Our 2018 Arkansas season -- Lengthy post and pics

[BBD]

lets start at the end of 2017 --  After hunting hard and a miss earlier in the season my son was most likely the last person to kill a gobbler in the state last year.  He killed a good bird the very last evening of AR's season at 7:50pm and that ended our 2017 season.

Well it's a good chance that he was the last to kill last year and the very first this year.  After waking up to some unfavorable conditions I decided that we should sit in the blind that I'd put up for us to have a comfortable midday sits in.  We packed a backpack full of drinks and snacks planning to stay until we couldn't stand it anymore.   We slipped into the blind right with just enough light to see the ground without a light.  I put our decoys out while he got everything situated in the blind.  I finally got in and settled dreading the lengthy wait ahead....2 minutes later we hear a turkey fly down right behind us, within a minute I can see him easing out way and seconds later he was running passed us at 10 steps!  He ran right to the jake decoy and paused...Boom!   Nice bird 21.5lbs, 10-1/2" beard and 1-1/8" spurs.  What an amazing start to our season!!

[BBD]

The next morning my daughter was home and chompin' at the bit to out do big brother so we scrape frost off my windshield (not normal south AR turkey huntin' weather) and take off.  We get the same backpack with snacks plus my lil Buddy heater this time and head to the same blind.  I put decoys in the same spot and as the sky starts to lighten up the woods come alive. We had 2 birds gobbling to our right and 3-4 directly behind us.  When they hit the ground I hit them with a flydown and NOTHING...Silence.  I thought I'd blown it...few minutes later they finally gobble again and they nearly blow the blind over!  The group was less than 100 yards behind us and I was telling her to make sure the scope was clear when I spot 2 running in from the right to the jake decoy.  After us watching them whoop the fire out of my jake one of them finally stood on top of my decoy and she blew him off!   To say that I was excited would be an understatement!!   This was her 6th turkey and by far the most action packed.  (will add pics soon)

[BBD]

Now time to get my dad on one...  Monday and Tuesday mornings go pretty uneventful for us although we were hunting the same areas as the kids did.   Wednesday morning we moved a couple miles and didn't hear a thing on the roost.  Checked 6 other stops and nothing so we decided to go back to the area we started and make a round.  We pull up to a bird screaming!!   We take off to him, get set up within 100 yards and within minutes he is flopping.  Love 2 year old turkeys!!!

[Gold Spur]

Congrats to the both of you.   

[Gumby]

Congrats! Been a tough Arkansas season.

[BBD]

Wednesday evening I go sit at a food plot hoping for some action or to get one roosted. Well right at dark he gobbles 1 time about 200 yards away!  The next morning when he wakes up I'm sitting at 100 yards.  I watch him and 2 hens fly down.  He gobbles 6 times from sun up til 8:30 and that is it, but he never moved!   The wind picks up and I have decided that it was time to make a move. I start easing that way and shortly I spot his hens, few minutes later I see him strutting on a small ridge. I continue to move when the wind would blow until I knew I couldn't get any closer. After an hour the hens finally start by to my left and he was in tow.  Another 2 year old bird down. 

[BBD]

I'll skip ahead until Saturday evening around 2pm when we finally got in the woods for the first time that day.. We spot this bird from about 500 yards away and miraculously he slowly worked his way to 44 steps where he dobbed him! He could see him coming the whole way and said he couldn't wait any longer!

Another healthy 2 year old bird and a tagged out 13 year old!

[BBD]

Saturday evening I got back in the woods around 7 and got a bird roosted.  Macie and I got set up on him Sunday morning but couldn't get him to play before we had to leave.  Sunday evening I was back in the same area and he gobbled 3 times after roosting in the same area.  Monday morning I chose to go try and find another one that might be willing to play but wasn't successful.   Monday evening around 5 I slipped back in and got close to where I thought he was roosting. At 7:35pm he came slipping in and was 30 steps before I saw him!  Very nice public land bird and tagged out!

[BBD]

Felt good to sleep in Tuesday morning, went with a buddy but didn't have any luck Wednesday but that night my dad called to tell me he looked at the weather and took off Thursday, GAME ON!

We start at one of our normal stops and nothing!  We split up and my first stop this bird answers my hoot at 6:35.   I scoop him back up and we head back to him.  We get set up around 7 and nothing but silence.  We moved about 50 yards around 7:30 after still not hearing him again.  We had decided to move on at 8... after what seemed like forever I pick my phone up and it's 8:02 so I decide to give one final call -- he cuts me off and hadn't moved since he first answered me that morning!   After a few calls and gobbles he is closing the distance.  Within 10 minutes I'm watching him strut through the thin pines.  He comes into 30 yards and my dad bust him!   Now him, my son and myself are all tagged out.  What a season!!   My daughter has a tag left but unfortunately very little time to hunt due to her busy dancing schedule.   

We started loading tss last year, the kids have helped everytime.  All these birds were taken with shells we loaded ourselves.    All but one of these was taken with 20 ga's and all were less than 35 yards. 

[tomstopper]

Awesome. Congrats to all of you

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[surehuntsalot]

what a season...congrats

[hobbes]

Congrats on the birdsd, but all I see is Photobucket 3rd party hosting blocks and no photos.

[LRD]

Great season!  Congrats.

[arturkey6]

Glad to hear someone in our state is having so much success, maybe some of your luck will rub off on me in these last few days!

[BBD]

Sorry about the photobucket problem.   I'm open to suggests on a better way to upload ?