Do you have any birds that gave you the slip multiple times last year that you're anxious to get after again? I had a bird on our property that defied death several times and was always henned up--even late in the season.
I'm hoping to get a crack at him again this year.
Sure am. He'll be 5 years old this year. Been watching him and his brother since they were 2 year olds.
There's one on a farm I hunt that I hope to get a shot at this year. Ground dragging beard as thick as my wrist, obviously the cock of the walk out there. Rushed a shot on him last year and wiffed. Saw him again a couple of weeks later but couldn't get him to break away from his strutting zone. Dad got a look at him during deer season, so he's still around.
I had the bird I'm after at full strut 50 yards through the woods but he wouldn't come any closer. He had about 5 hens with him and didn't move 100 yards either way for two hours after fly down with them. Eventually they took him away. But he put on quite a show strutting and gobbling.
I learned the hard way not to get to hung up on one bird. I take them as they come now. No use trying to force things when other birds are perfectly willing to die.
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Yes, any and every longbeard walking in the woods where I hunt. I can't tell one from the other, but they're all on my list. I only get to kill 4 of em though.
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I'll be after any of the Jake's I let live last year.....
I killed the main 3 birds i was after last year. One big Dominant bird that i started hunting opening day, killed him the last week of season. Saw several young birds last year so i will just take what comes my way, agree i don't get hung up on just one bird until i see how my season is going and what's available. Pulled camera cards Saturday and had a group of 12 long beards and a group of 8 Jake's...So i'm happy from what i saw on the cards...
Yes, had a bird I have hunted for 2 years now this will be year three. I have missed him twice once last season and once the season before. I missed him last year the last day of our Ms season with a 25 yd chip shot, murdered a nice sapling right in front of me that I never saw. Missed him two years ago opening morning at 30 yds still not sure how I managed to miss him that time. He has a Halo around him. Hopefully this year is they year. I was worried he hadn't made it through as I had not seen him during deer season unlike the previous years but he has shown back up in the last two weeks.
Quote from: Happy on February 06, 2017, 11:07:34 AM
I learned the hard way not to get to hung up on one bird. I take them as they come now. No use trying to force things when other birds are perfectly willing to die.
Bingo.... Watched a guy burn up 2 weeks in Missouri years back chasing one bird. Told him on day 3 or 4 to get away from that bird. He did not and lost 10 days to the same bird.
Got one on my property that eluded me a few times last year. I shot 2 thinking it was him but when I rolled them over I could tell by the spurs it wasn't. Quit hunting him because I didn't want to take more than 2 birds off that property. It's back on this year, he's on camera a lot this year.
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Quote from: catman529 on February 06, 2017, 11:19:04 AM
Yes, any and every longbeard walking in the woods where I hunt. I can't tell one from the other, but they're all on my list. I only get to kill 4 of em though.
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Catman, do like I do and head one state down South, add a bird or two to that four!
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It's beyond me how the heck you guys can tell one tom from another, let alone from one year to the next. To me, they all look alike. When I go hunting, I'm happy to get an opportunity at any tom. I don't hold grudges on a bird that outsmarted me.
I'm after every bird that gave me the slip last year. OH yeah, that's every bird that I didn't shoot last year. That would literally be any bird that decides to play along this year. Called several in last year. Didn't get to seal the deal on any of them. So long as it's not a jake, I'm letting it fly.
Being totally honest, late season a jake may make the cut if I've not got a bird in my possession by then. Love hunting them but love eating them almost as much.
Yup...this one to beat exact
Quote from: buzzardroost on February 06, 2017, 07:08:27 PM
Quote from: catman529 on February 06, 2017, 11:19:04 AM
Yes, any and every longbeard walking in the woods where I hunt. I can't tell one from the other, but they're all on my list. I only get to kill 4 of em though.
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Catman, do like I do and head one state down South, add a bird or two to that four!
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I've considered it before. I also might get the permit for Fort Campbell and add a 5th bird to my Tennessee limit.
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One more for good measure
I never thought you could tell the difference in gobblers either but you can. Last year I had a huge Tom showing up on my camera a lot. Then opening day came and was set up and had 4 toms in the field. Three regular sized ones and big boy. The 3 came in pretty good to decoys and calling. He stayed back and waited. Finally took one of the 3 and thought I would get him another time. Didn't see him again except on camera
Oh I have one. Stubborn dude hung on me more than once. This year he will be in my fryer. Or at least I hope haha.
The biggest bird by the horse farm eluded me and survived the Winter (so far). I've got something for him in a couple of months that sounds a lot like BOOM!
Jim
nope.... I, or one of my friends, kill every longbeard I know about pretty much every year. very next year, right back slam full of longbeards. if you think you've been hunting the same turkey for 5 years ive got some ocean front property in Tennessee for id love to sell you.
Quote from: appalachianassassin on February 10, 2017, 04:00:45 AM
nope.... I, or one of my friends, kill every longbeard I know about pretty much every year. very next year, right back slam full of longbeards. if you think you've been hunting the same turkey for 5 years ive got some ocean front property in Tennessee for id love to sell you.
I just don't know what to say about this.....
But I can promise you that I, and several others on this site have hunted the same bird for multiple seasons....that is absolute fact.
I don't know either.
I killed a bird last year I hunted for three seasons. It is easy to identify a bigger, dominant bird, their routine is pretty much the same every year.
Only birds I am going after this year is whatever was left from last year and the new two year olds. Hope to find another old boy that will make for some interesting battles between us.
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I'm on one from last year that eluded me on public a couple times. I agree you can identify some by gobble, roost area and patterns. But there should be lots of 2 year-olds and I'm an equal opportunity offender. :turkey2:
I always have a bird that gave me a slip last year. Some of the best pre-season scouting you can do is with a gun in hand the previous season. Just pay attention. I have hunted birds multiple years many times. As far as being able to say for a fact, well one stands out more than the rest. This public bird had a beard that hung more like a neck tie flat from front to chest and fairly wide. Had encounters with the usually henned up, flat long bearded king of that river bottom for 3 years till I fooled him working back to roost one late season evening. No doubt in my mind he was the same bird throughout those seasons, still got the beard in the box.
Quote from: Fullfan on February 06, 2017, 06:58:06 PM
Quote from: Happy on February 06, 2017, 11:07:34 AM
I learned the hard way not to get to hung up on one bird. I take them as they come now. No use trying to force things when other birds are perfectly willing to die.
Bingo.... Watched a guy burn up 2 weeks in Missouri years back chasing one bird. Told him on day 3 or 4 to get away from that bird. He did not and lost 10 days to the same bird.
That's my experience as well. If I can't connect within 3 days, I probably won't. And, unless he's the only show in town, I'm looking for another bird or going unconventional.
Appalachain assassin is correct.
Last Spring-- I had a New Jersey gobbler defeat me 3 times! He roosted in the same grove of trees. I know where he flies down and I know the direction that an old hen came from to pick him up. This Spring, I am going to try to set-up between his roost and where that hen walked in from. I hope he is still around this Spring.
I just hope I can find another SE Louisiana bird to hunt . . . :turkey2:
There was a jerk of a bird the last few years, always roosted in the same tree, always gobbled a ton on the limb, always sat in the tree 1-2hrs after other birds flew down. He had an uncanny ability to either stay up there long enough to see other birds die and fly another direction, let the flock get safely to the middle of a field and fly to join them out of range of cover, or he would simply find something amiss and drift off silent into the extremely thick cover behind his roost zone..
We finally did him in by running a split set over calling from the front pushed him back into the cover where a buddy sat and stayed silent.
I have a public land bird that is probably 4 years old now that was a better turkey than I was a turkey hunter last year. Had him very close a number of times, but just couldn't work out the right scenario. I love big, old public land gobblers.
FC
I don't have a specific gobbler I'm after this season but I have hunted the same one 3 years in a row (several years back) hard hunted public land gobbler that roosted in the same longleaf at the corner of a pasture that was the NF boundary line. Old log road was only 300 yards from his tree so he got a lot of attention from hunters. He'd gobble awhile then pitch out into pasture and stand just over a rise were you couldn't see him and he'd strut and gobble all morning,he had a rope of a beard.Early in a season you might find him in the swamp next to the pasture once pressure got bad he never left the pasture and it was hopeless.I tried everything I knew at the time so did everyone else. After the third year I hunted him I never saw or heard him again old age deer hunter coyote? Who knows I do know it was the same gobbler and even though I never shot him I learned more from him than any other gobbler.
Any of them that want to volunteer to take a trip in the turkey vest and to the dinner table that turned down the invitation last time ! :)
We found a bird on Youth Weekend last spring. He would scream at you early, then go silent till around 10 or 11. He would then torment us till the 1:00pm shut down time. This bird would spend all day on a private land pasture inside a public WMA. Luckily I tagged out early and wasn't punished by him. My friend and my Dad both hunted him religiously, especially my friend. He would call in sick to work to try and tag this bird. We know he survived the season ( barring any poachers ) because we watched him through binos at quitting time on the final day of the season. The gobbler was dubbed "Pablo" by my friend ( as in Pablo Picasso ) because of the massive paintbrush of a beard he sports.
Quote from: appalachianassassin on February 10, 2017, 04:00:45 AM
nope.... I, or one of my friends, kill every longbeard I know about pretty much every year. very next year, right back slam full of longbeards. if you think you've been hunting the same turkey for 5 years ive got some ocean front property in Tennessee for id love to sell you.
I got a feeling them words are gonna taste mighty bitter one of these days.
Yeah..pretty much every bird I was after last year..I'm still after. I think I heard one die but the guy may have missed. I hope I have better cards this deal.
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I have 2 birds in particular both are roughly 4-5 this year and both made it through season, I blew the opportunity ity on both last year by hunter error. Yes I will adnit the monster beard dragger roughly 25-28 lbr came I. Quietly behind me and I sit up to look around and he seen me. The other bird was Henned up and I made a move on him not knowing he was so close and they seen us and took off. I still tagged out last year but I hope to get these 2 birds this year. Had 5 nice ones come say hey during deer season!
Not sure it is the same bird, but they are related. Several of us hunt a WMA and have had multiple run ins with a bird in the same general area. He would alway give us the slip, fly down and go the other way, come in quiet and bust us or be hened up. Many times he would give you a couple of courtesy gobbles and you would think maybe today.
We named him Einstien. Every year when one of where drawn for that area we would ask, are you gonna look up Einstien.
That bird either died of old age or is still out there.
7 Jakes last year in a group that's 7 two year olds this year. A turkey disaster in the making.