Who's out??
Massachusetts
Opening day who's out??? Fumbled around this morning like I have never been in the woods before. Typical opening days for me
Doubled up with a kid I've never met before! Lol good luck guys.
Nothing but jakes came into the dekes so far. Saw one tom across field and not one bird gobblin today. Not even on the roost.
had a tom I roosted last pm come In silent.. he gobbled his head off on the roost... gobbled once on ground ... he came below me over my back left... he gobbled over edge about 20 yards from me, but I think he shocked gobbled to my rather aggressive call and then spooked. I jumped it was so loud... there was a HUGE pine between me and the ridge edge... for all I know he was over the lip and behind the tree. I could not have shot where he was regardless due to ridge dropping off towards houses (my house). He went away putting.
I didn't hear a shot this AM... very strange...
Taz - glad to hear you say that. I am a die hard run and gun hunter. I'd rather cover ground for a bird gobbling, than sit on a spot where I KNOW there is a gobbler if he's being quiet... The gobble is the thing for me I guess.
Any way. I heard two on roost this AM, in a spot where I was sure there were guys - because there always are in that spot... and there were (drove by em when I left just to check). But, outside the two gobbles I heard there, NOTHING. Hit many spots. And no gobbling.
But, one spot Jrdeerslyr "gifted" me, there was a nice tom with 7-8 hens - standing on posted land about 40yds off the road. He'd gobble if I called to him from the truck for fun. Then on the way home, a jake was in the road with a hen, and he gobbled once when I did the same thing... But no other birds gobbled. Weird.
Moons - I'm going to hire you as a guide from now on! Well done!
I've been watching a spot around the corner from work for a few months now. It's public and I know a few guys hunt it for deer so I was concerned I'd have lots of company. Got there an hour before sun-up and had the place to myself. Settled in with decoys by 5 and watched the woods start to come to life. Had a couple does come by at first light, then the turkeys started getting noisy as they got ready to come down from their roost. When they hit the ground, they went away from me! Gave a few calls and got 1 gobble, then silence. After the sun came up I gave some calls and got some gobbles in the distance, it sounded like the birds were circling me. A little later calling brought in 4 jakes, right on top of me, like 5'. I waved, they jumped and ran off. I called and they came right back in. Did that for 30 minutes then they left. Now the gobblers were off to my left, gobbling like crazy to my calls but they wouldn't come in. Then a pack of hens came in to my calls from behind me, they hung around for about 15 minutes and headed for the tom's. Some other hens came in, one almost stepped on my leg, before they went off to the action over a rise about 100 yards away. At 8:15 I had enough of being gobbled at with no shooters coming over so I low crawler 50 yards through the brush to a couple of big white oaks on a power line edge. Set my 12 gauge between the trees and laid there and started calling. I can see the tom's and like 20 other hens and jakes all milling about. One hen comes over and stands right on the other side of the tree trunk I'm behind and hangs there, 5' away. I said screw it, I might spook her but I need those tom's closer so I started calling again, some clucks & putts, and the tom's and a gaggle of hens start my way. At 35 yards they start dancing in circles, I see the bird I want but he's either behind a phone pole or too close to other birds. Finally he gets a little separation and sticks his head out. Then he fell over as I took the shot.
21.5 pounds, 9" beard and 1" spurs. My biggest bird yet, also only my second. Great hunt though, and those birds taught me a lot today!
Good luck to the rest of you!
Awesome job guys congrats no luck for me with the bow today. Be back at it again another day another spot
My brother in law came along today and we both killed with archery gear. Exciting morning with a ton of action.
Heck of a hunt MRW!!!
Way to go Rut!
Nice going guys! I would have never guessed Moons would be successful? Moons,do you even have to shoot at them anymore, or do they just fall dead on your front lawn to save you the trouble? Lol. Nice job brother!
Congrats, all. I was lucky enough to harvest this Tom today. 8 inch beard and full inch spurs. He came in with a jake. But left with me....
Nice job everyone!
I had an incredible day in the woods today. I battled it out with a Tom for about two hours. He finally came into range after the 3rd or 4th time I changed positions and reset my decoys. I tried shooting through a small hole, my arrow clipped a branch and then just clipped a few feathers. He lives to gobble another day.
Congrats to those who were successful, and keep at it for those who weren't as lucky today! My hunt was awesome, but what has me even more excited was the 24 deer I had come by this morning on the new property I got permission on !!
My 1st spot was blown out by a fresh deer kill by coyotes. Not a bird in sight.
Sight #2 had 2 toms across a small pond, in my hasteto set up I busted up a flock of hens. Couldn't get the big boys close after that.
I covered some serious ground afterwards but only saw a few hens. It seems like everything shut down @ 9AM.
Back at it next week.
Great start all, impressive birds. I am stoked for you all. My morning off yesterday got SNAFU'd by work, so it is sat morning for me.
Had one hit the ground tight lipped henned up this am.. had to leave him as I had to get to work.
Went out opening day called in 2 jakes. It was hard to walk a hundred yards without seeing another hunter. Public land is getting tougher and tougher to hunt every year.
Wow, these stories are awesome. I never turkey hunted, but sounds like I should. I might take it up next year. I just don't know if I'll have time. I am having fun reading all of your events. Wow. Keep it up, be safe, and have fun.
Had one going on roost this AM.. he was down low and went across the road and shut up. I took a big walk above and worked some field edges and ridges... nothing.. Get back to the driveway where I was parked (about 200 yards off the road) and slam my tailgate and 2 gobble right behind the house where I was parked... I had just walked from there... Ugh... I got a visual, but could not tell if jakes or toms.
Tagged out this morning...
Up this morning at 2:30 AM (couldn't sleep), puttered around the house hearing the rain pour down. 4:15 AM rain slowed to light rain, out I went. Had a gobbler roaring from the roost at 5:30 AM. He screamed his head off for 30 minutes but was across the river from me (and likely waking a lot of folks up in the surrounding neighborhoods. He was obnoxious. It was pretty funny. Had 4 hens and a silent strutter fly down about 100 yards from me. Couldn't entice them- they walked off. Switched spots/towns. Got to new spot at 7:10 AM. Walked through the woods about 200 yards towards an open back field. Heard a gobble from my right about 80 yards off in the woods. Hit the box call. Got a quick response. Plopped a single decoy down. Plopped my butt under the biggest tree I could find. Hit the box about 3 more times to bring him into 10 yards. Put him down. Only took him a few minutes. A great (short) season for me. Going to take some buddies out next week and do the calling/filming for them. Love hearing the gobblers! If only bucks gobbled...
Awesome urban way to get it done!!! Any pics?
No forest pix on bird...raining pretty good....wife snapped this pix of me and my little helper cleaning the bird tailgate style
Congrats Guys! Urban, tailgate turkey is the way I roll as well. Now all I need is a turkey.
Hey Urban I see you have the exact same type of gloves as me, except you actually have a use for yours.
Shot this bird on Thursday. After finding a lot of fresh sign but not hearing or seeing anything I decided to just hang around because they move from spot to spot. 3 hours later I want to check another place out so as I'm walking out I hear a crow call way off and thought I heard a gobble. I stood there for a few minutes when the crow calls again and I definitely heard a gobble. I walked towards the gobble and called when a hen calls back, they're closer than I thought but I'm stuck in some low wispy pines and can't see them. The hen starts calling like crazy and when I didn't answer she starts walking away taking another hen and the Tom bird with her. They were about 35 yards away and I softly gave to purrs on my trusty old push button cedar box call and here they come right through the wispy pines and all I can see is dark movement coming at me. Not knowing which bird is the Tom yet I see the bird on the left is a hen, she's looking hard and gives out a couple yelps when the Tom bird gives a thunder gobble right at me, he's only 12 yards away. I can see his white head against his full fan, one more step and I'm squeezing the trigger on my 870.
Boom! He's down with a little flapping of the wings and it's over. Intense hunt and having him gobble so close I could almost feel it!
19 1/2 lbs. 10 1/8 inch beard and 3/4 Spurs.
Bird of tailgate
Bird of tailgate
Nothing to see here.
Nothing to see here.
Was fortunate enough to kill a nice tom this a.m. Everything came together perfectly and I was able to shoot him at 25 yards (almost too close with a turkey choke and Longbeard XR).
Nice birds, Gentlemen! Way to go!!
