Public Land Snow bird #2

[POk3s]

I tagged out on opening day (April 14) in Wyoming (the story is around this place somewhere) and with an already purchased Nebraska tag I put the truck in drive and headed south!

When I pulled into town I was flat out shocked at the amount of snow. It looked like the aftermath of a January blizzard. Drifted, hard packed snow. I was going to camp but I couldn't picture digging a spot for my tent. I got a hotel and got a much needed nap in.

After one sweaty hike in the snow I decided by the lack of sightings of any kind of life that I better move lower. Right at dusk I'm able to roost some birds on public land that were as far from roads as they could be. PERFECT. After fly up they ceased to gobble so I felt confident. On my way out I spotted more roosted birds through my spotting scope. I always need a plan B so I was ecstatic to have one.

The tom I killed in Wyoming flew out of the tree well before shooting light so I wanted to be underneath these guys at 5:15. I left the truck with every layer of clothes I packed as it was 10 degrees! I got to an opening 100-150 yards from the roost and settled in. They had a gobbling fit at about 5:45 and then shut up. Figuring they flew out and away I went to pick my stuff up at 6:30 not wanting to lose track of these birds. That's when I spotted them IN THE TREE and they stayed there until 9:15!!! Luckily I was able to get into a sunny spot because I was close to pulling the plug plenty of times. These birds were very relaxed and just simply looked cold and not excited to start the day. Longest I've ever seen turkeys in the roost. After all that patience I was rewarded with the sites of them soaring dead away from me. So much for that!!!

Plan B found me hunting in at about 11:00 where there were no human footprints. NICE. My plan was to call sparingly and crow call, which I did. Nothing answered me but I spotted turkeys loafing right under the tree they were roosted in. It took me an hour to jockey into position. They fed away while I slipped underneath their roost tree. I planned on just sitting there until a tom fed by me but considering I was sitting in a 3 foot snow drift, I didn't feel I could wait them out. Plus I just watched the boss hen call all these birds over two her. About 20 in total. I turned my head and lightly called behind me. A hen answered it so I answered her with 4 or 5 real soft yelps. I peered around the roost tree and two toms were heading right for me. The strutter stayed back but the other bird came in textbook. He came to where he thought he should see a hen about 30 yards from me. I never really could get in position as they came in for fear of them seeing me, but as he turned to leave he pecked at the ground and hid his head behind his body. I was able to raise up and get the shotgun to my shoulder. FLOPPAGE!

https://imgur.com/ognAXDa
https://imgur.com/rkeImOU

[surehuntsalot]

congrats

[daddyduke]

Congrats!

[renegade19]

 

[SD_smith]

During the SD archery opener when it was in the single digits we had a couple of hens hangout in the tree with their head tucked in until about 9:00. Honestly thought they were dead and frozen to the tree.


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[POk3s]

Yea, these dudes had their necks very short. Just sitting up there in as small of a ball as they could get. If they would've been putting or something I wouldn't have been as surprised but 9:15 just because they felt like it. And especially when the birds in Wyoming came out almost 4 hours before that the day before! Hahahahahaha. Total opposites.

[1iagobblergetter]

Congrats again....Buy a lottery ticket soon...

[oakraidia]

Congrats!

[CDNduckslayer]

Wow another beauty bird, congrats!! Love those western birds, one day I'll get after em!

[POk3s]

Thanks guys. This morning grabbing some gas station coffee I did buy a lottery ticket! Hahahaha!

[tomstopper]

Congrats

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[WiLL B]

Congrats!! I'm a Southerner I don't like hunting in snow! Lol

[kyturkeyhunter4]

Congrats!

[zelmo1]

Snow is an inconvenience, turkeys live there all year. They may change their habits a bit, but patience pays off again. Great job, Congrats

[GobbleNut]

Great story,...great pictures.  I am surprised that the coloration on that bird is so buff,....more like the Merriam's from down here in southern NM.  It seems most Merriam's from the northern states tend to have whiter tips.  Then again, those northern birds were originally transplanted from stock from down here, so I suppose I shouldn't really be all that surprised by it.
Congrats!