2021 Spring Turkey Hunt

[Barbelboy]

Good luck Moose!

 

Range with a crossbow? 40, 50 even 60 yards depending on the model and user's proficiency. I would keep most bow/crossbow related attempts within yrds ideally. I've killed about 10 turkeys with the bow now. most were 10 yrds or less. I'm sited out to 30 with the head cutter broad heads and have taken 1 out to that range. My father uses a modern crossbow accurate to 100 yrds. Would i take that shot, nope. Could somebody kill a turkey at that range, yup. As for getting turkeys within 50 yards. Well as any experienced turkey hunter will tell you, and i know you are one, sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn't. You can do everything perfect and darn coyote attacks your decoy when the birds are 80 yrds away, NOT the other 59 hrs you spent in the blind, just that specific 5 minute time frame. It's simply amazing to me how easy and how frustrating turkey hunting can be. One day the Tom sprints in gobbling like crazy, the next you can't do anything right. That's why it's addictive. Much like a slot machine, the response is random. Sometimes immediate, other times hours/days of pounding away with no success. But when it works right......oh my. it's hard to top that. 

[monstermoose78]

The last three have been 3-5 yards. I will not shoot at a turkey more than 10 yards away. I know I can hit a baseball at 50 yards but turkeys move to much. I like em close. Last year I could have grabbed the jake out of the blind at one point. I will take a 30 yard shot on a deer kill zone is much larger. I practice with my crossbow a lot but I hate losing game. 

[going4it]

Saw plenty of birds in wi. Had a pack of 4 Jake’s and another pack of 5 Jake’s. Both of those are 1 less now. They kept the toms out of the fields. Finally Sunday waited to hear a gobble then started climbing the hill to get to the gobble. Was set up within 50 yds, even could see the hens on the roost after a while. They flew down and went up the hills instead of down where I was. Found out there was a farmers field on top of that hill that I’m sure they went to for the day. The morning before the Tom I was listening too went up the hill after leaving the roost.  Learned a lot and am excited for next year. I also learned within the first hr to never sneak without your gun. Was within 20 yds of a big Tom, but not for long. 

[Wanderer]

First day home in a couple weeks.  Put the dock in, took a ride in the toon and came back to a Tom pecking at the bumper of my truck.  My brother saw him first and let me know so I had the opportunity to sneak up on him.  
 

He’s at the front of the truck and I was able to come in from the back side on my hands and knees.  When a saw the spurs I wished I had my phone to get a pic.  True limb hangers!  Long and curved and I could see his beard hanging down ta boot.

 

He’s on the front drivers side corner purring and pecking as I crawled up the front passenger corner and purred back.  I didn’t know if I’d be in for a fight or flight response when I came out of hiding at eye to eye level with him; thankfully it was flight - or at least a run for cover stopping to look back a couple times at “what the h*ll was that?!”

 

Kinda cool to get that close, eye level, with a big old tom.  Wish I had pics to share!

[amrtngm]

On 3/15/2021 at 7:23 AM, gimruis said:

Who's ready to turkey hunt?  Season A starts in less than a month.

 

I think I'm going to go during season B this year to avoid the initial wave of hunting pressure.  I went during season A last year and there was noticeably more hunting pressure in the area.  I think it was because of the pandemic and people were kinda cooped up, plus it was the first year they lifted the lottery.

Turkey populations in Oklahoma have experienced declines in recent years, especially in the western region. However, surveys indicate that the decline has leveled off for the time being, and turkey numbers are holding steady compared to the previous year.
 

[leech~~]

6 hours ago, amrtngm said:

Turkey populations in Oklahoma have experienced declines in recent years, especially in the western region. However, surveys indicate that the decline has leveled off for the time being, and turkey numbers are holding steady compared to the previous year.
 

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the report.

Got any good stories like sneeking up to a big Tom on your hands and knees, without your cell phone, camera? 

[gimruis]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:06 AM, amrtngm said:

Turkey populations in Oklahoma have experienced declines in recent years, especially in the western region. However, surveys indicate that the decline has leveled off for the time being, and turkey numbers are holding steady compared to the previous year.
 

This is an old thread from 2021.

 

I have read that turkey populations have plummeted in some states like Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, etc.  Drought has played a significant role I'm sure.  Hopefully these states respond to the decline and reduce seasons and/or bag limits.  And there is absolutely no reason to be shooting a hen either.  Hens are what keep the population naturally reproducing.