Tom long beard live hunt

[Gellar]

Beautiful morning in the woods, I’ll be hunting through Thursday unless I catch up to one before.

I have bus duty and the kids get on 7:15 so that puts a damper on calling to the birds from their roost.

On my way to my spot there was a flock of birds in a field and they usually head to where I’m set up.

 

[F250]

Following. Have to wait until May 1 here

 

[johnp]

looks like you are going to hit the jackpot with the weather. Last week would have been a bit challenging.
I was all set to mentor a learn to hunt turkey hunt last weekend and my mentee got sick.
Good luck!

 

[Gellar]

I moved to a spot where I’ve been seeing turkeys mid morning while scouting.
I ran into a guy on his way out who was using a long bow. I talked to him, and gave him time to get back to where he was parked. He said they gobbled until about 6:30 but hadn’t heard anything since.
I did a 180 and hopped a drainage bordering private land. 100 yards into the woods I see tips of tail feathers glistening in the sun so I quick set up, yelp a few times and he gobbles back. But there’s no pulling him away from his hens. In an hour so he will be ready to play again!

 

[Gellar]

looks like you are going to hit the jackpot with the weather. Last week would have been a bit challenging.
I was all set to mentor a learn to hunt turkey hunt last weekend and my mentee got sick.
Good luck!

Last week was brutal. I’ve had really good success in weather like that if you know where the birds go to get out of the wind and elements.

 

[WildWill]

Last week was brutal. I’ve had really good success in weather like that if you know where the birds go to get out of the wind and elements.

What are your Temps at this morning?

 

[Gellar]

What are your Temps at this morning?

It was probably 40 and sunny this morning, now 50 and starting to overcast. The wind is supposed to pick up to 20 mph out of the west.

Last week we had 20s for lows and freezing rain/snow mix. With winds 40-50 mph at times.

 

[Gellar]

I’m set up now in an oak planting that is probably 25 years old. The oaks are 10” in diameter. I’ve worked birds in here before during the midday, but the wind has really picked up.

I’ll probably head back down to the bottom of a ravine out of the wind. But that will take me out of cell service. Maybe my next picture will be a real turkey!

 

[Wild Bill]

Bus duty sounds like a good excuse to sleep in a bit, compared to the early wake up.
Birds off the roost are overrated.

 

[Gellar]

Bus duty sounds like a good excuse to sleep in a bit, compared to the early wake up.
Birds off the roost are overrated.

I’ve found if you like to hear gobbles but most likely not call a bird in then calling to them on the roost is where you want to be. If you are ok with hearing 2 or 3 gobbles, maybe all day, but you want a good chance at calling one in then the 10am to 4pm is a good bet.

 

[Gellar]

I’ve moved a good distance but not due to lack of action.

After I posted the last picture I was getting ready to moved but decided to have a snack. As I’m opening my cliff bar I decide to call a few times before I eat it, thinking I won’t want to use a diaphragm call for a bit after I eat. So I let a series of yelps and clucks go, lo and behold about 100 yards behind me not one, but 2 gobbles. 10 minutes later a scout hen pops over the hill, but I was pinned and couldn’t adjust to be able to shoot if the Tom’s came over. She started to feed around me to my decoy and I hear one of the Tom’s fire off a gobble. I’m thinking he’s got to be right there so lean around the tree and see his blue head and fan through the brush at 35 yards. I’m still stuck and there’s nothing I can do, if I’d been on the other side of the tree he’d be dead. We play cat and mouse with both Tom’s gobbling, me clicking, purring and praying. But none of it worked and they never came closer. I don’t think they were spooked, just 2 smart Tom’s that knew something was not right.

New setup: an oak ridge in the middle of 2 steep ravines. Out of the wind, really open. I heard a gobble the next ridge over, which is where I was headed to but I heard a hen closer.

 

[Gellar]

I had another close call with about 4 Tom’s and group of hens. Ultimately I think I should have waited longer in that spot. I think one of the Tom’s would have gotten curious with what was going on and came to check it out. I’m starting to work my way back to the truck. It’s about a mile to where I parked, but that wouldn’t be much fun. After I get the kids off the bus I’m hoping one or both of them will go out with me. If they do, we will just stay around the fields near the house.

 

[Gellar]

It’s 90% overcast. I don’t think I’ll see any of the eclipse. Peak is supposed to be at 2:04 pm here. The eclipse started around 12:45. And it has been pretty quiet. I have not seen or heard a turkey since noon. And even the song birds have seemed to disappear.

 

[Gellar]

On the way back to the truck I see another truck stopped in the road with their brakes on. A group of turkeys is crossing the road. As I top the hill to my truck I see I bumped my light bar switch on the way out of the truck, it looks like I’ll get to walk an extra mile home to get a jump pack.

 

[WildWill]

On the way back to the truck I see another truck stopped in the road with their brakes on. A group of turkeys is crossing the road. As I top the hill to my truck I see I bumped my light bar switch on the way out of the truck, it looks like I’ll get to walk an extra mile home to get a jump pack.

View attachment 322098

I always seem to forget something or goof something up on the first hunt of the year. Sucks at least it wasn't raining or snowing.

 

[Gellar]

This should go perfect.

We are in a thick fence line. The birds should be to our left. But sometimes they come from behind. If they get to where we can see the birds it’s too late for the turkey and we will be havein nuggets for supper!

 

[Gellar]

Tom long beard came in from behind and wouldn’t cross the fence to where we could get a shot at him. There was 3 gobbling, but only 1 showed, and that’s what he did, he put on a show. Spitting and drumming followed by huge gobbles. Pretty fun!

 

[Hem]

Good luck @Gellar !!

 

[Nick87]

Tom long beard came in from behind and wouldn’t cross the fence to where we could get a shot at him. There was 3 gobbling, but only 1 showed, and that’s what he did, he put on a show. Spitting and drumming followed by huge gobbles. Pretty fun!

View attachment 322141

Looks the kid git a front row seat though. That's a win!

 

[Gellar]

After bus time I just left from my house and walked a mile north to an area where the public makes a U shape around a private crp field. As I got to the edge of the field a turkey took off across the field, but I don’t think it was spooked by me as it was a long ways away and I was still in the woods 30 or 40 yards. Immediately I hear a gobble close to where I’m at so I set up without a decoy. I call and the gobble answers. Along with a hen in the field. I can see her 100 yards away and closing fast. She continues to cluck and yelp and I answer her, so does the Tom. The hen gets to the fence and is unsure of crossing. About 2 minutes later she’s through the fence and 5 yards from me. I set up on a huge snag so she could not see but started to get nervous because the hen she thought would be there was not. The Tom hadn’t gobbled in 10 minutes or more so I figured he was either gone, or would show up at any time. The hen took off and I decided to hang out another 5 or 10 minutes to see if the Tom came over the hill. No luck, but the guy i saw yesterday came from down the ridge. I waved and gathered my gear. Today i introduced myself and talked to him for a few minutes. We talked about where the birds were gobbling and fishing and had a few acquaintances. Nice guy, just retired and moved to the area. I hope he’s able to get a bird with his long bow. He built it himself.