lostcolonyoutdoors
Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2020
- Messages
- 39
2021 Spring Turkey hunting
- Thread starter Gellar
- Start date
lostcolonyoutdoors
Member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2020
- Messages
- 39
Missed a giant in the flathead valley in Montana that came in behind me instead of where I thought (in front). Turned around and missed him at 8 yards flying....that’s why they call it huntin’ not killin’!
Gellar
Well-known member
I thought he was going to come in behind me so I adjusted to at least give me a shot offhanded. I saw him coming down the fence line and was able to switch hands and get ready. I should have waited for him to turn back to me but I thought he was about to bolt. Should woulda coulda though! Luckily the season goes until mid- May.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Played cat and mouse with several toms this afternoon on public/private boundaries. I counted 11 hens and 6 toms, although a couple might have been repeats. They were not very receptive to calling and they were all quiet. The closest I came was just exiting the timber into a bare field when I spotted a red head over the crest of the hill. I had been inching along and they saw movement first, but I froze, and they were more curious than alarmed. There was no cover at all between us, and three toms walked in from 70 yards just inside 50...I wanted a few more steps and I'd draw quick and pop one but they eventually hung up and meandered off.
Chad Gus
Well-known member
No taxidermist bill on this one. We have 3 full body already and the step-daughter's triple beard from last year is still at the taxidermist. We don't have the room for another one
Gellar
Well-known member
You will not be the first person to have to put an addition on their house for their Taxidermy.
Chad Gus
Well-known member
The wife is in favor of this, me, not so much. I'm cheap and i see all the hunts that could pay for
Hem
Well-known member
Region 3 public land.
20lb-10" beard.
First gobbler of the morning gave me the run around. Called this guy from better than a half mile away to 15 yards.
20lb-10" beard.
First gobbler of the morning gave me the run around. Called this guy from better than a half mile away to 15 yards.
Was fortunate to punch my first Ontario tag yesterday afternoon on this longbeard - 18.75 lb, 1 inch spurs, 8 inch beard. Part of a group of four strutting longbeards being led around by three hens. I spotted them just after 2:00 PM in an old pasture and spent 20 minutes army crawling, decoy setting, and calling - hens came in to check me out, longbeards behind - too far behind. Birds moved hard right on me (I was set up to shoot to the left) resulting in an agonizingly slow shotgun reposition with two hens within 10 meters of me. Fortunately was able to get the shotgun moved and made the 39 meter shot from a very awkward position. Once again, love my Aimpoint Micro H-1 for turkey hunting in these situations where you can't get a proper set on your shotgun. As long as the red dot is on target, all is well.
BrentD
Well-known member
Weird face mask you use there, glennw89. But it appears to work well. 
Had a great setup Saturday morning in a limited unit. Got foiled by two bucks feeding between us and the tom. There just happened to be some brush in the way and without the bucks I could have repositioned for a shot, but almost certainly would have busted the deer and then the tom, we presumed. Three hens fed right past us at 10-15 yards making it seem like we should just be patient, but after 45 minutes the other three hens went the other way and of course the tom followed them.
We followed gobbles until almost 10am and stayed hunting until 1130, but it never seemed like we could cut the distance.
After lunch, we headed back out to sit by some water, as it was HOT. At 4pm, I spotted two jakes coming across the open behind us. My buddy took the first as it passed into range. This brought the second one running over to figure out his companion was doing, allowing me to take him.
We followed gobbles until almost 10am and stayed hunting until 1130, but it never seemed like we could cut the distance.
After lunch, we headed back out to sit by some water, as it was HOT. At 4pm, I spotted two jakes coming across the open behind us. My buddy took the first as it passed into range. This brought the second one running over to figure out his companion was doing, allowing me to take him.
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Gellar
Well-known member
I haven’t been able to hunt much lately because of work. But i went out this morning to a public property that is very close to where I grew up and we hunted deer and turkeys a lot here 25 years ago. We didn’t hear anything gobble this morning until 6:45, but he was fired up. The turkey was across a stream and up on top of a hill so we took off after it. When we were at the bottom of the hill we could tell he was pacing back and forth. He’s gobble at each end as he turned around. In between gobbles he was drumming! I stayed back and let my buddy go uphill a litt ways and I started calling. He continued to gobble at each turn of his pace. We crept uphill ever so slowly until he shut up and we thought he had went the other direction. My buddy circled one way and I circled the other way around a meadow but we never connected.
WestKyHunt
Well-known member
It's been quiet here in the far west end of Kentucky.
Having access to un-hunted private land is the ticket to punching a tag before season ends this Sun (9th)
Having access to un-hunted private land is the ticket to punching a tag before season ends this Sun (9th)
Wayne_Brent
Active member
West Virginia mountain gobbler.
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
Day 2: Same spot. Set up on the edge of the timber late PM where 2 toms came out the last time. I had 4 hens nearby, and nothing else until just before sunset 1/2 mile away I hear 2 gobbles. I had 20 mins left so hustled to get close - last saw 2 fantails at 300 yards but I couldn’t relocate them for the last 5 mins of shooting light.
Day 3 (today). Headed out after work to the same spot again. Toms have either been uphill “high”, downhill “low”, or way off on private, and move between these general spots like a triangle. Plan was to post uphill. I’m almost there and I hear gobbles low, maybe 125 yards out. Dropped my pack and fanned my way to the field edge to take a look. Except now there is a second tom just 35 yards away on private. I gingerly backpedal into the timber. Now they are both gobbling. I can hear the near gobbler fanning out. About 5 mins of this and it’s a stalemate. I give a really soft yelp. This was just too much for him as he reappears with his friend in tow, now on public 15 yards away. Everything that happened next went really fast. The birds are together so no clear shot of 1. I want to bring my gun up but 2 heads are never obstructed at the same time. They are coming in fast and are in my lap. Now what?! 4 yards away they realize the fan is not another bird. I drop the fan and raise the gun in 1 movement, and they take off. Picked a head and whiffed at 5 yards. I have time to shoot again but I’m looking to see if I injured one, distracted, and short-shuck a shell. It’s over. Decoys are out now hoping to get lucky twice in one night
Two mistakes - aim at the base of the neck close range. I remind myself of this all the time but in the moment of truth it was out the window. Second - pick one bird, watch it, and shoot it. I know this too but it was forgotten when the pressure was on.
Very fun hunt, even though I failed!
Day 3 (today). Headed out after work to the same spot again. Toms have either been uphill “high”, downhill “low”, or way off on private, and move between these general spots like a triangle. Plan was to post uphill. I’m almost there and I hear gobbles low, maybe 125 yards out. Dropped my pack and fanned my way to the field edge to take a look. Except now there is a second tom just 35 yards away on private. I gingerly backpedal into the timber. Now they are both gobbling. I can hear the near gobbler fanning out. About 5 mins of this and it’s a stalemate. I give a really soft yelp. This was just too much for him as he reappears with his friend in tow, now on public 15 yards away. Everything that happened next went really fast. The birds are together so no clear shot of 1. I want to bring my gun up but 2 heads are never obstructed at the same time. They are coming in fast and are in my lap. Now what?! 4 yards away they realize the fan is not another bird. I drop the fan and raise the gun in 1 movement, and they take off. Picked a head and whiffed at 5 yards. I have time to shoot again but I’m looking to see if I injured one, distracted, and short-shuck a shell. It’s over. Decoys are out now hoping to get lucky twice in one night
Two mistakes - aim at the base of the neck close range. I remind myself of this all the time but in the moment of truth it was out the window. Second - pick one bird, watch it, and shoot it. I know this too but it was forgotten when the pressure was on.
Very fun hunt, even though I failed!
Hem
Well-known member
And here i thought you were bowhunting with the miss.Day 2: Same spot. Set up on the edge of the timber late PM where 2 toms came out the last time. I had 4 hens nearby, and nothing else until just before sunset 1/2 mile away I hear 2 gobbles. I had 20 mins left so hustled to get close - last saw 2 fantails at 300 yards but I couldn’t relocate them for the last 5 mins of shooting light.
Day 3 (today). Headed out after work to the same spot again. Toms have either been uphill “high”, downhill “low”, or way off on private, and move between these general spots like a triangle. Plan was to post uphill. I’m almost there and I hear gobbles low, maybe 125 yards out. Dropped my pack and fanned my way to the field edge to take a look. Except now there is a second tom just 35 yards away on private. I gingerly backpedal into the timber. Now they are both gobbling. I can hear the near gobbler fanning out. About 5 mins of this and it’s a stalemate. I give a really soft yelp. This was just too much for him as he reappears with his friend in tow, now on public 15 yards away. Everything that happened next went really fast. The birds are together so no clear shot of 1. I want to bring my gun up but 2 heads are never obstructed at the same time. They are coming in fast and are in my lap. Now what?! 4 yards away they realize the fan is not another bird. I drop the fan and raise the gun in 1 movement, and they take off. Picked a head and whiffed at 5 yards. I have time to shoot again but I’m looking to see if I injured one, distracted, and short-shuck a shell. It’s over. Decoys are out now hoping to get lucky twice in one night
Two mistakes - aim at the base of the neck close range. I remind myself of this all the time but in the moment of truth it was out the window. Second - pick one bird, watch it, and shoot it. I know this too but it was forgotten when the pressure was on.
Very fun hunt, even though I failed!
Well...it happens sooner or later if you hunt turkeys a bunch.
I've missed three in 26 years, last year being one. But I eventually caught up with that bird 5 hours later when his hen left him. I found one pellet wound from first light.
Keep after it !!
Been a weird tough year for me in Idaho. I struggled big time to get birds to gobble more than a couple times, just seemed totally henned up and unwilling to leave them. Finally filled my second tag yesterday, worked him for around an hour with almost constant gobbling. Both my birds this year were mid-day.
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Gellar
Well-known member
A few months ago I conjured up the idea of doing a float hunt for turkeys. I narrowed down quickly to two areas. Both would be about 7 river miles floats. 1 of the floats would have pretty much continuous public, the other would be broken and there would be areas where we could not hunt if we saw or heard a turkey. But overall the amount of acres accessible was from the water was close to equal. I scouted my first choice, the river with broken public, a few weeks ago and decided that i wanted to do the continuous public river for a few different reasons. I had hunted the area 25 years ago as a kid so I knew where the turkeys would be j/k! The launch and takeout were good after scouting them the night before and we decided to be on the water 1/2 hour before legal shooting time. Using Onx we picked likely ridges or open areas to set up and call. We only heard 1 Tom gobble all day. We were actually across the river from him and moved in closer. The rest of the story I that Tom is in post # 232 above. The river was very shallow from lack of rain and we had to do as much dragging/pulling as we did paddling. It was fun and I think we will plan for another float turkey hunt next year!
On the river at first light. It was about 33 degrees when we launched.
there were old foundations and cisterns scattered around. Even though it’s public now, it wasn’t always.
a hen decoy at one of our setups. There were a few ag fields a short hike from the river still on public. They had been picked clean and there wasn’t much sign of anything in the fields.
Rounding the last corner and end is in sight, but not before more pulling the canoe through the shallow rapids
Of course as I pull in my driveway 5 toms are feasting in the freshly sprouted oats.
On the river at first light. It was about 33 degrees when we launched.
there were old foundations and cisterns scattered around. Even though it’s public now, it wasn’t always.
a hen decoy at one of our setups. There were a few ag fields a short hike from the river still on public. They had been picked clean and there wasn’t much sign of anything in the fields.
Rounding the last corner and end is in sight, but not before more pulling the canoe through the shallow rapids
Of course as I pull in my driveway 5 toms are feasting in the freshly sprouted oats.
