Gobble gobble Spring Turkey 2025

[Lostinthewoods]

Yall are actually getting me antsy.

45 days until season kicks off unless I go to a different state before then.






Has anyone ever shot a funky bird?

I shot one in 2019 that only had one spit and I shot one in 2021 that was a nice gobbler, great spurs, but had beard rot….

 

[WildWill]

spicy jam.

This stuff is great for that.

 

[Sheltowee]

Has anyone ever shot a funky bird?

I shot one in 2019 that only had one spit and I shot one in 2021 that was a nice gobbler, great spurs, but had beard rot….

As a neophyte turkey hunter, I was sitting on the edge of a field in which the farmer had recently burned a bunch of brush in a depression. Due to a small rise in the field, I could see across the bordering fence but not the actual fence itself. Gobbler responds to my somewhat pitiful scratching on a slate call from a hollow below the field and struts his way up the ridge toward the fence, bright red head bobbing. He passes out of view but clearly headed toward the fence, which would put him about 40 yards from my setup. Then... silence. No movement, no gobbling or drumming for several minutes. Suddenly, to my right at about 30 yards, I see a turkey *wriggling* in the burn pit like my bird dog would. It seems a little smaller than the gobbler but, sure enough, it has a beard. I think to myself (keep in mind I had fired precisely one shot in anger at a turkey previous to this hunt) it has to be the gobbler. Boom, bang, flop.

Walk up to my tom... and think "weird, this tom's head is really grey-blue." Then "weird, this tom doesn't have any spurs." And finally "weird, this tom seems really on the small side."

I'd smoked a bearded hen.

 

[Wild Bill]

A few years back a couple friends and I had a whole flock work in to range. We had I think 5 tags to fill between us. There were 4 bearded birds in the group. We gave it the ol 1, 2, 3, shoot. After the smoke cleared there were 4 birds flopping and 1 stone dead about 30 yards behind them. Fearing the worst, we went and picked the loner up. Sure enough a hen had caught 1!!! (as far as we could tell in our autopsy) pellet in the noggin. Luckily, she had like 5 strands of beard about 2” long. Texted a pic to a CO we knew and he confirmed we were all legal.

Shot one with a club foot a while back. As far as I could tell it was a totally normal bird, but had a couple toes that looked like it got snapped off in a foothold. Can’t find a pic.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’ve never killed anything called a tom, but have killed several gobblers. I’ve killed a limit(5 that season) of double bearded gobblers and one year killed a gobbler with double spurs on each leg. The spurs measured 1” and the second spur was 1/4” for both legs.

I’ve killed several with no spurs and some that had beard rot, but never really considered that funky.

 

[Hobbes]

Back home in Southern IL mid April. It's possible I could hop across to hunt Western KY once done in IL. I'll spend the remainder of the season hunting MT east to west or maybe west to east.

Merriam's hen from last spring. She came into calls fussing then got behind me. A few more yelps and cuts and she came back fussing (video):

 

[Nick87]

Back home in Southern IL

Whereabouts is home in Southern IL?

 

[Hobbes]

Whereabouts is home in Southern IL?

Unionville. Farming community East of Brookport and Metropolis just across Ohio R. from Paducah, KY.

 

[Nick87]

Unionville. Farming community East of Brookport and Metropolis just across Ohio R. from Paducah, KY.

I know right where it is. Have a lot of family in the Golconda area. Used to spend a ton of time in that area not as much now as back then. Used to hunt quite a bit around Brownfield. Hobbes is a common name around there unless that's just a coincidental username, haha.

 

[Hobbes]

I know right where it is. Have a lot of family in the Golconda area. Used to spend a ton of time in that area not as much now as back then. Used to hunt quite a bit around Brownfield. Hobbes is a common name around there unless that's just a coincidental username, haha.

I know all the area. Both our families are still there. Hunted turkeys in all of Shawnee from Massac to Hardin/Gallatin, Unionville Bottoms for whitetails.

Hobbes isn't a family name. It's just a user name ive used for years on various forums.

 

[Nick87]

I know all the area. Both our families are still there. Hunted turkeys in all of Shawnee from Massac to Hardin/Gallatin, Unionville Bottoms for whitetails.

Hobbes isn't a family name. It's just a user name ive used for years on various forums.

Hobbes used to own the bar in Eddyville, so I wasn't sure. @WestKyHunt is a solid member right across the river from you there. Welcome to Hunttalk!

 

[WestKyHunt]

Unionville. Farming community East of Brookport and Metropolis just across Ohio R. from Paducah, KY.

If you wind up near Paducah give me a shout. I can give you some intel on local spots

 

[CowboyLeroy]

Remember, fanning is for weenies.

 

[Scott85]

Planning on California, Oregon and maybe Idaho.

 

[Bc1992]

I’ve killed gobblers with 1 spur, no spurs, killed 1 with super long toenails, caught and released a flock of 17 hens and I think 5 were bearded.

 

[Wild Bill]

Bearded hens is not uncommon at all for Merriams. We see it all the time.

 

[gonhunting247]

Will have 3 tags here at home in OR again, so like usual it will be busy finding them all. Drew my spring bear tag too, so it makes for a nice spring.

 

[idahojoe]

Idaho, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. I got attacked by a turkey as a child and I’ve been hunting them like Liam neeson in taken since.

 

[Gellar]

Idaho, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky. I got attacked by a turkey as a child and I’ve been hunting them like Liam neeson in taken since.

Elaborate please.

 

[idahojoe]

Elaborate please.

Got the shit stomped out of me by one of those thanksgiving butterballs at a farm. Never let it go, just getting even.