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2011 Turkey Pic's


Archerysniper

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

What a gorgeous bird!

I love those merriams.

Got to get out west again.

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Come on Josh, it's SO unlike you to not have some sort of story to go along with your photos. Nice job on the bird though, I know you worked hard for that one.

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Come on Josh, it's SO unlike you to not have some sort of story to go along with your photos. Nice job on the bird though, I know you worked hard for that one.

It takes time to type it all. See the other thread I started. cool

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Josh, nice bird. I am just waiting my time and soon I will be off chasing turkeys in Nebraska. Let's hear the story nothing better than hearing a story that goes along with a great picture.

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First picture is my brother on the left with a Jake and my fiance with my bird on the right, and my son in the middle. Tagged out a half hour into the hunt. My bird was 23lbs, 9inch beard, and around three quarter inch spurs. My brother missed a nice Tom that morning about fifteen minutes after I got my bird. He was pretty bummed and I did'nt press him to much of how he missed. He was already low enough. Went out with him that afternoon and called in two jakes around five pm across the field and he decided to take one.

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Not exactly what I was looking for to start this morning, but a successful outing in my book! 27 little grays by one tree on my way out..

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Well after having 2 toms come in Wednesday morning and missing I finally connected yesterday morning at 11:53 AM. Heres the full story:

After missing Wednesday morning and having to work Wednesday night, I set up across the river, on the north, near the roost so I could see if they were still flying down across the river right away in the AM. Right at first light I heard 3 gobbling in the roost and could see one. Finally about 6:00 I heard some wings flopping through the trees but could still see the one. At 6:10 he flew down across the river with the rest, so I picked up about 6:30 and headed to the truck to go around to the same property on the other side of the river where I missed the day before.

I get back to the south side about 645 and he was gobbling about every 5 minutes back in the woods. I set up on a fenceline where I did Wednesday morning and called a few times and shut up. After 20 minutes of gobbling off and on he went silent. 10 minutes after he went silent I look across the hill to the south and see 2 dogs running and of course they run right down the fenceline towards me. They came up to me and hung around for a bit and then ran off back into the woods right where the tom was gobbling. I was a bit ticked off at that point and knew he wouldn't be coming anytime soon now so picked up thinking maybe they chased him back to the other side of the river.

On the walk back I could hear a chainsaw across the river somewhere near where I was going to hunt. I drove by and the farmer that rents the field from the land owner was cutting up a tree that fell into the field over winter. I went home and ate quick and headed out back out about 10. I head back to the south side of the property walking slowly and stopping often to listen for gobbles and using locator calls and nothing. I also noticed that the farmer also came to this side of the river with his 4-wheeler, I thought it couldn't get any worse. I start heading along the fenceline in the field to where I was set up earlier, get to the spot where I set up to listen and nothing. I figure I'll just set up over the hill to the north and call every 15-30 miuntes and wait. I get 50 yards up the hill and he lights up a gobble 75 yards away over the hill right where I was planning on sitting.

Luckily right where I was there was about a 10 foot clearing in the brush on the wood line for a path to a treestand on the edge. I quickly put a decoy out, clear a little bit of brush, get situated and call softly every few minutes. After about 10-15 minutes of calling I hear leaves rustling coming towards me. I slowly look straight to my right just inside the woods and see the back end of a hen leaving. Could this day get any worse? I thought it was over right then. I then look back to the field and through some brush I see a big bright head slowly coming towards my decoy. Got the gun up and waited. He cleared the brush in front of me put the sights on his head and let'er rip. Dropped him right in his tracks.

23.5 lbs 10 inch beard 1 1/16" and 1 3/16" spurs

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Hadn't had much luck with my turkey season going into this morning, the next to last day. Didn't hunt a couple days due to a bad sinus infection I'm still fighting, missed work Wednesday. Had my blind set at at a neighbors. Sat there for an hour or so last night, nothing going on, windy. Pulled it down, packed up, walked the property calling, nothing. I'd talked to another landowner friend from the blind to verify some boundaries on his property & realized I'd left out a pretty good corner, so I went & checked that out, but couldn't raise any gobbles there either. Tuesday night I'd set my cousin's blind up in the night pasture at "the farm" (uncle's). I hadn't hunted that at all as I'd been sick Wed & it rained Thurs, so decided to sit there before work this morning.

I got in there about 5:15, should have been in by at least 5:00, probably could have seen a beard on a bird already @ 5:15. Heard gobbling right away, two different birds both on the South side of the swamp. Any that don't know I was of course on the North side... Did hear one way to the West & also possibly one way North, but by 6:15 all was quiet. Decided I'd sit until 7:00, pack the blind up & look around quick before heading home to change for work. Jumped a hen up by the West line fence at about 10 yards, she flew straight away immediately. Went to the South side & was half way across a neighbor's huge meadow, when I cleared the crest & could see an eagle sitting on a deer carcass down just North of the old house, on the South side of the field. Wait that's not an eagle on a deer carcass that's a fanned out gobbler. [PoorWordUsage]! Now what? I'm 200+ yards from cover in all directions!

I scrunched down & headed back NE until I was below the horizon & I'm brainstorming what to do. Do I now go straight East to the pines then South down the edge he's on & try to sneak towards him or get in position to call to him? I'd just read something that said turkeys prefer to come up hill to calling vs. down hill. Wait I should go NW & get to the point of the woods just over the crest from him & call to him. He'll be 250 yards or so away. He's already at full strut & appears to be alone. He should come right in. So that's what I did, probably took me about 5 minutes from seeing him to being in position up against a popple tree about 12" in diameter on the East side of a rockpile with some scattered brush & saplings between the bird & me. It was thin enough I could pick holes to shoot through or if he came East enough there was a nice lane. The crest of the hill between he & I was about 40 yards, but he'd have to come a bit more before I'd have a wide open shot. I was wearing my turkey vest, so I unlatched the flip down cushion & plopped my keester by the tree with my back to it & my legs stretched out SSE. I kicked away the leaves & grass around my feet so I could adjust without making noise. I yelped a few times & he gobbled once, as did another previously unknown bird a few hundred yards behind me in the woods, down near the swamp probably. I didn't hear or see anything, so thought what the heck this is a mature bird, he could have spooked & gone the other way for all I know. I hit my challenging jake gobble call a couple of times, yelped a few more with the box call, nothing. Brought the binos up to see if I could catch feather tips over the horizon, maybe, not sure, wait, Holy Cow there's the blue head right there coming over the crest of the hill. I've been sitting probably 4 minutes. I said he's toast! Thank you Lord! I'd been praying that it would come together & I could get my bird before Friday night so I could go set blinds for my cousin & his son, as Saturday's their only day to hunt. At this point I figured he was mine. He was all puffed out in full strut, doing the little rotating move to make sure his challenger could see how big & bad he was. He got where I could have shot & was debating on it, when he turned again & I could tell he was going to come into my lane so I brought the gun up & waited. When he stepped clear & turned so he was giving me a side profile of his head his day got a LOT WORSE. Boom! Feathers flew & down he went kicking & thrashing. I stepped it of at 33 yards. I took these pics & then went home & put him in the lovely gold fridge in the garage.

I didn't weigh or measure yet, but he'll go 20 lbs or so, beard's in that 8-10" range. I'd say the spurs are probably 5/8 & 3/4's, the one is definitely a bit longer. He's not a monster bird, but he's a nice mature Eastern gobbler 2-3 years old is my best guess. 3+ days of hunting frustration, plus a few frustrating days trying to get my son a bird 10 days ago, even though he only would hunt twice & bang 10 minutes that make it all worth it.

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Thanks, it was quite the adventure. Its only my 3rd year turkey hunting and with eating tag soup my 1st year and shooting a jake last year then having that guy come in full strut at 12 yards and missing the day before, the addiction of turkey hunting really kicked in full bore and couldn't be happier.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

Wow!!!

What a couple of great hunts!

Way to hang in there guys and end up with a couple of very nice birds.

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Well here's my story and pics

I moved down to Virginia last fall, so I had to find new hunting areas and learn a new ballgame. I lucked into hunting some private land with a few birds on it, the guy I hired to work for me this summer had permission to deer hunt on a 250-acre grass-fed beef operation, and the owner was more than happy to let us turkey hunt.

Opening day we split up, he and his roommate had never gotten a bird, so they took the prime spot. They called in 5 jakes, but missed a shot at 30 yards. He went out a few times on his own and missed another bird, this one a long shot. We went back out last week to where he called the jakes in, and we called a mature bird within 75 yards, but he hung up down the ridge in a little clearing and would not come any closer.

So on Thursday we went out again, perfect conditions. 35 and not a cloud in the sky, with light winds. We got there a little bit late, they were already gobbling when we were walking down the hay field on top of the ridge. There were several birds scattered on the side of the ridge, we didn't dare go closer than 200 yards. We called softly and they shut up and I heard wing flaps. Then nothing for an hour. They must have gone the other way, we thought. Decided to split up, buddy went to the lower hay field, because he'd seen birds in it 2 trips in a row. I went and sat in the clearing where the bird had hung up the last time.

No sooner to I sit down do 3 birds start gobbling on the ridge across the valley where we didn't have permission. They must have pitched off the roost and glided across the valley. I called and they responded, as well as a mature bird a few hundred yards to my left. Judging the direction and distance, I thought he was probably where a dry creek bed met the lower pasture on the neighbor's property. After 20 minutes of calling and the birds responding, I had a decision to make. The 3 (probably jakes) were moving to my left along the opposite ridge, toward the mature bird. He wasn't coming closer. I made decided to make a big move and get in front of the birds and call them up the dry creek bed onto property where I had permission.

I booked it up the ridge back to the upper field, down that ridge, up over the next and into that valley. Once I got there I immediately heard 2 mature-sounding birds. The 3 jakes were nowhere to be heard. Now there's not only the one bird at the mouth of the dry creek bed, but one at the top of the hill, 150 yards away. He's on the right side of the property line. Had another decision to make - call the bird down the creek bed, or stalk the bird on the hill top - there was very little cover up there, and I would have to put on a perfect sneak to get in range.

I decided to go for broke. I ditched everything except my mouth call and gun in the middle of the hay field. The bird was obviously right in a corner of the field on the edge of the woods. No way could I sneak thru the noisy woods, it'd have to be thru the field. I crawled about 75 yards in the knee-high hay, still wet from dew. This better be worth it! I got within 40 yards of the ridge top, and stop to collect my thoughts. He's stopped gobbling by this point, so I'm worried. I army crawl the last 40 yards to an old fence line with a few trees in it. I peek around one of the trees. He's strutting a mere 20 yards from me, but due to the ridge top, I can only see a big old red head and the top of his fan. He struts out of sight immediately, just over the crest of the hill. My heart is pounding, I have to wait what seems like an eternity to collect myself and give a yelp, but it was probably only a minute.

He doesn't respond. A breeze comes, and I use the noise to army crawl 10 yards to my left to a bigger tree with a clearer sight line. I peek around that and have a clear view of his rear end, strutting away from me but only at about 15 yards now. I give another soft yelp and he turns to his right and struts, but is now behind a tuft of taller grass. I can hear him strutting about 15 yards from me but can't see him. I take about 15 seconds to get the gun up and click the safety off. With that click his head shoots up above the grass 10 yards from where I saw him last. I can't remember getting the gun around, but the next thing I know there's a big boom and he goes down like a sack of potatoes!

The whole thing seemed surreal, but it was awesome to make a string of correct decisions and have everything work out, especially after my buddy had missed 2 birds and I had heard so many birds yet not seen one. And to top it off, it was just a gorgeous day, about 60 with a light breeze and nice sun.

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The cows didn't know what to make of it...

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Congratulations on a nice bird and a real good story. That certainly is some beautiful cuntry you are hunting in.

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Well my season started off slow. Took my 4yr old daughter out yesterday afternoon. Got the blind setup, two chairs , two decoys and the hunt begins. Sat there for about 30 mins and decided to call and call and call not hearing anything my daughter (Bailey) said let me try dad, this is how you use this call(box call). She went to town on it and it was decent next thing you know we look out the blind and....... Here comes a John Deere tractor through the field. I told her nice job calling in the "deere" she didn't think it was funny and said " this tractor needs to go , I'm bored, Lets go home". So that was the end of day one.

Went out his morning got set up wind was blowing 25-30 and could hear anything. So I turned around and spotted a tom at 125-150 yds and on the move. I hurried up to get in front of him so I started walking up a wash out and was half way to the woods when I saw movement in front of me just my luck its 3 toms and 5-6 hens. Jig was up and they moved into the woods and then the thunderstorm rolled in so I went home and took a nap.

After waking up i went back to where those toms where early and I saw them on the side hill where I just was in the morning. So got my stuff and headed to the edge of the woods got on all fours and started crawling and crawling then I got to a fall in tree sat up looked through binos and nothing. waited about 5-10 minutes scanning and then I spotted a fan about 75 yds in front of me then he disappeared. got on my belly and started slithering like a snake in some grass to a little sapling about 20 yds ahead of me.....No turkey in sight. waited 5-10 minutes looked to my right and here came 3 toms making a b-line right towards me and then i crawled to another sapling 10yds away and I'm about ready to sit up.......BAM 6 hens 20yds away .. never spooked them and then ..churp...churp.churp..then they all started cackling and churping ..Then a gobble to my left look over and here comes those three toms...I slowly pick up the gun ....raise it .... take aim at lead tom..... BANG... turkey dead!!!!! To say i was excited was an understatement.. Been hunting these birds for the last two yrs.

24.5 lbs 7/8 spurs 9.5 inch beard

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Great job guys, lot of nice birds taken. I weighed & measure my bird Friday night when I hauled him out of the fridge & cleaned him. I was surprised he was bigger than I thought:

24 lbs. 3 oz.

10.5" beard

3/4" & 15/16" spurs

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here's mine from yesterday. posted this in the team 10 thread, too.

finished my 2011 season yesterday - 22 pounds, 10 1/2 beard, 1 1/8 spurs.

not much happened on my first setup so with a storm rolling in i hustled back to the wheeler and grabbed the blind and popped it up along a field.

started calling on a box and tube since it was thundering and the wind was howling. 3 eventually answered. this guy then got fired up by yelps and purrs on a glass call and i watched him strut in across the field to my decoy.

also got a 2-year-old tom - 22-8-1 - during the third season, plus the one entered in the contest.

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Turkey sandwiches for you, IlliniWalli! cool 3 birds. A good season. Nice birds and pics everyone.

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Two Rio's I shot in Texas in early April.

18 lbs 8 1/2" Beard .75 and .85 Spurs

18.5 lbs 3" beard (beard rot) 1.25 & 1.5 Spurs

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Went out with the neighbor tonight,was able to call this bird across an open field came in over 200 yds out.

He was looking hard and gobbling often.He crossed two fence lines and came strutting into 19 yds. 19.5#

9.5" beard 1" spurs.It was his first bird

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Here's my Wisconsin bird. 23 lbs, 6 oz.

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This was my second multi bearded bird and the third we've taken from this farm in the past few years. 10" and 4 1/2" This is my third bird from three states this spring.

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This was the highlight of the trip for me.

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Here's my first ever turkey on my first ever trip. Our boat motor died 20 minutes into opening weekend, luckily I bought a surplus turkey tag the night before, just in case smile

I don't have the pics yet of the undressed bird, but here's the tail, beard, and spurs.

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10.5" Beard

1" Spurs

20lb Undressed

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started your fan mount already? i will hopefully start mine by the end of the month

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My partner's take on the weekend.

Spectacular weekend in Orofino with Paul. We were blessed with good weather the entire time even though it was wet and windy in many other NW areas. We hunted out of Paul's blind on private land and Paul did the calling. I used my “Larry Lombard” autograph model blackpowder 12 ga. For the first time. My bird came in about 2:00 PM on Saturday and was smoked at 27 paces. Nice 3 year-year old — 9” beard, spurs starting to get sharp and 19 Lbs. after field dressing.

We returned to the blind yesterday morning only to find the birds had roosted literally above the blind. We were a little late getting in. They saw us and flew off while we were getting set up and performing other, uh, necessary morning functions. They evidently forgot about it though because Paul got them gobbling individually, then in unison, less than an hour later. Five longbeards came to the decoys in full strut at 15 yards (!!!) and Paul tipped over a nice 2 year-old with a very bushy beard about 7:00. Things happened a bit too fast and a shotgun instead of a camera occupied the window on that side of the blind… so no photo of the birds except for the ones in our minds’ eye. It was an incredible scene.

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I just put it on a piece of wood and coated it in borax and salt to dry out. I don't really know what I'm doing, just taking tips from my neighbor who's done it before.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
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    • LakeofthewoodsMN
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    • CigarGuy
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    • PSU
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    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
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