Turkey 2018

[steelie]

Well, roosted another long beard last night but had to work at 7:00 this a.m.. thought I'd give it a quick hunt and see. Well, long story short, I got lucky again and made it to work a few minutes early. Sorry for lack of photos, was in a hurry..My wife and I had a good season and can't wait for next year!! Good luck to everyone else.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

 

 

[ripnlip]

Congratulations to all!

 

You can't make this stuff up. My bro-in-law & I went out Sunday evening searching for gobblers for his next days hunt (I got a bird the 1st morning). We found 4 gobblers chasing bugs in a field around 7:30 pm. Being so late in the day we figured they would roost close by where we last saw them. The plan was simple. Come back the next morning & set up on the ridge we knew they roosted on periodically. So, come 1st thing in the morning we're set up & are waiting for them to sound off & fly down. Hmmm, no gobbles while they were on the roost (odd). We gave a few soft yelps to let them know hens were around. Once they flew down we heard a few gobbles. OK, we're in the game. Within 1/2 hour, 45 minutes we had 2 mature gobblers within 45-50 yards, From my angle (15 yards behind & to his left) I had a clean shot & could have reached out on either of them. But my brother in law didn't have a good angle & couldn't make a clean shot. So, I guessed correctly he passed on forcing a bad shot selection & waited hoping they would continue in closer. They started circling around towards our right & I'm just waiting for the big bang. All the sudden I see some movement behind the gobblers. At 1st I think that they're deer. Upon staring for a bit & seeing them get closer I notice they're not deer, Here come 2 coyotes sneaking up, taking the same line as the birds came in on. Here I am. Sitting there helpless. I can't motion to my bro-in-law what's happening. He's in front & concentrating on the birds. He doesn't see the yotes...yet. All I can do now is hope he gets a shot at one of the birds before the yotes bust up the party. Yeah, well. It's good to hope. But it didn't happen. Seconds later the birds spooked & took off running over the hill. He couldn't get a shot at the birds as they ran off (it happened so fast) & he didn't realize what happened till a few seconds later when he saw 1 of the yotes. He was so surprised because how fast it happened he couldn't even get a shot at either of the yotes! Not a successful hunt but a good story to share.

 

Wish I had a video camera for that one.

[whaler1]

Great story! Wish we could kill coyotes all year long.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[ripnlip]

We're allowed to shoot them in Pa. all year. As long as we have either a valid unused tag for that season or a fur takers license there's no season & no daily/seasonal limit.

[whaler1]

New York is way too smart for that [emoji35]


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[whaler1]

Heading out in the am, wont get out of work till after dark so going to see if I can get something to gobble

[longspurs]

Got it done this morning in the rain on a stalk mission , I missed opening weekend so I feel a little better now.
I saw a tom and 3 hens sitting in the corner of the field and figured I could get it done no problem with some belly crawl and stealth mode . I crawled thru 60 yards of poison ivy in the rain and if I'm down wind of that stuff I'm done can't wait to see if this ivy wash is worth it. But any how I got to 40 yards and they started to walk my way and I cartwheeled him at 30 . I just know the pattern they take and cut them off. Big bird I'm glad I didn't call at him probably would have hung up . 21.8 lbs 10in beard , spurs 1 1/4 other 1 1/8 .

Sent from my Pixel XL using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[reeleyz]

Nice bird. I love sneaking in on them with a belly crawl!


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[show me the money]

Tagged out Saturday morning 6:00 in the rain . 9.5” beard 1” spurs 

[whaler1]

Great stuff!
Haven’t been out much but still hoping to fill my second tag.


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[strutnrut62]

IMG_1271.HEIC
Well this was the last thing I was expecting todo today. I was just cleaning. Up the house and decided to go out on back porch and heard this guy gobbling his head off. This started at 9:15 am. So I said well that was pretty stupid of your self. So I grabbed my gear and headed out. 20 minutes walk out. I set up and gave him a few soft clicks and purs and he hammered right away. Threw out a couple more yelps Hammered again. Let the quuiet game begin couple minutes passed he hammered again he had closed the distance in half I seen him just up a head. Strutting as he worked his way in. The mosquitos were about. Carrying me away so I. Said first shot he gives me. 35 yards walked in to my shooting hole and the rest is history. I was back to the house by 1020 taking pictures. Of. Him nothing like a plan coming together 9.5” beard 1” spurs 24 lbs


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[steelie]

Nice job! Met you this past weekend at Mike and Todd's rental.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

 

 

 

 

[strutnrut62]

Thanks was good to meet you


Sent from my iPhone using Lake Ontario United

[longspurs]

Saturday morning off the roost had a gobbler working his way to the cow pasture , I was 80 yards away belly crawling in the tall grass. I got to 60 then a calf chased the gobbler away . We decided to go back at 10am and had 1 sound off by him self around 11am , but he was not alone. 1 long beard , 3 Jake's and 4 hens . They were in the open hardwoods on a nice flat strutting and wouldn't leave . He would answer evey time I called but not move , I can see his fan at times as he is strutting. I have to make a move so I got my fan out and moved in slowly scratching the leaves as I moved in, turning and popping the fan up. He saw it and to come see . Lucky for me he was the boss and had to see who I was and not the jakes. He came in strutting the whole way to 15 yards and lights out . 1in hooks 9in beard have to guess 18 lbs . Got it on video with the cell phone . What a way to finish up the season.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[steelie]

Congrats!

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[steelie]

Funny story. There is a field next to a heavy traveled road on my way to work that always has a bird or 2 in it daily. Been watching for the last few weeks as there has been different guys trying to hunt it. Some days I could see the guys setup on the edge and the birds strutting in the field. Last week or so, I have only been seeing the hens so I figured the were successful. Yesterday guys were there and again only hens. Then comes June 1st .... big boy was right in the middle in full strut!!! Made me giggle. Not that the hunters were unsuccessful but the intelligence of the birds

Sent from my SM-G930V using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[ripnlip]

I have to say that this was probably the best Spring Gobbler season I've ever seen! At least in Pa. it was. Most of my hunting buddies tagged out with 1 or 2 birds (allowed 2 gobblers with an extra tag in Pa) and those that didn't fill a tag at least had an opportunity. I don't know if I'll see another season like it in my lifetime. I hope all the turkey hunters on this site had the same great experiences I did. A great thing too was that I didn't hear of a single accidental shooting in my area.

 

Next on the hunting agenda, a lot of us will be picking up our bows & taking to the trees in pursuit of the wily whitetail.

 

Be safe!