New Mexico 2019

[JMalin]

Just missed a bird.  Gobbling his tail off, but not coming to me, so I tried to slip in on him.  Made for a free handed shot at a turkey slowly walking off to the right in some brush.  I'm in a great spot though.  Will let things calm down for a bit and then will try to find another gobbling bird.

[HookedonHooks]

If it didn't spook him to bad, I'm sure he'll still be killable within the day.

Hang with them and keep after them. Good luck!

[JMalin]

On a side note, there must have been a hell of a wind storm that came through recently.  I've seen several ponderosa pines uprooted with green pine needles still on them.

[JMalin]

Wind was up all afternoon and then a shower passed through.  Hoping it lays down as I make my way out.  Had a bird come inside of 100, likely on his way from a long ways off.  Just as I got setup, a strong gust of wind came along with sprinkles.  Haven't heard him since.

[JMalin]

Henned up early and not a lot of roost gobbling.  Had one bird following a hen gobble super close and him and the hen ended up walking by me at 70 yards in open woods before I could even setup. 

[JMalin]

Turkeys 3, hunter 0.  Went down to call to a bird somewhere down in the canyon.  Realized he wasn't coming up.  Get back to the top, hit the call, and a bird hammers inside of 100.  Butt pucker.  Sit immediately.  So surprised that I didn't even pinpoint the direction.  Turns out, he was to my back.  Gobbled one more time even closer then nothing.  Then the bird in a canyon hammers and I'm actually setup pretty good.  Just as I see his head, he disappears.  I'm thinking he wanted nothing to do with the Dakota jake decoy.  Kills me.  No more decoys, hen or jake.  I would have killed that bird otherwise.  Frustrating.  I stayed up pretty much all day.  Started my way back down towards the truck around 5:30.  Didn't hear a gobble from noon until 6:30 or so.  The plan for tomorrow is to stay down at the bottom of the canyon to hunt a bird that has gobbled his tail off in the same spot the last two mornings.  I think the birds up high are tired of hearing my box call as I desperately tried to strike a bird this afternoon.  Honestly, I should probably hunt tomorrow morning with just my diaphragm and pot.  I'm exhausted.  Didn't pack enough food for the hunt today and I bet I'm down 3-4 pounds since I got up here.

[GobbleNut]

Keep after 'em,...just a matter of time until it comes together.  ...Enjoying the play by play...   

[JMalin]

Wasn't even in the game this morning.  Was never in tight on a roosted turkey the entire trip.  Probably why I'm going home without a bird.  Also inconsistent roost gobbling.  Birds that gobbled in the evening didn't necessarily gobble in the morning and vice versa.  Guess I need to find some new country.  Debating how much of a glutton I am for punishment coming back next weekend.

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Just got back from the Gila and they only gobbled on the roost one morning.  Other mornings were completely quiet until sometime after 7 AM and then it seemed like a bird here or there was finally getting interested in gobbling.  Evenings were dead quiet.  Couldn't get a shock gobble out of birds we knew were there.  But once they got going they were hot.

[JMalin]

Hunted some pretty country anyway...












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[Panhandle_strutter]

We are here in NM this entire week. Yesterday was our first day with some decent action the first couple of hours then it was dead the rest of the day. This morning had a few gobbles on the roost and a handful of times on the ground and it is quiet. Still trying to put the pieces together on where they want to be during the day

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[JMalin]

We are here in NM this entire week. Yesterday was our first day with some decent action the first couple of hours then it was dead the rest of the day. This morning had a few gobbles on the roost and a handful of times on the ground and it is quiet. Still trying to put the pieces together on where they want to be during the day

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On the side of a steep mountain where you don't want to hunt him lol

[NCL]

Very nice scenery photos

[JMalin]

So happy to have bagged a bird the first morning of the return trip.  Struck him on a forest service road.  Set up twice and as I closed the distance, he came strutting and gobbling right up the road to the barrel of my Mossberg 20 gauge.  15 yard shot maybe


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[JMalin]

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