Strut Stoppers story thread

[Dmason3]

My next season to hunt starts this Friday so I'll be back at it. Hoping the hens start nesting soon


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[turkey harvester]

Good deal, keep after em. Monday morning and it's on for me!!!!

[Dr Juice]

Congrats.

[Fan Club]

Wednesday Apr 20-  Third day of the season, third location. Went out to the landlocked farm property in the next County where I was 2 for 2 as a guide last year with a H.S. buddy and my Father. I set up in the tree row that T's into the south back woods with cut corn fields on either side, roost gobbles abounded with the closest being across the field to my right (west). I put an Avian X Jake and laydown hen to my right and a feeder hen to my left. After a couple tree yelps, which the gobbler to the west honored, I shut right up until he flew down even though he gobbled many more times on the roost and ground. About 7:00 am I saw him crest the rise of the west field in full strut. He covered about half of the field but then held his ground strutting. A bird continued to gobble in the south woods and the first gobbler went down to the edge to meet him. The second gobbler emerged and was limping real bad. I surmised that either someone peppered him or he sustained an injury in a fight. Gobbler #2 contined to hobble, gobble and strut to the center of the field but stayed out about 50 yards suspiciously eyeing the decoys. In the mean time Gobbler #1 left the south woods edge and came slowly north right up the tree row. Gobbler #2 closed to about 45 yards. He was obviously much bigger and I wanted to put him out of his misery but Gobbler #1 was now in my decoys and pushing the Jake decoy in circles. What to do? I suppose I could have waited to see if #2 would get closer, but with a strutter 17yds in front of me I opted for the "bird in hand" and waylaid him. Adding to #2's misery by wounding him more would not have proved anything although with Long Beard XRs and a scope I've probably got that shot in my bag. I reckon it's human nature to second guess yourself but I'm sure I made the right and ethical choice.

2 yr old, 19.5 lbs, 9 1/2 in beard and 3/4 inch spurs. Thank you Good Lord!

[Dmason3]

Nice bird! Love the story


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[turkey harvester]

Heck Ya!! Way to go. The birds here in Mo are kicking my ars. I've been on birds all weekend but they are so henned up right now. Wont get back out till the weekend.

[Fan Club]

Heck Ya!! Way to go. The birds here in Mo are kicking my ars. I've been on birds all weekend but they are so henned up right now. Wont get back out till the weekend.

Dad and I had a 500 acre lease in NE Missouri for 12 years and the birds there were always tough and rarely came to the call. My theory was that because there were more birds in Missouri than any other State (750,000 high water mark about 2004) there just wasn't any shortage of hens, at least in April when we were there). You didn't hear turkey talk of any kind after fly down. Tagged a boat load by patterning them and basically bush whackin 'em.

[turkey harvester]

That's the way it is now. Hardly any noise coming from the hens after flydown. This joker has alluded me all season so far. But there are a couple other guys hunting this property, which sucks. Sunday I got bout 60-70 yards from roost. He always has hens close by. He'll gobble his brains out on the limb and basically shut up after flydown. I know why, I just cant seem to convince him or the hens to talk a little. I may hunt a new property Saturday morning, providing its not storming, and see what happens. Nobody been there in years. If not I'll crawl into his bedroom and wait him out.

[Dmason3]

Finally got it done yesterday. Sat up where I've seen a lot of turkeys but we're always henned up. We got a real bad storm come through Wednesday night and wasn't sure what to think. Got sat up and heard maybe 5 gobbles on the roost, none anywhere near me. I had to go to work so it was this set up or bust and didn't have time to run and gun. Soft calling and some yelping every few minutes. After about 30 minutes of light a single hen works her way over towards the decoys and just starts hanging out. I'm just learning how to use my diaphragm call so thought what the heck. I started cuttin and yelpin and she joins in. We go back and forth for probably 20 minutes. She can't decide if it's the hen decoy or a hen in the brush she can't find that's trying to pick a fight. Out of the corner of my eye I see one then two then two more turkeys on a dead sprint running at me. I reckon they were coming to watch the fight. This guy hit an opening and immediately strutted, for only two steps though then he went back into sprinting at the decoys. As soon as he got into them I popped him in the head. I've been able to call hens all season just no toms haha. It finally worked out for me


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[birdman67]

Congrats! The ladies will get them in trouble every time. Ha

[turkey harvester]

Way to stick it out. That's a dandy for sure. I finally get to hunt. They're calling for severe weather tonight but maybe be gone by daylight or soon after. May have to swim to my spot but I'm going anyway. Maybe one will wanna play.

[deerbasshunter3]

After passing on a bird the first evening I sat (back in March), I was thinking I may have made a mistake. Out of five or six people who have hunted our farm since, maybe two or three birds have even been heard, much less seen. It was looking like the season was over early, as everybody had pretty much lost all interest in chasing ghosts.

My buddy and I decided to get out and hunt one more time yesterday. It was, once again, looking like a bust. We only heard one or two gobbles, and they were not interested in anything we were saying. After sitting for a bit, we got up and "walked and called". About 8:30am, we got to a road which had a cleared out drag area for the loggers. I wanted to show my buddy this spot because it will be primo deer hunting in the fall. Well, after looking at the spot and blindly calling, he heard a hen. Next thing we know...a gobbler sounds off down the road. We run to the road and are making our way down when he quickly jumps out of the road. It was about that time we saw a hen run across the road, and I started having a huge coughing fit. I don't know what happened. but I could not stop coughing. I thought for sure I ruined any chance of getting on that bird.

Well, my coughing subsided and he called again...gobble gobble gobble! We walked down the road a bit and he gobbled again. This time, it was time to get up against a tree and get ready. Another call and he gobbled. One more call, and he cut us off, this time much closer. All I had to do was get my gun up and wait. Next thing we know, here comes a white head bobbing through the woods towards us. As soon as the bird is in range and in the open. I line up my sights and squeeze off a shot. I see the bird flap and I sprint to him. But, next thing I hear is my buddy saying "he's in the tree, shoot him in the head!" At that time my heart sank as I thought I made a bad shot and he flew away. I ran up on the bird, who was walking in circles. I let another shot off, this time putting him down for good. One neck step/flapping fit later, I had killed the only bird anybody has had a chance to kill all year.

Here he is:

[turkey harvester]

Well I guess the turkey God's aren't happy with me for some reason. After all the sever weather Friday night I woke up to rain. Future cast said it was going to be out of there shortly so I went. Sat in my truck till 6:15 when rain let up and proceeded to hunt. Started blind calling in a green field, wind was blowing bout 25 mph. After a few I heard one. I dogged this bird for 4 hours playing cat and mouse with him. He stayed 2 steps ahead of me. Finally got around him and could see him. I could see glimpse of him all morning but no shot. He is strutting and working his way towards me and a freakin tree top crashes to the ground. Well the gobbler only gobbles one more time after gobbling his brains out for 4 hours. Talk about bad luck!!!
Sunday- In same spot but now I know where he likes to be. I'm hunting a private farm but others have permission to hunt as well. Normally its first come first serve to the good spots. I get there at 4:30, plus I'm sick, and head out. My truck is parked in front of the gate in the field I hunt. As I'm starting down into the woods I hear a truck. Its driving in the field I'm hunting!! I wondered how did they get around my truck. Well a bird gobbles and I head to him on the route I was originally going to take. I'm 50 yards to where I need to be on this little flat half ridge and he gobbles 30 feet in front of me. Then another to my right. I said crap!!! I just sat down and stayed quiet. A coyote came in and they shut up but I watched them fly down to the half ridge. 3 hens and 2 gobblers. Gobblers split up and shut up. Couldn't get anything to talk or work all morning so I went back to the house. Upon my arrival at my truck, apparently I left my keys in my truck and some douche bag got in it and moved it so they could drive around up in the field. I went up into the field to have a talk with the douche but his truck was already gone. Drove out the other end of the property. Needless to say my season has sucked!!!   

[turkey harvester]

Congrats Deerbasshunter3, you done a number on his head!!!

[deerbasshunter3]

Well I guess the turkey God's aren't happy with me for some reason. After all the sever weather Friday night I woke up to rain. Future cast said it was going to be out of there shortly so I went. Sat in my truck till 6:15 when rain let up and proceeded to hunt. Started blind calling in a green field, wind was blowing bout 25 mph. After a few I heard one. I dogged this bird for 4 hours playing cat and mouse with him. He stayed 2 steps ahead of me. Finally got around him and could see him. I could see glimpse of him all morning but no shot. He is strutting and working his way towards me and a freakin tree top crashes to the ground. Well the gobbler only gobbles one more time after gobbling his brains out for 4 hours. Talk about bad luck!!!
Sunday- In same spot but now I know where he likes to be. I'm hunting a private farm but others have permission to hunt as well. Normally its first come first serve to the good spots. I get there at 4:30, plus I'm sick, and head out. My truck is parked in front of the gate in the field I hunt. As I'm starting down into the woods I hear a truck. Its driving in the field I'm hunting!! I wondered how did they get around my truck. Well a bird gobbles and I head to him on the route I was originally going to take. I'm 50 yards to where I need to be on this little flat half ridge and he gobbles 30 feet in front of me. Then another to my right. I said crap!!! I just sat down and stayed quiet. A coyote came in and they shut up but I watched them fly down to the half ridge. 3 hens and 2 gobblers. Gobblers split up and shut up. Couldn't get anything to talk or work all morning so I went back to the house. Upon my arrival at my truck, apparently I left my keys in my truck and some douche bag got in it and moved it so they could drive around up in the field. I went up into the field to have a talk with the douche but his truck was already gone. Drove out the other end of the property. Needless to say my season has sucked!!!

FOR SOME REASON, it still amazes me that there are people who would have the nerve to get in a stranger's truck and move it...wow...