2023 Turkey Hunting Thread

[peteherbst]

For all you Wisconsin guys, leftover tag sales start today and go throughout this week.

 

[Bowtie747]

Season started here in MS March 15th.

I was able to get out opening morning and heard two a daylight, was eventually able to get one to flop at 9:50 am. My first ever opening day bird.



Decided to get back in there March 18th and see if I could locate the other gobbler I heard 3 days prior. I eventually struck him around 9:40. With a little back and forth play I finally pulled the trigger at 10:50, strutting and drumming at 20 yards.

Dude that got me legit excited! Congrats!

 

[TradBowGuy]

It's still a long way off here in PA-starts Apr 29...oh well... plenty of time to scout & practice!

 

[ThePennsylvanian]

It's still a long way off here in PA-starts Apr 29...oh well... plenty of time to scout & practice!
View attachment 82933

Nice bird there, next time turn it so we can see the beard and spurs! Congrat

 

[Horn]

About 4 weeks to go! I would have never guessed I'd see turkeys there but I'll take another option, no problem

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I went this morning with a friend for the first time this season. It was overcast and a bit windy and no birds gobbled. I did see this sign nailed to a tree. Truth in advertising. The roads out there were terrible. There were lots of turkey tracks though, so that was a good sign.

 

[Blacksmith]

Went to the woods last week and counted {94} birds on one field along with some pretty big beards. I'm afraid to call there for fear of getting attacked but I'll try anyway. The farmer would like all of them shot. I'll send you a pin if you want to shoot one.

 

[peteherbst]

Went to the woods last week and counted {94} birds on one field along with some pretty big beards. I'm afraid to call there for fear of getting attacked but I'll try anyway. The farmer would like all of them shot. I'll send you a pin if you want to shoot one.

Not sure who this message was meant for, but I’m sure we could find 94 guys to give that farmer a hand.

 

[Gator]

Been listening before work everyday. Yesterday was the first day I've heard a bird but I at least know where one bird is. Not that he'll be there in 2+ weeks when the season opens but I can hope.

 

[Bwhana]

Almost time!

 

[Tjraley2]

Georgia youth season tomorrow morning!!!

Also have an Iowa tag and WI tag burning a hole in my pocket. Anyone have experience hunting NE iowa? I’ll only have a few days to get it done and would appreciate any pointers!

 

[peteherbst]

Georgia youth season tomorrow morning!!!

Also have an Iowa tag and WI tag burning a hole in my pocket. Anyone have experience hunting NE iowa? I’ll only have a few days to get it done and would appreciate any pointers!

Jealous! Good luck! Also dipping your toe into the Iowa game. I sense you may have already started gathering your deer points?

 

[10essee]

I love turkey hunting.
Had this guy gobbling on roost so I cut the distance and setup in an intersection that I have played chess in before with a bird. Once he flew down he gobbled at every bird, crow and call that he could hear but he wasn’t moving. I worked all the soft calls I could think of. Whines ,soft kees, scratching leaves all of them got a response but he just wouldn’t turn the corner of the field. 65-70 yards just around a bend.
In desperation or impatience more like it, I got up and cut on him and walked away down the road. Cut again hard with a busted cackle and ran back up the road to where I had been setup. He thundered and I could tell he had broken his position and was on the move. I saw the white working through the broom straw headed my way.
I consider myself a pretty decent turkey hunter and have hunted this particular area multiple times and have been schooled by other gobblers here in the past. So this time I wasn’t leaving it to chance. I knew when he didn’t see the hens on the road leading to the field that he would break and go back to where he was. Happened twice before he so when he cleared the last clump of straw I let it eat and flatlined him in his tracks.
I just recently started shooting tss in this gun and it throws a ridiculous pattern at 40. 300 in a 10” circle of 9 shot is a hot core to the pattern and I figured him for about 55 in that field when his head came up. I was on my way to get him and halfway there I was thinking I should be there by now lol. Grabbed him up looked back at where I was sitting and started stepping. Had I known the actual distance was going to be what it ended up no way would I have pulled the trigger but 74 steps later and I was back at the tree I leaned against. Open field yardage will fool you for sure. The tss destroyed his head and only put 4 pellets down in the breast area. I’ll take that but for sure will let the close the distance or try again tomorrow. It just happened to work this time

 

[Hall17]

View attachment 83076I love turkey hunting.
Had this guy gobbling on roost so I cut the distance and setup in an intersection that I have played chess in before with a bird. Once he flew down he gobbled at every bird, crow and call that he could hear but he wasn’t moving. I worked all the soft calls I could think of. Whines ,soft kees, scratching leaves all of them got a response but he just wouldn’t turn the corner of the field. 65-70 yards just around a bend.
In desperation or impatience more like it, I got up and cut on him and walked away down the road. Cut again hard with a busted cackle and ran back up the road to where I had been setup. He thundered and I could tell he had broken his position and was on the move. I saw the white working through the broom straw headed my way.
I consider myself a pretty decent turkey hunter and have hunted this particular area multiple times and have been schooled by other gobblers here in the past. So this time I wasn’t leaving it to chance. I knew when he didn’t see the hens on the road leading to the field that he would break and go back to where he was. Happened twice before he so when he cleared the last clump of straw I let it eat and flatlined him in his tracks.
I just recently started shooting tss in this gun and it throws a ridiculous pattern at 40. 300 in a 10” circle of 9 shot is a hot core to the pattern and I figured him for about 55 in that field when his head came up. I was on my way to get him and halfway there I was thinking I should be there by now lol. Grabbed him up looked back at where I was sitting and started stepping. Had I known the actual distance was going to be what it ended up no way would I have pulled the trigger but 74 steps later and I was back at the tree I leaned against. Open field yardage will fool you for sure. The tss destroyed his head and only put 4 pellets down in the breast area. I’ll take that but for sure will let the close the distance or try again tomorrow. It just happened to work this time

Congrats!! Yeah that TSS is a difference maker in a situation like that! Shot one at 40 last yr and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Congrats again!

 

[10essee]

Congrats!! Yeah that TSS is a difference maker in a situation like that! Shot one at 40 last yr and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Congrats again!

Thank you sir. ,650 choke and it’s a swarm of murder hornets coming at they head.

 

[Tjraley2]

Jealous! Good luck! Also dipping your toe into the Iowa game. I sense you may have already started gathering your deer points?

Oh yeah, I’ve got three points and will buy my fourth in May!

 

[boyne bowhunter]

I'm starting to second guess applying for the early season here in northern Michigan. My season starts April 22 and we still had a solid foot of snow in the woods yesterday when I was out walking around shed hunting. Today we've received another 9" of fresh snow since 9AM on top of that and its still coming down . . . . its going to have to do some serious melting here to get in the woods with the truck by then and, more importantly, break up the flocks and get them spread back out across the countryside.

 

[Horn]

I'm starting to second guess applying for the early season here in northern Michigan. My season starts April 22 and we still had a solid foot of snow in the woods yesterday when I was out walking around shed hunting. Today we've received another 9" of fresh snow since 9AM on top of that and its still coming down . . . . its going to have to do some serious melting here to get in the woods with the truck by then and, more importantly, break up the flocks and get them spread back out across the countryside.

I wondered how you guys farther north were fairing in this storm. We had freezing rain, turned to snow but it's pretty well melted off again here. Still spitting some snow flakes by its not going to amount to anything. I took the same tag for down here, so hopefully the weather cooperates for us both! Good luck!

 

[Slabzilla73]

I'm starting to second guess applying for the early season here in northern Michigan. My season starts April 22 and we still had a solid foot of snow in the woods yesterday when I was out walking around shed hunting. Today we've received another 9" of fresh snow since 9AM on top of that and its still coming down . . . . its going to have to do some serious melting here to get in the woods with the truck by then and, more importantly, break up the flocks and get them spread back out across the countryside.

Thats tough hunting up there when spring comes late. I get the ZZ hunt for my area. Not as many birds these last couple years compared to recently. It took me til the last day of my hunt and a 5 hour cat n mouse game before I punched my tag last year. Good luck this year guys!

 

[Slabzilla73]

Thats tough hunting up there when spring comes late. I get the ZZ hunt for my area. Not as many birds these last couple years compared to recently. It took me til the last day of my hunt and a 5 hour cat n mouse game before I punched my tag last year. Good luck this year guys!

Also that ZZ hunt is for a month & a half. Way longer than it used to be.