We are outnumbered but we will fight on! Who will be hunting first? Know muzzy and snoman are down there enjoying the warmer weather, 20 degrees here this morning.
Won't be in the woods till mid April this yr.
Jeff, the season starts here on the last weekend in March. It'll depend on the weather, it's raining and about 50 degrees here today. I talked to my son yesterday and he said it was blue sky's and 70 degrees at his house, he was glassing at two toms while we were on the phone. It will depend on his schedule but as it sits right now probably hunting the second week in April. But he has called me before and said "dad you gotta leave tonight... get down here right now". :TooFunny: so we'll see.
April 21 for me i still got a while.
Home state starts April 18, may or may not hunt here, Jersey tags start 21st.
I'm going in 10 days lord willing.
Youth weekend is this weekend (8th & 9th) will be taking my grandson if he can get over this bad cold and cough. Poor little guy has has been fired up for the last month and now is scared he's going to miss it.
Our season start 3/15 here in North Florida. No telling about the weather. It can be 80 degrees today and 50 degrees two day later. Timber company has cut just about all our pines the last couple of months. Going to make thing "interesting".
Hope you and your grandson make it out and have a safe and successful hunt!
Sabbatical season opened last Tuesday at 9:32 A.M.
MN Season A (the season I'm hunting) goes from 4/16 - 4/22.
Any update on your youth hunt Muzzy?? You and snoman will be starting this weekend!?!
Quote from: JeffC on March 11, 2025, 04:02:45 PMAny update on your youth hunt Muzzy?? You and snoman will be starting this weekend!?!
Unfortunately didn't make it out last weekend. Grandson was still sick with the flu. He's feeling better but still has a bad cough. Hopefully he's better by Saturday. We have seen several gobblers in the last couple of weeks. They are still grouped up with lot's of hens. But the good news is the season does start Saturday and the weather looks to be good for most of the week.
Quote from: notsure on March 09, 2025, 04:48:54 PMMN Season A (the season I'm hunting) goes from 4/16 - 4/22.
Last time I was that far north at that time frame it snowed and had tornadoes lol. Birds was flocked up, but manageable.
My season here at home starts 4/23 and runs to 5/11. But I've got a Colorado OTC tag and they start 4/12 and runs to 5/31. I can't decide if I want to go there before or after the Indiana season. I talked to the Ranger from the area I plan to hunt and he said it can get hit pretty hard. So an old bull might wait till all the young bulls burn out.
Good luck Muzzy and snoman, hope you booth have safe and successful hunts tomorrow!! :anim_25: :z-guntootsmiley:
Get us on the board man
Quote from: JeffC on March 05, 2025, 11:35:26 AMHope you and your grandson make it out and have a safe and successful hunt!
Had a good day today. My grandson (10 years old) took his first long beard today, and it was a good one. It scored 65.45 on score calculator. He did a great job, I'm a proud Pop.
Thats awesome!! Congrats to the young hunter.
Quote from: Muzzy61 on March 15, 2025, 09:30:15 PMQuote from: JeffC on March 05, 2025, 11:35:26 AMHope you and your grandson make it out and have a safe and successful hunt!
Had a good day today. My grandson (10 years old) took his first long beard today, and it was a good one. It scored 65.45 on score calculator. He did a great job, I'm a proud Pop.
Nice bird, congratulations :fud:
Congrats thats a good one.
Muzzy, make sure to tell your grandson congratulations from all of us. That's a darn fine bird!
Quote from: Muzzy61 on March 15, 2025, 09:30:15 PMQuote from: JeffC on March 05, 2025, 11:35:26 AMHope you and your grandson make it out and have a safe and successful hunt!
Had a good day today. My grandson (10 years old) took his first long beard today, and it was a good one. It scored 65.45 on score calculator. He did a great job, I'm a proud Pop.
Great job from you guys! Tell the trigger man Congrats from Indiana :icon_thumright: :icon_thumright:
Any chance a guy could still join your team? I am from Missouri so season is still over a month out.
Kaleb978, Part 1 of the test completed, now post a picture in here.
Here is a bird I killed last year on my wifes family's farm. Taken in front of their old farm house. (https://i.postimg.cc/L6WVps1P/20240427-074606.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Awesome welcome to the Team, please read the rules and any questions post away!
Glad to be a member of the team. Been a lurker of the forum for a few years and thought it might be fun to join a team. I am from Missouri and my season won't kick off until April 21st. Looking forward to being apart of the team!
If you would like to have our banner on your profile, theres a thread telling how, its a pain, ask questions if you have trouble with it.
Please read the contest rules, need good pictures, especially the beard while its still on turkey!!
Biggest thing is stay active!! Makes it a great contest while we all share our hunts, good or bad!!
Welcome aboard kaleb
I spent the last 5 days hunting and it was my worst stretch of hunting in a long time. First morning bird I was working got killed by a guy slipping in the backside and after that is was all downhill with very quiet and henned up birds. Got a couple weeks til I'm able to go again.
At least you heard a Tom! Keep at it, I take this is public ground? My first 5 or 7 yrs hunting, didnt even hear a gobble.
Bird down! (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250321/4863e6fedfacc82e5c5911c741a1a7f7.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250321/bb33c61ed595b504f4ba751512c723aa.jpg)
And here I thought you disappeared, CONGRATS, post up some details/ story when you get a chance!
Quote from: JeffC on March 21, 2025, 11:33:52 AMAnd here I thought you disappeared, CONGRATS, post up some details/ story when you get a chance!
I had to get little man his first bird before I got serious. He killed on Sunday.
The hunting has been tough for an opening weekend. Birds are henned up bad.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250321/655a6329dfb4c5bba327c9c001c4a9e5.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250321/fd13861796eba0871a072cf7948e0ab0.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250321/1a6955b7897594db6eda0723008ea9db.jpg)
Great job, Congrats to the young hunter and to you! :z-guntootsmiley:
Wake up LACIRE!! are you hunting this weekend or are you still on standby??
Was lucky enough to take a willing 2 year old this morning. Had a free schedule at work this morning so headed to the woods. Nothing talking on the roost or the ground this morning so I set up in an area that they like to strut after they feed. No action until about 9:45 when this gobbler and hen came around curve and feed around. They were about 100 yards away. A couple of clucks and he started closing the distance. At about 60 yards he stopped and went into strut. Lucky for me the hen continued toward me to a dusting bowl. The gobbler than finally broke strut and followed her to within range to take the shot.
Great job Muzzy!
Congrats to everybody I'm jealous. Still have 3 more weeks. I did get to watch a flock of birds today at a jobsite which was nice.
Awesome job Muzzy, were you using your new toy? your grandsons gun??
Good job!
Nice muzzy
Quote from: JeffC on March 27, 2025, 05:24:44 PMAwesome job Muzzy, were you using your new toy? your grandsons gun??
Used my new 20 gauge with the Apex TSS. Impressed with the results.
I thought you might have taken that 410 out again.
Been quiet in here. Hopefully that means guys are in the woods. I still have a couple weeks.
I did have 2 strutters and 5 hens come through my yard. Had me chomping at the bit.
18th before I can start, dont know if I will even go, havent found a place to hunt here yet. Will be in woods on 21st for sure!
Season doesn't open here until the 21st, but I do have a tag for a state that opens on thr 15th and might make a weekend trip there before our season starts, haven't decided yet for sure.
Really thought lacire would've posted up something by now? Any updates??
pite0007 and Scott, when are you guys getting after them???
One week to go...
Man I can't hunt until the 21st but just seen a gobbler and 7 hens in my north field. Can't get here soon enough.
And out of the woods of the lovely West Coast comes LACIRE!! :funnyturkey: AWESOME job!! Big old TOM!!!! Post up some details of your hunt!!! :turkey2:
We open up tomorrow here in Ky!.
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Good luck tomorrow Scott, hope you saved a big old Tom for yourself. Will the kids tag along or is this dads day?
Quote from: JeffC on April 11, 2025, 11:10:05 AMGood luck tomorrow Scott, hope you saved a big old Tom for yourself. Will the kids tag along or is this dads day?
Thanks Jeff, tomorrow morning/ afternoon will be for myself and tomorrow evening and Sunday will be for the kiddos. Also have a couple co workers that are interested in turkey hunting but haven't been before that I'll be taking before season is out. Tomorrow should be a good one, it's rained the past two days, the temps have dropped into the mid thirties in the mornings and highs are around 45 to 50°. Should have them talking I hope.
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Good luck to you tomorrow. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: JeffC on April 11, 2025, 07:40:17 AMAnd out of the woods of the lovely West Coast comes LACIRE!! :funnyturkey: AWESOME job!! Big old TOM!!!! Post up some details of your hunt!!! :turkey2:
Ok, give me a little bit and I'll get you another story... :blob10:
Here you go Jeff, as promised.
This year I had an unexpected hospital visit and couldn't make my usual opening day of the spring turkey season. I did have enough time to recoup myself and get permission from my cardiologist to drive a car and shoot a shotgun (my wife was a lot harder to convince, in fact I don't think she was convinced at all) and I was able to get out for the second weekend.
My son and I talked it over and he knows I don't like hunting out of a blind, but he suggested that because we were taking my grandson hunting with us we'd set up in a blind versus our usual running and gunning up and down the mountains. (I didn't think of it until now but maybe my son and grandson did the talking over and the blind was for me, those kids of mine can be tricky). The day we were hunting was a clear blue sky morning after a day of rain. The tall grass was wet and the ground was spongy as we walked out to set up the blind. The area we selected has green rolling hills studded with large oak trees, low growing manzanita and wild blackberries, there's a private lake there also that you can paddle small boats around on. This morning it held some Mallards and a couple pairs of Canadians. We got out a little late in the morning and the turkeys were already off the roost and on the ground by the time we got set up. Looking out of the blind through our binoculars we could see a couple turkey hens milling around in the sunshine across the lake from us. In the distance we watched a man come out of his house, walk over and let his chickens out of their pen, then he threw a bunch of feed to them. The hens joined a mixed flock of about a dozen other turkeys that came into view and they all stood by expectantly waiting and as soon as the man left in his car they all ran for the chicken feed. We made a few calls now and then and got some response from the Canadians but the turkeys weren't going to budge off that feed.
After about an hour the turkeys had dispersed and we finally got some action with one of the box calls. Every time this one tom would gobble my son would cut him off with some yelping. I then spotted him through the brush, he was moving fast across the hill side about thirty yards above the edge of the lake and probably two hundred yards from us. I told my grandson to get ready, this was his bird. As the gobbler cleared the edge of the lake he came straight for the hen and Jake decoys we had set out about ten yards from the blind. My son started filming him as he came strutting in at about forty yards away, he puffed up again at thirty, then at twenty, my son let out a series of yelps from a mouth call and at fifteen yards the tom again puffed up and stuck his head straight out with a long gobble, my son whispered to his nephew take him and as the tom pulled his head back in the full force of the shot hit him in the beak and knocked him backwards.
After congratulating my grandson, we left his tom on the ground as the three of us inside the blind sat staring at the small screen replaying the video my son just took. It wasn't very long but we watched it several times when my grandson said "oh shoot, there's more turkeys coming in". A flock of about ten jakes were running in on the decoys and in the middle of the flock was one large tom looking like a giant compared to them. This Goliath went straight for the tom my grandson had just killed and jumped him. The jakes attacked the decoys en masse while Goliath stood on the toms back triumphantly pulling his lifeless head a foot off the ground and dropping it over and over. My son again started recording as I set on my knees with the bead of my shotgun on the toms head waiting for permission from him to fire. I got the go ahead and pulled the trigger, the shot hit Goliath like a rock and he fell and lay motionless by his fallen foe, the jakes looking confused just like the philistines of old ran off about twenty yards from the blind wondering what just happened to their champion.
After again congratulating ourselves, we were back starring at the screen looking for my video but my son realized that he failed to hit record so we didn't get to replay mine. We checked our guns and were getting ready to exit the blind when I saw two more toms coming in at about thirty five yards, I told my son to take the one with the blue head and his shot rang out and the tom went down... I said " this is a first, we'll never do this again, a triple out of the same blind, all within the space of probably ten minutes". (Goliath turned out to be the second heaviest tom we've ever shot with Hercules still number one at 25.7lbs)
Because of my hospital visit I wasn't allowed to carry anything heavier than a gallon of milk. My wife must have given my son instructions because he wouldn't even let me carry my own bird, (another first for me) so my son and grandson collapsed the blind, bagged the decoys and collected the birds, the only thing they left for me to carry was my own gun.
As we left the property we stopped by the owner's house, while we were visiting with him out front, the man with the chickens drove by, he stopped his car, got out, didn't say a word to any of us just went directly to the back of our truck and peered in, he then looked at us with a scowl and said "better not let my wife find out... those are her pets".
:z-winnersmiley: AWESOME story!! You really are blessed to go thru what you did, turn around and get to go an experience that fantastic hunt with your family. Thank you for making me smile. The picture of the 3 of you was great!! You did a fantastic job with all the necessary contest photos also, thank you. :you_rock: Please rest up and listen to your wife and doctors.
Quote from: JeffC on April 12, 2025, 11:58:08 AM:z-winnersmiley: AWESOME story!! You really are blessed to go thru what you did, turn around and get to go an experience that fantastic hunt with your family. Thank you for making me smile. The picture of the 3 of you was great!! You did a fantastic job with all the necessary contest photos also, thank you. :you_rock: Please rest up and listen to your wife and doctors.
Between you and I it probably was a little too soon to be back out... but the way that hunt unfolded I wouldn't wanted to have missed it. I am glad to be back home, and my wife well... she is still really pampering me. :icon_thumright:
Great story. An unforgettable experience for all involved. I am sure the bird is a minor detail compared to being able to have that experience with your son and grandson. A memory like that is what every hunter is hoping to get someday. Congratulations and happy to hear you were able to get out.
Congrats Lacire! Great bird.
Glad you were able to get out and be successful. Congratulations on you and your grandsons birds.
Thank you Kaleb978, Muzzy61, and HillclimberWV it was a memorable hunt. :icon_thumright:
Great story Lacire and congratulations! MN Season A starts this morning and I'm on my way out the door!
Good luck notsure!!Have a great safe hunt today!! :turkey2:
I scored on a nice fat 2 year old! I'll post all the necessary pictures this evening.
Awesome job!! Look forward to seeing your pictures, post up some story/ details of your hunt!!! :funnyturkey:
Lacire that is an awesome story and bird.
Monday, my first day of vacation from work, I got my first of the season. 25mph winds, not a peep on the limb or gobbling to any calls. Around 7:10 am I heard a full gobble close (within 100 yards), maybe a minute or two later I look to my left and there is a blood red head popping over the rise in the ridge at 20 yards. I had a split second to make a decision so I raised my gun and nailed him. Get over to him and he's flopping, I grab the leg and didn't get a good hold and he starts spinning in my hand, at this point I'm thinking " Here's where I get spurred". The spur hits my hand and its buttons. Then it hit me that it's a Jake. Beard wasn't much, around 5" and he weighed probably 16 or so pounds. I didn't measure or weigh him. Didn't hunt yesterday due to having class in the morning and needing to mow the yard and I spent some time with the kids.
This morning, my last day of vacation from work, I got to my favorite piece of public in the mountains that I love being on. It hasn't had birds the past two years and I wasn't sure if it had any this morning but I pulled up and the parking at the gate was empty so I walked in to my spot I always listen at and let the song of the whippoorwills fill my soul. It was barely breaking gray light and one gobbled. And then again, and again. And I knew pretty well where he was on the mountain so I took off after him. The mountain goes up on the right and then snakes back left at the spine as the elevation increases. The way it lays it creates a bowl in the holler and he was roosted on the left side of the bowl on the side of the mountain and I was coming up the right side of the mountain. He was roosted where I needed to be I thought to kill him and when I was about 150 yards from him diagonally I didn't have a choice but to set up. I had two down trees in the forest road in front of me that I couldn't get past without him seeing me, and the only cover I had was a rose bush about the size of a 5 gallon bucket. I set up with a bend in the road ahead of me so when he rounded it, I could kill him. I gave a couple soft tree yelps with my trumpet and he ate it up, I bet he gobbled 100 times on the limb. I stopped calling and let him get in his head, he didn't gobble for probably 10 minutes and I figured he flew down so I gave a yelp on my mouth call and he hammered, on the ground. I saw him come across the top of the mountain above me at about 120 yards in full strut with one tailing him. The sun was just rising and I could see the silhouette of him against the sky, it was incredible. And then I heard him spit and drum, a lot. In the 24 years I've hunted I've never been able to hear one do it and it tore me up bad. He stayed up there for maybe 5 minutes and I clucked a few times at him with my OG pushpin and he broke strut and I lost sight of him for a little while, just bits and pieces of his bright white head coming through trees down the road. He stopped at maybe 50 yards and was spitting and drumming and strutting behind a tree, I could only see half of his fan. I was tore up, I had my gun up and had to put it down three times because I was shaking so bad, and I typically don't get excited until after the shot. He steps out right in the bend where I thought he would and he gobbles at me head on. I slowly raise my gun out of my lap and put the bead on him and the mossberg got another tally. It's the best hunt I've ever had hunting by myself. Nothing will top the kids getting their firsts but for me and my hunting career, this takes the cake.
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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250416/cf88404b340f63e3dfecdf4c8d1f8a04.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250416/13336b88ab4c0539a1ea4ebe00a52d95.jpg)
Mondays and this mornings. My daughter was at school both mornings but I did pull her out of class a couple minutes this morning to let her see him.
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Awesome Scott!! Great write up and pictures!!! Will get him entered tonight.
Congrats Scott on a fine bird.
Congrats Scott, good bird and pictures.
Great job notsure!! #25.9lbs, might be our heaviest Tom yet!! Will get score card updated tonight.
Season opens tomorrow, still havent decided if it worth going out, did see a strutter on way to work this morning, he was in field next to a friends house, I might reach out to him, but I think hes out of town. Heading to Jersey on Saturday for a listening/ scouting mission, Monday is opener, have Monday and Friday off, will be there on the 26th and 28th also. GOOD LUCK GUYS, Safe and Successful Hunting!! Post up the good and bad stories!! :turkey2:
Heading for Montana in a few hours to hunt Merriams for the first time. Weather looks cold on Friday but should get into the mid 70's on Saturday and Sunday. Should be a lot of fun.
Safe travels, looking forward to some awesome pictures, I would love to get back out there. Good luck