Hey buddy, it happens! You aim head or neck(waddles) on him?
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2023 Turkey Hunting Thread
- Thread starter peteherbst
- Start date
I had my regular WI season a week ago Wednesday through this last Tuesday and then a bonus tag the Wednesday after that until this upcoming Tuesday.
My first season was pretty frustrating. Due to child care /school hours I cannot get out for sunrise except for on the weekends and I decided not to do that on mother's Day... I had a tom hot and gobbling coming in on Saturday morning, but unfortunately he got to the field edge, saw my decoys, and said, "Heck no!" and boogied the other way. I had encounters with multiple hens every day, but just wasn't on the males.
My second season was a bit better. Weds I watched a strutter at about 275 yards, but never got him to come in. Had hens picking nearby, but again no male birds...
Yesterday I went out with a friend who is an experienced turkey hunter. (This is my second season and I didn't get a bird last year, although I did get my daughter on one this youth season!) We set up on the edge of public with strutters on private about 200 yards away. We worked them for about an hour to an hour and a half before they came in.
I ended up with two hens at about 7 yd, two-three hens at about 10 yards, five Jakes at about 13 yards, and the tom at about 25 with a hen in front of him. Needless to say, it was a nerve-wracking couple of minutes before I got a clear shot at the tom. The .410 with TSS dropped him with no flop.
It was great to finish off the spring season with a bird. I know my wife is happy that I'm not out hunting this morning!
The only bummer is that he took the tactacam remote with him when he went to call further back and it got turned off accidentally; the footage would have been awesome!
Time to get my hunting stuff put away and get out the kayak fishing stuff for the summer!
My first season was pretty frustrating. Due to child care /school hours I cannot get out for sunrise except for on the weekends and I decided not to do that on mother's Day... I had a tom hot and gobbling coming in on Saturday morning, but unfortunately he got to the field edge, saw my decoys, and said, "Heck no!" and boogied the other way. I had encounters with multiple hens every day, but just wasn't on the males.
My second season was a bit better. Weds I watched a strutter at about 275 yards, but never got him to come in. Had hens picking nearby, but again no male birds...
Yesterday I went out with a friend who is an experienced turkey hunter. (This is my second season and I didn't get a bird last year, although I did get my daughter on one this youth season!) We set up on the edge of public with strutters on private about 200 yards away. We worked them for about an hour to an hour and a half before they came in.
I ended up with two hens at about 7 yd, two-three hens at about 10 yards, five Jakes at about 13 yards, and the tom at about 25 with a hen in front of him. Needless to say, it was a nerve-wracking couple of minutes before I got a clear shot at the tom. The .410 with TSS dropped him with no flop.
It was great to finish off the spring season with a bird. I know my wife is happy that I'm not out hunting this morning!
The only bummer is that he took the tactacam remote with him when he went to call further back and it got turned off accidentally; the footage would have been awesome!
Time to get my hunting stuff put away and get out the kayak fishing stuff for the summer!
peteherbst
Well-Known Member
Man. I have it all on video. Basically snuck up on a group of three and just assumed they would stick to the edge of the field. They ended up coming to 5-10 yards in the long grass and just popped their heads up out of nowhere. It was a mess. If guys are interested in the video I’ll put it up. But I was just unprepared. Rookie mistake.
Saw my first hatch of poults today. She had at least 4, most likely more. Hard to tell in the tall bluestem they were in. If we keep up this cool, wet May, I predict another good hatch.
Ive been out 1 time
Just no time
I just twerked my back pretty good the other day too
This is the last week so im going to try and get out
Just no time
I just twerked my back pretty good the other day too
This is the last week so im going to try and get out
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2020
- Messages
- 169
Dsabhunt
Well-Known Member
That's why I leave the twerking to younger folks
Lmao. I tweaked it. And tweaked it real good and I unfortunately i was not twearking lol
peteherbst
Well-Known Member
Last tag of the year for me opens tomorrow in Wisconsin. Bitter sweet. Can’t wait.
peteherbst
Well-Known Member
No shooting this morning. But total seen was 3 toms, 9 jakes, and 8 hens. I’ll be trying to get out tomorrow morning if the wife allows and reposition myself to better cut them off.
Yeah I had period D for NJ too and just no time to get out. Had some encounters during period B but no shots
I had b too. Got out once. Just a bad year. Lol. I have no vehicle until tomorrow then work friday so that wraps ip my 2023 turkey season.
Onto prepping for September! Maybe next year we can meet up for some turkeys
Hell yea im game man. Lets do it
peteherbst
Well-Known Member
Good morning! Very blessed this year. 
Grats bro great bird
peteherbst
Well-Known Member
I know most guys are on to deer hunting, but here is the story of my last bird of the season. Total of three birds for me this year. Best season I’ve had here in Wisconsin.
My dad and I wake up and get on the road before 4am to get out to our spots by 5am. The game plan was to have my dad sit in the far corner where I’ve seen birds fly down in the past, and I would go listen about 500 yards from him above the creek and adjust to where I might hear any gobbling. And walking out to our spots, the entire creek valley was booming with gobbles.
With turkeys seeming everywhere, I set up about 75 yards from the closest gobble, between a handful of turkeys farther away. A few light calling and answering, and I stay quiet as I can hear a handful of birds fly down in the distance. Waiting and waiting. Nothing coming. No scratching, drumming, spitting or calling.
After about an hour of sitting and nothing to show for it, and no shots from my dad, I thought I’d get up and check the fields around me for birds. Nothing behind me towards my dad, and nothing in the adjacent field. The property then transitions to cattle pasture and a drainage ditch before transitioning back into ag fields. Looking towards the ag field in the distance, there they are. A total of three toms, nine jakes, and ten hens work their way through the field and eventually out of sight. My dad had a couple come close towards the end of the morning, but end up working their way off the property. We end up heading in after the my dad’s close call and plan on getting out the next morning.
Thursday morning we had a similar plan. Except I was putting my dad close to where those turkeys came out past the cattle pasture, while I worked along the creek again. This morning was a complete change from the prior. I can only hear distant gobbles, so I work towards them and figure out a setup in the creek bottom. The issue I run into is that the gobbling is all on the other side of the creek on another piece of property. Then, a couple gobbles towards the corner where I had my dad sit day before, and they are only a couple hundred yards away. But I know they are going to pitch down towards the field and find their hens immediately. I frantically try to get up to the field edge, only to see two toms with a couple hens, chasing them to the middle of the field.
There is a trail that runs down towards the drainage between the two ag fields through the cattle pasture that I thought they’d be running towards, so I tried to do the same. Except I need to take the creek bank, and this is the same THICK creek bank I had crawled through the week prior. As I’m raising all sorts of hell trying to get through the thick creek bank, I pop my head up every so often to check on the birds, and they are still coming. Except the last time I check. I see only one bird and he seems to be scurrying away from me. They must’ve heard or even seen enough to get spooked and ducked out. Sticking to the plan, I finally make my way to the corner, crawl through the long grass, and take a peak to see what I can see. Sure enough, I only see the one tom, and he is 340 yards away in the opposite tree line.
Well there is only one thing to do: try to call him in or catch his attention. I grab the glass call and light off a few yelps and cuts. He pops his head and takes a minute to think about it, and starts to make his way towards me. I crawl into position and get ready, as I can’t see the entire field. Only a few minutes pass with one unprovoked gobble, and one quick sequence of cuts, and I see him pop his head over the lip of the field. In only about three minutes, he’s within 30 yards from me. I pull the trigger and my turkey season is over.
He had about a 12 inch beard with a little less than inch spurs. Just an incredible hunt to cap off an incredible season. God surly is an awesome God and I cannot believe how his blessings pour over me every day.
wiscopetehunt.wordpress.com
My dad and I wake up and get on the road before 4am to get out to our spots by 5am. The game plan was to have my dad sit in the far corner where I’ve seen birds fly down in the past, and I would go listen about 500 yards from him above the creek and adjust to where I might hear any gobbling. And walking out to our spots, the entire creek valley was booming with gobbles.
With turkeys seeming everywhere, I set up about 75 yards from the closest gobble, between a handful of turkeys farther away. A few light calling and answering, and I stay quiet as I can hear a handful of birds fly down in the distance. Waiting and waiting. Nothing coming. No scratching, drumming, spitting or calling.
After about an hour of sitting and nothing to show for it, and no shots from my dad, I thought I’d get up and check the fields around me for birds. Nothing behind me towards my dad, and nothing in the adjacent field. The property then transitions to cattle pasture and a drainage ditch before transitioning back into ag fields. Looking towards the ag field in the distance, there they are. A total of three toms, nine jakes, and ten hens work their way through the field and eventually out of sight. My dad had a couple come close towards the end of the morning, but end up working their way off the property. We end up heading in after the my dad’s close call and plan on getting out the next morning.
Thursday morning we had a similar plan. Except I was putting my dad close to where those turkeys came out past the cattle pasture, while I worked along the creek again. This morning was a complete change from the prior. I can only hear distant gobbles, so I work towards them and figure out a setup in the creek bottom. The issue I run into is that the gobbling is all on the other side of the creek on another piece of property. Then, a couple gobbles towards the corner where I had my dad sit day before, and they are only a couple hundred yards away. But I know they are going to pitch down towards the field and find their hens immediately. I frantically try to get up to the field edge, only to see two toms with a couple hens, chasing them to the middle of the field.
There is a trail that runs down towards the drainage between the two ag fields through the cattle pasture that I thought they’d be running towards, so I tried to do the same. Except I need to take the creek bank, and this is the same THICK creek bank I had crawled through the week prior. As I’m raising all sorts of hell trying to get through the thick creek bank, I pop my head up every so often to check on the birds, and they are still coming. Except the last time I check. I see only one bird and he seems to be scurrying away from me. They must’ve heard or even seen enough to get spooked and ducked out. Sticking to the plan, I finally make my way to the corner, crawl through the long grass, and take a peak to see what I can see. Sure enough, I only see the one tom, and he is 340 yards away in the opposite tree line.
Well there is only one thing to do: try to call him in or catch his attention. I grab the glass call and light off a few yelps and cuts. He pops his head and takes a minute to think about it, and starts to make his way towards me. I crawl into position and get ready, as I can’t see the entire field. Only a few minutes pass with one unprovoked gobble, and one quick sequence of cuts, and I see him pop his head over the lip of the field. In only about three minutes, he’s within 30 yards from me. I pull the trigger and my turkey season is over.
He had about a 12 inch beard with a little less than inch spurs. Just an incredible hunt to cap off an incredible season. God surly is an awesome God and I cannot believe how his blessings pour over me every day.
Last Tag of the Season
After working all weekend, I was ready to get after it again the next Wednesday. And with two birds down and the holiday weekend looming, I knew I didn’t have along leash to hunt as I was hea…
wiscopetehunt.wordpress.com
Finished the mount today of my sons first bird in the post above. He even convinced his mom to let him hang it in his bedroom and not downstairs with the rest of the mounts.
Good work!!!