Tomorrow is the day on public land in SC! Forecasting rain well into the afternoon, but I'm leaving work early, going to make the hour drive from work and hike back in to an open field about 3/4 of a mile off the road. I figure once they fly down they will probably head for the open area. Sound like a plan? I honestly don't even even care about getting wet, I'm just ready to hunt. Going to spray my clothes with permethrin once I wake up this afternoon and get everything loaded into my truck. I'm like a kid on christmas eve right now. :OGturkeyhead: turkeys better have their helmets on tomorrow.
Good luck and have fun!
Plan is good and adjust fire accordingly. Good luck and knock him down.
Goodluck man!
Good luck out there. I hear you, I'm still counting the days. At least this weekend I get to take my boy on the youth hunt.
Good luck!! Shoot em in the face!
Well...I blew it on a huge tom. I was sitting in the tree line about 20 yards from where an access road enters the field. The way I was set up I knew I wouldn't be able to shoot towards my off hand, but I had no idea where they would come from, even though my gut told me he'd come down the road into the field. I had my decoys out (two feeding hens and a jake) and around fly down time I flapped my hat on the ground and made a few yelps. No gobbles on the roost, no yelping, just the sound of the rain falling. After about an hour, I yelped again to see if I got a response and still didn't get anything. About 20 minutes after that I thought I heard something and then bam! He gobbled just out of sight. I didn't even have time to shift to that side before he was strutting into the field. I started to slowly move my gun that direction and he putted and took off running straight out in front of me. Running shot at 30 yards, clean miss. He took flight before I could get a second shot off.
Lessons learned- trust your gut. I just knew he'd come from that way and I ignored that feeling.
Wait and see what the bird is going to do before moving. I was so excited that I didn't think what I was doing through all the way.
USE THE MOUTH CALL THAT IS ALREADY IN POSITION IN YOUR MOUTH TO KEEP HIS INTEREST!!! In the excitement I never even thought of yelping.
I'm mad at myself, but I'm also proud that I was able to read how the weather was going to affect them and read the map terrain to make a decision on where I would sit. I will say that at 28 years old, having killed close to 40 deer and not thinking I'd get that excited over a big bird, it was like I was 12 years old again and had just shot my first deer. I was shaking, heart in my throat and so excited. I'm officially hooked! I probably won't get out tomorrow, but I'm going on my next day off because this bird and I have something personal now. He got one over on me, but I'm going to make him pay.
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Getting busted by a bird is not fun, but much more fun than no action at all! Next time one sneaks in on you to your off side and there aren't trees to for him to walk behind for you to shift yourself, wait and see if he starts strutting back and forth before moving. I've pulled the gun up on several when their fan is blocking their own view and they're changing directions while strutting. Nice job, at least you know your calling sounds legit to a turkey!!
Man I had an absolute blast. No sunrise, but my view from where I was sitting was amazing.
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I'm going back in the morning and I'm going to set up so that if he comes from that direction again, he will be to the left of me and have to cross from left to right to reach the decoys. I have a good idea of where he is roosting as well.
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Great story man! Sounds like a fun hunt, keep at it, you'll get one. You have the right attitude about it, you learn more when you mess up than if one walks right down your barrel and you kill him. And welcome to the addiction! I'm a big deer hunter and waterfowler, but nothing campers to turkey hunting for me man. Having a Tom strutting in your face is such a rush. Good luck and look forward to more stories from you