Daily Hunting Log

[GobbleNut]

Running an idea by the team:
I think it would be entertaining and interesting for all of us to make a daily log/report during the season once we get started hunting.  It doesn't have to be anything elaborate, but just a short paragraph or two about each day's hunt and what happened on that day.  If someone is successful, maybe a short recap of the hunt and a picture to go along with it.  Anybody that wants to participate could start their own daily hunting log thread on our GOATS forum and update everybody on their hunts.

An example might be:
GobbleNut  April 9th 
Heard ten gobblers on the roost a mile from camp.  Walked the mile in dark, only falling down three times,...new record for remaining on feet.  Set up in middle of gobblers...this is going to be easy!  Realized I had forgot shotgun so had to go back to camp.  Got shotgun and scared half of the gobblers off going back to set-up. Set up on remaining gobblers. Forgot turkey calls and had to go back to camp.  Scared off three more gobblers going back to set up.  Called one time to remaining gobblers and scared the rest of them off.  Went back to camp at 8:00. Forgot shotgun leaning up against set-up tree. Went back to get shotgun.  Tired of walking back and forth so had to take a nap for the rest of the day.  Great day hunting gobblers for me. Fewest gobblers scared off in a while. Will try again tomorrow.   

Any interest in something like this?  ...Don't worry, it won't hurt my feelings if someone (or everyone) says it's a lame idea...  

[avidnwoutdoorsman]

I like it!

I'll participate.

[crow]

I often have wished I kept some king of brief journal over the years, just keep putting it off, and I remember less and less each year.

several years ago I was hunting with (but separate) with an old timer turkey man, had fall hunted with him, but first time for spring gobbler.
first day found a nice shed going to a gobbler, got him mid morning after a couple of repositions

2nd day saw a totally blond/white deer, and a grey fox in an area where nobody had seen a grey for years
3rd day had a sow bear and her cub get to 18yds of me and I started talking  to her and she took off down the ridge

4th day I went down a ridge in the dark to a good listening spot, stood leaning against a big oak and waited for some gobbling.

after it got to be good light I heard some rustling in a big pine 30yds away, out flys a Great blue huron, 30 seconds later another one flys off from the same tree

I had never heard or seen a huron roost on top of a ridge before and after the events of the first 3 days I couldn't bring myself to tell my friend about that episode.
I finally told him a couple years later and we had a good laugh.

[reflexl]

Great idea.

[Happy]

Personally if I do one it won't be done daily and will be composed mostly of lies. Except for when I mention my good looks....
I never hear turkeys, see turkeys or shoot turkeys.

[eggshell]

I started one many years ago but after my first entry I decided it was too embarrassing and I didn't want to document this circus for anyone to revive in the future./

Day one April XX, Left truck 1 hr before gobbling time. Half way in I had to poop real bad. In the rush to get all my clothes and vest off I failed to pull my bibs back under my legs. So i pooped into my bibs, but didn't realize it until I pulled them back on and I felt something warm slide down my back....oh Shat! About that time a bird gobbled and I said the hell with it and set up. The smell was so bad I couldn't stand it so I stripped down and threw my contaminated clothes aside and sat in my underwear and only my vest and called the bird in. He stopped at 100 yards and made a sound I am sure was hysterical laughing and ran off. I gathered my soiled clothes and walked out naked....yeah that is the only entry I ever made in a journal 

[Happy]

. Its gonna be hard to top that entry. You have finally given me a good reason to buy camo boxers.

[TauntoHawk]

Eggshell I just got in trouble for shaking the bed I was laughing so hard at that story, had to explain I'm reading a poop store on my turkey hunting "thing" online.

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[crow]

I started one many years ago but after my first entry I decided it was too embarrassing and I didn't want to document this circus for anyone to revive in the future./

Day one April XX, Left truck 1 hr before gobbling time. Half way in I had to poop real bad. In the rush to get all my clothes and vest off I failed to pull my bibs back under my legs. So i pooped into my bibs, but didn't realize it until I pulled them back on and I felt something warm slide down my back....oh Shat! About that time a bird gobbled and I said the hell with it and set up. The smell was so bad I couldn't stand it so I stripped down and threw my contaminated clothes aside and sat in my underwear and only my vest and called the bird in. He stopped at 100 yards and made a sound I am sure was hysterical laughing and ran off. I gathered my soiled clothes and walked out naked....yeah that is the only entry I ever made in a journal

well at least you didn't step in it

[eggshell]

Actually, a log may be fun.

I had a friend that kept a hunt journal most of his adult life. He died of cancer a few years ago. When I attended his memorial service his wife had dug out his journal and was sharing it with friends. She cornered me and told me you should read the pages I have tabbed. I couldn't get through it as all the tabs she had marked was about hunts and times with me. She noticed me fighting off the tears and said, "he cherished spending time with, didn't you know how important of a friend you were to him". I did not. I loved him as a brother, but I never considered myself anything special, just a very good friend. I was embarrassed i had never picked up on how special he felt our friendship was. So journals can be a very good way to reflect

[randy6471]

 I don't have a way with words like some of you. Nor do I have the line of BS like some others. Other teams that is....definitely not talkin about any of the GOATS. However, I will do my best to share my hunt.

I've been hunting at a friends place in Fla on/off now for over 20 years and for about the last 10 years, it's become an annual trip. As difficult as it is to find places to hunt in Fla, I feel very lucky to have this opportunity.

Where we hunt is not a huge piece property, but the turkeys are in/out and we usually get on several gobblers while I'm there. Unfortunately it backs up to a huge cattle ranch that doesn't allow any hunting and of course about 90% of the time the turkeys prefer to roost on that side of the fence. Due to the terrain, location and size of the property, we usually only hunt mornings and we try to be pretty passive with both our hunting and calling. It's not my preferred style of turkey hunting, but I'm not complaining, because it works and we always shoot some gobblers. Adapt...right?

Opening day found us set up about 200 yards from at least 2 gobblers and a bunch of hens, that were roosted...of course on the wrong side of the fence. We did call-in 3 hens and a few minutes later we had 3 jakes slip in to check things out, but the gobblers and several other hens headed off in a different direction. We moved to another area and called up 2 more hens, but we couldn't strike up any gobblers.

The next morning I was back in the same spot, but hunting alone because my buddy had some other commitments. As it started to get daylight it quickly became apparent that it was gonna be a repeat of the previous day. 2 gobblers were gobbling and there were several hens roosted right with them..again on the wrong side of the fence. I cranked up the calling a bit, trying to get them to head in my direction off the roost and it was sounding like a turkey farm when I heard another gobbler sound off. He was also across the fence, but wasn't roosted with the other birds and was much deeper into the property. The flock flew down and started to move off like yesterday, but by now the 3rd gobbler sounded closer. I turned my attention to him and the closer he got, the more fired up he was getting. There is an old pasture in front of my set up and the treeline on the far side is about 150 yards away. As soon as he got to the edge of that pasture he hung up...as they often do.
  After about 15 minutes of him gobbling, strutting, but not moving any closer, I got up...left my gear and walked about 50 yards straight away from him. The next time he gobbled I hit him with some aggressive calling in the opposite direction and headed quickly back to my set up. I had just sat down at my original spot when he gobbled and he had cut the distance in 1/2, but it was too thick to see him. I was up on the gun with my eyes scanning left to right for what seemed like minutes, but was probably less than a minute, when I spotted him coming through some palmettos. I picked an opening just ahead of him, which I figured to be about a 25 yard shot. Just as he hit that opening...he stopped and gobbled!!! What an awesome ending and I couldn't plan it any better if I tried! To have him stop and gobble in my face just before I dropped the hammer....it was great!

Definitely not my best Osceola, but it was a good hunt and I was happy with him.

Now I've got sunny skies, warm weather, another tag in my pocket and get to spend a few more days with a good friend hunting turkeys...before heading back up north. It just don't get no better than that!!

[GobbleNut]

Great story, Randy.  I think you will do just fine posting your hunt log!   Sounds like you lucked into the perfect Osceola hunting situation!

[randy6471]

 Well after shooting a nice gobbler last weekend, it was pretty slow/quiet for the next few days and although  I had a couple of close calls...I just couldn't get a shot. Then we had a cold front go through with some very windy, wet, miserable conditions, but it had finally cleared off and with some cooler temps, the weather was looking good for turkey hunting.

  Yesterday I headed out to a spot where I've killed several gobblers in the past. It's pretty thick, but there is an old logging road through the area that makes for a good set up. As it started to get light, I heard 2 gobblers roosted about 150 yards to my left and another gobbler roosted to my right, but that one was much farther away. I was set up about 25 yards off the logging road, so I could see pretty good in either direction. As it got closer to fly down, all 3 gobblers were getting really cranked up, but I could hear hens roosted with them too.

  After they flew down they were all still gobbling and yelping, so I was calling a bit just to let them know I was there and as the birds to my left headed away from me, I could tell that the birds to my right were definitely headed my direction. After a few minutes, 2 hens came into view about 75 yards down the road and a few seconds later I could see...a big full fan strutter. The hens fed past me and when the gobbler got in front of me, I gave a cluck on my diaphragm. He folded up, raised his periscope to look around and I dropped the hammer....ending my Florida season! After looking him over, I picked him up and my first thought was...this is a heavy Osceola. The heaviest one that I've ever taken was an 18 pounder a few years ago, but most of them usually weigh 15-17lbs. When I got back to the truck, I hung him on the scale and it said 19.8lbs!! I couldn't believe it, so I zero'd the scale and checked him again...and again, 3 times and it kept coming up to 19.8. By far my heaviest Osceola ever!! My usual Fla hunting partner/land owner has been under the weather and he only hunted with me 2 days this year, so I gave him the meat from both of my gobblers. He said he got the better end deal, but I'm pretty sure that I did ok!!
 

[TauntoHawk]

Thanks for taking the time to share Randy!

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[reflexl]

Before work scouting this morning. Birds were very quiet this morning. Went to two of the farms and heard one distant gobble. I played with my new Matt VanCise box call. It really cuts through the woods. Easy to control volume and full of turkey. I am hoping to get out early enough tonight to check the fields.