My Ontario Birds

[Ontgunner]

After reading a few posts from other Ontario guys about their hunts, I thought I would post up about my Ontario season. Birds in my neck of the woods are abundant to say the least. They seem to have wintered well over the past few years with the mild winters and little to no snow. It seems that different areas in the Province are seeing different trends in their populations. My season's first bird started on opening day in the evening. My Dad and I headed out to a farm which we had seen a few gobblers on and hoped to bag one without their hens. We arrived at about 4 and headed to our location and after getting dad set up I thought I heard a faint gobble. I left dad and headed for my spot and quickly set up my decoy and gave a call. The wind was rather brisk but I was sure I heard a gobble again. I waited about 15 minutes and gave another call and it was alot closer but sounded like it had moved over towards my dad. I figured dad should have heard it and decided to stop calling and let dad work the bird. About 10 minutes later I heard the sound of a tom spitting and drumming. I couldn't see him but I knew if I could here that he had to be close. I gave a soft call with my new copper pot call I purchased and he finally showed himself. It gave me a little show on his way over and stopped in the right place for me to drop the hammer. The old Grim Reaper barked and I had my first Ontario bird of the season. When I went out to have a look he sported a decent set of spurs and felt pretty good. Dad had never heard the bird for the wind I guess and I hope he never made his way to me over dad needing electric ears and the wind.








  Tale of the tape was 9 7/8 beard, matching 1 1/4 spurs and weighing in at 24 lbs 2oz.

After a few days of un-eventful hunting we made our way into another farm we had watched birds on. I set up in a winter wheat field to try my luck and started calling to see what happens. Right off the get go a gobble. I thought I could see him in a tree on the far side of the field but wasn't sure. He was roosted in the middle of a fence row not in the wood lot with the other birds. Sure enough the birds started pitching down into the field but he didn't. They worked there way around at the other end of the field gobbling and doing their thing. At 7 this bird finally pitched down into the field and made his way over to me. It looked like the double beard I had seen many times here. Great, he came right over ignoring the other birds in the field and I let the Grim Reaper bark again at 8 yards. I went out thinking I got the double bearded bird but no. He had some of his beard broke off in the middle so I was mistaken. He did sport another nice set of spurs. Walking out I seen my double bearded bird walking around with a couple hens.





Tale of the tape is 21lbs 4oz, 1 5/16 and 1 3/16 spurs and a beard of 9 3/16.  A very surprising year for me this year with two great birds sporting decent hardware. Seem to be lots of two year olds this year with a liberal splash of jakes. At least in my area from the sounds of it the birds are doing well and hopefully will continue for some time.

[TRKYHTR]

2 great turkeys. Congrats,

TRKYHTR

[canadatom]

Congrats on a good season, two very nice birds there. I agree with your comment about the 2 year olds this year, also saw quite a few jakes also, looks good for the future if nothing changes.

[beagler]

Congrats!

[GSLAM95]

Congratulations.....Very nice pics as well, Thanks for sharing...

[surehuntsalot]

congrats on great looking birds

[flintlock]

Nice work man!!!

Wess

[turkey slayer]

great season, congrats!