Turkeys

[mtmuley]

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Turkey camp 2026 was a great one! 6 guys, 12 dead birds. 8 of em were doubles! Good times with great people in one of my favorite places..

The double with the sun behind is a great shot. mtmuley

 

[Perlodid]

First Merriam's + first WA turkey for me

 

[TexanSam]

Went out for a mid day hunt that coincided with the few hours of sunlight. Somehow found myself on a steep hill in the middle of 3 or 4 birds gobbling their heads off. One snuck up within 20 yards of me but I never got a shot due to the terrain. I then circled around to be on the same elevation as the uphill bird, he took a few steps towards me, gave me a shot and that’s all she wrote.

 

[jpc01101]

Getting my a$$ kicked in Idaho panhandle and bitterroot area of MT. In gobblers daily but can’t get to come onto public (or to legal public). Same story different year. I’ll kill a mountain gobbler someday.

 

[jpc01101]

Also, all of my bear bait roads are closed or covered by downed trees so can’t say it has been a successful trip this far. But I have been in the mountains so success is relative. Head home Tuesday and I’m ready for KY springtime.

 

[It’s Bucky]

3 months out of Achilles tendon surgery after a full rupture. Feels good to be back on 2 feet. The box call I home-made with my uncle 19 years ago. He lost a tough battle with cancer last April. We spent a lot of time together in the woods.

 

[gonhunting247]

Had a great year, with pretty nice Gobblers for all three tags this year. Probably one of my best years across the board in total size. I didn't draw a spring bear tag for the first time in quite a few years, but I sure had fun out chasing turkeys!
#1 had a little over an 11" beard making him probably one of my biggest single bearded gobblers

 

[gonhunting247]

#2 was another nice surprise with 3 beards adding up to right at 20". The main beard measured 10". It was a great hunt in a new area, so that was pretty cool.

 

[gonhunting247]

#3 was a nice big bird with a 9.5" beard on a perfect turkey hunting morning. I couldn't have asked for a better season. Hopefully I can get the grandkids out for some fun next year, as the oldest should be ready by then!

 

[MuleyMB]

#3 was a nice big bird with a 9.5" beard on a perfect turkey hunting morning. I couldn't have asked for a better season. Hopefully I can get the grandkids out for some fun next year, as the oldest should be ready by then!
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Very nice!!!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Great birds, Gonhunting247!

 

[Lostinthewoods]

My next tag comes in tomorrow.
This is today.

 

[glass eye]

I live below sea level -40 ft in the Imperial Valley California. Drove up to the North Rim Grand Canyon to hunt Merriam’s at +8,000 ft.
Arrived the afternoon before opener and drove around not seeing anything until about an hour before sunset. So close to sunset I figured they’d be roosting nearby so I camped about a half mile away.
Didn’t set an alarm clock so I woke up with just enough time to get dressed and slam down half a bottle of iced coffee.
Temperatures were freezing.

Walking towards where I saw them last a raven called out and got them gobbling. Made a beeline towards the gobbling until I didn’t want to risk getting closer but still 2 or 3 hundred yards away. Set up a hen decoy and tried to call using a diaphragm but my mouth was so dry I couldn’t get it to work so I called with my mouth and got an immediate response.
After about a half hour he wasn’t sounding any closer. Just when I thought nothing was going to happen a satellite gobbler came in silently and boom it was over.

 

[cedahm]

PSA: If you think you can get by with that box of turkey loads you got at a banquet an decade ago, just replace them.

Called a longbeard off the roost yesterday morning. His girlfriend walked down the barrel to 4 yards, he split to my right around some brush and deadfall, once she turned her butt to me, i pivoted, got the bead on his eye at 27 yards, and…”CLICK”

Watched them fly away, and saw the dimpled primer.

I am now the proud owner of some brand spanking new TSS loads.

And still smacking my forehead a day later.

 

[Gellar]

Planted trees all morning at work. Ran out of trees with 2 hours of work left. Decided it wasn’t worth the effort to load back up, drive 40 minutes, plant trees, drive 40 back and turkey hunting would be a better effort. Saw a tom strutting on the way home. Got dressed and out the door by 2:30. Back to the house by 4 as the kids were getting home on the bus.

 

[Hem]

Planted trees all morning at work. Ran out of trees with 2 hours of work left. Decided it wasn’t worth the effort to load back up, drive 40 minutes, plant trees, drive 40 back and turkey hunting would be a better effort. Saw a tom strutting on the way home. Got dressed and out the door by 2:30. Back to the house by 4 as the kids were getting home on the bus.
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And people crow that Easterns are bad ass ninjas.
Maybe @Gellar. Is a bad ass ninja?

 

[Gellar]

And people crow that Easterns are bad ass ninjas.
Maybe @Gellar. Is a bad ass ninja?

I think I just found him in the right mood. I knew he was there but I didn’t know exactly where. There’s a flat nose Freightliner that hauls grain in our area and every time we see it our kids yell “There goes Joe.” Or if they aren’t with us we take a video of him. That flat nose came up the hill rolling coal and when he hit the rumble strips that Tom let out a gobble. That let me get within 100 yards of him and a few soft clucks later and he came around the corner of some briars at 60 yards. I was behind a log and I soft clucked to him. He went behind the next briar bush and I expected him to come out at 30 yards but he came out at about 15. Strutted the whole time I could see him.

There’s Joe!

 

[Hem]

I think I just found him in the right mood. I knew he was there but I didn’t know exactly where. There’s a flat nose Freightliner that hauls grain in our area and every time we see it our kids yell “There goes Joe.” Or if they aren’t with us we take a video of him. That flat nose came up the hill rolling coal and when he hit the rumble strips that Tom let out a gobble. That let me get within 100 yards of him and a few soft clucks later and he came around the corner of some briars at 60 yards. I was behind a log and I soft clucked to him. He went behind the next briar bush and I expected him to come out at 30 yards but he came out at about 15. Strutted the whole time I could see him.
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There’s Joe!
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The " Hey Joe Gobbler".
Great back story to the kill @Gellar
Congratulations!!