update huh? So went roosting that night and missed judged a roost actually and bumped the bird out of it...oops. Good thing though because the kids where not having it; wouldnt sleep in the bunk of the camper, in the crib of the camper, or in bed with us! My alarm started going off at 3:30am and the wife gives me the "you're a dead man if you leave me!" look. So I stay put we half sleep until 7:30 when we emerge and I make breakfast for everyone including our host (staying at a coworker 260 near my 84 acres). Come out for breakfast and missing one of my dogs about 9am and start whistling hard for the dog. Find the dog and get a manage a couple shock gobbles. Knowing the property really well I have a really good idea where this bird is at. So i put the kids in clothes, make sure camp is settled and tell the wife "I'm going after that bird". 9:45am now and I cut straight up the hill at it. Cut the distance about half where he could have been working to about and give him a couple yelps but nothing. So I go about a quarter farther to this bench I know they like and get ready to set up here for a good call session. I lay a few more yelps out and get an instant response not too far away. I start doing that peeping tom thing we all do where it's like did he see me, he's gotta be right there when I catch a hen at the base of some trees and then I catch his white head and him puffed up coming around the hill side. I set my strutter out again in front of me and actually lay under it because I'm on a bit of a ledge. He comes strutting in thinking I'm moving in on his lady and at about 15 steps I end the show with a clean shot to the neck. Walk back to camp and everyone is thinking I forgot something. It's how turkey hunting goes sometimes. Within 20min of leaving camp I was back at camp bird in hand. I honestly debated not taking the shot wanting not to tag out in the area I was in but he was a good bird.

An important part for us as hunters is to mentor other hunters. This season I took out a youth hunter for his first and second bird ever. I pin dropped, texted, couched, etc a coworker and his son to the aid of the sons first bird and the coworker having many other chances. Coworker had years and years ago gone with a warden that basically shot birds from the tent! So he was greatful. Helped the cousin-in-law and his three buds into a bird each. Hosted a gent from MS/TX and his brother who tagged two birds each. Finally, I took out my best friend for his second season. As a mentor, once is not enough, but twice can really drive it home. Here is that story:

Prelude: Last year buddy came out and we went to my property and we fanned the first kill ever on my newly acquired 84 acres. A big beautiful bird. I let someone else shoot the first turkey on my property. I will never regret that because they are hooked and it probably brought me more joy then if I had done it myself. It was his first kill bigger than a rabbit with a pellet gun on the island (Whidbey) as a kid. We took my first bird on state land that evening, and the following morning on some timber company land found him his second. I killed my second the following day where I took the first this year. This year he wanted to call in a bird to decoys and shoot two Toms. It was his hunt and that is what we would do (almost  ;D)

Thursday night on his way out I dropped him a pin 40 min south of where we were staying to roost birds across a creek where I'd seen them from the road youth weekend and my way in Wednesday. I scouted the property we were stay at and timberland adjacent. I came up empty on roost birds but he came back with what I expected, a hill loaded with birds. We got up early and set out with a sheet of plywood to cross the creek. Got to the top of the hill where the trees start to thin and it starts to open up. We set the strutter, breeding hen, and look out hen up. Set him up under a tree and me in a dead fall behind him. The song birds started there songs and soon the gobbles followed..... we were in their kitchen. There were birds 50 yards behind us at 5 o clock and birds 100 yds in front of us at 1 o clock. Night turned to dawn and birds started to pitch down. And up the hill from us came two big birds ropes skipping off the ground as they ran for the strutter. They start pecking and sizing the bird up when my buddy rips a shot... then he's running towards the bird....then he's looking at me.... then he's looking at the ground. "I shot over it and it flew down the hill". It happens at 12 yds...new....and excited!

We make our way down the hill and sit for a little to see what the rest of the birds are doing with no luck and decide to work back to the truck. Knowing the birds out front came off the roost this direction we were working slowly when we found them but they had found us. I got down behind my strutter decoy and talked to them trying to calm them down. It worked. Three birds where headed straight at us. As I was sizing them up and realizing they were jakes and mumbling "They're jakes!" his gun barks and his first bird falls. Young, young bird but legal and buddy was happy. Humbled but happy. Should take a second to say this guy shoots two turkeys in two days last year, gets a buck in our Modern season, then goes out to the Missouri Breaks of MT and shoots a 5x7 muley. So in one year he's done what most would hope to do in 5 or 10 years starting out and to miss a big tom in the decoys then shoot a jake he was back to reality.

We stop at another area and find the mother of all roost trees. I've heard of this but there was legit 6 or more trees with turkey poop piled up over a foot up the trunk in a mound. We moved to a scenic spot where birds were talking and got set up but got spoiled by some tree thinning that picked up at the same time. Talked to birds here and there but had to get back to camp for my family responsibilities. Oh and to take some Covid test for my return to work. Which we drove to town to drop off and hunted our way back. I wanted to try the top road through timberland into my property and we got a gobble up high but he didnt want to play and the current mission was a hot bird. Went to another high spot where we got a couple birds talking but way off. Moved around a drainage and located the birds again. One was about a halfmile further down and the other(s) where across the way from us halfway up a big big hill. Lucky for us there was a logging road that would get us above them. So we backed out and made the big drive around and parked 500 yds out. Stealthily we made our way down the road to where we were right above them by about 150yds. A little farther down was a small meadow to set up on and we pitched the decoys. Told my buddy to just lay on the road looking over the edge (again it was steep) and use the grass edge to cover him. I sat on a tree and begin to call. Gobbles but no movement. I tell my buddy we are going to sit here for at least 20-30min to see if they will budge. I call after 5 min. Could be closer but now we know there is the one where we think and another below. 5min and I call again and he answers. Maybe closer but hard to tell. 18min in and buddy ask if we should close the distance. I tell him to be patient. 20min I call again and he answers but his time he is way closer. Its go time. Minutes later he emerges at 40yds and is gobbling his head off now seeing the decoys. I'm exposed and had the diaphragm still on my cap. He struts and gobbles his way across the hillside, 30yds. I'm thinking SHOOT. He keeps walking straight across the hill below us in plain site (to me) and begins to walk out the other side of the clearing. I can get back to the pot and try to bring him back but he doesn't like it. Doesnt hate it but it doesnt turn him. He slips in the trees. I tell buddy to turn on the road because he should pop out right there. Instead he pops out like 80yds down the road sees us and bolts. Buddy was sitting too far back on the edge, was trigger shy, and only saw the birds head for seconds he said. Where I had watched it for 15min from the knees up. We continue down to my property where a gobbler and hen are ready for the 7pm dinner bell of my deer feeder which we pass for obvious legal reasons and head back to camp. Weather is coming in and again everywhere we could hunt was silent around camp.

The next morning we go back to our hill where we missed the big boys. I'm skeptic but there were a lot of birds and we didnt make too much of a ruckus? This time though we set up even higher on the hill now knowing the two roost trees. This time we are set up with the upper roost 50yds away at 8 o clock and the lower roost 80 yds away at 12 o clock. Everyone is home, changed to a 3/4 strutter but no one played with the incoming weather. It was higher open hills or lower open field for them. Go to another piece that is loaded with sign but no birds as it begins to rain. Run to my property and the abundant timberland above it that is still dry but no one is talking. The bottom fell out of the barometer now and they were tight lipped. Eager for brownie points we rested and spent time with the family. Buddy did a loop and got a gobble. Tried to head off a flock but a dead fall pushed the birds off his path. Then like clock work the weather eased and it was time to try to roost some birds near again. Now we had been hearing a bird on the limb on some state land a distance off and I told my buddy we should go roost that bird. (This is the same state land too where I took my bird with him last year) I put a kid on my shoulders and off we went. There he was talking his head off. I had to get back to put the kid to bed but I told my buddy where I thought the bird was right then and told him to go verify that was where he was. After putting the kids down he showed me a pin and said there is no question the bird is in these trees right here.

The next morning we got up and after much debated set up at one of the five spots we thought this bird would fly down or walk by. Boy were we on the money. Sitting roughly 50yds from the roost he was hammering. He also had a gaggle of hens with him that made this fun. I gave the common tree yelp. Did a fly down. Ground yelp. And shut up. Birds were flying over us and into us, pitching just yards away on the ground. And then there he was. That oh so beautiful spit drum as he came down the hill to meet his hens from behind us straight into our spread. Now I couldnt see this but I could here him closer and closer. Likely not to please to see a strutter decoy approaching a breeding hen decoy. AND THEN "Put put put put put put" he caught my buddy and was walking away.... but the 6 hens below me to my right some 15yds away werent scared.... so I yelped and they yelped and we talked. But he was smart and backed all the way around us to be sitting 50+ yds dead right and not too far from his hens that were now 30yds from me and still eating without a care in the world. It was time to get creative/aggressive so I started to purr at him which he liked and answered with a gobble and another and another but what was one hen when he had his whole flock of 8 jennies now. They stayed there and ate and life was good for everyone. I talked with the hens and they talked with me but he didnt want to come closer. So then I started to purr some more and some more and some more. If what you are doing is working keep doing it. That can mean be quite but that can also mean to keep calling. I had to have purred 5-10times and with each one I got a couple steps and a gobble out of him until finally he was in a brisk walk to get some action for himself. From what you'd hope to see in a movie he left his girls and came over to the spread and was ready to fight for some love. Then blauch! My buddies aim was true this time and on the last morning of the last day he had his second bird. A tom that was roosted, spooked, called, and decoyed. Everything he wanted.

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210502/13b6acb8e9305ce704c256cc31aec8b6.jpg)


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Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 01, 2021, 08:20:52 PM
Spent most of opening day sitting on the toilet, never made it out. Not a great start to the season and my guts still do not feel right.

You didn't miss anything in NY Sir. The winds were howling like never seen before. My worst opener in 30-years. Best of luck

My buddies and I are heading for WI tomorrow. Season C starts on Wednesday, so I've got one more chance to "upgrade" my score. Regardless, it'll be a great time hanging out with the guys, drinking WI craft beer, and stuffing our faces with fried fish on Friday night!

Enjoy your trip.

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Quote from: Dr Juice on May 02, 2021, 04:07:58 AM
Congratulations to those of you that have taken turkey, have a safe trip notsure.

Quote from: Sir-diealot on May 01, 2021, 08:20:52 PM
Spent most of opening day sitting on the toilet, never made it out. Not a great start to the season and my guts still do not feel right.

You didn't miss anything in NY Sir. The winds were howling like never seen before. My worst opener in 30-years. Best of luck

Second year in a row I am not hearing a single gobble, I do not understand what is going on with the property, every year I have hunted it there have been gobbles galore. Granted the weather has been wet but still I am surprised. I have to drive for the Mennonite tomorrow so no hunting then, I will be out Thursday but not sure about Friday.

Bet y'all can guess how my season is going now. Going to college close to home has really helped me get my little brother out more often. We woke 3:00 am, headed out with blind, chairs, decoys and the rest of what we were going to need and headed out. Got out in a last years cut over and waited. At about 6:30 we heard a few gobbles. I called, but nothing responded. Then at 7:00 sharp one started its way across the top of a finger, then another and another. The three gobblers worked their way towards the decoys. I got him in place and made sure he was on the right bird. Then I tried to lean out one window and found I couldn't get on my gun that way. I pulled my gun out of the one window and put it out the other then and I counted down and we both shot at the same time. Two of the birds went down and we busted out of the blind. This was a really special hunt as my brother and I are really close, and to double up with the end of turkey season in sight is really something special.

Quote from: leaf shaker on May 05, 2021, 07:58:35 PM
Bet y'all can guess how my season is going now. Going to college close to home has really helped me get my little brother out more often. We woke 3:00 am, headed out with blind, chairs, decoys and the rest of what we were going to need and headed out. Got out in a last years cut over and waited. At about 6:30 we heard a few gobbles. I called, but nothing responded. Then at 7:00 sharp one started its way across the top of a finger, then another and another. The three gobblers worked their way towards the decoys. I got him in place and made sure he was on the right bird. Then I tried to lean out one window and found I couldn't get on my gun that way. I pulled my gun out of the one window and put it out the other then and I counted down and we both shot at the same time. Two of the birds went down and we busted out of the blind. This was a really special hunt as my brother and I are really close, and to double up with the end of turkey season in sight is really something special.

This is awesome! Best thing I've saw here yet!
Congratulations to yall:)


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Nice job Leaf.
Hard to beat the way that unfolded with your Brother.

Anybody still givin'r? Seasoned closed in BC today but family kept me away from the chase up here. I think I have negotiated 2 days of hunting next week... looking at a possible Eastern hunt so hopping to find one and improve my team contribution.

Best of luck next week Avid and everyone else still chasing birds.
My season is closed.
Nice job team!

My focus has shifted to archery, black bears, and whitetail.

...and I'm still convinced that there is no other type hunting more over complicated than Turkey Hunting.

Still hunting. Actually taking care of work that needs my attentions so I can hunt more this following week.
Question for y'all. Has anyone seen a wild gobbler lately? If so pm me directions to him. Asking for a friend. He would really like to see one to confirm that they actually exist.

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I have just started to hear gobbles this week, seems the second I call they shut up though. I have not seen anything.

Quote from: Happy on May 16, 2021, 01:01:29 PM
Still hunting. Actually taking care of work that needs my attentions so I can hunt more this following week.
Question for y'all. Has anyone seen a wild gobbler lately? If so pm me directions to him. Asking for a friend. He would really like to see one to confirm that they actually exist.

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If he's willing to come to WA I'll drop you a pin for each of the following; roost, strut tree, watering hole, and preferred hen to pester on the nest.


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Quote from: avidnwoutdoorsman on May 16, 2021, 10:53:34 PM

Quote from: Happy on May 16, 2021, 01:01:29 PM
Still hunting. Actually taking care of work that needs my attentions so I can hunt more this following week.
Question for y'all. Has anyone seen a wild gobbler lately? If so pm me directions to him. Asking for a friend. He would really like to see one to confirm that they actually exist.

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If he's willing to come to WA I'll drop you a pin for each of the following; roost, strut tree, watering hole, and preferred hen to pester on the nest.


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Sounds like my friend will be spending more time looking for the pins you dropped than actually hunting. They are pretty hard to find I hear. He isn't to tech savvy so it might need to be more of a giant road sign with arrows.

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I finally get to hunt again this weekend.  Haven't been able to for the last month. Work has gotten really busy. The couple days I had off always seemed to be raining.  This weekend will probably be the end of the season for me.

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I'm packing to go chase some WA ghost this weekend. See if I can complete my state slam....


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Heading out in the morning, got really sun sick two days ago, I still do not feel great but have to get out there. I was also spraying calls and it is possible the lacquer got to me as well. Feel totally beat and sick to my stomach but at least I have been able to eat a bit today. Went to bed night before last before the sun went down and never work up to 4:30 in the afternoon. I do not do very well when it first starts getting hot so say a prayer for me please.

You guys traveling prayers for safe journey and best of luck to y'all and those not traveling far either.

I have not been able to practice much this year, landlady is dying from cancer so I have been trying to keep things quiet, I think my cadence has suffered so I am sitting here listening to Real Turkey's 5 by Lovett Williams trying to get the proper cadence down in my head.

Hunted Saturday only heard 1 bird gobbled once on the limb and twice on the ground. Stayed out until noon. On the way out I bumped a couple birds out of a crp field. So looked for a spot to set up on them on Sunday morning. 

Well talked to a buddy Saturday night that hasn't shot a bird yet this season. So told him if he wanted to tag along be at the house at 3:30am(kinda hoping he said that's too early) haha But he said ok.

At sunrise we heard 4 different birds gobbling. After flydown had a couple hens come check out the decoys. After an hour all was quiet.  We're standing there trying to decide on what to do. I spotted a turkey bobbing threw the cedar trees coming our way. Ended up being a tom. He shot it at 25yrds. Wished I would've looked better before I got up because there was 2 toms following him about 20yrds behind him. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210525/bdc98dc8f4f5037add15bc17c73cb149.jpg)

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And that is a wrap folks!

Had a great weekend out chasing Easterns on the west side of Washington. Went into a trusty creek bottom that had birds back in April and at about 5:50 3 birds lit up the draw below me. I slipped through the regrowth down to the lower road now about 200yds from the roost and got comfy. Started a good conversation with them and was settling in to get nice and quite when I looked my gun over.....choke was still in the truck.... so was sitting there wondering if I should hope to call them in to 10yds and take a no choke shot or just back out. At about 8am I elected on the later and slipped out back to my truck. Since its open cuts and such I didnt want to really waltz back in so I moved to another cut to scout it out...turned into an 8mi jaunt back to where I was that morning. Set up in a good spot up top, problem was I my truck was 5.5mi away still. A buddy said he could give me a lift so after a 2hr sit I went to retrieve the truck. Moved it back to the desired gate and walked in again ready hoping to catch the birds going to there roost or put one to bed. Mind you we have 16hrs of shooting light right now so its long days. Coming back in I glass up two toms on the far hill a half mile out. Would be like walking across the moon to go straight at them so I could either sit where I was and watch them for 3+ hrs until they went to bed or make a move and still put them to bed. Welp I did the 3mi walk around keeping them out of view but in view as much as I could. I pick them up half way and they are higher on a different road. Can see 3 birds now. They are big as I can see their beards through the binos. I decide I want to get to the juction of the two roads I have now seen them all to set up. I'm steps away from sitting down to set up when I catch black movement around the corner of the road. I tuck out of the way and contemplate what to do next. Did I bump them, did they see me? I have a strutter decoy and in a fanning fashion inch to see if they are there now knowing where to look. Nope they haven't noticed me yet and one is working in my direction. I stab the decoy in the ground and wait behind it. The bird crossed the road and picks up the decoy. He stands up tall to look at it and figure out what he should do next. I range the tree behind him at 61 yds so he is probably at 55yds. I can consciously make this shot having patterned and taken birds at this range. Though my last 3 seasons I've only taken one birds past 20yds and I'm just way use to really getting a bird to commit. So instead of waiting for his buddies to come meet him or see if he will come closer on his own I elect to start trying to inch closer to him and get him to commit. Well that was a dumb move and after moving about half a foot he turns and briskly walks away. A) when I first saw the birds I could have gone 45 to the side of the road instead of 90 and stayed out of few preliminarily cutting the distance B) I could have hunkered down or C) I could have taken a well presented shot. There was no putts, no real pressure felt by the bird, they just have a lot of sense to not tempt fait. I sat there and gathered my thoughts but eventually backed out to try again the next day.

Intel from friends and sign on the road indicated that this was a birdie spot so I was going to camp here all day. Not my style and as I mentioned that would be 16hr sit (ya I didnt make that). None the less Sunday I was able to now drive into this spot almost (parked a mile out) packed up the hill and was set up on that corner before the first gobble of the morning. Which came from the creek bottom, so the birds or other birds were still playing in the area. Before fly down and ask I'm throwing up my mask a coyote comes and attacks my hen decoy. Only reason I didnt shoot is I wanted to kill a turkey and lighting the place up at 6am with a gun shot just didnt seam like a good idea. Well then shortly after 8am here comes 3 hounds running up the road as a guy is just doing his think conditioning his dogs. Being as I hid my truck so far away he had no idea I was up there. Had a good chat and he turned around.  A bit later a bird gobbled down the way which is beyond rare to hear a bird after 7am. I stayed put and kept at it until sometime around 11am. Decided on a break and to do some recon for future hunting next year. Slipped out quitly and found a completely new area with a little sign but good knobs to listen from next season. Returned to my trusty spot at 2pm after provisions and got settled in again. Sat it out until almost 7pm when I convinced myself I muffed it all up the day prior.

Great season with more lessons learned which Only makes a better hunter next year. Didnt do half the, shoot a quarter, of the hunting planned because of family well being but a good season none the less. I picked up two birds, helped a youth into his first two birds, virtually helped a coworker-son duo, cousin, and out of state folks in to countless other birds, and sealed the coffin on a best friends addiction to the sport with his two birds together this spring.

Finish strong everyone.... only 291 more days until the 2022 season!

Hey outdoorsman,
I am still looking err I mean my friend is still looking for those pins you dropped in West Alabama.

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Quote from: Happy on May 25, 2021, 08:28:15 PM
Hey outdoorsman,
I am still looking err I mean my friend is still looking for those pins you dropped in West Alabama.

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Check your inbox! I said WA but I suppose I can help you with some AL. If you sit and don't move from the green one, guarantee a bird will walk by at some point everyday!

It isn't a tame one is it? Hard for me to update my tweeter profile looking like a true turkey professional with a couple banty roosters and layin hens in the background. I figured Washington was prolly what you meant but West Alabama is closer and I got some work going on down there in that state. Its a little more convenient.

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Well guys, it's that time of year again. My seasons' (MN, WI) have come and gone (actually, I'm about three weeks late posting this).  The WI monkey remains firmly attached to my back, as yet again, close but no cigar.  But that's what keeps us coming back!  Anyway, thanks for sharing your spring turkey season with me this year, and I look forward to teaming up with you guys again in 2022. 

P.S. I'm posting a picture of my buddy's gobbler he bagged in WI this season.  Because we live in stupid times, I've blurred out his face.

Well, it's all over for me, too.  Final report is two gobblers harvested here in NM and a big zero for the other states I hunted this spring.  At this stage of the game, if I make it through the season without and serious mishaps, then it is a moral victory regardless of all else.  I hope everybody else on the SS team (as well as our two behind-the-scenes teammates) can say the same. 

It appears we did pretty well as a "last minute", thrown-together squad in the contest.  I hope everybody enjoyed participating.  Best wishes to all of you in the off-season.  It will be a long wait until next year! 
Jim

So the wife to this point has had the longest break from the kids of maybe 2 days once. I've taken them out for the majority of the day a few times but Mom has always been Mom. I've offered and offered and offered to give her a break but she won't take me up on it so I forced the issue a little this past weekend with other plans falling through. My twin girls, lab, and I packed up and headed to a friends next to our property. I have 84acres of bare land to build on here soon in prime hunting hills of NE Washington and our friends have 260 on which they recently finished their forever home. These friend have a 30 something foot trailer with quad bunks that makes it almost like staying at an airBnB. I take every chance I get to take my girls out of the city I can and this would be no different. We had a blast! On the way over in conjunction with a strategically located diaper change I put their ear muffs on and turned the dog loose. We took a little walk no more then 400 yards where we jumped one pheasant I missed and a second I dropped. The girls were not hot about the gun shots but loved the "pretty bird". This was cool. First time I've intentionally taken them out. It was short and sweet. Something we can build on that is for sure which was the goal. We continued on and had a great weekend. Saturday morning after giving the girls there milk and I visiting my truck for my morning Rockstar (energy drink) I noticed the local flock just up the hill. This flock had three albinos to start, at this time 2 albinos, and I was asked to make it 1 albino as the friend also does some natural earth healing rock waving retreats at their home. The friend asked if I could get one of the albinos so that she could work the feathers in with her retreats. Letting the birds crest the hill and making sure the girls were plenty busy playing I made an ambush move on the birds. Allowed 4 birds in the fall I knew going up the hill that it was likely this flock would be so tight I was going to likely take two birds with one shot, which is exactly what happened. I was ok with that and somewhat planning for it. I took a clean shot on the Albino with a wounding shot to a near bird that was quickly followed up with a clear second shot as the birds scattered from the commotion of me topping the hill and shooting. Unbelievable weekend with the girls and a really cool take on an Albino Jake. I'm rooting for the last one to make it to spring though they never have. We get an albino in the area every other year or so. This was the first time to have 3. Have been watching them since poults. There are no known domestic birds remotely close nor has there been for as long as locals can remember. It's a present recessive gene that has been observed in this flock for almost a decade now.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211117/dc28873cddfdd1e329d3bfa59dc302f3.jpg)
The pheasant
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211117/aace14d5cc1b01b9e7c950dfd187de58.jpg)
Both Turkeys
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211117/514d59e17e1a0de8030585ff5104a24e.jpg)
The cape for a friend
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211117/862c9be186a6226b4730b34b28987b02.jpg)
Checking cameras and playing on the property

Hope y'all are having a good Fall!


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