2022 spring turkey

[Beignet]

Had a funny bust up last week with my stalk getting blown by another hunter.

Spotted two toms across an ag field strutting in an opening in woods. I started meticulously working my way toward them, inching closer and closer. I was taking it slow, but throwing out an occasional call to keep them interested and making noise. Then, out of nowhere they suddenly busted out of there. I thought I’d somehow blown it and had the disappointment of messing things up starting to set in.

Then I caught some movement in my periphery. It was a coyote staring back at me like “you blew my stalk, idiot.”

 

[vanish]

not being able to get out because you have a 3mo old baby and sleep is precious
finding the road to the one reasonably close spot is closed
hearing there is a new hunter access you didnt know about
finally getting 4 hours to get out and being the first one to the parking area
finding the access is only open during big game seasons

 

[WildWill]

not being able to get out because you have a 3mo old baby and sleep is precious
finding the road to the one reasonably close spot is closed
hearing there is a new hunter access you didnt know about
finally getting 4 hours to get out and being the first one to the parking area
finding the access is only open during big game seasons

Hang in there brother it gets easier. Talking about the kid not access.

 

[WestKyHunt]

After several attempts at calling in the same weary tom I figured it was time to try something new.
Never tried any fan type decoy, we'll see how it goes!

 

[Gellar]

After several attempts at calling in the same weary tom I figured it was time to try something new.
Never tried any fan type decoy, we'll see how it goes!View attachment 220972

I used one I had killed a few years ago. Spread the fan on out on cardboard and staple it in place. Cover the base in borax for a couple months and you have a turkey fan!

 

[WestKyHunt]

I used one I had killed a few years ago. Spread the fan on out on cardboard and staple it in place. Cover the base in borax for a couple months and you have a turkey fan!

This mojo came with a nifty little bracket for you to put a real fan in, if wanted.
After they are dried can you fold them or is it permanently fanned out?

 

[Gellar]

This mojo came with a nifty little bracket for you to put a real fan in, if wanted.
After they are dried can you fold them or is it permanently fanned out?

Mine are permanent. That bracket would be handy. I have a ton gobbling at me now. I’m tryin to decide if I need to move up or if he is working towards me. He’s in the bottom and I’m half way down the hill.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Mine are permanent. That bracket would be handy. I have a ton gobbling at me now. I’m tryin to decide if I need to move up or if he is working towards me. He’s in the bottom and I’m half way down the hill.

I am impatient, so I would sneak towards them

 

[Gellar]

Me too. I went towards him and some gobbled in another direction and he stopped. I made a big circle and I’m the edge of a field where I usually see a group this time of night. I’m further down in a hole then I like but it was the only spot available. My wife texted me pictures of the yard turkeys strutting.

 

[NEWHunter]

Filled my first tag of the year. Standard two year old Tom that came in quiet late in the afternoon. He spent a fair bit of time strutting for the hen I had out before I shot. My first with a crossbow. 35 yard shot.

I have two more tags but numbers here on the east side of Wisconsin are down pretty good. I’ll probably have a side of tag soup with my turkey pot pie.

 

[kansasdad]

Coming out heavy. Perhaps my heaviest tomI don’t like over the shoulder carrying at all. The Primos carry strap is the bomb

 

[fleabagmatt]

Turkeys - 2
Matt - 0

I got out for a second go on Friday. Wife hates it because the puppy knows what the camo means and freaks out after I leave and keeps her up until she has to go to work, so I staged everything in the garage and snuck out in my undies to get dressed at 3:30 am.

After witnessing the hot mess of humanity on opening day, I was pleasantly surprised to see very few other hunters two weeks into the season. Although I missed getting set up before sunrise, I parked myself in an alfalfa field facing a treeline with a creek running behind it. All the sign I had seen were off to my left, so I was focused there. To the right was tall, thick grass and why would a turkey hang out in that crap? I made a few calls, and hearing no responses whatsoever I worked hard to not fall asleep in my cozy little nest. Maybe 20 minutes in I glanced over my shoulder to the right and there looking back at me from 30 yards out in the middle of that tall grass that a turkey wouldn't be caught dead in was a blue and red head. I saw movement of at least one more bird behind it as well. I heard a few of those wonderful putts in alarm before the birds melted back through the fence and into the trees.

He was right out there, where my barrel is pointed:


I hung out for a while longer, then got up to see if I could spot them in the trees, but the birds were gone. Off to check out another spot.

On the way up into the forest, I come around a corner and there in the middle of the road are two jakes, just hanging out. I pulled over, rolled down the window and called to them as they moseyed over the bank and down the hill. I got one of them to gobble back to me, so either my calling isn't completely terrible or I just met the Forrest Gump of turkeys. I parked along the road and as I watched, they both scooted back up onto the road and made a break for it up the hill into the woods. Just for the heck of it I grabbed my stuff and set out after them. I found a really nice spot to sit against a tree and watch for a while. The birds were gone, but there were signs in the area and now I have another spot in my pocket to check out next trip up.

Sitting on a small ridge with sight lines into shallow ravines on either side. I think this might be a real nice spot to try and set up before sunrise. Down below me is the road, and a small creek.


Final spot of the day was a patch of feel free to hunt land that looked promising. It's up higher elevation and was buried in snow two weeks ago. Of course I am pretty ignorant of such things, but this seems like it ought to be good turkey country. A wheat field above, water draining down through bottom of the draw, and lots of cover in between. No signs of turkeys, although I did not venture down into the trees. Mostly just wandered along the field edge for a bit. I did kick up a couple huns from the wheat, I think a return trip this fall with the pup will be warranted. Also lots of deer and (I think) elk tracks in the mud.



After a nice stroll, I headed for home. Of course I passed plenty of private land plastered with no trespassing signs and Toms strutting about in the distance as I drove out of the hills.

That's a lot of words from someone who hasn't even taken a shot yet. I'm really enjoying the journey, though. Hopefully I can get another outing or two before the season ends at the end of the month.

 

[vanish]

After going home to mope with breakfast burritos for the family, FireTiger gave me the ok head back to the hills. I hit a low odds spot from 10am to 230pm and got a great workout climbing up 2000 feet to finally hit the back of this area, a place I've wanted to check out for awhile.

I know a Turkey or two come through here once in awhile but I was not able to find any this day. The habitat is mediocre and I didn't find anything way back there that had me excited to make the climb again.

It felt great to finally be outside, and it also happened to be the first day of public shed collection.

 

[gonhunting247]

It is a busy time of year with the honey bees and pollinating, but made use of a the few nice mornings without high winds and rain. Amazingly enough I was able to get my three spring tom's in a variety of different terrain which made it a pretty cool year.
#1 was in the timber country

#2 was in the oak and balsa root country and my biggest tom to date



#3 was in the desert sage brush/juniper canyon country.

 

[Gellar]

This mojo came with a nifty little bracket for you to put a real fan in, if wanted.
After they are dried can you fold them or is it permanently fanned out?

Ben O'Brien on Instagram: "Working on this ping pong paddle fan. Still perfecting it for field use. Look out Thomas! #turkeyseason"

953 likes, 103 comments - bennyob301 on May 2, 2022: "Working on this ping pong paddle fan. Still perfecting it for field use. Look out Thomas! #turkeyseason".

www.instagram.com

 

[WestKyHunt]

Ben O'Brien on Instagram: "Working on this ping pong paddle fan. Still perfecting it for field use. Look out Thomas! #turkeyseason"

953 likes, 103 comments - bennyob301 on May 2, 2022: "Working on this ping pong paddle fan. Still perfecting it for field use. Look out Thomas! #turkeyseason".

www.instagram.com

Good idea!
I'm just unsure of how I would transport it hiking in 3 miles without having it in hand the whole time

 

[Gellar]

Good idea!
I'm just unsure of how I would transport it hiking in 3 miles without having it in hand the whole time

Yes! I need to figure out to get them accordion style so they fold.

 

[shrapnel]

This is how you like to leave the cottonwoods…

 

[LuketheDog]

Killed my first turkey yesterday! Took advantage of some fresh snow to find tracks in a new spot. I tracked down the bird and went for the spot and stalk. Fun day!

 

[Slm864]

Got out a little late this morning for the first time this year and located a gobbler strutting in the field. He sat there and gobbled for over an hour but wouldn’t leave the middle of that field even though he was henless.

I was about to call it quits when this one started gobbling up in the oak flats behind me. He came in within minutes, probably the fastest I’ve ever seen a gobbler walk/strut through the brush and woods.
That’s it for me. Hopefully can do some calling and get someone else a bird now.