Spring Turkey 2020

[GAMBLER]

9 hours ago, whaler1 said:

Great stuff all! My son Tommy put his sister on birds this morning, got her a bird and headed back out. Slow so far for me this morning.


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  She had a great guide to get her  that bird! 

[BrookTrout]

Anyone having any luck?  I have been hunting in 7S.  I went out first 3 days.  Nothing day one (hunted area I had roosted bird before the big rain last week).  Encountered a roosted tom the morning of day 2 but he flew down away from me and was intercepted by 3 hens who took him off after a few gobbles.  Yesterday setup where I saw the tom fly down and strut but other than a bunch of curious deer sniffing and snorting at my decoy nothing...  on my way back across field I spotted the tom strutting with 2 hens, almost put the sneak on him near a little tree island, got within 75 yds but he moved into the woods with hens, I tried some yelps but he just fanned at me and kept walking, I tried to swing around in the woods to ambush but never saw them again....  At least I've seen some birds and had some interaction.  Took the morning off today to catch up on sleep. Have heard only a small number of shots the first few days.

 

Hows everyone else making out?

Edited May 4, 2020 by BrookTrout
more info

[reeleyz]

The first 2 mornings were quiet for me. Yesterday I had a similar situation with a big tom strutting. I snuck up to 70 yards in the woods and I could not get any closer. He strutted away from me out of sight. Then 3 smaller (2 year old) Toms just happened to come from where he disappeared and I called 1 of them in to 10 yards. Unfortunately the shot was so close it destroyed the beard. He never flopped though!

 

 

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[whaler1]

Seems like at some points the Toms pay little attention to calls and decoys and then it’s like someone flipped a switch and they come in on a string.

After guiding a youth and his sister on birds my son Tommy has hunted three days straight without having a Tom in range. I’ve been out with my bow quite a bit with zero results to show for it.

Just have to spend what time you have and it will come together. Ironically there are two hens and a big Tom in the backyard right now as I drink a beer at my counter lol. Things stay slow that Tom may lose his pass, he looks like a good bird but I do like watching him.

 

 

 

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[whaler1]

The first 2 mornings were quiet for me. Yesterday I had a similar situation with a big tom strutting. I snuck up to 70 yards in the woods and I could not get any closer. He strutted away from me out of sight. Then 3 smaller (2 year old) Toms just happened to come from where he disappeared and I called 1 of them in to 10 yards. Unfortunately the shot was so close it destroyed the beard. He never flopped though!
 
 
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Great job!


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[suttontroller94]

I tagged out on day 2 at 6:25. Took my 7 year old son out on his first turkey hunt(he's been on alot of waterfowl hunts and a few deer hunts). Lots of birds gobbling off the roost and had a couple birds coming. Thought they were longbeards the whole way in, they never once had bad sounding gobbles and at first I could just see their heads and they were big snowball white heads. Then they crossed out infront of us at 10yards and popped into strut and I could tell they were Jakes. I informed him that normally I'd probably let those birds go but they were infact legal birds and would eat good. His heart was racing and he was shaking so hard as he told me to shoot! I let them beat up the avian Jake decoy for a big before I picked out one to take. At that point I could care less if it was a longbeard or a Jake I was honestly more excited on that bird than on Fridays longbeard. Hunter is hooked now and I had one of the most fun hunts of my life and a great memory that will last forever with my son.

[whaler1]

Doesn’t get any better than that!!


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[Kevin J Legg]

Opening morning I didn’t hear a gobble on a roost I’ve been scouting but did have a hen come in. Day two I went to another roost I scouted and again no birds but I did hear some gobbling and moved on them but no response. Third day I do some run and gun and heard nothing early. Went back to original blind and had a pair answering but the moved off.
Last night I roosted a couple and set up this morning. Ended up killing one after it flew down and walked to my decoys.


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[BrookTrout]

7 hours ago, reeleyz said:

The first 2 mornings were quiet for me. Yesterday I had a similar situation with a big tom strutting. I snuck up to 70 yards in the woods and I could not get any closer. He strutted away from me out of sight. Then 3 smaller (2 year old) Toms just happened to come from where he disappeared and I called 1 of them in to 10 yards. Unfortunately the shot was so close it destroyed the beard. He never flopped though!

 

 

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Nice bird!

 

1 hour ago, suttontroller94 said:

I tagged out on day 2 at 6:25. Took my 7 year old son out on his first turkey hunt(he's been on alot of waterfowl hunts and a few deer hunts). Lots of birds gobbling off the roost and had a couple birds coming. Thought they were longbeards the whole way in, they never once had bad sounding gobbles and at first I could just see their heads and they were big snowball white heads. Then they crossed out infront of us at 10yards and popped into strut and I could tell they were Jakes. I informed him that normally I'd probably let those birds go but they were infact legal birds and would eat good. His heart was racing and he was shaking so hard as he told me to shoot! I let them beat up the avian Jake decoy for a big before I picked out one to take. At that point I could care less if it was a longbeard or a Jake I was honestly more excited on that bird than on Fridays longbeard. Hunter is hooked now and I had one of the most fun hunts of my life and a great memory that will last forever with my son.

 

Thats awesome, he's gotta be hooked for life!!  What a memory for you guys!

 

1 hour ago, Kevin J Legg said:

Opening morning I didn’t hear a gobble on a roost I’ve been scouting but did have a hen come in. Day two I went to another roost I scouted and again no birds but I did hear some gobbling and moved on them but no response. Third day I do some run and gun and heard nothing early. Went back to original blind and had a pair answering but the moved off.
Last night I roosted a couple and set up this morning. Ended up killing one after it flew down and walked to my decoys.


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Congrats!

[whaler1]

Tommy shot one this morning. Went with a buddy and shot a double. Guess they came in on a rope.


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[whaler1]

I on the other hand called in a stud yesterday, over a half hour of call and gobble, to hit my blind with my arrow.
I want to puke.



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[Kevin J Legg]

I on the other hand called in a stud yesterday, over a half hour of call and gobble, to hit my blind with my arrow.

I want to puke.

 

 

 

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Oh no! What a disappointment but you got to observe a great show.

 

 

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[whaler1]

Show was incredible. Everything was so cool. Bird was 15 yards in front of me forever. Gobbled the whole way in. Circled my little field. Was gobbling right next to the blind. 99% perfect hunt.


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[whaler1]

Was three feet too far to my right branches in my way. Waited for him to move. Almost got busted first time I raised the bow. Put it down and reset.
Finally get a chance, draw back, check to see that the arrow will clear the blind edge, horrible noise, put it through the blind. Couple feathers, plumage, little blood on the fletching, but the bird ran off like Carl Lewis. No blood trail, no more feathers.
It happens but it stinks.


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[Frogger]

Show was incredible. Everything was so cool. Bird was 15 yards in front of me forever. Gobbled the whole way in. Circled my little field. Was gobbling right next to the blind. 99% perfect hunt.


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Credit owed for going after it with archery. What a feeling. Plenty of time still.


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[NymphO]

Was three feet too far to my right branches in my way. Waited for him to move. Almost got busted first time I raised the bow. Put it down and reset.
Finally get a chance, draw back, check to see that the arrow will clear the blind edge, horrible noise, put it through the blind. Couple feathers, plumage, little blood on the fletching, but the bird ran off like Carl Lewis. No blood trail, no more feathers.
It happens but it stinks.


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I know that feeling all too well.... Nothing can be said other than knock another and try again. At least you had a nice show, ish

[steelie]

Well, its been a grind so far... we have had birds close but the kids have been busted twice due to the wiggles!! But they've been learning and seeing a lot of cool stuff.. They keep asking to go and I'm going to take them every time they ask, regardless of being successful. This morning was a special hunt, I sat with my 6 year old son about 80 yards away form my wife and 10 year old daughter. Well, the girls won!! My son and i had a hen within 3 yards of us when my wife turned it loose on a 3 year old.. Off my son runs to get on moms bird!! Hahaha. we've been blessed to have some awesome hunts together but never all together.

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Edited May 8, 2020 by steelie

[whaler1]

That’s the best!! Fantastic!!


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[Kevin J Legg]

Great story


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[dawsonscreek]

Been very quiet for me in 8T. Hearing a few off the roost but not much. Got setup on some birds sunday on state land at 11:00 worked them and had to move a few times, then the clock struck noon so I unloaded and just sat quietly seeing if they would come wandering in. Shortly after noon I hear a slate call and the birds are hammering to it. This is then followed by a mouth call and more gobbles. I saw where this was going and hung tight to see the honesty of the other hunter. A few more gobbles and the birds are close to me and I see the other hunter sprinting down the pipeline to head off these birds, that was enough for me. I was not about to let this kid kill one of these birds after noon so I stood up and walked his way, surely spooking the birds. I get a "oh, sorry about that" when he sees me, an pointing at my phone I reply "doesn't matter to me, you know its after 12:00 right?" He replies "yeah" and tucks tail and picks up his pace walking away from me as he unloads his gun. No back tag visible and his truck was from PA, for all I know he had no NY license. Being brought up the way I was, obeying the rules and laws was just engrained in me from a young age. I'm always annoyed to hear stories of people breaking the rules, they're there for a reason so follow them!

[BrookTrout]

1 hour ago, steelie said:

Well, its been a grind so far... we have had birds close but the kids have been busted twice due to the wiggles!! But they've been learning and seeing a lot of cool stuff.. They keep asking to go and I'm going to take them every time they ask, regardless of being successful. This morning was a special hunt, I sat with my 6 year old son about 80 yards away form my wife and 10 year old daughter. Well, the girls won!! My son and i had a hen within 3 yards of us when my wife turned it loose on a 3 year old.. Off my son runs to get on moms bird!! Hahaha. we've been blessed to have some awesome hunts together but never all together.

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Wow what a morning thats so great for your family!!  Thanks for the story

[whaler1]

Went with Tom this morning at one of the leases. Apparently didn’t wear enough clothes. Had birds gobbling three or four hundred yards to the north at 5. Had deer, three with antler growth within thirty yards for a half hour. We were downwind and they couldn’t quite figure out what we were. They stomped their feet and just stared at us. They left and then came back and did the same thing again.
Had a Tom a hundred or so north for a couple hours. I was so cold at that point I was shaking so bad, like I was having a seizure, one more layer would have done it. Damn!
Bird starts working our way finally and for some reason at seventy yards he turns and leaves. Lol I was ok with that, was happy to get back in the truck.



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[wishinfishin]

Earlier this week I was out for a few mornings . First morning was some 5 am gobbles ,then a hen about 730 , and then it dried up.

Next morning there were 4 seperate birds in different directions gobbling from 5 till 6:15 , last gobble was 40 yards behind me in the woods while I was sitting a stone wall looking over a field , gave it some hen sounds , gun ready thinking hes coming , nothing.

Then at 7: 30 a big tom came out of the woods on the other side of the field ,a couple hundred yards away, guess he didnt like my deekes ,then slide back into the woods quiet the entire time.

That afternoon my buddy calls says hey I got time next couple days ,how about I call for you , I said hell yea , hes an awesome caller that takes kids and wounded warriors out every year while always getting his 2 birds.

Ok ,meet in the morning at 430 quick walk to set up , gobbling started at 4:55, few Tom's going a jake going ,all in the usual spots except one was closer and in a different spot , well he wanted to play,
My buddy did his thing which is talking turkey , the bird was coming , slooowww, but coming , the tom sees the strutter and hen decoys and the sounds of a box call and closed in to see who was messing with his girls , bang ! 30 yards.

Went again the next morning for number 2 , and some gobbles early at 5 , then they were done , saw a big Tom and that was it and my hunt was over for this trip , hope to get back up for another hunt.

Bird weighed 22-1/4 pounds with 9 inch beard with some battle scars

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[wishinfishin]

I'm sorry bird was 20-1/4 pounds not 22

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[whaler1]

Awesome stuff Chuck!!!


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