The double with the sun behind is a great shot. mtmuley
Turkeys
- Thread starter adoc65
- Start date
Perlodid
Well-known member
First Merriam's + first WA turkey for me
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
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2021
- Messages
- 986
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
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2021
- Messages
- 986
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
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 15, 2025
- Messages
- 228
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
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 368
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
#1 had a little over an 11" beard making him probably one of my biggest single bearded gobblers
gonhunting247
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 368
#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
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 368
#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!
Very nice!!!
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2016
- Messages
- 1,901
Great birds, Gonhunting247!
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2016
- Messages
- 1,901
My next tag comes in tomorrow.
This is today.
This is today.
glass eye
Well-known member
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.
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.
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.
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.
Last edited:
Gellar
Well-known member
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
Well-known member
Gellar
Well-known member
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
Well-known member
WildWill
Well-known member
Got permission on a new piece of property last week that's decently close to the house. It's 3 sections 2 on the south and the NE corner for a total of 480 acres. It's mostly short grass Prarie with 3 large rye fields, with some woods and a large pond on the SW section. The section on the NW that I don't have access to is mostly woods. Scouted for the first time Tuesday evening and found a ton of fresh turkey sign.
This morning was my first time hunting. Set up in the NE section close to the woods on the NW property as I figured that's where they'd be roosted. Well after a hour in a half of no gobbles or birds seen I decided to walk around. I head over to the SW section. I scan with my binos nothing in the rye field and head over to the western gate to access the SW section. This rye field has a finger of woods jutting north into the field getting skinnier until it terminates about 200 yards from the block of woods on the NW section. As I'm opening the gate 2 hens come around a piece of the woods the bows out on the eastern side. There's nothing between me and the birds but the metal gate and post and grazed rye. I sat down trying to get skinny behind the post. 2 turkey's turn into 3 then 4 next thing you know I've got 6 hens and 3 jakes in front of me. They look like they're gonna head right into my lap and the 2 hens hadn't seen me. Unfortunately as they broke about the 100 yard mark they couldn't ignore the blob sitting behind a rod iron gate and began skirting me heading into the thin end of the finger of woods. At one point they hit 60 yards but just to far with the old 410. They Headed into the western side of the rye field up a little hill and over the rise at about 100 yards.
Now mistakes where made! I decide it's go time slide under the gate (it was high) and begin running towards the knoll they disappeared behind. As I near the crest I see the first turkey fly apparently i was running pretty loudly
. A few where on the ground as I came up but by the time I identified a Jake, well let's just say it would of took some fine wingshooting to drop him. I know better then doing crap like that. Should've backed out and came around, or just messed with them another day. Part of me feels foolish another part grateful I can still get fired up enough to make a fool of myself.
Anyway the birds all flew of into the block of woods on the NW section I can't hunt. I had to leave in a hour for work so I decided to finish doing a little scouting. I head the way the birds came from a as I get to the south central boundary of the SW section I find a gold mine. Near the pond I find where they'd been feeding the cattle all winter and it was covered in turkey scat. 50 yards away at the pond I found tracks that had 100% been made that morning came down to drink. Walked around the whole pomd only turkey tracks where in that SE corner and lots. And good roosting trees at the bottom of a small knoll.
What do you turkey gurus think how bad did I spook those birds? How long should I wait (can't get back till Sunday at the earliest). My plan is to be at the feed lot well before shooting light and sit in some cover that's about 20 yards from the corner of the pond they are drinking from about 30 from the center of the spread out hay. No decoys no calls try a ambush first. What would you do?
This morning was my first time hunting. Set up in the NE section close to the woods on the NW property as I figured that's where they'd be roosted. Well after a hour in a half of no gobbles or birds seen I decided to walk around. I head over to the SW section. I scan with my binos nothing in the rye field and head over to the western gate to access the SW section. This rye field has a finger of woods jutting north into the field getting skinnier until it terminates about 200 yards from the block of woods on the NW section. As I'm opening the gate 2 hens come around a piece of the woods the bows out on the eastern side. There's nothing between me and the birds but the metal gate and post and grazed rye. I sat down trying to get skinny behind the post. 2 turkey's turn into 3 then 4 next thing you know I've got 6 hens and 3 jakes in front of me. They look like they're gonna head right into my lap and the 2 hens hadn't seen me. Unfortunately as they broke about the 100 yard mark they couldn't ignore the blob sitting behind a rod iron gate and began skirting me heading into the thin end of the finger of woods. At one point they hit 60 yards but just to far with the old 410. They Headed into the western side of the rye field up a little hill and over the rise at about 100 yards.
Now mistakes where made! I decide it's go time slide under the gate (it was high) and begin running towards the knoll they disappeared behind. As I near the crest I see the first turkey fly apparently i was running pretty loudly
. A few where on the ground as I came up but by the time I identified a Jake, well let's just say it would of took some fine wingshooting to drop him. I know better then doing crap like that. Should've backed out and came around, or just messed with them another day. Part of me feels foolish another part grateful I can still get fired up enough to make a fool of myself. Anyway the birds all flew of into the block of woods on the NW section I can't hunt. I had to leave in a hour for work so I decided to finish doing a little scouting. I head the way the birds came from a as I get to the south central boundary of the SW section I find a gold mine. Near the pond I find where they'd been feeding the cattle all winter and it was covered in turkey scat. 50 yards away at the pond I found tracks that had 100% been made that morning came down to drink. Walked around the whole pomd only turkey tracks where in that SE corner and lots. And good roosting trees at the bottom of a small knoll.
What do you turkey gurus think how bad did I spook those birds? How long should I wait (can't get back till Sunday at the earliest). My plan is to be at the feed lot well before shooting light and sit in some cover that's about 20 yards from the corner of the pond they are drinking from about 30 from the center of the spread out hay. No decoys no calls try a ambush first. What would you do?
