Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

So I figured since many of us have a bit till season cracks off that we might teach these other teams a thing or two about how champions prepare. Team members can add their routines on here as well. I think this will go a long ways towards showing what it really takes to perform at this level.

So here we go. Still have about 5 weeks to go here but I am starting to get a mental  list going in order to be at my absolute best. Mental lists are way better than actually writing things down cause they are way easier to loose. You want maximum excitement and confusion the day before the opener to make sure your heart and mental endurance can stand the strain.
So far here is what I have done.
• sewn up the huge holes in the crotch in two pairs of hunting pants. (This makes for much better photos and keeps uniformed people from showing up at your house).
• Made sure I still had at least one of my shotguns and that it appears to be in functioning condition. I don't recommend waiting till the day before season for this one as may be a bit much for the heart and mind test mentioned above.
• Made sure that I had at least 2 shotgun shells. One will be used for patterning and the other will be used if I happen to actually get the opportunity to shoot a turkey.
Well thats were I am at with pre-season prep. Will update as I get more checked off of my mental list.

Stocking up
(https://i.imgur.com/1IsW2eK.jpg)

Happy, pro tip

if you would buy that camo underwear you could skip sewing up the pants,

you could devote that extra spare time into practicing putting more emotion into your facial expressions for upcoming pics

I spend the off seasons getting put back together again.  It takes its toll on the body toting out so many turkeys in a season. 
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4589/27160912259_6431dd303a.jpg)
And a little preseason iron man competition
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4682/27160873789_6fa6df3132.jpg)
Always trying out new items such as calls, gobbler seeking glasses, the string and the key to success here.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4634/24073297857_effb7fa6df.jpg)
Also spend time cutting last seasons spurs off and adding them to my spur necklace
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4533/24073302667_b7935f3d2f.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/4530/27160938849_6fcb0d6aa9.jpg)

At least you had a direct line to your cooler

I'm sitting in the recliner eatin' Cheetos and alternating between watching turkey huntin' on YouTube and reading state turkey-huntin' FaceBook pages so I know where to go....  ;D
...And oh yeah, reading OG looking for the newbies that wanna tell everybody where they hunt (not that I would go there, of course)   :angel9:

Quote from: crow on March 09, 2022, 09:11:06 PM
Happy, pro tip

if you would buy that camo underwear you could skip sewing up the pants,

you could devote that extra spare time into practicing putting more emotion into your facial expressions for upcoming pics

I will work on that crow. I am just cautious about being too good looking for my pictures. And reflex I can appreciate the snacks but my go-too for an energy boost during turkey season is a red bull and some jellybeans.

Guesswho and reflex hit on a very key point. Being in fit physical condition is paramount to working your way up to GOAT status. I mean when you are really good at getting up close and personal with critters it sometimes turns into hand to hand combat. Y'all have already read reflexes details of battling a turkey with his bare hands but do ya'll know Guesswho done put the ultimate chokehold on a wild hog? Its document somewhere here on OG.  Anyways I ain't doing much today except for excersizing and starting to gather my hunting clothes into a big pile to see what I am gonna use this year. When your in as good of shape as I am your hunting clothes from 20 years ago still fit so I have lots of options. Anyways I will talk on the benefits of being fit and also getting the necessary brownie points from the Mrs. to help obtain plenty of hunting time. Being a GOAT takes a lot of work, attention to detail, good looks and and a little luck.

Yes sir, fact.   Rear naked choke on a wild hog, I'll leave out the other part. 

My order of permethrin10 just showed up in the mail. Some people suggest cutting it down to 1-2%. I just leave it at the 10% cuz I'm a GOAT.

So back to physical fitness and keeping the Mrs happy. Those two things aren't too far apart. As my wife says" nothing makes me want to throw up like seeing a dude in a wife beater that looks like he is smuggling a volleyball". So if you stay in shape not only will you hunt better but your love life will be better. Anyways get your brownie points all year long. I am talking laundry, dishes,cooking meals and going to family functions. This buys you points and you need to stockpile as many as possible. I personally have stockpiled so many that I just have to say I am going hunting these days and the missus encourages it. She even buys me more hunting stuff. That is GOAT status.

Also got a fresh haircut today. Mullet is high and tight. Barber took what he thought was the right amount off. At first I was a skeptic after loosing almost 3 inches but now I'm starting to see some serious benefits from fitting the mop under a face mask, easy of locating ticks, and being more streamline.

. A good mullet makes a statement. I have a friend who lost one eye who is currently rocking one along with a beard. We nicknamed him cyclops, mullet von beardington.

Quote from: Happy on March 12, 2022, 07:09:54 PM
So back to physical fitness and keeping the Mrs happy. Those two things aren't too far apart. As my wife says" nothing makes me want to throw up like seeing a dude in a wife beater that looks like he is smuggling a volleyball". So if you stay in shape not only will you hunt better but your love life will be better. Anyways get your brownie points all year long. I am talking laundry, dishes,cooking meals and going to family functions. This buys you points and you need to stockpile as many as possible. I personally have stockpiled so many that I just have to say I am going hunting these days and the missus encourages it. She even buys me more hunting stuff. That is GOAT status.

Those are both excellent pieces of advice in order to stay "Happy".

I've gotten in the habit of insisting my wife takes "for her" trips every year and I always try line them up for about a month before turkey season. 4 days in Texas visiting a friend, girls trip to Florida, she just got back from 8 days in Florida. When she gets home I have the entire place cleaned top to bottom, laundry done, kids homework is current as a symbol of my appreciation for the selfish that ensues during hunting season on my part.

Exercise is easier one  for me because well I enjoy it,. I have 400sq ft of gym space at home and the wife and I both use it almost daily. I'm there right now doing with her for a before church session. Id say 30% is wanting to have fitness specifically for hunting 30% I want to be able to keep up with my kids as they grow and play sports 30% I just enjoy it and 10% I like food and beer enough I need it.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

I got my camo out yesterday.  I'll spray permethrin tomorrow.  May sight in the shotgun also.
Most of my camping gear is together.  Need to start getting clothes organized.  Headed to the swamps next week.

Good luck Steve, be safe and I hope you enjoy yourself

Welp the wife is out coaching volleyball so time to pull some calls out and see what the neighbors tame turkeys think.

Calling was a Success! I have picked out my pot calls I will use this year and the neighbors turkey gobbled nonstop. Of course he gobbled when a dog started howling as well so I ain't to sure what that says about my calling.

Quote from: Happy on March 13, 2022, 08:06:23 PM
Calling was a Success! I have picked out my pot calls I will use this year and the neighbors turkey gobbled nonstop. Of course he gobbled when a dog started howling as well so I ain't to sure what that says about my calling.

it says you need to get a turkey dog,


the dogs around me just love to hear turkey calls, esp., kee kee's and coyote howling on a wingbone

Tried a few mouth calls today. My purrs are rusty as is my super secret finishing call. I dubbed it the "twerky" call. Its basically an audible version of .. well you know. Interested gobblers come running in and gobblers worried about picking up an STD run the other way.

Is that what happened to the funky chicken, he got Some Terrible Disease

Maybe. Does look like his lower half rotted off.

His upper half looks like he had a mix of consumption and the bloody flux

I am going to have to drag calls out. Planned calls this year are:
(2) pot calls by Sway Cornelius
(1) pot by Riley Corder
(1) ebony/walnut box by Matt Van Cise
(1) original Gibson box
(1) a Doug Camp box
(1) pot by Doug Camp

Guns in rotation this year:
Winchester model 42
Winchester model 12
Lefever Nitro Special
Rem 870 28 gauge/tru-glow pro sights
H&R Huntsman
Guns on standby for this year:
835/ .676 Stardot/ Scoped
870 Super Mag tru-glo pro sights
870 20gauge
I am retiring some turley guns. My BPS has been de-turkeyed. Truthfully it wasn't fair. With TSS is was like shooting the with a rifle. I want them in my face before I shoot and that gun made it too tempting to bust them at ranges I won't even discuss. FYI #8 TSS will penetrate 7/16" wafer board at 100 yards.

Welp between the chaos of work, 4 nights of school and buying a house I did score a Lynch world champion this week!! I'm ready  :fud:

Love those old lynches as well. Mine is setting this year out though.

GOAT tip #whatever number we are on
I was trying to think of a good way to be helpful to all the teams competing against us and here is what I came up with. Its a great aid for people who don't have a steady hand and can't color inside the lines.Your welcome fellas. Maybe you'll get one on the fridge yet.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220316/3ad64490e48a285a0ac954e811d4838d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220316/84c90a7479de055365d87c2af55cf23e.jpg)

Happy-love it

Just trying to make sure I cover my end on the smack talk in case I fail to kill a turkey this year!

Alrighty, well everything from now until
Season opens for me is out is gonna be pretty dull. I just plan on doing some fishing with my youngest and some scouting when I have a few moments. I have had a lot of fun joking with everyone, but on a serious note I hope everyone has a safe and memorable season. I know this is supposed to be a competition but in my mind it's not. Its just having fun joking with some guys and enjoying the season. The only score I really care about is what I get out of my hunt. A 2 year old gobbler that gives me a memorable day scores as high as a 4 year old gobbler and I ain't embarrassed about admitting it. So good luck everyone, have fun and I hope everyone has a great spring season. That is really my honest wish. Even if I am busy trying to insult y'all.

I'm taking a 12 year old this weekend on our yute hunt.  I need to sign him up on The GOATS.  He talks more trash than I do.   I asked him yesterday where he learned to talk the talk.  He said you really have to ask? ;D

Good luck to you guys and have fun. Its been my experience when hunting with kids it won't be a problem

Kids hunt for the right reasons.   Some adults, not so much.   We've already had a blast and the hunt is still a couple days away. 

Quote from: guesswho on March 17, 2022, 09:07:30 PM
Kids hunt for the right reasons.   Some adults, not so much.   We've already had a blast and the hunt is still a couple days away.

So did the kid drop the hammer or what.... left us hanging.... its wednesday!

Headed to the property this weekend to burn the 30 acre field in the middle of it. Acquired the property in '19.... hasnt had much care for at least 10. Later this spring or sometime this year working with the state to clear some of the overgrowth on some 5 acres. Excited to start whipping it into shap. The field should be a pretty green come the opener and be nice an tall again for cover as polts run around catching hoppers this summer.

Test

Test#2

C+

Test

D-
You did spell test correctly.   I think!

2nd test

Quote from: guesswho on April 06, 2022, 07:06:26 PM
D-
You did spell test correctly.   I think!

well, not really
I was going for testosterone

Happy, this pic is a fluke, don't have a clue how this image came up, but I went for it.

I'll go to the phonograph store and try to get fixed up

Hey it worked Crow! I think i may have figured out the other hangup on your phone. least we are getting somewhere. so much for my career in tech support. And thanks for your grade on my buddy's turkey spurs Guesswho, I hope i don't have to stoop to shooting the neighbors Gobbler myself this year.

Got a C+ for no tape measurer.    But that may be the way to go.

. I don't think the shooter cared much. It was his first. A tape measure never really is involved in my personal score anyways. But hey I will take a C+. It should raise my average!

Quote from: Happy on April 06, 2022, 07:47:15 PM
Hey it worked Crow! I think i may have figured out the other hangup on your phone. least we are getting somewhere. so much for my career in tech support. And thanks for your grade on my buddy's turkey spurs Guesswho, I hope i don't have to stoop to shooting the neighbors Gobbler myself this year.

If your referring to me as the "other hangup" on my phone I can live with that. I was just impressed you weren't intimidated being in the presence of a computer genius, your attitude and determination is what will take this team to a strong finish, and of course your jeep.

You aren't the hangup. You did just fine. Hey at least we got the banner worked out and you have officially posted your first picture.