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2024 Turkey Thread

Opening day here in Missouri. Took the shotgun for a little 5 mile or so walk in the woods. Called in 1 angry hen, 1 silent Jake and that was it. Didn't hear a single gobble or any shots. Talked to several hunters who reported the same. Opening week last year was about the same, hoping after the front moves in Tuesday night they start to get vocal.
 
goodfelg said:
Opening day here in Missouri. Took the shotgun for a little 5 mile or so walk in the woods. Called in 1 angry hen, 1 silent Jake and that was it. Didn't hear a single gobble or any shots. Talked to several hunters who reported the same. Opening week last year was about the same, hoping after the front moves in Tuesday night they start to get vocal.
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A buddy hunted up in NC AR and had a poor morning as well. Called up some jakes but said there was basically no gobbling.
 
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Here’s another pattern from yesterday.

Both of the patterns were shot from my Remington 870 express 20 gauge with a Trulock .565 precision hunter turkey choke.

I think the apex is a little better at 40, but it’s also 1-5/8oz #9 tss compared to the remington at 1-1/2oz
 
Well hope everyone is having fun Turkey hunting!

Pulled a rookie move this morning on a bird. Rushed the situation and shot. I was super bummed but it was cool to notice myself not being an idiot and get upset like I used to. Snapped outta it pretty quick.

Had a buddy with me and the last 3 days my cheeks have hurt from laughing and smiling so much!
 
We found one that wanted to play the game this afternoon. My nine year olds first Tom. He shot a Jake last year.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Bowtie747 said:
Well hope everyone is having fun Turkey hunting!

Pulled a rookie move this morning on a bird. Rushed the situation and shot. I was super bummed but it was cool to notice myself not being an idiot and get upset like I used to. Snapped outta it pretty quick.

Had a buddy with me and the last 3 days my cheeks have hurt from laughing and smiling so much!
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Man I have to keep reminding myself not to force a shot. I struggle cause if one is in gun range I think I just HAVE to kill him then and there. Usually doesn't end up well for me.
 
I went out to that private property invite over the weekend. I turned out to be the only 1 there who was really attempting to kill a turkey so that worked out good....my dad wanted to go with me so we walked out the first morning and heard gobbles at the furthest end of the property. I had walked the property the evening we got there and seen a hen out in that direction the evening before. Other than the hen I found zero sign. We got out there and set up and figured out they were farm turkeys...dang it. We walked the rest of the morning to no gobbles or seeing anything. When we get back to the house there is 1 gobbling on the neighbors property a pretty long way away. Watched golf, egg salad and pimento cheese, shot some guns, and I went out to listen that afternoon and didn't here or see anything except a bunch of deer. The next morning I listened to 2 birds gobbling back and forth across a big clear cut on the neighbors. They were constantly gobbling all morning till the sun hit the tops of the tallest trees and I assume they flew down and shut up. I was set up on the property line overlooking the neighbors huge clear cut and I think I maybe caught a glimpse of 1 of them way way far away thru the binoculars but that about it......turkey hunting on large pieces of public is way more fun than smaller private tracts for sure....frustrating to know where they were and not be able to move on them.

Really roughing it out there.....hahahaba
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Micneador said:
Man I have to keep reminding myself not to force a shot. I struggle cause if one is in gun range I think I just HAVE to kill him then and there. Usually doesn't end up well for me.
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It’s tough man! Last time I did it I ended up shooting my next 3 birds at like 15 yards because I didn’t wanna do it again. This situation was extra dumb because they were relaxed as can be. No indication they Wouldn’t have come another 10 yards.
 
Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes your the nail, and sometimes the hammer fortnight dances over your dead body. These ***hats weren't 15 yards off the road on the neighboring property that I have access to. As you can tell by the bird with his head up and mouth open, it got hot quick today. Screenshot_20240417_185417_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20240417_185411_Gallery.jpg
 
bigcat93 said:
Did you carry both out there??
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No, my dad was hunting with me. We were hunting out of a blind since I was planning on using my bow. He brought his shotgun on the hopes we could double up.

This bird appeared out of nowhere and was walking fast right to left across the log landing in front of the blind. It was out of bow range so I told dad to grab his gun and shoot. By the time he picked up his gun the bird was already past his field of view. I was on the right side of the blind so I had a few extra seconds of seeing the bird. He handed the gun to me and told me to shoot.

He bought a new Steven’s 20 gauge last week. I feel a little guilty shooting the first bird with it.
 
GCTerpfan said:
He bought a new Steven’s 20 gauge last week. I feel a little guilty shooting the first bird with it.
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I'm sure he doesn't mind. Being the old guy dad who often still sits with his adult daughter I can tell you it never gets old watching your kid have success, no matter how old they are. ;) That gun will have a special memory/meaning to him now more so than the first bird he shoots with it.
 
I went out yesterday and didn't hear anything except some crows. I made a big loop and then late morning drove to another area and switched gears and hog hunted. I talked to a friend of mine last night and he said he went and did not hear a thing either. He has good private land to hunt and has been working on his Grand Slam this year. He got a bird in Florida and a bird in Texas, and he is going to Wyoming in a couple weeks for the other. It is the MS birds that are skunking him. I told him I think we got a defective batch of birds and that we need to see if we can get a refund or exchange, lol. The Mississippi birds are awful again this year. This is the third year in a row.
 
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