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2022 Turkey Hunting Thread

Lessons learned the hard way in year 2 of bow hunting and turkey hunting:
1. When wearing a ghillie suit for the first time, be sure to trim around the face so the wind doesn't blow it across your dominant eye when in full draw
2. When bow hunting turkey in natural cover make sure to remove any branches/twigs in your shooting lane. Then remove any not in your shooting lane. Then remove any near your shooting lane.
3. When bow hunting turkey, remove another arrow from your quiver in case the bird doesn't flee after you miss. Once you remove it, make sure you can reach it without having to get up off the ground.
Full story: This was the first Tom I've ever seen hunting (only the 3rd turkey in two years at this point). Watched him come across the field from 100 yds straight to my decoy. Everything was working out perfectly until I drew back and the wind blew my Ghillie suit across my dominant eye obstructing my view through the peep. In that moment I thought "I'm should be pretty close without using the peep" based on previous practice. After holding at full draw and unsuccessfully trying to move my head around to clear my eye, I released the shot and it hit a branch causing it to fly two feet over the Tom. The turkey flew up due to the noise and came right back down to the same spot while the jake that was with him flew off. I didn't expect another opportunity so I had to pull an arrow from my quiver. I reloaded as the Tom started to walk off in the direction of the jake, then stood up to take another shot hoping he wouldn't see me. The movement startled him and I didn't get another opportunity. It was a beautiful bird. I saw another 20-30 jakes over the next 2 days, but didn't get another opportunity at a Tom. Struggling between loving the challenge of getting one with the bow and lamenting the missed opportunity to bag a Tom had I taken the 12 gauge. Think I'll stick with the bow for stories like these to keep my friends and family entertained. :) (FYI, that's my buddy taking the video/photo; not my shooting lane)

Tom Turkey.jpg
 
I almost sat there last night but decided to try a different spot... I didn't see so much as a squirrel lol. What are the chances he's back tonight?
 

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Horn said:
I almost sat there last night but decided to try a different spot... I didn't see so much as a squirrel lol. What are the chances he's back tonight?
Click to expand...
Shoot, I woulda been in there this morning! He’s got to be roosting close.
I would imagine he won’t be too far this evening but you never know.
 
Well, the zero gobbles streak this season is officially over. I decided to go out one last time this morning and see if those crazy birds would cooperate. I went to a ridge in pine timber and set up and called a bit. I heard a few clucks from down the valley, so I at least knew there were hens around. I sat there for about 20 minutes after doing a soft calling sequence and I heard what I thought was a gobble about 500 yards to my East. It was faint. I packed up and headed toward where I thought the gobbler was. I had a fair idea of this area's topography since I have deer hunted it a few times. My guess was that the gobbler was on a hillside 2 ridges over. I slipped onto the top of that ridge and stood around for about 5 minutes and he gobbled again. I was within 200 yards now. I decided to slip down into the valley and try to set up on the side hill overlooking the draw. I went about 100 yards total and started second guessing myself. I was worried I had pushed in too far and the bird might have seen me.

I sat down and got comfortable and made a short call sequence. Well somehow, I had bypassed a hen that was now on the hill above me to my right. I never saw her, but she started a little cutting, so I followed suite. She started to get mad. At this, the gobbler fired off down the valley. He was about 80 yards out, but I could not see him. I gave a short call sequence to let him know where I was, and he responded. Meanwhile that ticked off hen was still soft cutting and walking away to my right on the ridge top. I though, alright. I'll just shut up and let him come in. The hen was still sort of between me and the gobbler.

Well, while I was paying attention to the gobbler 80 yards out and trying to keep that hen above me from spotting me, another gobbler came in silent and side hilled me from the left. When he gobbled he just about gave me a heart attack. He was 35 yards to my left. I slowly swung around and when he cleared a big pine tree I gave him 2 ounces of TSS #9. Just after the shot the first gobbler gobbled again! Crazy bird. I hope he knows he wrote a check this other gobbler had to cash.

I may go back in there in the morning to see if I can finish what we started today.
 

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NMSbowhunter said:
Well, the zero gobbles streak this season is officially over. I decided to go out one last time this morning and see if those crazy birds would cooperate. I went to a ridge in pine timber and set up and called a bit. I heard a few clucks from down the valley, so I at least knew there were hens around. I sat there for about 20 minutes after doing a soft calling sequence and I heard what I thought was a gobble about 500 yards to my East. It was faint. I packed up and headed toward where I thought the gobbler was. I had a fair idea of this area's topography since I have deer hunted it a few times. My guess was that the gobbler was on a hillside 2 ridges over. I slipped onto the top of that ridge and stood around for about 5 minutes and he gobbled again. I was within 200 yards now. I decided to slip down into the valley and try to set up on the side hill overlooking the draw. I went about 100 yards total and started second guessing myself. I was worried I had pushed in too far and the bird might have seen me.

I sat down and got comfortable and made a short call sequence. Well somehow, I had bypassed a hen that was now on the hill above me to my right. I never saw her, but she started a little cutting, so I followed suite. She started to get mad. At this, the gobbler fired off down the valley. He was about 80 yards out, but I could not see him. I gave a short call sequence to let him know where I was, and he responded. Meanwhile that ticked off hen was still soft cutting and walking away to my right on the ridge top. I though, alright. I'll just shut up and let him come in. The hen was still sort of between me and the gobbler.

Well, while I was paying attention to the gobbler 80 yards out and trying to keep that hen above me from spotting me, another gobbler came in silent and side hilled me from the left. When he gobbled he just about gave me a heart attack. He was 35 yards to my left. I slowly swung around and when he cleared a big pine tree I gave him 2 ounces of TSS #9. Just after the shot the first gobbler gobbled again! Crazy bird. I hope he knows he wrote a check this other gobbler had to cash.

I may go back in there in the morning to see if I can finish what we started today.
Click to expand...
Incredible.
 
It was crazy. Today I was lazy and hunted a spot I know has been hammered with pressure. I walked maybe 700 yards from the truck. I've been making 3 and 4 mile loops.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
Well, the zero gobbles streak this season is officially over. I decided to go out one last time this morning and see if those crazy birds would cooperate. I went to a ridge in pine timber and set up and called a bit. I heard a few clucks from down the valley, so I at least knew there were hens around. I sat there for about 20 minutes after doing a soft calling sequence and I heard what I thought was a gobble about 500 yards to my East. It was faint. I packed up and headed toward where I thought the gobbler was. I had a fair idea of this area's topography since I have deer hunted it a few times. My guess was that the gobbler was on a hillside 2 ridges over. I slipped onto the top of that ridge and stood around for about 5 minutes and he gobbled again. I was within 200 yards now. I decided to slip down into the valley and try to set up on the side hill overlooking the draw. I went about 100 yards total and started second guessing myself. I was worried I had pushed in too far and the bird might have seen me.

I sat down and got comfortable and made a short call sequence. Well somehow, I had bypassed a hen that was now on the hill above me to my right. I never saw her, but she started a little cutting, so I followed suite. She started to get mad. At this, the gobbler fired off down the valley. He was about 80 yards out, but I could not see him. I gave a short call sequence to let him know where I was, and he responded. Meanwhile that ticked off hen was still soft cutting and walking away to my right on the ridge top. I though, alright. I'll just shut up and let him come in. The hen was still sort of between me and the gobbler.

Well, while I was paying attention to the gobbler 80 yards out and trying to keep that hen above me from spotting me, another gobbler came in silent and side hilled me from the left. When he gobbled he just about gave me a heart attack. He was 35 yards to my left. I slowly swung around and when he cleared a big pine tree I gave him 2 ounces of TSS #9. Just after the shot the first gobbler gobbled again! Crazy bird. I hope he knows he wrote a check this other gobbler had to cash.

I may go back in there in the morning to see if I can finish what we started today.
Click to expand...
HECK YEA CONGRATS!
 
5 day out of state hunt chewed me up and spit me out. Was lucky enough to shoot this fella on the last morning.
d592b320ce3c3d954677b792f520b3fc.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Mengle said:
5 day out of state hunt chewed me up and spit me out. Was lucky enough to shoot this fella on the last morning.
d592b320ce3c3d954677b792f520b3fc.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Nice bird. You need to expand on "chewed me up and spit me out!"
 
NMSbowhunter said:
Well, the zero gobbles streak this season is officially over. I decided to go out one last time this morning and see if those crazy birds would cooperate. I went to a ridge in pine timber and set up and called a bit. I heard a few clucks from down the valley, so I at least knew there were hens around. I sat there for about 20 minutes after doing a soft calling sequence and I heard what I thought was a gobble about 500 yards to my East. It was faint. I packed up and headed toward where I thought the gobbler was. I had a fair idea of this area's topography since I have deer hunted it a few times. My guess was that the gobbler was on a hillside 2 ridges over. I slipped onto the top of that ridge and stood around for about 5 minutes and he gobbled again. I was within 200 yards now. I decided to slip down into the valley and try to set up on the side hill overlooking the draw. I went about 100 yards total and started second guessing myself. I was worried I had pushed in too far and the bird might have seen me.

I sat down and got comfortable and made a short call sequence. Well somehow, I had bypassed a hen that was now on the hill above me to my right. I never saw her, but she started a little cutting, so I followed suite. She started to get mad. At this, the gobbler fired off down the valley. He was about 80 yards out, but I could not see him. I gave a short call sequence to let him know where I was, and he responded. Meanwhile that ticked off hen was still soft cutting and walking away to my right on the ridge top. I though, alright. I'll just shut up and let him come in. The hen was still sort of between me and the gobbler.

Well, while I was paying attention to the gobbler 80 yards out and trying to keep that hen above me from spotting me, another gobbler came in silent and side hilled me from the left. When he gobbled he just about gave me a heart attack. He was 35 yards to my left. I slowly swung around and when he cleared a big pine tree I gave him 2 ounces of TSS #9. Just after the shot the first gobbler gobbled again! Crazy bird. I hope he knows he wrote a check this other gobbler had to cash.

I may go back in there in the morning to see if I can finish what we started today.
Click to expand...
Way to close the deal.
 
das wassup fellas. nice birds! PA finally coming in Saturday....sheesh. But my wife is pregnant and due anytime now. So I'm hoping to find a local bird or else I'll be home living vicariously through ya'll until the baby is home. so keep the stories coming!
 
Anyone hunt in PA near Lycoming county or lock haven? My grandfather has a cabin up there id love to make it up and hunt. What’s the Turkey hunting like?
 
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