2022 Turkey Hunting Thread

[overspined]

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.

Nice work! Love it

 

[overspined]

Ok so here’s one. This happened this morning…insane

I’m calling for a friend. It’s 29 degrees and super windy and COLD. I hear them sound off on the other side of his small property one time from the roost, and I suggest we go that way. He’s hesitant and it’s his hunt but I nudge him after about 30 min to move over there. I spot a tom strutting but you can’t hear anything due to the wind. So I call in 2 Toms and the neighbor comes and spooks em right when they’re about in range…nice. Like seriously it was just textbook. Strutting and gobbling on the way in reeling em in. So windy.

Then my buddy decides to cut a rogue treestand down and ends up falling 20’. Yes, 20’. It was like a slow motion film watching him come down. Lands on a giant root that looked like a 1/2 buried log. After we decide he’s not dead, not paralyzed, and likely ok, he wants to hunt more. I hand him his gun and I notice it has no choke tube in it and he still wants to sit for birds, even though he narrowly escaped death. His leg is definitely injured but unlikely broken, his ego is cracked.

Well, since he’s not dead, or paralyzed.. I mentioned that I’d probably give it a solid 7.5. He argued 8.5 because of the difficulty factor of adding a twist, and definitely stuck the landing. No bounce there. His wife offered me therapy and I asked if the beating she gave him was worse than the fall…

All jokes aside…and they just keep coming… don’t climb a damn tree without a fall arrest system at ANY TIME. Stay safe my fellow hunters.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Wow! That sounds like y'all had a real adventure this morning. Luckily no one was seriously injured.

 

[gcr0003]

Y’all see Ole @catman529, he Turkey hunts in crocs lol. I’m sure they would be stealthy but all the leaves and twigs getting in between there, not to mention ticks direct access would be a no from me. I just got a trumpet and have been trying it but I really haven’t had much luck getting them to respond. Anyone here fool with the trumpets?

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Ok, so after getting that one gobbler yesterday and hearing another I went back out very early to assure I would be able to get back in that spot again this morning. All went well and since I knew where the surviving bird had been strutting the day before I slipped in there under the cover of darkness and set up and waited for daylight. About 20 minutes after sunup, I had a lone deer (doe?) come in from the top of the hill and walked within 20 yards. I expected it to swap ends any second and start blowing since it was downwind of me, as far as I could tell. It never did and walked off. Why doesn't this happen during bow season? I think it heard the soft calling I had done earlier. I never heard or saw a turkey today. I saw two more deer while slowly walking another area. They lightly spooked and I followed their course of retreat out of their beds to a really nice funnel and creek crossing. I will likely put in a hunt of two there this fall, hoping that anyone walking that ridge line will bump deer off the ridge and straight to me.

Our season officially ends here on the 1st, but I have decided to stop now and call the season. It was a tough one, no doubt. Zero gobbling heard until yesterday and got a good gobbler. If I hadn't heard that second gobbler yesterday, I would not have gone today.

I hope everyone who has some season left has a good one, and I think some peoples season is just starting. Good luck and hope you have a good one. My hen decoy is officially off the clock.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Y’all see Ole @catman529, he Turkey hunts in crocs lol. I’m sure they would be stealthy but all the leaves and twigs getting in between there, not to mention ticks direct access would be a no from me. I just got a trumpet and have been trying it but I really haven’t had much luck getting them to respond. Anyone here fool with the trumpets?

View attachment 65037

I like Catman's videos. I watched one this morning before going out to hunt turkeys. I have made several wing bone calls and have become halfway decent at them. They take a lot of practice. Catman has a video on making wingbone calls.

 

[jdyansick]

Y’all see Ole @catman529, he Turkey hunts in crocs lol. I’m sure they would be stealthy but all the leaves and twigs getting in between there, not to mention ticks direct access would be a no from me. I just got a trumpet and have been trying it but I really haven’t had much luck getting them to respond. Anyone here fool with the trumpets?

View attachment 65037

Just bought a trumpet myself and have been practicing daily for a couple weeks. Our NY opener is this Sunday. Taking a friend with me who has never turkey hunted before and hoping he has a good time. I promised him nothing as far as a kill. Hopefully the trumpet sound, being just a bit different than the mass produced mouth calls, will be enough to lure in a one of the three Tom's on our property. Crocs don't fly here either.

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[Micneador]

I like Catman's videos. I watched one this morning before going out to hunt turkeys. I have made several wing bone calls and have become halfway decent at them. They take a lot of practice. Catman has a video on making wingbone calls.

I made one three seasons ago after watching his how to vid, and about a half dozen since. Killed two birds using it including mine from this past weekend. Hard to beat them on public when not so many folks are.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

Here is the one I made a few years ago. It is from a bird I called Houdini. I got him after hunting him 13 days straight. I made a pair last year for a friend whose daughter shot a gobbler. One for him and one for her. I saved the wingbones from the gobbler I got yesterday, and I plan to make another call out of one of his. One of his small wingbones was broken so I can only get one call out of him.

I used the wingbone a few times this season, but I had so few encounters with birds it's hard to really tell so far.

 

[overspined]

Ok, so after getting that one gobbler yesterday and hearing another I went back out very early to assure I would be able to get back in that spot again this morning. All went well and since I knew where the surviving bird had been strutting the day before I slipped in there under the cover of darkness and set up and waited for daylight. About 20 minutes after sunup, I had a lone deer (doe?) come in from the top of the hill and walk within 20 yards. I expected it to swap ends any second and start blowing since it was downwind of me, as far as I could tell. It never did and walked off. Why doesn't this happen during bow season? I think it heard the soft calling I had done earlier. I never heard or saw a turkey today. I saw two more deer while slowly walking another area. They lightly spooked and I followed their course of retreat out of their beds to a really nice funnel and creek crossing. I will likely put in a hunt of two there this fall, hoping that anyone walking that ridge line will bump deer off the ridge and straight to me.

Our season officially ends here on the 1st, but I have decided to stop now and call the season. It was a tough one, no doubt. Zero gobbling heard until yesterday and got a good gobbler. If I hadn't heard that second gobbler yesterday, I would not have gone today.

I hope everyone who has some season left has a good one, and I think some peoples season is just starting. Good luck and hope you have a good one. My hen decoy is officially off the clock.

I bring a mouth call for turkeys during deer season. I use it while walking and even climbing and setting stands. Many many times its worked amazingly well. Bucks and does will walk off undisturbed and not blow out. They may not love it when you continue to hang a stand while they watch, but they’ll be really curious and watch for a while and wonder how funny that turkey looks. Also many times I kill turkeys that hear me yelp while hanging a stand and come investigate. Doesn‘t take much. Just a couple yelps here and there while walking and same for hanging stands.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I bring a mouth call for turkeys during deer season. I use it while walking and even climbing and setting stands. Many many times its worked amazingly well. Bucks and does will walk off undisturbed and not blow out. They may not love it when you continue to hang a stand while they watch, but they’ll be really curious and watch for a while and wonder how funny that turkey looks. Also many times I kill turkeys that hear me yelp while hanging a stand and come investigate. Doesn‘t take much. Just a couple yelps here and there while walking and same for hanging stands.

I have used this tactic some and also used squirrel barks to mask walking sounds while hunting. The turkey mouth call is definitely something I need to incorporate full time into my deer hunting. I think when deer hear turkeys it puts them at ease. They seem to know turkeys are as alert for danger as they are and I also doubt they realize turkeys don't have an acute sense of smell like they do. Deer probably assume the turkeys are scent checking the area also. For deer, the presence of turkeys also many be a sign of a food source like acorns.

That's cool that you have called in and taken turkeys while deer hunting. It would not be legal here to do that. We just have a spring season.

I need to work on my mouth call skills. That is my one real defined weak spot concerning turkeys. I have a terrible time with mouth calls.

 

[Weldabeast]

Y’all see Ole @catman529, he Turkey hunts in crocs lol. I’m sure they would be stealthy but all the leaves and twigs getting in between there, not to mention ticks direct access would be a no from me. I just got a trumpet and have been trying it but I really haven’t had much luck getting them to respond. Anyone here fool with the trumpets?

View attachment 65037

Thin socks treated with permethrin....

I guess if u got sensitive feets the twigs and leaves might bother u but IMO Crocs do pretty good keeping stuff out....I base that off all the times I've used the chainsaw wearing them....the pile of wood chips that u dump out of a croc vs a regular shoe is pretty much the same...

When u out walking thru the woods they make u slow down and mind ur footing a little more than usual and imo that a good thing

I guess I'm trying to say don't knock it till u try it...

 

[gcr0003]

Thin socks treated with permethrin....

I guess if u got sensitive feets the twigs and leaves might bother u but IMO Crocs do pretty good keeping stuff out....I base that off all the times I've used the chainsaw wearing them....the pile of wood chips that u dump out of a croc vs a regular shoe is pretty much the same...

When u out walking thru the woods they make u slow down and mind ur footing a little more than usual and imo that a good thing

I guess I'm trying to say don't knock it till u try it...

I have, not a fan, y’all can have it.

 

[sojourner]

I went to cabelas in PA yesterday afternoon to get a replacement turkey vest for season (starts tomorrow). I thought I’d get an extra box or two of turkey shells. OMG, $77 for a box of 5. That is crazy! Thankfully I still have a couple boxes from prior purchases.

Scratching up the pot calls and getting ready. For me turkey is fun, and I can take it or leave it, definitely do not obsess. I’ll be going out with a new hunter and me and another buddy will be doing our best to get him on his first bird. I definitely am excited for hopefully getting the new turkey hunter his first bird, that’s for sure.

Good luck everyone.

 

[gcr0003]

Ain’t heard a gobble the last three times I’ve went. Finally got my SUV back so gonna take the boat to a spot I saw lots of Turkey during deer season. Should be fun weekend.

 

[iamcorey]

Y’all see Ole @catman529, he Turkey hunts in crocs lol. I’m sure they would be stealthy but all the leaves and twigs getting in between there, not to mention ticks direct access would be a no from me. I just got a trumpet and have been trying it but I really haven’t had much luck getting them to respond. Anyone here fool with the trumpets?

View attachment 65037

He’s in Tennessee where they use snakes in church or maybe that’s us. Regardless I’ve had two of them sneak up on me this year. There’s no way I would go without snake boots. Now snake crocs???


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[gcr0003]

He’s in Tennessee where they use snakes in church or maybe that’s us. Regardless I’ve had two of them sneak up on me this year. There’s no way I would go without snake boots. Now snake crocs???


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Luckily I’ve only seen kingsnakes, rat snakes, garter snakes, no bad guys. I’ve also just been wearing hiking boots and leg gaiters, so I’d probably be in trouble if a poisonous one wanted to bite me.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

He’s in Tennessee where they use snakes in church or maybe that’s us. Regardless I’ve had two of them sneak up on me this year. There’s no way I would go without snake boots. Now snake crocs???


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The holes are there so the snakes can just crawl through and go on their way. lol. We have too many of these fellas around for me to wear any type of shoes...Mr. No Shoulders.

 

[gcr0003]

The holes are there so the snakes can just crawl through and go on their way. lol. We have too many of these fellas around for me to wear any type of shoes...Mr. No Shoulders.

Hate them thangs

 

[Jefferson10940]

Opening morning in NY. 1” spurs and 9.5” beard.
Now it is time to bring the bow next time


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