This guy won't get to walk.

[MinnesotaHunter]

If this guy shows himself in about 12 days he is going to get a slicktrick express mailed from my new Elite. Just set my ground blind and got it brushed in today. Hopefully between now and opener I have a few more trail camera shots of him, this pic is from yesterday.

 

[big28hunter]

Yeah! He's a good one. Good luck!

 

[EODRay]

Swaaaak that bird! Good luck MH!

 

[noharleyyet]

That one's a boss,,,good luck.

 

[tarheel]

Nice looking bird; hopefully your snow will be gone by then.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

We were actually rid of snow until last Wednesday, and we got hammered again with 14in. Blah. It was in the sixties Friday and yesterday, so it was pretty much all gone by this morning. I let off a locator this morning, and two toms fired right back. I am assuming one is that guy.

 

[recon6036]

Very nice bird. Good luck!

 

[JDH]

Good luck. I watched one fly up to roost last night...hopefully he will be sleeping in the same spot on opening day.

 

[Trigger50]

Good Luck Ross ! My season starts tomorrow !

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Opening Morning...

Well, I figured after talking some smack about the Wild winning and shooting a turkey the next morning on the NHL Playoffs thread, there was pretty much no way that I would see a turkey when I went out this morning, much less get a shot.

I was out setting my decoys and climbing into the blind around 5:45 this morning hoping I could get those two toms I had been seeing to come in for a visit. I was set up about 80yd south of a brushy ditch with a CRP field to the north and hardwoods to the east. I knew the toms had been roosting in those hardwoods, and thought they would come into the field either to the north or just south of that brushy ditch. I set the decoys up at 17 yds, and so that they could see them through a break in the brush line. I set a hen decoy with a jake decoy mounting her, with the hopes that it would get those two toms fired up.

They came out of the roost around 6:10 and I heard them gobble as soon as they hit the ground about 150yds north of me, and I returned with a couple soft yelps and purrs, and waited. Within a few minutes I saw them come into the opening in the brush line, and I hit them with another purr, they looked over saw the decoys, and it was on.

Those two toms came in side by side on a run straight for that jake. I drew my bow when they hit about 50yds, and when they got to that jake they start beating the heck out of it. I picked out the tom I thought was the bigger of the two, and waited for him to take a breather and sit still for a second, and then squeezed the trigger on the release. The arrow went right where it was supposed to go and the tom ran about 10 yds before he fell. The other tom then looks over at his buddy, and decides he is now going to go beat on him. This tom was so preoccupied beating on his now dead buddy that I was able to get out of the blind, pull out my phone, and take some pictures of him while he worked over his buddy. I couldn't help, but laugh out loud at this spectacle. I yelled at him, he looked at me, gobbled at me, and then took off running. I have never seen turkeys act like this, except on tv.

It was a pretty awesome morning of hunting. Shot a really nice tom, got the first kill with my new bow, still managed to get to work by 8, and will be eating wild turkey for dinner tonight. Here are a few pics.

 

[Matt Foley]

Nice Bird! Fun story as well.

 

[MNHunter]

Nice job Ross!

Nino took care of those turkeys in CO and you take care of one here

 

[1_pointer]

Sweet! Congrats! I've always wanted to see a turkey flogging like that.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Nino did pick a heck of a night to come out swinging. It was awesome.

Pointer, it was something to see, if there was any doubt about the combo of a hen getting bred by a jake to get the toms fired up, there isn't anymore in my mind. I think I could have been standing in the wide open and they wouldn't have noticed me once they cued in on the decoys.

 

[EODRay]

Sweet! Nice job on a good looking bird

 

[noharleyyet]

Fine job on the deed and share MHunter.

 

[Festus]

Well done!
Nice bird

 

[1_pointer]

MH- I think I may have to try a jake/hen breeding decoy setup next year. I have a couple of places where I think that would work with a ground blind. I'd use the blind as I'm not sure my normal method, ie sitting still next to a tree, would work that well for my then 7yo son. Hopefully in a few months I can pick up a couple of decoys on sale...

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Thanks, Guys!

Pointer, Now is definately the time to get them. I got these two a couple of weeks ago on sale at Cabelas, after the first seasons had started, and I think I paid about 40-50 bucks total for both of them. I don't use expensive turkey decoys.

 

[MNHunter]

Hey Ross, let me know if you ever want company chasing those birds

I've been out before but have never got one.