2023 Turkey Hunting Thread

[Bowtie747]

Just got a couple of the Avian X turkey LCD decoys. Although they arent the HDR Avian X's or the Dave Smith damn near real models, these are some high definition beauties. Way better than my 2005 Flambeaus Lol.
I got the feeder hen & 1/4 strut jake. Probably get the breeder hen in the off season. So, out of curiosity, whats everyones go to setup and how does it change as the season progresses/regresses?
Ive killed bunches of Toms over the years but am far from where I wanna be, as far as set ups or even calling.

My buddy walked up to one using the black of the inside of a pack. I wouldn’t worry about the fact they arnt HDR’s or Dave smiths. I’ll probably be picking up the same one here shortly. I normally don’t use decoys but when I take other people I might use them.

 

[peteherbst]

Was finally able to put together the story from my bird over the weekend. It’s a long one so I won’t be offended if most don’t read. I’m planning on continuing the story in my blog that I write for my personal record. Feel free to follow along. Enjoy!

Wisco Pete

wiscopetehunt.wordpress.com

What a weekend. Preparation and all of the planning gets paid off with not only a blast of a weekend with good company, but a couple of birds in camp. How much time you got? Because this weekend could be a book.

I left Thursday around noon, hoping to get up to camp around 2:30pm. Thursday night’s supper was venison steaks and backstrap provided by myself. Luckily, all of the prep work was done before leaving. So the plan was to head up to camp, unload sleeping bags and clothes, and jump into the truck and try to find a bird or sign for the next day.

After unloading, I did just that. Hopped into the truck and hit the woods. A few guys in camp had tipped me off to a few spots to check out, so I prioritized from the intel and went to work. The property is about 200,000+ acres of public land woods. So there is quite the large area to work with and spots are constantly changing. Thursday was a beautiful day. About 68 degrees and partially sunny for the afternoon. First spot check consisted of walking a calling with some locators mixed in. About a mile and a half later, no dice so I went back to the truck.

The next spot on the list was one that I previously had seen some birds around, but also had a long ATV path to walk and call. So I headed there, got all of my gear on and hit the woods. Calling, locating, nothing. But as I continued down the path, sign started to show in the sands of the ATV trail. Then droppings. Slowing way down I started to listen harder, and use my eyes more often. Coming to corners and little rises, always making calls just in case one was just out of sight.


Just as a turn was approaching, I heard something. Squirrel, deer, or scratching? Stopping and taking a look around, focusing towards the noise, there is movement. Dropping to a knee and grabbing my binoculars, I see a fan. He must be only 50 yards away, but too thick unless I make the corner. I try desperately to crawl into a covered position without making too much noise and try to cover every movement with scratching of my own. Then some light clucks and yelps. Nothing. Not even a spit and drum. About 20 minutes pass without any response, so I decide to get up and take a peak. There he is. Working his way away from me down the edge slowly.

Feeling defeated but not out of the game, I bring open my maps and try to formulate a plan. About five minutes pass, and I hear a distant gobble. Must be over 100 yards away, but in a different direction from where the other bird was traveling. Immediately I let off a few excited cuts and yelps from my mouth call. Immediate response. But this time, it was TWO gobbles. Frantically I search and find a location to set up, looking in the direction the calls came from. Sitting patiently, scratching every so often, not making a single call. Then, two booming gobbles which can’t be more than 50 yards away directly through the hardwoods. Heart racing, I respond with the same excited yelps and cuts from the previous call. They both answer immediately cutting me off and gobbling over each other.

My gun is in position, my heart is racing, and I’m sitting a quiet as I can possibly sit. Scratching, drumming, I can hear them coming. Closer and closer, but I can only see about 15 yards. Then, a head appears from around one of the large trees. One more step, there is his beard. I pull the trigger and he falls backwards flopping.

Sure of the shot but just in case I needed a follow up, I run towards the bird flopping as the other tom runs off through the thick cover. A successful season with a bird down at around 5:00pm. No more than two hours into the hunting weekend.

I’ll be continuing the story of the turkey camp weekend in my blog next week. As indicated in the first paragraph, another bird story is coming.

 

[Fgirtyman]

Finally back to civilization. We hunted our butts off with only my bird to show for it.

We left early from the house Tuesday morning and pulled into a public spot I hunted last year about 15 minutes before gobble time. My buddy was having issues buying a license online the day prior so dropped off my sister and I and headed to Walmart to get a tag. Cloudy, humid, and a light North wind. Heard a roost gobble almost immediately from the side of a ridge on private but close to the public edge. We moved in to maybe 200 yards and I let out a couple soft bubble clucks and a tree yelp. He hammered. I gave him a couple more clucks and a little louder tree yelp, bam, hammered again. I waited a couple minutes before I gave him a fly down cackle and some good wing beats with my wing that stays in the vest. He jumped all over it. Sat down and did nothing but scratch leaves/bubble cluck. Didn't hear him fly down but he gobbled, and it was quieter. My sister said it sounded like he moved away, I informed her that he was definitely on the ground. I shut up and let him come on his own. He gobble at 125 yards, then at 100ish, then came into the old, abandoned road on hammered at 70ish yards. The drumming was insane, he skirted to our right and I swung on him as he went behind a huge cottonwood. When his head popped out, I fired. I don't know if I yanked it or it was just a misjudge of range as he was closer to 50 and I thought he was 40. Flat missed him, didn't even cut a feather.

We drove around and jumped into a few spots with no luck the rest of the day. We did spot a pair of gobblers strutting at the base of a ridge on some walk in around 2 that I dropped a pin on. Got into some jakes later in the evening, which turned out to be a reoccurring theme. Tons of jakes around. It started spitting rain near dark and the birds didn't gobble on the roost.

Wednesday morning, we moved in on where I expected the two gobblers, I had seen the day prior, roost. An owl on the ridge located them for us just before daylight. My buddy and I slipped in to 150 yards from the roost on the edge of the bean stubble field at the base of the ridge. Not 3 minutes after we settled in they pitched out into the field. Two gobblers, a jake, a hen, and a bearder hen that I swear had a rope bigger than the two gobblers. The bearder hen got bred immediately and left almost as quickly. The other hen spent the next 45 minutes dogging the gobbler, nudging under him, and being bred at least a half dozen times. All the while the other gobbler would push the jake away any time he came within 40 yards of them. Once the hen moved off, we started working the gobblers. They responded but didn't budge until I broke out the wing bone call. They jumped all over it and I responded with a jake caulk. Then they marched 250 yards to the gun. I rolled the first one, but the second did not stick around long enough for my buddy to kill. good 2 year old bird. 19.5 lbs, 10" beard, 1 spurs.

Spent the rest of the week chasing birds, calling in jake after jake and my buddy had a homeowner literally cut off a gobbler he was working and kill it 80 yards from him on the private/public line. My buddy had more restraint than I would have cause I'd have lost it. Not so much the stealing of the bird but how unsafe it was. The homeowner admitted he thought that it was a hunter yelping at the bird.

I almost forgot; the crappie bite was on fire at the campground we were staying at. We had brought a couple rods and crappie gear but didn't expect to pull over 40 crappie throughout the week that averaged 13", including one tagged female. It was a heck of a weeek.

We're making plans for next year and deciding what state to hunt. We want to go west and hunt Merriams, but not sure which state to pick.

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Good work! You are suppose to finish by saying "could'nt happen to a nicer guy" I use it that to rub it in!! lol

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Had 3 sits myself so far. Couldve shot couple 8-9" bearded birds but going after the big guy. 1st hunt had coyote staring at me from 15 yards 10 mins after I sat down. I was hunkered up against a big ol oak. Pretty cool, he stared for couple mins before he slinked off. 2nd hunt the immature bald eagle twice divebombed my brand new avian x decoy. Landed in the big oak by the nest & watched for 10 minutes before leaving. 3rd hunt was out in afternoon hunt & watched 2 canada geese leave the overflow pond, did a big 360°, and landed in the dang eagles nest . They were up there honking for 5 minutes or so before they flew back down to the nest. Crazy hunts so far, cant wait for the a.m. sit. Good luck everyone & Congrats to all who've punched their tags.

I had a red tailed hawk dive into my decoy this year. It pulled up at the last second. It's the first time I've ever seen that happen. I wouldn't have thought a hawk would target a turkey but that seemed like it was definitely its intention.

 

[woodsdog2]

I had a red tailed hawk dive into my decoy this year. It pulled up at the last second. It's the first time I've ever seen that happen. I wouldn't have thought a hawk would target a turkey but that seemed like it was definitely its intention.

I’ve heard avian predation of turkeys especially poults is a problem. Owls are included in that too.

 

[SnakeEater]

Two WA state merriams

 

[woodsdog2]

Two WA state merriams

Beautiful birds! Congratulations!

 

[Plebe]

I’ve heard avian predation of turkeys especially poults is a problem. Owls are included in that too.

Great Horned Owls mostly kill adult turkeys, generally on the roost, and especially Toms. One study showed that in areas with relatively large or active owl populations, Toms substantially pipe down. So a lack of gobbling does't necessarily mean birds aren't populous. Also, the owls don't always kill turkeys for food, and just leave the carcass, which sucks.

 

[shoot2thrill25]

It’s his 4th season trying to kill a bird. Finally got it to work. He’s been very lucky on deer but turkeys have been his nemesis haha. Always proud of him but he handled it like a pro when picking his shot

Masons 2023 Turkey- Indiana Youth Turkey Hunt .410 TSS

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[Slabzilla73]

Great Horned Owls mostly kill adult turkeys, generally on the roost, and especially Toms. One study showed that in areas with relatively large or active owl populations, Toms substantially pipe down. So a lack of gobbling does't necessarily mean birds aren't populous. Also, the owls don't always kill turkeys for food, and just leave the carcass, which sucks.

Agree with the lack of gobbling doesnt necessarily mean theres no birds. A friend of mine has called in 3 different fox with hen yelps. His birds have learned the hard way & rarely gobble from roost or talk when they hit the ground. I think thats the case at my parents place, i know theres birds there but they never talk. And Ive got dozens of trail cam pics of a pair of fox back there too.
Not sure which Owls here in MI, eat the guts out of skunks, pheasants n opossums but one of them does it.

 

[ericabbott]

Agree with the lack of gobbling doesnt necessarily mean theres no birds. A friend of mine has called in 3 different fox with hen yelps. His birds have learned the hard way & rarely gobble from roost or talk when they hit the ground. I think thats the case at my parents place, i know theres birds there but they never talk. And Ive got dozens of trail cam pics of a pair of fox back there too.
Not sure which Owls here in MI, eat the guts out of skunks, pheasants n opossums but one of them does it.

I callled in a fox this morning at sunrise, got to about 15 yards then turned and ran. Also called in 4 jakes and a few hens. Sat until about 8:30, walked around a bit and bumped a bird from a tree not 100 yards from the jakes. Didn’t get a look but it was big, assuming it was a Tom. I’ve never had a bird still on the roost 2 hours after sunrise, only thing I can think is it was cold this morning (36 degrees). Any thoughts?

 

[Fgirtyman]

Agree with the lack of gobbling doesnt necessarily mean theres no birds. A friend of mine has called in 3 different fox with hen yelps. His birds have learned the hard way & rarely gobble from roost or talk when they hit the ground. I think thats the case at my parents place, i know theres birds there but they never talk. And Ive got dozens of trail cam pics of a pair of fox back there too.
Not sure which Owls here in MI, eat the guts out of skunks, pheasants n opossums but one of them does it.

Owls are guilty in our larger forested areas for sure. Although fishers can take them off the limbs at night they usually are more of a threat on the ground like yotes. Lots of predators on the turkeys besides us.
Lots of predators equates with less gobbling. At least it seems that way around our area.

 

[BTaylor]

I callled in a fox this morning at sunrise, got to about 15 yards then turned and ran. Also called in 4 jakes and a few hens. Sat until about 8:30, walked around a bit and bumped a bird from a tree not 100 yards from the jakes. Didn’t get a look but it was big, assuming it was a Tom. I’ve never had a bird still on the roost 2 hours after sunrise, only thing I can think is it was cold this morning (36 degrees). Any thoughts?

I wouldnt think 36 degree was the only reason. Not sure what the reason is but have seen that a couple times where birds stayed up way longer than normal.

 

[Jmillwood]

The ol faithful 10ga does in fact stop the flop.


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[BigB]

Not sure how often this happens but we pulled off a double double season. Opening day and this afternoon in Ky. So excited for this young man his bird today was bigger than opening day. 11” beard and 1 1/4 spurs he was so excited. That is something you don’t forget when you take someone hunting and they have success.

 

[DroptineKrazy]

What an awesome hunting memory for you both. Congrats!

 

[Slabzilla73]

I callled in a fox this morning at sunrise, got to about 15 yards then turned and ran. Also called in 4 jakes and a few hens. Sat until about 8:30, walked around a bit and bumped a bird from a tree not 100 yards from the jakes. Didn’t get a look but it was big, assuming it was a Tom. I’ve never had a bird still on the roost 2 hours after sunrise, only thing I can think is it was cold this morning (36 degrees). Any thoughts?

Last 2 sits the big tom came down at least an hour after all the other birds. He flys a good 100yrds across creek overflow. I think he sees the non moving decoy and just knows better. Sunday I will go decoy free in the a.m. and do a lil test to see if thats it.

 

[BTaylor]

Last 2 sits the big tom came down at least an hour after all the other birds. He flys a good 100yrds across creek overflow. I think he sees the non moving decoy and just knows better. Sunday I will go decoy free in the a.m. and do a lil test to see if thats it.

I would setup in a different spot and change calls too.

 

[SnakeEater]

Beautiful birds! Congratulations!

Thank you!

 

[woodsdog2]

Not sure how often this happens but we pulled off a double double season. Opening day and this afternoon in Ky. So excited for this young man his bird today was bigger than opening day. 11” beard and 1 1/4 spurs he was so excited. That is something you don’t forget when you take someone hunting and they have success.

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Great work! Nice birds!!