Good start to Single Year Public Slam

[ddturkeyhunter]

Started my 2018 season off with harvesting two Florida Public land birds. And just got back a few days ago from Oklahoma and harvested two public land turkeys there also. Was suppose to be in SD Black hills right now but was worried about how much snow. Only to find out it stopped snowing there and SD_ smith shot a nice Turkey today. I will be headed to SD as soon as the roads clear hear, were having a snow storm right now.
The first birds shot in Oklahoma was on the second day of season. It was in a location my brother and I located in 2012, after walking for hours. We were trying to find out why a hen turkey was out in the middle of no where in the sagebrush. What we found was a hidden valley 2 1/2 miles in from the road that had big mature roost trees a water stock pond and green grass. Fast forward to 2018 we no longer had this little honey hole to ourself. Two other gentelman found it on there phones using Google earth now. They took a bird out of there the first day, and me the second day. A young collage kid I invited to join me out there missed one the second day but was successful on the forth day. It was his first Rio to finish his first Slam.
My first Rio this year was shot at 11:15 am. It was a very windy day in Oklahoma that day, and we did not hear anything from the roost that morning. But i wasn't surprised because of all the action around there, and now we had a half inch of snow on the ground and it was cold. So I just picked a little opening in the center of the valley to set out two decoys in and I started calling every 15 minutes. I  had my decoys set way to my right. That was the best place I could put them so incase anyone did a sneak up and shot my Jake decoy I wound not be in the line of fire. This was the first time I used a male decoy since 2009 when I had someone shoot my jake decoy. I used them because they were not responding to calls all that well, at least for me. But I decided to cheat a little because I knew they had to be down in there out of the wind. I was right, at 11:15 one came sneaking in all puffed up ready for a fight. He seen my head move to check in his direction, he stopped and looked right at me. Then he started to get excited, he move fast to get behind a big tree. When he came out I had my gun up and ready I did a quick yelp, he stopped head came up game over. First bird down, two year old had one inch spurs and only a 6 1/4 beard. I was done hunting for a while now because you can only shoot one turkey per county. And I didnt want to move to new area till my friend got his bird.
Day six my friend shot his bird and headed home so I went to new area. When I got to the new area it was real windy, so windy I felt to run and gun, I will be busting more then seeing or hearing them. So i found a nice tree sat down for the remainder of day. I did not hear anything go to roost that night or the next morning. It was still so windy I though I have to find some place quite. When i got to the top of hill, next valley over I glassed a tom and three hens. Now the game was on and a way I went. The area i was in did not have a lot of trees, just a lot of open country and sagebrush. After about a hour and half I was not successful at getting around in front of them. Before I knew it they went up to a stock tank got a drink and was headed back my way. They turned before getting back to me, but when they got behind a hill I ran back to where i first say them. It was a long narrow field about two hundred yards wide, but a good location to set some decoys in. The decoys were placed so the turkey once they came out from behind the hill should be able to see them. Two Hr later there was still no sign of them coming. So I got up from by my tree and snuck to the top of hill to look with binoculars. As I was glassing the hill side all of a sudden I was looking at a big red head looking at me. When he went into strut again I docked back down and continued looking at him throught the brush. He was not moving, so I started to yelp and cut. And the next thing I got his hen yelping back. I cut and yelp back and forth a while and shut up. I went back to my tree and got ready, and wow. Ten minutes later I here yelping and here they come, strutter first with hen right along side of him inbetweent me. I was worried the three hen would get in my way and at first they did. Then the tom broke off to check out the jake. The Boss hen went to my DSD hen and started to fight with it. I let out some terrible loud crappy yelps and nothing, the tom did not come out of strut, the boss hen did not stop what she was doing. But the two other hens did notice and moved aside. After the tom second circle of the jake, he rased his head real high over my decoy to peck it, and I laid the hammer down. But that did not phase the Boss hen she was still not done with my hen decoy. I had time to grab my phone and film her for a while longer, till the tom flopped one last time. That broke her attention and they quickly moved off, what a show.
Next I will be headed to the Black Hill of SD, and WY to see if I can keep this Public land Slam alive. First it has to stop blowing and snowing in MN to leave home.

[ddturkeyhunter]

pictures

[ddturkeyhunter]

Picture

[ddturkeyhunter]

Second picture hen fighting with decoy and dead tom

[3bailey3]

Congrats on some public land birds, good luck on your slam!

[tomstopper]

Congrats on some public land birds, good luck on your slam!

x2

[paintbrush]

Congrats on getting your first half of the public land slam! Hope SD. and WY. are just as kind to you for those Merriam's.

[SD_smith]

Hey man if you want to hunt every weekend here then you've got to embrace the suck hahaha! Hope we can get you on one here.

[renegade19]

 

[daddyduke]

Congrats and good luck!

[ddturkeyhunter]

Hey man if you want to hunt every weekend here then you've got to embrace the suck hahaha! Hope we can get you on one here.

Would be out there every weekend and some but 8 1/2 drive so a person down. Was all loaded up to get going but found they have the roads closed so have no choise but say put. Will be making it out there just when the colder weather and snow comes back in again. Just hope it does't shut them up to bad, but love hunting snow birds.

[POk3s]

Awesome job! I have a feeling "the hills" will treat you kindly. Not a ton of pressure put on them yet. At least on The Wyoming side. Good luck!

[surehuntsalot]

congrats

[Gobble!]

Good start to a single season double grand slam or whatever they call it.