I am ready for Thunder Chickens season. But are they fired up yet or not. I have 1 blind set in one of my best spot. So I am ready but haven't seen any strutting up North here yet.
This shot placement was from my sons CSB at 5 yards out of a Double Bull on the same field from Pic # one. I have a video of the hunt but not savvy enough to figure how to put it up load.
It's the same each year with ticks and I am with Writer on the Permethrin deal. I have used the Vets supply for 7 years now and I love it plus I don't go fishin, huntin or srums lookin without it on my cloths. great product.!
Ksgobbler, I almost made the same comment about the boys from Arkansas. Use the purple paint, as those boys have a tendency to become illiterate when they see "No Trespassing." In Arkansas, "I can't read" is a good defense, in Kansas, not so much. (Insert Brownback school funding joke here)
By the looks of it I may not hunt but the first day. Three birds might get or be a lonely Rafter of Thunder Chickens. Using my CSB @55# recurve and mag 4 blades. Haven't heard a peep up here yet. One of my Cuz's has heard one West of Osawatomie, Ks.
bird population seems to be down from last year, and I thought last year was bad. went out early this morning to a place I should here several birds gobbling, only had a couple, and one was a jake
The birds haven't even split and come up the creeks around here. There's a winter flock on the edge of Eldorado still. Give it a few more weeks and they'll be everywhere. I only heard one gobbling this evening while fishing on public but I guarantee there will be have s dozen opening day of shotgun season like there have been the last ten years.
Could be. Usually birds will frequent the same places but sometimes they shift and use different spots due to feed. There was some kind of disease taking them out of Fall River WA about 8 years ago but they seem to be coming back.
The thunder chickens have been struttin and fighting here for almost 2 weeks now. We have group of about 30-40 that keep coming in on camera at least once a day. Cant wait to get guys out on em
Dunno, Kyle. Surely you know we’re moving to Lawrence this weekend, right? That means I’ll have to grow my hair out into dreadlocks, meltdown all of my evil weapons, become a vegan, donate 90-percent of what we’ve worked hard for to those who do not want to work and get Bernie stickers for my only form of transportation-my bicycle. Peace. :-)
Last time he did it, David, the city had taken all the guns from the residents and locked them up. Quantrill and his men attacked unarmed citizens. Why does that seem an important point now?
Because the bleeding heart liberal mayor said all private arms had to be kept in an armory, so 180 men and boys died. No ladies were shot, they could not vote.
Use expandables. I've never lost one using them but I have had birds soak up several using fixed broadheads. My theory is the blades opening up inside them has a lot of shock.
I have a Cyclone Tom Bomb on the arrow in my bow because you either take off their head or miss in my experience. I have my deer broad head as a backup next to me and have killed several in the body if they hold up past 15 yards. I personally have much higher success with the head shots, but those are also much closer shots so that has quite a bit to do with it.
I pulled cards today. Not a single turkey pic. There was one strutter in the field that last year had 5. Did see 7 hens with 2 long beards on public but lots of folks out scouting said public.
I have seen winter flocks literally disperse the day before shotgun season. I wouldn't get too worked up over not seeing much yet. One year, back in the 90's my dad drove across the creek and parked under a big oak and climbed into a tower stand. When the sun came up, it started snowing and the turkeys were roosted above his truck! They were nervous but one big gobbler finally flew down and he shot it under the tower. After that, a hen flew down and called in another gobbler which started flailing on the dead one, all the while it was spitting snow. I had to watch the whole thing from across the field in my tower stand. Two years after that, we weren't seeing much of anything and we were back at the same spot opening morning. When the woods woke up, the whole valley was alive with at least 8-10 gobbling jakes, none of which were visible before. We had two on the ground in an hour.
Took a father with his young son on their 1st turkey hunt this morning. 21.75lbs 7/8 & 7/8 9.375
He is 9, did really good, had him using a shooting stick with my youth 870 20ga.. using Winchester long beard xr. He had to stand up in the blind and free hand shoot him.. got to see 4 other Toms , bunch of hens were just out of sight.. Also got to see a Bobcat come along the creek..then the turkeys saw him and erupted into a mad chaos of putts...killed the bird at 7:37a..
The hunt was part of a church youth group.. five 1st time hunters..the other 4 are still out with their hosts.
Nice Job Z Hunter! way to get them kids involved. I hope that white stuff is gone by the time I get out that way next weekend. We've had our share here in Indiana and I'd rather not see no more !
Sat on the deck this morning. One bird gobbled 3/4 mile east and another a half mile south. They appear to have broken up so I am starting to get nervous. Usually they are here the day after so burn, but I burned a couple weeks ago.
Still seeing big winter flocks of turkeys both at school in Manhattan, and at home in southeast Kansas. They're finally starting to break up, and I'm sure the incoming warm weather will accelerate that. Definitely a lot of birds around, will be good hunting this year.
I had this Jake and his brother come in to my decoys at 1:30 today. I ran him off like this no less than 6 times...but he stuck around within 50yds gobbling at every call and spittin/drummin the entire time until I left at 7pm. I've got about 30min of video and then I just quit filming...crazy dang'ol bird!!
The mature birds have been henned up or decoy shy, at least where I've been, but lots of Jakes around.
Great video...gotta protect the dekes and keep’em looking good for when the longbeard eventually comes in. Looks like he would have pecked a hole in that poor deke if left to his own devices?
Took a friend Fri to see if we could get her some pics...a fairly nice guy gave us access to one of his best spots, and they were fired up in the afternoon!
Here you go Tejas, shot this one on saturday morning in the kansas cold, 18 yard shot and 10 yard recovery. 10.5 in beard and 1 and 1/8 spurs. Body shot with a slicktrick 100 magnum. Posted on the turkey thread for story.
Boy wants to hunt so set up the pop up blind after work. Heard some gobbling. As soon as we get sister on the bus we gonna walk down and try it. I am taking a bang stick though. Currently between bows.
Yesterday was perfect with hardly any wind.. shot the first one at 22 yards and while posing for a pic of him, I heard more birds coming.. jumped back in the blind and twenty minutes later killed number two at 30 yards.. first bird hit with an NAP two inch trophy tip, second one a Magnus Buzzcut fixed blade
Turkeys walked right by the log jam I was burning in the middle of the creek. I hid behind a tree at ground level below the creek bank till they were within range. No calling or blind but I did have a decoy about ten yards away.
Cold and rainy, but the turkeys didn't mind. Wishing my 10 year old Lane had been with me. I didn't go out at dawn due to the rain but it let up enough to let me slip in undetected. They were going good this morning. Had 4 toms come in after I brought the lead hen into the decoys. Terrible picture but it was raining hard and I didn't feel like messing with more than one pic. I like to let the fan dry out normally but there was no end in sight for the rain this morning. I got good video and he didn't go far. Good late start to the season.
Fetched my turkey this morning, well, shared the kill with a 2010 Ranger, Ford Ranger that is. But I hit it first so that make it mine, mine, mine damn it mine.....
I've seen them courting where the cursor hand is about 200 yds off my friend's porch in Butler County. They were coming in to a green wheat field from a big pasture to the north in April two years ago.
Had a bearded hen at 10 yards this morning with 4 others and no male bird with them. Went back out at 1230 and called in a lone hen about 1. 145 ish decided to head to the blind from the morning encounter and walked almost smack into a strutter and his buddy. Don’t think they knew what I was since the one bird never broke strut as I slinked away.
I found a lek while crappie fishing at Eldorado two years ago. We could hear them booming from the satchel creek area and I found them the next day about 3/4 mile SE on a burnt off pasture. I've got some pics here somewhere
Nice work everyone! I was fortunate enough to shoot one last Friday. I'm hoping to fill the other tag on a bird I missed opening weekend of archery season, but a jake might be in trouble if they get too close. ;)
Jerry it's just expected brother, call us when you kill 2 more ;?) and MP, ltrained birds do not count towards quota...not that there's anything wrong with that.
I had the worst turkey hunt EVER this year! My normal spots were void of birds. I’d see them across the fence,down the road, and on other places that I see them ever year. Don’t k ow if it was bad luck,bad timing, or what? Was able to gain permission on a new place the DID have some birds and we were able to kill one. I have been fortunate to have some really good hunts....just not this year. Season ain’t over though;) I’ve traveled further for less....lol
Have the birds, have the want to just not the time....Spring is always out busiest season couple that with buying a new house and getting ready to move plus all the kid functions I may have some really old birds next year. Good luck to those still going after them.
Tagged out this morning, had this one sneak in at 9:30, it was a 15 yard shot and 3 yard recovery, 11 inch beard and 1 inch spurs, congrats to everyone, and good luck to who is still at it.
Good looking birds all around!! I finished my 2018 Turkey season on Monday with this tom I shot. There are a few days left and I hoping to see some more pics posted! Good luck to everyone that still have a tag!
Chris I love that camo it was my first hunting camo. Jim Crumley still sells it but, whats better then having dads old stuff. Nice Jason way to get it done. Nice bird and love the picture.