Hunting Updates!

[JeffC]

Congrats Scott!! You guys that log on here with phones have to help, I use a computer, this thread is part of our team page, at top of page is a section in blue that is for "
Official Trophy Hero Pictures". Please make sure to get all necessary pictures.

[snoman4]

Got my second of the season this morning, First of the season was a Jake that came in like a big boy and popped his head over the ridge for a look. I didn't score or measure him. Where do I post the pictures and score?.


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Congrats Scott!

[ScottTaulbee]

I appreciate it y'all!.


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[notsure]

So, my 2025 MN Spring turkey season took all off one-and-a-half hours to complete. The weather in SE MN had been fairly typical up through the season opener (4/16); cold and very windy. In fact, we experienced sustained wind gusts exceeding 50 mph on Monday (4/14). But opening day was picture-perfect, at least for the area. The temperature was a brisk 26 F when I arrived at my spot, but the wind was calm, and the sunrise revealed not a cloud in the sky.

And the gobblers were on fire. I have been hunting wild turkeys since the late 90's and I've never experienced the degree of pre-dawn gobbling that took place that morning. I was hunting over a large cut cornfield, and there is a 50-100 yard swath of bottom land woods bordering the Zumbro river directly behind me. I did not have permission to hunt the bottom land, but despite this being a property I've previously never hunted, I was quite sure those birds would eventually make their way into the field. Most importantly, I hunted the same farm last year (different field) and the landowner assured me she routinely spots turkeys hanging out in the area.

After flying off the roost, those birds kept on gobbling. I am estimating there must have been at least half-a-dozen different gobblers/jakes in that group, and that is being conservative. They kept getting closer, so much so, that I stopped calling as I did not want them to hang up in the woods. At one point I could hear them walking over downed trees and brush, but I couldn't see them through the woods. Then a lone hen started yelping to my south and I decided to match her call-for-call. Well, eventually she won them over, and everything went silent. That was around 6:35 or so. I decided to take advantage of the break in the action and take care of mother nature's business. Well, as it seemingly happens so often to all of us, I had not pulled up pants for more than 30 seconds or so and a gobbler sounds off just to my SE. I purred and yelped a few times on my slate pot and within a couple of minutes, out comes a gobbler heading straight for my half-strut jake decoy. After eyeing up his competition, he decided to turn away from me and check out my little hen. And the rest is history. Fat boy dropped at the shot. My 2025 season was over at 7:01 AM.

As I walked up to my downed prize, two hens fled the scene from my south, but I never spotted another gobbler. I looked at the spurs and decided he was likely a two-year old bird, and honestly, his beard was not that impressive. But my goodness was he a little pig, even for an upper Midwest gobbler! And his plumage was absolutely perfect; No missing tail or breast feathers and sporting a brilliant blue head. He was as good a two-year old Easter gobbler as could be taken from the Spring woods. And we are already enjoying some smoke turkey breast provided the harvest. Anyway, here is wishing the best of luck for all my Scattered Flock teammates and have a happy and blessed Easter.

[JeffC]

Congrats again NS, great write up.

[snoman4]

Congrats Notsure.

[backforty]

Congrats notsure, great story

[austinc]

I killed a big'un today, I'll get score and pics uploaded tomorrow.

[JeffC]

Congrats austinc!! Will be looking for your pictures to post!!! 

Found them, Awesome Job!! Congrats again austinc. Will get score updated tonight.

[JeffC]

Ran over Sat morning was youth day, I go to one parking lot that lets me hear 4 different public spots. No youth hunters hunt this, too far of a walk. Heard first gobble at 5:50am, hear 2 Toms in area I want to hunt. Rode around to check other parking lots, only saw 3 vehicles.
Get to parking 4:30ish Monday morning, head in, get to tree at 5. Nothing gobbles till 6, back further in than from Sat. 2nd Tom is further South. I head to closest Tom, both are gobbling pretty good. Have to cross a swamp and up a hill to nice oak flat, get up on top, wait till he gobbles again, 100yds, move to 70, get settled in. He is still gobbling on his own and responding to 2nd Tom. I give him some soft responses after he gobbles. Didnt hear him fly down, but next gobble is for sure from ground. I went silent, few minutes I see him peeking around trees at 60yds, red head, he is headed right down barrel, I keep watching as he walks among trees, finally hits trail I excepted him to come down, 20yds, safety off, I cant see a beard...big bird, easily 20lbs, I think beard rot? Finally see a few hairs maybe 4", looking for spurs, cant see anything to say mature bird, even banding on wings looked like mature bird, another Super Jake, his gobble was really good. 2yrs in a row I waisted half a day on Jakes. Never got to see fan on this one.
Took off after 2nd Tom, of course he is on private now, wont move. Headed to a few other spots, lots of people. Back after them Friday!           

[JeffC]

I killed a big'un today, I'll get score and pics uploaded tomorrow.

CONGRATS again austin!! Great job with scoring pictures.

[notsure]

Congratulations Austinc!

[austinc]

Thanks y'all!  It was an interesting day, I knew the public i hunt was going to be packed for opening morning, but usually the rest of the week isn't to bad. So I hunted small piece of private for the morning hunt and encountered 6 gobbling jakes, but no longbeards. About 1:00 I started packing the truck and was going to head out with intentions of roosting a bird on the public for the next Monday. I got parked about 3:30 and decided to hike 1.3 miles in to a knob that usually has a bird on it.  I got there and found some old scratching, decided I'll hang out here until dark. I should be able to hear one fly up, if one doesn't slip in before dark I made a call and just few minutes I could hear foot steps coming up the ridge, but behind me, I turned just in time to see him pop up at 35 yards, but he was behind my right shoulder, I shoot right handed... thankfully he went behind a big tree and it allowed me to turn slightly and get the gun on my left shoulder and shot him left handed when he stepped out the other side.  Just like that I got my first bird of the season!

[GobbleNut]

     You guys are killin' it! Well done!

[JeffC]

Heading back over tomorrow morning, stubborn, will be going back to same spot as Monday, will try to get on powerline Tom, if it is a mature Tom, think I know area where he was roosted. Lot more hunters in the area while half the state is burning. 2 big WMA's on fire. I could smell smoke on Monday morning. Saturday calling for rain, I have to beat the crowd to a favorite spot!!
Hillclimber, 10th Legionaire and Kaleb978 any update on your seasons??
1 more Tom and we start culling birds for a run to the final, think this would be our first season doing that!!
Wish you all Safe and Successful hunting!!