Gellar
Well-known member
Well…I went and done it.
2023 spring turkey!
- Thread starter Gellar
- Start date
Gellar
Well-known member
We had family over all day for my daughters first communion celebration. They finally left and I was mowing the yard watching 3 Tom’s strutting in the corner of the field. After I was done mowing my daughter says I want to go turkey hunting. So we threw our clothes on quick and I told her we were going to go through the pasture to the bottom of the creek and sneak into them from the woods on the edge of the field. So we got to where I thought they were and crawled under the field fence but there were no birds. I stood up high and I can see the top of a bird just over the hill. So we go back into the woods and head along the fence again. We are heading south and the birds are to our west so we use a hill to our advantage dropping down to all fours we belly crawl to the top of the hill. The Tom’s are about 50 yards out. We are on our bellies behind a fan and I make sure she can see the Tom’s before I yelped at them. The three of them immediately turned around and covered the 50 yards in about 30 seconds. The lead one let out a gobble at 10 yards and I killed him. My daughter was a little scared as it flopped around but almost immediately she says “We get to eat turkey this week!”
To finally get to the birds it was about 2/3 of a mile loop. She kept quiet and crept slowly the whole way. I am surprised our plan worked. Hopefully she doesn’t think that is how they all go down.
To finally get to the birds it was about 2/3 of a mile loop. She kept quiet and crept slowly the whole way. I am surprised our plan worked. Hopefully she doesn’t think that is how they all go down.
KipCarson
Well-known member
Congrats! I dream of one day living in a place where I can see turkeys from the front yard. Driving 45 minutes to get anywhere close to one is tough on a turkey fanatic!
Gellar
Well-known member
They are out there every day, but I haven’t killed a bird in the field since we built our house. Killed a few before we built though. I have saved those birds for this! just in case one of the kids said I want to go turkey hunting.
KipCarson
Well-known member
Whether you hunt them often or not, just having them there is good for the soul I say!
Took a trip out to WI for 3rd season. 20min into first morning WI became state 21. What a fun trip hunting the wide open hardwoods. The real credit goes to Caleb who lives there and did all the scouting and put me on a couple of hot birds the first morning. I got to say the beards on the southern Wisconsin birds are impressive I don't know how many times I saw over 3 days but every single one of them had a big old rope.
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IDHUNTNFISH
Well-known member
2023 turkey season is in the books. Pulled one of these birds to the decoys from over 700 yards. He picked up a buddy along the way. Made a quick double at 12 yards with the Remington 870 Fieldmaster 20 gage.
Mica Man
Well-known member
Another morning in North Idaho with a bird for a buddy. I should go chase bears but I get easily distracted.
NKQualtieri
Active member
I've gone turkey hunting sporadically over the years but never took it seriously enough, mostly bc of getting Lyme's and really hating ticks after that episode of life.
But last week, the Hunt Talk team took a week to run around the turkey woods, and Marcus helped me by calling in this awesome jake, and somehow I didn't screw it up. My run-straight-at-the-turkeys plan didn't really work out, so once I calmed down enough, we got it done on the final morning.
Made a "spring thanksgiving" dinner for my fam and a giant pot of wild turkey soup this weekend. And I really learned a lot about hunting these big birds.
And! I only pulled one tick out of my hair. Not bad for four days on the ground. Really excited about this big beautiful bird!
But last week, the Hunt Talk team took a week to run around the turkey woods, and Marcus helped me by calling in this awesome jake, and somehow I didn't screw it up. My run-straight-at-the-turkeys plan didn't really work out, so once I calmed down enough, we got it done on the final morning.
Made a "spring thanksgiving" dinner for my fam and a giant pot of wild turkey soup this weekend. And I really learned a lot about hunting these big birds.
And! I only pulled one tick out of my hair. Not bad for four days on the ground. Really excited about this big beautiful bird!
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KipCarson
Well-known member
Congrats, sounds like you had some good help and a lot of fun!
okie archer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2015
- Messages
- 646
I like this picture sequence. Just screenshots from a poor quality cell phone video my 13 year old nephew took of me killing this Tom with my .410 as he came in to real turkey decoy I mounted.
Note the wad right above his head and also notice how birds head is flipped over from shot (#10 tss) but he is still in strut for that split second.
Note the wad right above his head and also notice how birds head is flipped over from shot (#10 tss) but he is still in strut for that split second.
farnyboy
Member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2023
- Messages
- 14
Snuck in on a roost this morning, but got made by a hen. Birds flew to the other side of the small river, but I was able to catch up after a little and managed to pull one of the toms away. Ended up being a farther shot than I estimated at the time, but the end result was a dead gobbler. A good reason to skip out on a couple hours of work.
DRS
Well-known member
Congratulations! You may already know this but treating your hunting clothes really helps a lot with ticks during turkey season in the spring.
NKQualtieri
Active member
I'm a Permethrin junkie! I love Simms bugstopper gear in the summertime! But yeah I need to do a big spray on all my gear
sclancy27
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2022
- Messages
- 481
Headed out to the turkey haunts last weekend and had the 2 best days I have ever had turkey hunting. Drove out Thursday night to a spot I have killed a couple birds in the past, woke up to a gobbler hammering @ 5am. Got on them and called in 2 jakes to 15 yards. 1 turkey down. Was on birds the rest of the day, but I was out of tags and the GF didn't have any opportunities. Relocated Friday evening, driving and calling, saw hens but nothing gobbling. Camped Friday night in a different area, woke up to 3 gobblers hammering. Chased 2 for ~1.5 miles, finally called in to 9 yards, she airballs a big tom. Frustrated we keep hunting, she ends up killing 2 birds about an hour and a half (and a thunderstorm) apart, one called to 35 yards, the other 25 yards. The dog did great too, just laid down at the start of the calling sequence and is a good bird tackler after the shot. Saturday we worked 10 different toms/jakes from 5 am till about 2 pm. Outstanding
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AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
Montana gobblers.
Is that just a farm bird? Fan small and beat to hell. Also, very much an Eastern as opposed to a Merriam's.
Mica Man
Well-known member
Took my buddies son out this morning before work for his second bird. It just doesn't get old.
AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
No wild birds north of Ronan, south of Polson. Same gobbler:
Eastern? I knew northern Idaho had Eastern, but not MT.
