2010 Turkey pics

[DonBo]

oh come on don dont give in to the gun pressure

Sorry, I've eaten those tags before, I much prefer that nice white breast meat. Besides, my team needed me.

[Borch]

Well the morning started out slow and it just got better and better.

Today was the first day of our turkey season and I woke up to howling wind and my son was no where to be seen. So I check my cell phone to find at he was on his way home and it was going to be close. Man opening day and I might actually be late! Well he got home and we hurried to our spots. When I got to my blind I quickly set up a Jake Mobile decoy as there is currently a lot of breeding going on and wanted to tick off a mature bird with an intruding jake in full strut. I didn't hear or see a turkey for what seemed like forever. But then around 9 am I see turkys on the other end of a field I was hunting and there was a lot of them. I worked them and they seemed responsive to my boxcall and nothing else. I'd do a few yelps and they'd come running. This group consisted of 10 hens with two of the hens sporting beards. It's still early so I yet them walk. Although I played with them a while and then left them alone to walk away.

About 11 am I see a lone turkey on the other end of the field. It appeared to be a 2 year old bird with a heavy 7-8" beard. When he saw the jake decoy he ducked into the woods. But then reappear 10 minutes later and would gobble and strut when I called but just didn't appear to want to deal with the jake. The wind was blowing so hard I couldn' hear him gobbling even though he was inside 100 yards. But I could see him gobble every time. He worked his way further and further away until he disappeared in the leafy woods.

Just ten minutes later a see a turkey coming into the field from another direction. I hi8t him with a few yelps on my home turned slate and striker. His head jerk-baits up and he sees the strutting jake. He works his way to the strutting jake. The last 30 yards that he covered to get to the decoy were at a full run. He got into a beak to beak posture with the decoy and I wait for him to set away and I gave him a killer headache and a ride in my truck.

He's a typical 2 year old bird weighing 18 1/2 lbs, a 7 " beard and 7/8 and 1" spurs.

Now to see if we can call in a couple morefor my son and brother.

[mrklean]

nice job on the bird always good to them one opening morning

[Shu]

congrats, nice story and pic

[Archerysniper]

Gave this one the three blade rage tonight, at 43 yards I guess he thought he was safe but I taught him a lesson.

[123fish]

Nice birds guys. Congrats. Borch did you get your bird in the Blind 2 funnel?

[MJ1657]

Nice job on the bird.

[Borch]

Nice birds guys. Congrats. Borch did you get your bird in the Blind 2 funnel?

No, in blind one. Although I should have been in blind 2 today with my brother. There was a lot of gobbling over there.

[sticknstring]

Congrats on the nice birds fellas!

[Borch]

My son Travis scored this morning with a Jake. He wasn't able to hunt early this morning but headed out around 8:30 am and went to the property where we'd been seening most of our birds this spring. When he got there the farmer was working in his fields so he went to a neighboring property that we hunt as well. When he got there he saw birds in the edge of the field and he needed top back out and take a different route so not to spook them. He snuck through the woods and got to a palce where he cold see that they were still there but still couldn't tell what they were. He layed down in the tall grass and gave them a few yelps and purrs. The birds start clucking and moving closer. In his position he couldn't see them but as they continued to cluck they were obviously getting closer and closer. He sat up a little bit and there they were only 10 feet away! One bird had a 4" beard and he shot it. The bird when doen and flopped so much that most of it's tail feathers fell out only leaving 5 intact. Based on the head color he thought it was a bearded jake. When he got it home even I had a tough time identifying it witout the tail feathers as it had a smaller grey head. But after closer inspection there was one of the taller primary tail feather left. It had 3/8" spurs, weighed 14.8lbs and the breast feather tips were black. Definitely a jake.

Here's a pic of Travis's beat up jake.

[DonBo]

Two for two. Way to go Travis and Borch!

[KG243]

Got a nice 23 pound, 9 1/2" beard with 1 1/8" spurs this morning. I had the best decoy a guy could ask for, a live hen he was chassing, she sat 6 to 7 feet away just purring away it was great. Then he came in at 17 yards and he was done. Pictures to come!

[Borch]

Congrats Kevin!

[sticknstring]

No substitue for a live decoy - congrats!

[haverhunting]

Nice Job. Getting those birds in that close it quite a rush isn't it.

[Wallydog]

I've spent 11 days in the turkey woods already..........

Harvest thus far: 2 in for first time youth hunters, 4 for first time adults, 1 for long time hunting pal. Me ZERO. I still have till 5/25 in ID and OR so I'll likely still get a whack at one. Doing everything but the mechanical part (pulling the trigger) is still a hoot. BUT I still have an itch that needs to be scratched! Statistically it's been a weird year. I've had a total of 41 jakes and only one hangin beard inside of 35 yards.

Here are a few pics

WD

[2044Mustang]

Looks like you've done well to help others, you'll get your long beard. I love the picture from the mountain top looking into the valley. Not something us flatlanders get to see much of. You have a unique blind that I have never seen before (other than your photos), what brand is it?

Good luck!

[Wallydog]

Mustang,

The blind is genuine autographed model Leroy Braungardt "turkey silo", made in Moscow Mills,MO.

He makes a dozen or so a year. Nothing finer, period.

I'm done..............time has run out (along with my wifes patience) after 5 weekends spent in the turkey woods. I've heard and seen the show plenty of times this spring.

WD

[engfish]

Wallydog, tell your wife "Thanks" for allowing you the time to hunt, guide, and mentor. Your experiences and pics are an inspiration to all turkey hunters.

Now get busy with that Honeydo List!