2021 Spring Turkey hunting

[Gellar]

Got set up on an open ridge line across the valley to the east from yesterday. I wanted to push further but I was afraid they would be roosting where I intended to go. 5 or 6 different toms started to gobble to the north and east, spread out the length of the drainage. Called and had a few answers but never had one that I felt was coming in closer so I moved in the direction of the birds and got set up again. After about 30 minutes, a few calls and answers but nothing closer I moved again. This time I circled back where I was first and headed to where I originally had planned to set up in the dark. Sure enough as I came down into a little saddle full of oak trees there was a big old red head sticking up 75 yards away. He trotted off and I went a bit further but had no luck. By now it was 9 o’clock so I went back to my car and went in the opposite direction. I heard a few gobbles but nothing close. Now it’s time for a tailgate taco, take the boots off for a bit and then back after it. 4.5 miles today on the gps so far.

 

[Gellar]

We had a very good opening day running and gunning in eastern Montana in R5 and R7. We got weathered out on day 2 with wind and snow but no complaints jsut means I get to go back to try and fill a few more tags

Wow! Was the double called in together or different set ups?

 

[Gellar]

I was glancing around while looking for turkey sign lol
I'm notoriously bad at finding them though

I keep one eye on the ground at all times! A good day is when the daylight breaks and you see morels around the tree you are sitting on. We are about a week or 2 out still. The last several years I’ve been wanting to do what I’ve coined the Iowa trifecta, kill a turkey, pick morels, and catch a Brooke trout all in the same day. I’ve found the morels and killed a turkey the same day several times but I’ve never done the Brooke trout.

 

[Gellar]

This afternoon I got set up yet another ridge to the east. I told myself I was going to give each spot 45 minutes. After talking turkey for about 44 minutes 6 jakes showed up at 40 yards silently. The 2nd one had the longest beard so I raised my gun when he was behind a tree but none of them ever turned to provide a head shot. At 40 yards I wasn’t going to take a body shot.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Always nice when they read the script!

 

[WestKyHunt]

I keep one eye on the ground at all times! A good day is when the daylight breaks and you see morels around the tree you are sitting on. We are about a week or 2 out still. The last several years I’ve been wanting to do what I’ve coined the Iowa trifecta, kill a turkey, pick morels, and catch a Brooke trout all in the same day. I’ve found the morels and killed a turkey the same day several times but I’ve never done the Brooke trout.

That sounds like the makings for a pretty good day!

 

[1_pointer]

The turkey season dates in IN are so very stupid...

Congrats to those getting out and after them. I will next Wednesday for the opener.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Scouted some private lamd my buddy has permission on this morning.
We were a little later than planned but still early enough that we figured the turkeys would still be on the roost.
We walked the edge of a cornfield to where they always roost and made some owl calls. Atleast 2 birds, possibly more, gobbled on the roost. Walked 20 more yards coming around a cedar and there are 3 hens and 2 toms already in the field.
After some strategic moving around we finally got a good view of 1 tom. Beard was almost dragging the ground.
We didn't want to spook them so we backed out and attempted to reach a different observation point. Well the turkeys moved in the period of time and where in a different spot than we expected. When we found them again we were in open view, but the tom was busy breeding a hen. Once he was done, the hen saw us and booked taking the tom slowly with her.

So we have ATLEAST 4 birds in the area, more than likely several more.
Should have a good morning Saturday.

Glad we got around to scouting because the birds are using a different part of the field than they normally do. Where we usually setup, we never would see them

 

[phutch30]

Wow! Was the double called in together or different set ups?

all different setups all public land, got responses at 4 out of 7 stops in the am which filled the tags we had for R7 then moved to R5. It got windy but got some going on adjacent private and out of nowhere 8 jakes walked in.

 

[RidgeRoamingRichard]

I worked the same henned up Tom this morning to no avail. Got bored and went glassing for bears instead. I'm gonna try run and gun in a new spot tomorrow

 

[Gellar]

My first tag has come to an end. Quite frankly, the turkeys kicked my ass. I hunted hard and talked to some birds each day, except today. I didn’t hear a gobble close enough to work today. Last night I saw 5 hens and two toms cutting across a field about sunset so I figured they wouldn’t roost to far into the woods. This morning I snuck in and never got a peep out of them if they were there. That is hunting. My next tag starts April 28 and goes through May 16. My dad has a tag that starts tomorrow, but he got his 2nd Rona shot today so we will see how his weekend goes. Hopefully when I start back up on April 28 the big flocks have broken up and most of the hens have been bred, but the toms still are looking for love. This is the first time in 6 or 7 years that I won’t be able to get two spring turkeys. We love to eat them so that’s going to be a huge hole in the freezer.

Picture from 5 years ago today, because I like pictures. This one had to hang out in the work break room fridge all day.

 

[denverteacher]

My 4 year old and I got it done first weekend of the season in SD right as the always present SD winds started whipping. It was a fun boys trip with lots of birds running around. Now just got to find a bird here in CO

 

[Gellar]

View attachment 180658My 4 year old and I got it done first weekend of the season in SD right as the always present SD winds started whipping. It was a fun boys trip with lots of birds running around. Now just got to find a bird here in CO

That is what it’s all about!

 

[blueridge]

Best opening morning for me and my old man. Doubled up by 7:15am.

 

[Gellar]

Best opening morning for me and my old man. Doubled up by 7:15am.
View attachment 180662

Your dads camo doesn’t even make it fair for the turkeys!

 

[blueridge]

Your dads camo doesn’t even make it fair for the turkeys!

He sits in a box with coffee and a book and makes it look easy every year.

 

[Chad Gus]

Got the wife and daughter setup for tomorrow's youth hunt and me and the boy will be out running and gunning around the neighborhood.

 

[np307]

Killed one in NC today. Probably the last year we will have this lease due to the landowner dying and her kids wanting to sell. Glad I could take one more from it.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Hunted the private property i posted about Thursday this morning.

Morning started out rough. We arrived 30 min later than we should have. We split up. He went where the birds were Thursday, I stayed 100 yards up the field.
Well the birds were roosted right where I wanted to setup, which I realized once they blew out while placing my decoys. It sucked but I accepted it and hid underneath some trees and behind a deafall anyways.

Birds were gobbling all around us. The birds I bumped seemed to have only moved 100yd towards the truck. Then all of a sudden they went quiet. I called lightly a couple times to let them know there were some "birds" over by me.

Around 7:15 my butt was getting a little sore and not hearing any birds, or knowing if they had left the roost, I text my buddy and said let's link up at 8 of nothing has changed.

I sat down my phone and sat there trying to plan our move once we met back up. Not 2 minutes later a tom comes charging from my blind spot, trotting straight for my hen decoy. He glances at her and moves towards the tom decoy, ready to whoop some a$$ (I assume).
Once I saw him, my brain stopped and instinct kicked in. I raised the shotgun and put the barrel between the two decoys. As soon as he cleared, I had the the bead on him and gave him 3 inches of longbeard xr.
He jumped and did a barrel roll. Flopping to within 15yards of me then laid dead.
Since I couldn't see much, directly after the shot I started calling. Hoping to keep any birds that might have been with him around so maybe my buddy could get one as well. Sadly we couldn't find any other birds to get him on this morning. I'm confident he can go back and get one next weekend though.

 

[wihunter12]

My son had success this morning today on the Wisconsin youth opener. Had alot birds gobbling. An hour into shooting time, this one came in behind us and required some reshuffling in order to get a shot. Thankfully he gave us a warning gobble before he got to close. He gave his last gobble at 30 yards, I will never tire of hearing a turkey gobble!