Live updates

[monstermoose78]

Well the nephew and I have been in the blind way before light this morning and it was cold and calm. He heard lots of gobbles but he they went every way but to us. Finally we had a tom answer my call I fire another yelp and a gobble. Another yelp and a gobble closer than before each time. This went on for 15 minutes or so and then!

[eyeguy 54]

and then.....   ? 

[monstermoose78]

Bang goes the neighbors shotgun!! Yep second year in a row my nephew Had it happen. 

[ANYFISH2]

"You've got to be kidding me"

[monstermoose78]

Getting up to try again now

[ANYFISH2]

Finally made it out again.  This time with Abigail.  Bumped 2 birds on the roost walking out.  Hope they weren't toms or there are more near by!

 

Have heard a couple of gobbles in the distance.  Nothing close.

 

Good luck

 

[monstermoose78]

Good luck no gobbles this morning! I am not calling much but i want to let them know we are waiting

[ANYFISH2]

Had a jake come in at 6:25, thought it was a hen with it putting and cuts.  No gobble or fanning at all.  Caught us by suprise when we seen a little beard.  No bird for Abi yet.

[monstermoose78]

Good luck no gobbles this morning! I am not calling much but i want to let them know we are waiting

 

we Just had gen come by!

Good luck no gobbles this morning! I am not calling much but i want to let them know we are waiting

 

we Just had gen come by!

[ANYFISH2]

ok we get it Moose!

 

Good luck, moose.  Hunting with the nephew?

[monstermoose78]

Yeah he got the shotgun and some gobbles are getting closer

[Cret Jigs]

Shoot'em before the neighbor gets'em  HA HA HA

[ANYFISH2]

Have a few located out on the field.  The strutter will not talk!

[monstermoose78]

That is just dirty the strutters will not talk 

[ANYFISH2]

Crazy birds!  Seen 2 jakes that would putt and cut like hens, a little deeper sound of course, and would talk back to me and Abi.  The Tom was absolutely quiet and disinterested.

 

Been along time since birds were this quiet.  Tough to make moves.  Probably just better to sit tight and wait.

 

Good luck.

[monstermoose78]

My nephew called it a day at 1030

[ANYFISH2]

Our day is done as well, daughter is bushed and wants sleep, the boy doesnt want to go out this evening.

 

Now to wait till Wednesday,  I will start my own hunt then, with work and family i may only get 3 full days.  Hopefully i can make something happen.

 

Good luck everyone!

[monstermoose78]

Good luck with your season. It was nap time 

[ANYFISH2]

A little damp (icy) and chilly this morning.

 

Had absolutely no gobbling ON the roost this morning.  Strange.

 

About 7am I had 3 birds gobbling close, behind the blind.  They went back and forth sometime before slinking off the SE.  Now all is quite and cold.

 

Giving them till 10 then off to work.

[monstermoose78]

Cold morning 

[ANYFISH2]

Time to give it another go!

 

Anyone else out?

Good luck.

[monstermoose78]

Not this morning the nephew has school but the turkeys were out every where on my way home yesterday 

Good luck anyfish

[ANYFISH2]

Thanks moose.

 

Have two gobbling to the east just over a small ridge.  Been there an hour now.  I assume thier hens have them tied up.

 

Made a few calls just so they know something is here.  Otherwise being quiet, hoping the hens draw them this way.

[ANYFISH2]

Finally got a bird down.  A small jake, but a bird none the less.

[monstermoose78]

Awesome job anyfish! I bet it was still exciting. Let's hear about it

[ANYFISH2]

Well,  it was a typical morning hunting turkeys.  

 

This season has been a bit different for me than past years. I was hunting "new" property that i didnt know well and I had neglected to apply for my typical A season tag.  In turn, I planned on the first 2 seasons were devoted to the kids.  I did my usual early morning roost gobble runs and late afternoon field checks.  These confirmed we had birds around, but rarely did they use the field. So a "deep" woods hunt would be in order. 

To keep this short, the goal of getting the kids out and a bird was met with frustration and missed chances.  The boy only wanted to go the first 2 days and the daughter i got out for one morning sit.  That was it for 2 weeks,  but i continued to get up early and try and then continue my long range scouting.

Wednesday comes and it is the start of "my" season.  Took the morning off of work, and to the blind I go.  Beautiful icy cold weather greeted the start of the hunt.  The birds were quiet on the roost, but made themselves know once on the ground.  However, like most 3 seasons, the toms were locked in on the real hens.  They would pass by me a couple times but never come to my set.

 

Work beckoned me Wednesday afternoon and Thursday.

 

Friday, back out to the blind.  Once again no gobbling on the roost? Strange. Then again about 6 birds on onthe ground the SE of me gobbling away.  They would repeatedly work to about 70 yds of me back and forth.  Again, never leave the real hens.  His would go on till 10 am.  The things go quiet.  I would spend the 3 hrs, walking calling,  waiting and repeating.  Not one gobble!  At 2 pm i make my way back to the blind for the afternoon, took a little nap.  As i awake i have a splitting headach.  I try and fight through it, planning on moving the blind to where the birds seem to spend time after fly down.  The headache is too much, i just pack up a go home at 6.  I would sleep the rest of the night.

 

Saturday morning arrives, feeling refreshed.  In the blind i go, the birds actually gobbled on roost this morning!  They are some distance away.  I keep thinking i needed to go to the SE and sit by a tree and wait.  But i fear i may bump hens or quiet birds at that time of morning.  So i sit tight and wait.  Like clockwork, after flydown the gobbles get closer and closer.  Again, stopping about 70 yds away, not wanting to leave the live hens.  This morning, i decide to call softer, but more often.  Soon i get to talking to a live hen.  Lo and behold she works her way closer and the gobblers follow! Now they get closer, but not nearly close enough.

I hear a new gobble directly behind me, it is very close, so I ready myself.  Well, it seems this new gobbler has made the hens and original gobblers retreat back over the ridge.  I call, but they will not get closer.  

Soon i hear some rustling, so i peak out the NE window, i seen 3 turkeys working towards my set about 45 yds out. Sit back down and ready myself.  Seconds later i see 3 jakes step out onto the trail. Thier mind is already made up as they work quickly to the decoy.  One is in half strut the whole time.  I Look them over and decide i will take the half strutter, looks to be the biggest bird.  Took some time for them to separate to give me a clean shot. Jake is down.

19.09lbs  5" beard  2/16 & 3/16 spurs.

 

 

[monstermoose78]

That is a good sized jake

[ANYFISH2]

Here is some pics.

He definitely weighed more than i thought!

 

[monstermoose78]

Congrats!!