So 6 team members will finally get to go to the woods!! Spellnj3 will finally hunt for himself, maybe. HillclimberWV, Spladle160, Tanna114 and VA Gobbleaddict will start off Saturday with austinec jumping into the mix on Monday!! Looking forward to lots of pictures and stories. Good luck and have a safe and successful opening day. :turkey2:
:morning:
Good luck to Spellnj3, HillclimberWV, Spladle160, Tanna114, VA Gobbleaddict and austinec, have a good time and hunt safe guys. Looking forward to your pictures.
Good luck to everyone kick starting their season.
Good luck guys!!! Not sure if I will get to shoot Saturday, my oldest son (19) is wanting to go....maybe we can double up??? Hope so!!
Happy hunting everyone! I'll be pulling up the rear (likely start on the 20th) as is normal when living in the Great White North.
Good luck tomorrow gentleman..please dont forget to post up all the good and bad of the day, have a safe and successful opening day :dancingturkey:
Set up in front of three this morning. The flew down and strutted on the ridge above me and then followed hens down the property line. Played with them for a couple of hours before they moved off onto the neighbors. Not long after I heard 3 spaced out shots. Not a good start for me.
Well if it was my grandson it could've been three misses :TooFunny:
Well VA GA, a least you were in the game, plenty of mornings I never heard a single gobble. So now you know where they like to go, can you get in between them and neighbor's field? If your not able too, go back there later in season when hens head off to nest, even later next week, never know when Toms will be ready for different hen to chase. Keep at them, you will get a chance, good luck.
No luck this morning. Didn't hear a gobble did find some sign hoping for better luck on monday.
Thanks for update H WV, weather up here was crap, next week looking at 70's, should get things going, good luck.
Yeah it never got above 50 and wind was blowing pretty hard. Im hoping it warms up and calms down for monday.
Showed up yesterday morning and noticed an odd truck as I was going in. Stopped and started getting ready in the truck when I saw a red light coming up behind me. Turns out the land owner, who's a little older had given us both permission to hunt. The guy was nice and already had his older father set up in the blind that he set up in the same end of the field as mine so we just exchanged numbers for coordination and I went home and crawled back in bed. If the weather really picks up I might end up running late for work one morning this week by way of the blind but otherwise it will be next Saturday down at my uncles farm in Natural Bridge. There's birds there but it's a whole other ball game than pre scouting and sitting in the blind.
I put ears on several this morning, in the woods now trying to roost one. Hopefully can get it done this week, gonna be cold and windy in the morning.
Good luck in the morning. :fud:
Went out by myself this morning and didn't hear a peep. Disappeared in one spot. Hopefully temporarily
Stay after them... Good luck!
Went back into the same area that i found sign on saturday. Never heard a gobble. I did yelp in a solo hen to 25 yards. Between her and i yapping back and forth i thought for sure a gobbler would fire up but no such luck.
I got to see some new country and didn't loose anything so all in all it was a good trip.
Killed one this morning, text book hunt and he was dead less than 5 minutes after flying down. I'll get the size details later
Awesome job austinc, was this a bird you roosted last nite? Looking forward to the pictures!! Congrats again!!Feel free to start a sperate thread for your story, any questions or problems, send me a PM and I can send my phone #.
Thats awesome congrats
Congrats!!! :fud:
Good job , congrats!
Congratulations on todays hunt, looking forward to your story. :popcorn:
austinc, remember you have to post all required photos by next Sunday, 4-17 to have your Tom entered. Please PM or reach out on here if your having troubles.
So the cold finally left us here on the east coast!! 2 days in the 80's here in Maryland, the guys in VA and WVA should be getting some fired up gobblers ?? Getting close for me, keep posting up progress guys. :turkey2:
I killed a second bird this morning In another state on our way home. It's a bigger bord, longer spurs and beard, but I completely forgot about weighing them ??????? I'll be home tonight and get the pics taken to enter the bigger bird.
Nice!! Congrats!
Quote from: austinc on April 15, 2022, 05:19:09 PM
I killed a second bird this morning In another state on our way home. It's a bigger bord, longer spurs and beard, but I completely forgot about weighing them ??????? I'll be home tonight and get the pics taken to enter the bigger bird.
Congrats! Good job
Quote from: austinc on April 15, 2022, 05:19:09 PM
I killed a second bird this morning In another state on our way home. It's a bigger bord, longer spurs and beard, but I completely forgot about weighing them ??????? I'll be home tonight and get the pics taken to enter the bigger bird.
Did you get a chance to score either bird yet? Congrats sounds like you had s good trip.
Im on the board. Scored around 53. Will get pictures up later. I have to go to work.
Great, Congrats !
Nice bird Hillclimber. Congratulations!
Yes Sir, way to get it done Hillclimber!! :dancingturkey:
Nice bird congratulations, when you get time maybe you can let us here your story.
Great Job with pictures Hillclimber, Congrats again, I will get it posted up tonight. Looking forward to the story!!
Quote from: lacire on April 18, 2022, 11:12:31 AM
Nice bird congratulations, when you get time maybe you can let us here your story.
It was on a piece of private that I just got access to about a month ago. I stepped foot on the property for the first time Saturday morning. The property is about 260 acres with 2 main ridges running the length of the property. The ridges run out into an open field which borders up to the main road. When I was in their Saturday I saw a couple of hens milling around in the field on my way out. There was plenty of feeding sign across the property so I knew it had to hold several birds but didn't hear a single gobble. I was going to wait to hunt this property until later in the season but it is very close to my house and since I didn't have the whole day off from work I figured id give it a shot.
The forecast today was supposed to be windy with rain starting around 8am and lasting throughout the day. I decided to make my way to the back of the property as far from the fields as possible and set up on the densest portion of Turkey sign I found. My thought was if nothing is working good off the roost I could always work my way back to the fields closer to my truck. I got into the spot I wanted around 5:30 and camped out waiting on daylight. Right before daylight I heard a gobble behind me back towards field edge. That was the only gobble I heard today. It was far enough away that I decided to stay put and call softly to see if I could get another bird to fire up. It started to rain just as it was getting daylight enough to see. Right around 6:45 I had a hen fly down to within 20 yards of me and start feeding. I watched her feed past me and I stayed put until about 7:30. It was raining so hard at that point that I couldn't hear anything and I was tired of getting wet.
I started working my way back towards the field staying just off the top of the ridge as I went. As I got within Eyesite of the field I stopped and called on my wingbone for a couple minutes. I was still just under the top of the ridge and decided to ease over the top of it to check the field on the other side. As I poked my head over I could see a white head bobbing towards me. I hit the dirt and positioned myself with a big white oak between me and the gobbler. At the time he was the only bird I saw for sure. I kept inching my way to the base of the tree and when I got in position to lift my head up high enough to see over the edge a hen pops her head up not 10 feet from the end of my gun barrel. I thought for sure my goose was cooked. I was still laying flat on my belly in shooting position in a staring contest with this hen. Directly another head pops up into view then another and another. Another hen puts from behind the tree and the 4 hens move out of my eyesight behind the tree. They are still within 5 yards of me as I hear them start moving to my left. I knew i saw a gobbler in the bunch but he had not come into view yet. I swing the gun slowly to the left side of the tree and wait. Soon 4 hens and 3 gobblers come into view working to my left maybe 10 yards away. I picked out the largest of the three. They were all pretty close to the same size I'd say they were all 2 year old's. I let them drift off to about 20 yards so my pattern wasn't so tight and clucked one time. The one I picked out stop long enough for me to cut loose with the longbeard xr's. There was a few seconds where I thought about letting him walk since it was opening day and he wasn't huge but I quickly shook that off. I was back to the truck by 8:30.
I really like it better when they are gobbling their head off but that just doesn't always happen.
Cool hunt. congrats!
Great hunt, take those "gifts" when they show up. Congrats again, and thanks for adding date, we forgot when making score card. Now you can spur hunt, ice is broken!!
Boom, boom, boom, at ten feet I think those hen's would have heard my heart pounding and skedaddle off. Congratulations, great story.
Great story!! Congrats!! :z-guntootsmiley:
Nice job, congrats.....
Come on AUSTINC, you get that bird posted up, and we are getting closer to the lead...
Quote from: lacire on April 18, 2022, 04:01:47 PM
Boom, boom, boom, at ten feet I think those hen's would have heard my heart pounding and skedaddle off. Congratulations, great story.
My heart was definitely racing. It was well worth the price of admission.
austinc we need to hear your story on the 2 birds you have taken!!
My season opens in less than 10 hours. Seems like it took forever to get here. I'll keep everyone posted.
Good luck. hopefully the weather is good and the birds are gobbling.
10 hours and counting, good luck.
Good luck notsure, keep us posted, good or bad.
No luck this morning, although there were 18 birds in the field, including at least four gobblers. They only managed to come within just over 200 yards of my setup. Honestly, I'm surprised any birds came out given the 15-20 mph sustained wind.
Sorry I've been MIA but I got a one a little after noon today. Going to work on getting pics and measurements now. Story to come later. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220425/98760a2bcaab5ee1c1612f0ba66ba3a7.jpg)
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Way to go, looks like a good one.
Way to go tanna, looking forward to pictures.
Opening day for me this morning, was 2nd vehicle at parking lot, talked to other hunter, he wanted field by parking, I wanted far field/woods. As I am walking in another truck pulls up on road at field I am in, lots of room, so i stood in far back corner waiting to see where 3rd truck was headed. 5:19 gobbler fires off directly across from me,300 yds on private/ public line. Gobbled over 20 times, gave him some soft tree yelps so he knows where I am. Can't move on him too open, he drops down into private. I move down wood line to close distance, hear other hunter start calling out in front field. Tom will respond to calling but not moving off private, hear a jake gobble a few times. This goes on till 930ish, then they disappear. I decided to head deeper into woods, find lots of fresh scratching, calling as I walk, hour later mile and a half, Tom responds once, set up, nothing, go deeper, hit 2nd swamp, hear jakes on opposite hill, call, Tom gobbles, then 2nd Tom further left also fires off. Waited till they move off, I cross swamp and get on their hill, gone, wont respond. Got good intell for next trip over. Heard at least 5 different Toms. Good day.
Quote from: tanna114 on April 25, 2022, 03:04:45 PM
Sorry I've been MIA but I got a one a little after noon today. Going to work on getting pics and measurements now. Story to come later. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220425/98760a2bcaab5ee1c1612f0ba66ba3a7.jpg)
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Tanna that looks like a boss gobbler!!! Can't wait to see and hear the story!!
Quote from: JeffC on April 25, 2022, 07:39:52 PM
Opening day for me this morning, was 2nd vehicle at parking lot, talked to other hunter, he wanted field by parking, I wanted far field/woods. As I am walking in another truck pulls up on road at field I am in, lots of room, so i stood in far back corner waiting to see where 3rd truck was headed. 5:19 gobbler fires off directly across from me,300 yds on private/ public line. Gobbled over 20 times, gave him some soft tree yelps so he knows where I am. Can't move on him too open, he drops down into private. I move down wood line to close distance, hear other hunter start calling out in front field. Tom will respond to calling but not moving off private, hear a jake gobble a few times. This goes on till 930ish, then they disappear. I decided to head deeper into woods, find lots of fresh scratching, calling as I walk, hour later mile and a half, Tom responds once, set up, nothing, go deeper, hit 2nd swamp, hear jakes on opposite hill, call, Tom gobbles, then 2nd Tom further left also fires off. Waited till they move off, I cross swamp and get on their hill, gone, wont respond. Got good intell for next trip over. Heard at least 5 different Toms. Good day.
Keep at it Jeff, looks like your close to getting him.
Quote from: tanna114 on April 25, 2022, 03:04:45 PM
Sorry I've been MIA but I got a one a little after noon today. Going to work on getting pics and measurements now. Story to come later. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220425/98760a2bcaab5ee1c1612f0ba66ba3a7.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Those are some hooks on that one, congratulations.
Quote from: JeffC on April 25, 2022, 07:39:52 PM
Opening day for me this morning, was 2nd vehicle at parking lot, talked to other hunter, he wanted field by parking, I wanted far field/woods. As I am walking in another truck pulls up on road at field I am in, lots of room, so i stood in far back corner waiting to see where 3rd truck was headed. 5:19 gobbler fires off directly across from me,300 yds on private/ public line. Gobbled over 20 times, gave him some soft tree yelps so he knows where I am. Can't move on him too open, he drops down into private. I move down wood line to close distance, hear other hunter start calling out in front field. Tom will respond to calling but not moving off private, hear a jake gobble a few times. This goes on till 930ish, then they disappear. I decided to head deeper into woods, find lots of fresh scratching, calling as I walk, hour later mile and a half, Tom responds once, set up, nothing, go deeper, hit 2nd swamp, hear jakes on opposite hill, call, Tom gobbles, then 2nd Tom further left also fires off. Waited till they move off, I cross swamp and get on their hill, gone, wont respond. Got good intell for next trip over. Heard at least 5 different Toms. Good day.
It sounded like a very good day, good luck Jeff.
Just killed AR Turkey, I'll hopefully have a higher score here in a bit!
Congratulations austinc, looking forward to the pictures.
Quote from: austinc on April 29, 2022, 01:11:55 PM
Just killed AR Turkey, I'll hopefully have a higher score here in a bit!
Good job, congrats!
Way to go austinc, you guys are killing it and I ate tag soup today. Looking forward to story and pictures!
Went back in after same bird from Monday, he moved, 5:21 first gobble, way out in front of fields, maybe in across street. 2nd bird gobbles down the swamp from me, same woods I am in. Decide to get closer to him, move 20 yds Hen flies off right above me, >:( , never heard a peep from them, yes 3 more in trees around me, all fly towards bird I am headed to. Try calling to see if anyone else is close, nothing but bird out front is responding, hes on private but headed closer, so I move in his direction, hear another hunter, I walked in at 4:30, 1st one here, walked past a blind, now someone is in it, >:(, OK, still have swamp bird. Chased him the rest of the morning, Henned up, would give me a gobble every once in a while, but they basically travel the same way as Monday, Going back in the morning. So ate first week tag, learned , see if it pays off, headed to different zone on Monday.
Here's the story on my bird: I arrived in South Dakota last Saturday to 14 inches of fresh snow from a blizzard. Some of the drifts were 2-3 feet from the 40 mph winds they had. The entire sections of the hills in wyoming and northern SD were inaccessible. I had to eat my WY tag. I headed south to some unfamiliar territory and started hunting. The first two days were brutal with cold and wind still. No gobbles and no sign from the places I was hiking to. I finally heard one lone roost gobble on Tuesday so it gave me a little hope, but I still wasn't seeing any birds on public. Fast forward to my fifth and final day. It had been warmer for three days in a row and I just had a feeling they would light it up that morning. I set up on three at first light that we're setting the woods on fire. Unfortunately, the hens wouldn't let them get closer than 80 yards or so. After messing with them for a while, they head away from me and I decided to try to find a workable bird. This bird gave me one gobble, but luckily I was close enough to pin point him on top of a ridge. I could hear his hens as I got closer so I didn't call because they would surely lead him away. I used the terrain and eased my way up behind him on the ridge. He was strutting and looking away from me when I first saw him so I kept creeping closer until he turned and saw me. I already had my gun up when he turned so I was ready. I much prefer to call them in but they were henned up really bad this year and it was my final morning there.
No shame in that VA. You have to be a good woodsman to sneak up on them regardless.
My weekend was awesome even though i didnt pull the trigger. Yesterday i went back to the same property i killed the opening day gobbler on. I called in gobbler with about a 6 inch beard and let him walk. After he moved off i backed out and went to a different property. Got a gobbler to fire up around 11 and played the game till i ran out of time (wv stops at 1). He was on a property i didn't have açcess to but was slowly coming my way gobbling every few minutes. He just didn't come fast enough.
This morning got into some field birds it was 2 gobblers and 3 jakes. I got set up and started calling. On the way to me they swung around a little knoll in the field. Then directly over it. When they periscoped their heads up they were withing range but i couldn't tell which was the jake and which was the gobbler. They never came any closer and eventually rain picked up and they left the field and onto property i didnt have access to. I left the field and went out a ridge struck up another gobbler and called him to within 70 yards. My setup was bad and he wouldn't cross the open timber. The rain started coming down hard again and he eventually drifted off where i couldnt go so i called it a day. I spent the majority of 2 days within 200 yards of a gobbler so to me thats a good weekend regardless of filling a tag.
Great job VA GA on pictures and story. I was in full ambush mode yesterday, 3 days chasing a Tom that hates me and loves teasing me, I am moving on to another area. Hillclimber I agree, all 3 of those days I was within 100 yds of him multiple times, aggravating yes, but fun playing the game..
Quote from: JeffC on April 29, 2022, 06:05:08 PM
Went back in after same bird from Monday, he moved, 5:21 first gobble, way out in front of fields, maybe in across street. 2nd bird gobbles down the swamp from me, same woods I am in. Decide to get closer to him, move 20 yds Hen flies off right above me, >:( , never heard a peep from them, yes 3 more in trees around me, all fly towards bird I am headed to. Try calling to see if anyone else is close, nothing but bird out front is responding, hes on private but headed closer, so I move in his direction, hear another hunter, I walked in at 4:30, 1st one here, walked past a blind, now someone is in it, >:(, OK, still have swamp bird. Chased him the rest of the morning, Henned up, would give me a gobble every once in a while, but they basically travel the same way as Monday, Going back in the morning. So ate first week tag, learned , see if it pays off, headed to different zone on Monday.
Good luck today.
Hillclimber and VA Gobble Addict you both sound like you had some exciting hunting.
lacire it was definitely a fun weekend.
Was a great week for sure. Never get tired of the hills