Been a long season. Was worn out going into the season from making turkey calls and doing shows, but had to grind all the way through. We went out this past Friday. I went one last time trying to get a fellow a bird Wednesday afternoon. The 90 degree heat got me, I was done. It was a good season. I decided to hunt for myself and help guide kids.
Opening weekend brought no gobbling and rain on Sunday. I found a bunch of sign and saw some birds on Saturday so I decided to sit on the sign Sunday in the rain. A group of hens came through early and then later a jake walked up. I let my 9 year blast him, then we had to get out fast because a big storm came in. My BNL was with me and wanted to snap a picture of me and the boys. I was toting the jake for him. This was the only hunt that Decoys were used all season. I knew J would be nervous and the decoy would hold a turkey long enough if one came in.
A few days later, I had secured permission to hunt property at work. I went at lunch and had hens cutting and yelping so I decided at 5 it was on. I walked 75 yards from the truck and hit the trumpet and he gobbled 100 yards off. I backed off into a good spot and started calling. Two hens started cutting and yelping. About 10 minutes he came in to see what was up. 35 yards with my 20 ga an fed 7s. #1 for me. He only gobbled 3 times. Drummed a bunch.
One of the pissed off hens minutes before I shot the gobbler. I switch from my trumpet to a combo cut at this point. I stopped the video and the hen was standing at 5 yards.
https://youtu.be/yYJpuiUMycUNext time I got in the woods was on my favorite public land. Birds had lock jaw and the hogs had the woods torn up. No kill but don't get to hunt many swamps like this anymore. Awesome to be in the woods.
The next weekend My first ODF hunt was happening. I met my kid Mr. Cody Day on Friday evening and we saw two gobblers strutting right where our area was that evening. Next morning I was high and tight on them. Bird gobbled literally right on top of us. Couple hens flew down but gobbler was a no show. Cody was swatting at every bug there was real and imaginary. I knew the turkeys would be in there like they were afternoon before so I talked him into staying and hunting that afternoon. I borrowed a blind to hide him moving. No decoys. I used trumpet and combo cut mouth calls. Gobbler stepped out and stayed out of range for two hours. Finally he broke and came. I had set up the blind so the turkey had to funnel into the woods between me and a fence. Worked like a charm. Cody put a LONG shot on the bird with my weatherby 20 ga. Folded him up. Ill say this, that kid put a hell of a shot on that bird considering he had to watch him for two hours and have the ups and downs of thinking the bird was gonna leave a couple times.
I had to skip a weekend due to my wifes birthday. Yeah, Im pretty well neutered, married with three kids. She insist that I don't hunt her entire birthday weekend, so I dont. So the following Friday I call my hunting buddy and he had a young fella named Roger. They used to be neighbors. Roger nutted up that morning on a gobbler standing at 20 yards full strut. I talked them into going that afternoon. We said up in some planted pines on a small piece of property we had and were loosing after the season. 4 jakes came in and when the shootings started they just stood there. We told Roger to keep shooting. The dust settled and he had his three bird GA limit flopping. Its legal here to kill all three at one time.
Next morning I was hunting for myself. I set up on a creek branch off a cotton field. Had hens roosted right over me. Three gobblers gobbling to right, two to left, and one dead center. I called hens into field and I knew one of the gobblers would be there. Couple minutes later he came from the right. Dead run gobbling and half strutting. Smoked him in the rain. #2
I got home and cleaned the bird and the sun came out. My 9 year old was mad because I didn't wake him up. I told him we could go that afternoon. We went to try a bird that had put the on me a couple times in the morning over the last two seasons. First time I had afternoon hunted him. Sat over a spot my buddy had tilled in his hay field after the hogs tore it up. He had just leveled it back out. Soft calling on the trumpet. I had looked down at my son sitting there and looked back up and he had appeared. 50 yards with the weatherby and fed 7s. Dead in his tracks. #3. It was the bird I had been after. Had a crooked toe.
Up after that was some more hunting with the kids. Had a close call two times but the gobbler stayed out of range. Fun just to get the boys out teaching them how to set up and hold still. No decoys or blinds. I had one standing at 30 yards in front of me but the boy couldn't see to shoot. He was on a tree to my right and bird came in from left.
Just some gobbling from a bird that got by with the skin of his teeth. Hit his strutt zone and didn't budge all day. Pines are off limits so we couldn't chase him.
https://youtu.be/AsmVO5EtJccI ended up putting 11 gobblers in gun range this year. Hunting weekends and a few weekday afternoons. I don't get to travel or hunt all day like I used to but killing the stud birds I did and taking all the kids is pretty damn fulfilling. I had quality hunts and at the half way mark in the season had some good gobbling. I heard a lot of guys struggled killing and had quiet woods. So Ill take what I got and call it a wrap.
Spurs on all three of mine weren't too shabby.
