I'm in Turkey mode now - who else?
Turkey
Contributors to this thread:
This is my first year hunting them and it is a BLAST!!!
can’t wait to get out again, wish I wouldn’t have wasted 20yrs if my life not hunting them and just chasing fish.. turkeys are way more fun!!
I am shotgunning, for now ;)
Definately in turkey mode. I'm skipping the MN fishing opener and going turkey hunting.
I'm the same way. However, they are my favorite thing to hunt here.
I’m NEVER in Turkey mode...Now BEAR mode, that’s a different story.
Turkey has come and gone, in crappie mode now...
Been up at 3:30-4 to go hunting 11 outta the last 13 days. Been a tough season so far, have hunted Missouri, Maryland and PA. Have gun killed 2 longbeards, one in MO and one in MD. Todays in MD was gonna be a bowkill, as he was 10 yds from the deek, 10 feet outside my blind to the right and he got nervous about something and starting easing back the way he came from behind me. Turned to go and the back corner window wasnt open enough for a 125 grain bullhead, but twas open enough for a benelli barrel. Cant get enough of it....
Waking up everyday at 3:30 am...I’ll kick it the end of June. Good luck on the last tag!
I've hunted a lot of different game and bird species over the years and picked up gobbler hunting 6 seasons ago. There are only a couple species that get my blood pumping...they include bighorn sheep, mtn goats.....and tom turkeys! I've never had "buck fever" hunting other species but had several cases of "turkey fever" this season. In fact, I had several toms at 5 yards this season and ended up screwing up and missing point-blank shots! My nerves got the best of me! That has never happened with bugling bulls, rutting muley or antelope bucks, etc....pretty wild what those long beards do to me! There's not many days in the year when I'm not thinking about gobblers and when/where I can hunt them next! This year I made long drives to a couple states and had a fantastic time!
Yep all about the Turkey until the end of the month then hardly think about them again until about February. I usually shoot one in the fall incidentally and always have a tag or two for the occasion, but isn't the same as spring gobbling and strutting!
I wish turkey breeding season was a bit earlier in the year here in Iowa. I take the wife out or go out by myself, and, if things are pretty slow, I start thinking about all of the things I could be doing on my food plots if the weather cooperates. I planted corn on 1/2 of a plot yesterday evening, and went back over there late this afternoon to plant the beans. Pulled in and there were 5 longbeards out in the field giving me the finger (I think!)
All tagged out here and sick of em now. Bring on the velvet :-)
Eight weeks of turkey hunting everyday and I am exhausted but still excited to go everyday.Finally last bird killed and get time to get some sleep.Usually about two days later and I'm in withdrawals.By then reports start coming in from the rest of the country,that helps a little with withdrawals.Luckily my elk guide emailed today with some info and a pep talk about the coming season and miraculously the withdrawals disappeared. Good luck to all still at it
Turkeys are on my mind way too much! Since I began chasing them with the bow, about twelve years ago now, they’ve become downright addicting. I find myself constantly thinking about next moves and strategy.
I’m fortunate enough to live at a place where I can hunt them nearly six straight weeks in some shape or form and have solid turkey habitat right out my backdoor. Hunting with a bow has given me the opportunity to learn many behaviors that I’d have never witnessed with a gun. I don’t proclaim myself to be any better than a shotgun hunter, but sometimes feel like an ornithologist as opposed to a hunter with bow in hand!
Bear mode for me but turkeys are fun too.
I’ve been taking my 17 year old nephew who wants to arrow one. He’s shot under two jakes. One of them twice. Had a coyote spook two Toms the other day. Turkey hunting is my favorite. Love the sounds of spring.
Turkeys eh...
Next weekend I’m going to my elk camp.
I haven't hunted turkeys in probably 3 years now. I'm generally in AK for the CA opener and by the time I get there in April, it's an afterthought. It's a 90 minute drive to the nearest turkeys from me in CA and 90 minute hike. I would have gone once last week but it rained on the only day I could go that I wasn't sick.
But I'm back in AK and will be doing some duck and goose hunting. We get to hunt migrating birds coming and going in the northern part of the state. I'm looking forward to bagging some more green-winged teal. Yum!
This morning. 22.5 lbs. 1.25 spurs. Full on turkey mode.
Been over for 3 weeks here, Work and fishing mode now
Turkey mode is in full strength . Leaving for a turkey hunt in Nebraska in a week.
Can’t figure out how to rotate second image....
Just exiting that mode,all tags filled.Now muskies,then elk,then whitetails,then coyotes,then turkeys again.
Booner
Booner
Friends Bear at Razza’s
Friends Bear at Razza’s
Turkeys, morels and Bears. We gotta do something before the fall.
Been 10 of the 11 days its been open here in NY....full steam ahead
Yes I am in turkey mode for a few more weeks. I will then forget about them until fall. Then think of them through the winter while trying to perfect making calls.
I’m in food plotting mode. Got two turkeys in the freezer and I’ve been promised fried turkey breast, mashed taters and gravy for Sunday dinner.
Been in turkey mode for a month now, slept in this morning, raining hard. Tomorrow will take 12 year old granddaughter out for the second time, first time birds didn't cooperate. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. She doesn't like getting up at 4 AM so one day and done would be good.
My tag started on the 7th. Heading for the woods at noon for the weekend.
Love to hunt them - been hunting them since I was 12 - never gets old! Did not draw a tag but called for a few people - ALMOST as much fun as hunting myself.
Lee
I'm always in turkey mode. But the last 2 weeks have been tough. Shooting left now and so far I've given out 3 haircuts !
I'm in walleye mode! :) I'm also in full dog training mode. Forgot how much I enjoyed training bird dogs!
Spring turkey hunting is a blast. You get to hunt when most everything else is closed. Pre dawn gobbling off of the roost... priceless. I was fortunate to tag out the first morning I hunted three weeks ago. I’ve been try to help my GF get one. When she doesn’t go, I go hunt them with the camcorder. Mid morning naps in the woods with no mosquito (yet). Life is good!
I have only been out twice for a couple hrs here in WNY...had one answer my calls 10 minutes before noon today, go figure... I will be out early tommorrow with my camera and remington, I really want to have some fresh turkey for my recipes! Nice video and bird there Pat.
Fresh wild turkey thighs with rice, option of gravy from broth after pressure cooking or a spicy sunkist orange sauce i found on delish.com for wings.
Salt, rub in dash chicken seasoning and pressure cooked bone in thighs for 1 hour n 40 mins(hour n half woulda done it fine), then lightly dust shredded meat with flour, heat up a skillet of olive oil and crisp one side like in hank shaws wild turkey carnitas recipe. So. Freaking. Good....
That's what I'm talkn about! Boy that looks good! Thank you.
Dang, that sounds good Justin!!!!! : )
I am ALWAYS in Turkey Mode this time of year! Unfortunately, the last few years April and May have been crazy with family and other obligations! Have had to take time off work due to family health concerns and picking up son at college and other things etc.............. Haven't got a chance to get out there yet, but hope to make it out a handful of times in the next few weeks before it closes. Luckily, we have all day hunting the second half of the season, so hopefully I can get out a few days after work. Been trying to kill a bird with my bow for years now..............................................maybe THIS will be the year! ;-)
I’m with trkyslr on this. The only time I’m not in turkey mode is when I’m hot on the trail of a monster buck. I’m now setting numerous trail cameras just to get pictures of them strutting from different angles. I love this time of year! But I get sleep deprived
Longbeard, im with ya on the sleep deprived thing. But this morning it was rainy so i slept in until 6:45. And throughout the day, i was no less tired than during the day last week and a half when i was up by 3:40 every morning.... Its crazy what we'll do to chase a turkey...;^)
I hear ya stick. I think it’s a rhythm thing. You know the old saying, “I have to go back to work to get some sleep “. Although I did shoot two birds this week and slept in both times.
I shot this one this morning and slept in till 7:30am!