I don't bowl or golf so...
Turkey
You looking at me?
You looking at me?
I don't bowl or golf and am retired, so I might as well go turkey hunt. Will be leaving at 1 am for the 5 hours drive east to my first hunting spot in Nebraska. Went to get there 1/2 hr before sunrise to hear any roosted toms and then the fly down. That will give me an indication of where to hunt for later in the day. If that does not pan out, I will move farther east in a couple of days, to plan B. Taking both bows, the stick and the one with "training wheels". In addition, the DB blind, the string suit, the Heads Up Decoy, HS Jake and three hens,etc, etc. Two tags in the pocket and with time on my hands, I have enough time to try to fill both in the next week.
Maybe there will be another story when I return. I know some of you will not be hunting until Mid April, so hang in there as the Spring turkey action is beginning to start right now. My best, Paul
Good Luck, Paul. I won't get out until Early May here in Utah so until then I'll be living vicariously through you. Heard the CBA Banquet this year was excellent. Hope all is well buddy.
Best of luck to you Paul and safe travels. Looking forward to hearing your tales as always!
Go get em, Paul! Stay safe driving!
Good luck! Can’t wait til I can’t hunt them in Iowa. Still a few weeks away.
That’s tough to be up that early: I hear golfers start around 10 in the morning, have to wait for the dew to dissipate off the grass, and bowling well that usually evening event.
Good for you! I like to chase birds better than balls myself.
O dark thirty ie, 12:17 am, all packed and on my way. Well, within the next hour. Sunrise is 7:28 am. Isn't this Christmas Eve???? I had a dream this evening that there were three turkeys in my decoys. Paul
Good luck in Nebraska Paul!
Good luck and enjoy, Paul!
Good Luck Paul, Keep us posted!
Who are you trying to kid? You know you're going to have to buy that third tag.
Doesn’t open here in CT until 4/25. We still have a fair amount of snow on the ground but it’s been finally melting with days in the 40s. Our season here runs until late May when the woods are already pretty thick, as are the bugs, so most guys try to get their hunting done early in the season. The population is looking good and we have a 5 bird limit.
Good luck Paul, I always enjoy following along with your hunts. Take a lot of pictures!
Sorry, but I can't resist:
---Golf vs. Hunting--- Let’s compare: Golf: The hole is always a known distance away. The hole is always visible because is has a nice flag waving over it. The course is always nearly flat. There are always either 18, or sometimes 9, holes. Many courses offer carts to drive you from hole to hole. "Hazards" on a golf course consist of artificial sand traps and ponds. Every hole always ends in success, even if it takes 10 strokes. You can take your sweet time teeing off on every hole. There is always a cold beer waiting at the "19th hole" (the clubhouse bar). You never get dirty playing golf. You don’t play golf in bad weather. If you get bloody, you've done something terribly wrong.
Hunting: The hole (the wild game) is never a known distance away (unless you use a rangefinder, a relatively modern device). The hole moves around randomly and constantly. The hole can see you, smell you, and hear you. The hole runs away and/or hides when it sees you, smells you, or hears you. There might not be even a single hole on the entire course, but you don’t know that. If you are lucky, you might have 5 seconds to judge the distance, get into your stance, and tee off on the one and only hole of the entire day. If you don’t get a hole-in-one on the first hole you find, you often don’t get any more holes for the entire course. The course is almost never flat. A cart doesn’t haul you from hole to hole. Hazards consist of poisonous snakes, mountain lions, grizzly bears, steep cliffs, unstable footing, and getting seriously lost. Most hunts end in failure (if “failure” is defined as always getting a hole). There are no cold beers waiting, unless you bring them. You almost always get dirty and sweaty while hunting. Bad weather is often the best time to hunt. If you get bloody, you've probably done something right.
Good luck Paul. I hope this weather turns around as it isn’t very conducive for turkey hunting. Hope to see you when you’re here.
Safe travels Paul - I see the weather shows heavy fog for your trip this morning
Good luck on the gobble chickens!
Good luck Paul. Man, I could use some turkey chasing right now.
Have a safe trip and a great hunt. I'm looking forward to following along.
Hope you have a great time, Paul !
Whack 'em and stack 'em !
Best of Luck, Jeff
Paul, if it's something to do, the hound's tongue and other weeds are starting to show so it's spraying season. Lots of exercise and you don't have to worry about tags. No limit on how many you can kill and so far you don't have to worry about causing their extinction. I have plenty of backpack sprayers and will provide all the chemicals.
Just a thought.
OK, I'm pretty much retired to, though not as seasoned as Paul. So my question is.......
......why the heck do you leave at 1:00 am instead of noon the previous day!!??!! I know we have to get up and pee three times during the night anyway, but man that is extreme.
I've never hunted turkeys in my life, but I'm thinking it must be pretty special to create such a drive in those that do. I may have to try it.
Good luck Paul! I know your hunt, pics and story line will be entertaining and inspiring!
Ambush posted before I did. We should have a talk when you get back....
I would leave at 9, stop for a nice lunch somewhere, get there around 3, set up camp, go out glassing and figure out where they're roosting. Otherwise you're acting like some poor guy with a job with only three days to hunt!
LOL....I was thinking maybe Paul is thinking like a kid at Christmas. If he gets up at 1 am then maybe Santa will have already come and his presents are already under the tree:)
Good luck Paul! I will be leaving home on Sunday for NE. I envy your 5 hour drive, it's 10.5 for me!!
Paul I think I will do a thread and call it "Gobbles over Gin"!! Not that I drink a lot of gin but the title sounds kind of catchy for some reason!
This is a thread I always look forward to. Can't wait to read the stories!!!
Long Beards and Bud.
Gobbles over Guinness.
Quills and Coors.
Jakes and Jack?
Mad Dog & ??........I guess nothing goes good with Mad Dog!
I think we just call it Wild Turkey 101.....
Good luck Paul ! Waiting on your story....
Good luck ! 5 hour drive to easy. I'll be headed to Kansas in a couple weeks leave at 2 am for the 15 hour drive lol
Good luck Paul! And yes, I also would have left at 9am the day before! Good on yah for driving thru the night!!!
Good luck Paul! Looking forward to the story and pictures.
14 hour drive for me. Can’t wait for your report. Good luck.. Hunt
Have a great trip, Paul!
BTM, great golf analogizing! : ^ )
Ok, I am back from Nebraska. The question was asked, "why leave in the middle of the night and not the day before? My answer is, I hate burning daylight, ie, driving during the day, when a hunting season is on. Day light is for hunting, night time is for driving. The opener in Nebraska was a "soft" open, which started on Sunday and not on Saturday. I figure not too many hunters would be out until the follow weekend.
So I head out in the dark and arrive at the first area 4 hours later. I get there an hour before first light so I have time for a quick nap. The eastern sky if starting of light up. I roll down the window and hear a weak gobble in the distance. Sort of like the first elk bugle; makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Man, it has to be Christmas morning! I will tell you right now, even after hunting the many years, I still get excited the first day and I hope that feeling and excitement never goes away.
I hear a few more gobbles but none of the birds sound very mature. Their gobbles are weak. I hour later I decide to head farther east to the prime area.
Pictured is the first turkey of the year, a hen crossing the field down below my observation hill.
Heck yeah Paul! Screw golf!
It is now Monday,, early afternoon, nice day, 60 degrees, light winds. At the prime area, I park in the same spot, as I did, during the archery deer season. I have observed 4 toms in the area last fall, and just decided to give it a try. I left the BD blind in the truck and just wore my string suit and took my favorite combination of decoys, a jake and three hens. 2:30 pm. I find a good location near the creek, and set up in a small open area. I back into a few fallen trees, set up the stool and prepare to spend the rest of the afternoon there with the compound bow in hand. Time to make things happen.
The seasoned box call sends out a beckoning yelp, yelp, yelp. WAM! a tom answered back with a mighty gobble, before the last yelp faded into the woods. I figured he was within 200 yards. This hunt might be over before it starts. Just like last year, the first hour after setting up the blind, two toms come walking in and I kill one with the recurve bow.
This tom is coming from a direction I had not planned on and I was sort of out of position. Fingers on the release, tension on the string. There he is! Big red head! Tail all fanned out! Fifty yards! Now behind a tree! Too far for a shot! He is being very cautious. Shot gun range for sure! I can not move! He sees the decoys and the red headed jake decoy. He does not want to challenge. A few minuted later he slips away. Dam! "Close" only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.
I stayed until dark, no action or turkey sounds, and head back to the truck to eat and sleep. Sleep? I have been up for 19 hours. Tuesday will be another day.
Darn Paul, hate when they are scared of the little old jake! Glad you made it out and back, I know you had a good time, hope you got one also!
this mule deer was curioius
this mule deer was curioius
turkey flock on adjacent private property
turkey flock on adjacent private property
a few good toms in the flock
a few good toms in the flock
off they go. Land owner only allows youth hunts on their property. I tried to convince them I was still a kid but they would not buy it. Young at heart anyway.
off they go. Land owner only allows youth hunts on their property. I tried to convince them I was still a kid but they would not buy it. Young at heart anyway.
Tuesday morning, first light. Standing next to the truck and do a few "shock gobbles". No return gobbles near by, but a few off in the distance. I turn the key on the Tacoma and head a mile in that direction. I believe this tom and his hens will fly down but will hear the other way. I set up a few decoys in the small field and wait hidden near by. The birds are 200 yards away and I can not get any closer. Sure enough, at fly down, they hit the ground, and move off in the opposite direction. Ok, now what? No way to get around in front of them. I drive back to where I was yesterday afternoon. find a better hiding spot and set there for 7 hours, yea, 7 hours! THe only animals I saw or heard were three white tail deer, two squirrels, eight wood ducks, and two possums at dark.
Wednesday morning I head to the area I killed a good tom two years ago. Hiked across the old bean field and set up at the edge of the woods. I am only 75 yards from private property and I know there are turkey there. Yep, an hour after first light they show up in the adjacent cut corn field, but I was unable to lure them near and and after awhile, they all head off in the other direction.
Good tom I killed using the Heads Up decoy in there same field two years ago but I was hunting a least three weeks later in the season.
Ok, new game plan but where. I got it. It take me an half hour to drive cross country to where I killed the tom last year on the first day trying. Maybe there will be some luck hanging around.
The tom I shot with the stick, on this very spot last year. Lightening did not strike twice for this year.
The tom I shot with the stick, on this very spot last year. Lightening did not strike twice for this year.
I set up without the DB blind but construct a good natural blind with local materials. I have killed a few toms in this area over the years and Tricia killed her very first shot gun tom there 8 years ago. How I relax and wait, hen yelping every fifteen minutes and read a few chapters in the book. A lot of "15 minutes" goes by without hearing anything. I expect, any second now, I will get a return call, a loud gobble. Does not happen this afternoon. Strange, even at last light, not gobbles at fly up time. I head back to the truck camp for the night and make plan, C or D.
I spot this tom a long way away and he is heading the opposite direction. Cruising for hens I bet.
I spot this tom a long way away and he is heading the opposite direction. Cruising for hens I bet.
Thursday morning. After a good breakfast of oatmeal and a blue berry Cliff Bar. I head out with the Heads Up decoy. If the toms would not come to me, I will go after them. I hike to a near by hill where I can see for a long distant and also hear well. Most often the turkey will fly down along the creek bottom and then head out into the surrounding hill sides to feed. One gobble, I head that way.
Thursday afternoon set up.
Thursday afternoon set up.
After two hours of chasing gobbles, I never catch up to the tom. I got to within 100 yards once but he kept on trucking.. Sort of like chasing elk bugles, Right OTC Will? Back to the truck, Plan D or E. Ok, I pack up the Tacoma and drive to another spot 5 miles away. I deer hunted this field last year and have killed a few turkey there. I will set up the DB and wait it out. I arrive and walk the field near the creek. Oh!, a gobble down near the creek so I head back to the truck, set up camp, and an 1/2 hour later, I am in the blind looking out the window for turkey movement. I hen yelp, I wait. I hen yelp some more, I wait some more. On and on until the sun sets. Not a sound. I pick up the blind and decoys and head back to the truck camp. While having dinner I hear a gobble way across the creek. Ok, plan D or E. I turn on my weather radio and the predictions are for a very cold night below freezing and within a few day, rain and light snow. I better get his done tomorrow. I hit the sack for the night.
Well the weather man was correct with the over night temperatures being below freezing. How about 18 degrees. Yes, 18 degrees. Even with my 17 degrees down sleeping bag and a blanket over it, I will still cold during the night.
Friday morning and I head for town in the morning as the temps were not fit for man or beast. A hot cup of coffee and a few donuts would help. I strike up a conversation with a new CBA member from Denver and we exchange hunting stories.. While still cool, the sun was out and the temp will rise into the high 50s but with gusting winds in the last afternoon up to 30 mph. Maybe I will give in one more chance. I head back to where I had heard the tom gobble across the creek last night.
Heads Up mounted on bow and now imagine another Heads UP on the pipe. Good hide and very convincing to an incoming tom or two.
Heads Up mounted on bow and now imagine another Heads UP on the pipe. Good hide and very convincing to an incoming tom or two.
Ok, last chance before heading home. The creek bottom is where I heard the tom last night. We hunters are always trying to develop hunting strategies and this morning was no exception. Not only would I take one Heads Up decoy but two. Yea, I had mounted one decoy on the bow the regular way and then other one, I mounted on a 1/2 inch PCV pipe two feet long and I could stick the pointed end, in the ground in front of me. I had thought about this when using my recurve bow but had no way of attaching the decoy to the bow, so the ground stake idea was born. Plus having two decoys to hide behind, in this open country seemed like a good idea. I tied both Heads Up decoys to my back pack for ease of travel and headed out into the rolling hills to find a tom.
Yea, I did say two toms. This hunt is still alive!!!!!
Yea, I did say two toms. This hunt is still alive!!!!!
Did I just say, "very convincing to an incoming tom or two. This story is not over yet!
I'd been waiting for you to post! Excellent story so far...looking forward to the conclusion, tom or no tom.
So I am ready and head for the surrounding hill thinking I might be able to see a tom feeding and then be able to sneak up on it with the two Heads Up decoys. I glassed the surrounding country with no turkeys sighted or heard. So I head down into the Cottonwood trees and along the creek bottom. Good feed and protection for the turkeys and with the warming sun, a good place to be.
I move along slowly, enjoying the warming temperatures and sending out a few hen cackles every hundred yards. An hour later, WAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get hammered by two toms 100 yards away and across the creek. I quickly look around for a good hide and finding a large Cottonwood tree in the shadows. I call back again and get hammered again. This time by two hammers.
I unpack the two Heads Up decoys, push into the soft ground the one on the stick, and set it up in front of me and then ready the bow mounted one. I cackle again, and get hammered again but closer. Will they hang up on the creed and not fly over? I give a few low yelps and purrs. Hammer again and closer. Fifty yards out a red head and a full tail fa is spotted moving slowly my way.. Then another tom in tow, coming my way. Am I seeing double , I guess so. I tuck up against the tree and move the bow mounted decoy from side to side. Hear they come in full strut but behind some light cover of branches and tall grass. Thirty yards, Twenty yards, Fifteen yards. I am at full draw on both toms in the clear. A slight pressure on the release trigger, the arrow is on its way.
Wack! Well a soft wack. A explosion of feathers, the turkey turned away with head down and low to the trail and make an escape and disappears around the corner and heads back the whey it had come. The other hung around out of range for a few minutes and then left in the opposite direction.
I thought, Lots of feathers, running tom, not good!. Later I check out the area, and except for a few feathers, no blood or dead tom; I had shot too high in all of the excitement of the first hunt and first tom of the year. I looked for the arrow down range without finding it and it was not until I was ready to leave that I found it near where the tom had been.,-- BH covered with down feathers and no blood.
Well, baseball has three strikes and you are out. So according to that, I still have two more strikes to go. Nebraska, will be be back and then next time, be ready for a home run. my best, Paul
Darn! Can't always bat a thousand..thanks for sharing Paul!
Ah, crap!
Can't imagine the adrenaline rush having them come in while you're fully exposed with just the deeks for cover....that's awesome! When's the next installment?
Nick, I will head back the week before the shotgun season opens on the April 14th.
Paul, thanks for taking the time. As a guy missing turkey season this year I’m glad I’ve got friends to hunt vicariously through. I really enjoyed this. Good luck!
I'm another member of the no bowl or golf club! Sounds like you had a great time! Always enjoy your story and pics! I know you are likely already counting down the days until your next trip! Good luck!
I have never hunted turkeys in my life, although I grew up hunting rabbits and deer for food. It seems awfully exciting and I am contemplating getting out there.
Don't know how to ever prepare or what to bring. I have watched some videos on processing turkeys, and I have watched a lot of turkey hunting videos. I think I need calls and maybe decoys. Deciding on decoys doesn't seem to be a challenge, but calls seems like there is a plethora from which to choose.
As a previous poster has mentioned, here in Connecticut we don't get out until April 25th so I still have time to scout and get some gear together.
Thanks for the story , Paul
Good luck when you make the return trip.
Exciting hunt. Good luck on your return trip.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME????????????????
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ME????????????????
Skypeace. you are correct there is a ton of info on You-tube concerning turkey calling and decoys set up. Lots of info here on Bowsite also. Personally I only use a box call and a few mouth diaphragms. I have gone away from the box call that uses chalk on the paddle and on the side/top of the sound box TO a chalk- less box call. No worries concerning damp weather where chalk does gum up and make the bow useless. The two mouth diaphragms I use is a single that make a higher pitched sound of a young turkey and also a "split" reed call that sound like a more mature hen. Another call I use is the gobble shaker and it works to agitate a tom to come and protect his hens from a rival tom. One have to be careful when using the shaker as it can attract other hunters to your area. I only use mine during bow season or in an area where I know, another hunter may not be. many times it only take one shake or two to do the trick.
Most of the toms I have killed have been from a blind with four decoys, but a manufactured blind is not needed if one has good wood skills or just likes the challenge not to use on but natural cover. Tent blinds are nice in windy weather, or some rain, or for taking naps or with youth hunters.. I would recommend a tent blind for the first time turkey hunter. Unlike deer, turkey are somewhat active through out the day. Do some reading on the wild turkey and learn of it's habits and its life cycle. Roost trees, feed, mating, strut areas, travel patterns, etc will help you gain knowledge. Check with the local biologist, join the Wild Turkey Federation, and then boots on the ground. Many of us on bowsite have killed our share of the red headed tom turkey, but every year we hunt them, they still teach us something new. my best, Paul
Thanks for posting Paul. Congrats on the successful hunt.
Thanks Matt. As much as I love getting out and enjoying Nature, (I can do that in my back yard) when I go hunting, I want to kill the species I am hunting. Success will just be around the next corner. Paul
I'm jealous just because you are already out there successful or not. I should be in Nebraska right now but some unfortunate circumstances are keeping me home. Good luck on your next trip man I need some buffalo style wild turkey nuggets soon !!!
Old luck when you head out next time, Paul. Hopefully, it will warm by then!
This one just walked up to my Police Car to say Happy Easter !!!
The "Awesome , Avian Archer's Adventure" chronicles continues to to inspire and entertain! Thanks Paul for taking us along again and relieving some winter stress.
And I'm sure the tom's won't get the last gobble in the next encounter!
Can't wait to read the next chapter. Always fun to read your posts. Good luck.
Darn close Paul! Hunt will be here Thursday and we are about to get serious! Thanks for sharing.
Beav, looks like good weather coming. I am heading back on Saturday to make amends.
on the stake
on the stake
When traveling along, I tie both decoys face down, to my back pack for ease of carry place the stick in the pack. Add some hunter orange during shot gun season. less then 3 mins to set up
When traveling along, I tie both decoys face down, to my back pack for ease of carry place the stick in the pack. Add some hunter orange during shot gun season. less then 3 mins to set up
So to give you some idea of the double Heads Up decoy set up. One on a stake and the other one attached to the bow. The stake should be long enough so the tail feathers are as tall as your head/shoulders. A pointed end will help penetrate the ground. I push the stake in first and then add the decoy. If using the recurve bow I would just use the decoy on the stake. While one Heads Up decoy attached to the bow has worked in the past. I hope my Double Trouble set up will work even better. Always fun trying new techniques and applications.
Keith, I did not start to kill toms with the bow until I left the shot gun at home. You will figure it out. A former Buckeye and Michigan resident also. Have fun. Paul
