TEAM 8! Turkey Trash Talkers - Your monster birds are our decoys

[Borch]

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Thanks, it was fun to have my youngest daughter with me, that is for sure. Next year she will be a preference two so I'll sign her up for one of the more likely seasons and give her a shot.

I sent the pictures and form to Joel since I couldn't find Borch's or Labs e mail. I'm sure he will post it or forward it to borch for posting. Good luck to the rest of team 8.

ccarlson

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I've got the photos you sent Joel. I'll try to post them Sunday night. As far as the form you can also take a picture of it with a digital camera and submitt it if that's easier than scanning. If someone on the team can help you our quicker that'll work also.

Congrats on the bird!

[Gordie]

sorry that I havent posted anything since thursday but had to head out of town friday afternoon .

well guys I drew a blank also for our team.

I had a great season minus a bird. I saw birds every day and nothing was in range of my gun. I learned alot this season about the movement of birds and their habits.

this contest was a lot of fun and I can't wait until next year. you guys are alot of laughs and I dont care if I have to eat crow, its not bad if you put enough ketsup on it anyway.

Thanks for the fun and laughs!

Good luck Teal hope you find sucess on the dunes. Email me and I'll try to explain were I saw most of the birds out in the dunes [email protected]

[LABS4ME]

How we looking team 8? I have my Wisconsin season starting next Wed... Hopefully works out better than MN. Went by both pieces of land I have permission to hunt this A.M.

1st one had 2 longbeards and a Jake with 3 hens up on the flat top... Toms were still picking on the Jake.

2nd piece I thought I died and went to heaven... out in the corn stubble, 1 group of 5 strutters, 2 Jakes and 5 hens. ANother group 50 yards from them of 3 strutters and 1 hen. Went around the corner tothe back field and there is a pick-up parked there... guy I kow must be hunting this farm this year... he usually hunts the main farm, Iwill need to check in with him as to how he does. Proceeded to the back field and there is another strutter and what looked like 2 more Jakes... couldn't tell as they never went on strut and never gave me a good view as to if they had a beard or not.

Turned my truck around and looked out into a nother field on the property that has a small woodlot (which usually doesn't hold many birds) and there is a lone gobbler walking into the woods feeding along...

Boy I wished I started today!

Good Luck!

Ken

[RodNGun]

tealitup have you ever shot a bird? Because everytime someone shoots a bird and has proof you put them down. Seems like you are jealous. What ever happened to saying good job or congradulations not " letting it out of a pen doesn't count." Giving a little sh** isn't bad but I haven't seen you say nice bird to anyone. Bad Style.

[Gordie]

Good luck Labs we need some luck to do well. I'm sure you'll do well in chesse land. I'm done for the year sorry I couldnt post a bird now its fishin and planning for next years hunt.

[tealitup]

Wow, Rod - yes I have shot birds; You seem to take offense on a little ribbing - I always congradulate people who harvest and post a picture. If you click on my name and go to the my posts please research and not be so touchy. It's all in fun.

From now on I'll treat you like eggshells - I am sorry if you were offended for a little ribbing and fun. If you know me; like some on here - you would know its all in fun.

[Gordie]

hey teal when do you hunt or did you?

[tealitup]

I hunt next weekend; Starting Friday - with all of the hunters who have not got one this year I expect no different. Luck will have to be on my side I think.

[LABS4ME]

Bird up!!!

Will post later...

Good Luck!

Ken

[tealitup]

Well Done! Give us some details

[LABS4ME]

Short hunt!

Decided to forgo the field edge and instead snuck into the woods about 30-40 yards. Found what looked to be a decent opening on a bench on the hill to catch the Toms between the roost and the fields above.

Waited till I heard the first gobble of the morning off in the distane and let out a tree yelp. I have 2 gobblers roosted 80-100 yards off to the side of me. In all the years I've hunted this farm, they always roost down by the river, fly down and walk the ravines up to the fields... these birds are roosted right off the field. So I gradually increase the cadence of my calls and then went into a fly down call. I had them lit up! Down they come off the roost. Though it's now legal shooting time I can't make out anything much past 50 yards. I know they're just beyond that gobbling like mad. I get conservative on my call to try to get them to come look for me... they continue gobbling on their own... then we got a 5 minute rain shower... that shut them up just like that. I tried calling after it rained and had no response for about 5 minutes... then I hear gobbles above me, sounds like they're out in the field. I sneak up to the field edge and see 2 Toms and a hen to my left... both are on full strut. I look further out in the field about 200 yards and only 10 yards out from where I last shot my last Tom on this farm is another Tom strutting for a hen. I give a couple of soft clucks and yelps to 'suade the 2 Toms to come over... the hen starts coming so I ready myself for a shot if one of the Toms follows. Nope, the hen comes to within 15' and begins to feed while the Toms move out to the other Tom and hen. After what seemed like forever the hen begins to feed away from me. When she got 40 yards out in the field, I did some yelps on the call to try and get the 1st 2 Toms attention, figuring they'd see the hen when I called and come up to woo her. No Go! The hen comes back, this time within about 6' of me and proceeds to bust me... now she's putt'n and purr'n back and forth on the field edge for about 2 minutes... then she slides 25' off to my left to try and make me from the side... I quick stand up to startle her, she bolts into the woods never to be seen or heard form again. I now slide up to a big cottonwood and set up to try and get one of the Toms to come in. I watch the lead Tom corral the other hen into the woods leaving the other 2 Toms out strutting for nobody. I gave a series of yelps and they both gobbled. Then I went into a really hard aggressive cutt and they took off running towards the woods to my side... 'oh no! what did I do?!' I figured I blew it. Well they were just running over to the woodline to set up up their 300 yard sprint. I'm not kidding when I say they covered those 300 yards in under a half minute!. They stopped about 8o yards away and would walk 5 steps, half strut, gobble... repeat. Finally the lead bird, the bigger of the two, entered into my comfort zone and a load of 6's found their mark. Game over! 6:30 am

Tale of tape...

21.4#s

11" beard

1 1/8" x 1" spurs

He even ended a 2 year drought I was on! Fun and exciting hunt... now I'm going to help my buddy try and harvest his.

Good Luck!

Ken

[OrionsX0]

Very nice Bird Labs4me Tealitup is happy now he can shoot a jake if it is dumb enough to walk in front of him

[tealitup]

Two birds for team 8! Nice bird Tom

[LABS4ME]

Well we followed up yesterday's bird with one for my buddy. Shot it almost to the minute when I did. 2 year old bird... 3/4" spurs, 9.5" beard, 18#s +/-. I know we can't use his score... but I figured we'll post some more success for our group! Quick hunt, called in 2 Jakes, 2 hens and 2 Toms all at the same time, they came out in the corner of the field we set up on, seen the decoys (which I hardly use late season and I used a Jake and 2 hens on top of that) and started trotting down to the dekes. 6 came in... 5 went back home... It unfolded quickly when we got them to engage into some pretty aggressive calling, a few hard gobbles, then silence (I figured they were quiet as they worked quickly up the steep coulee below the field). They came out 30 yards from us and my buddy took the 1st available opportunity to put Mr. Gobbler down. We did a tandem on the calling, one would yelp and the other would cutt hard over the top of the yelping... followed by some purrs and clucks. That was way more than they could handle...

Here he is:

Good Luck!

Ken

[Gordie]

great bird labs and well done its nice when a plan comes together and congrats on your buddys bird.

[tealitup]

I got out this weekend and had no luck. Had one chance at about 45 yards, but the Tom was in the middle of mating.

I saw him strutting next to a small wooded patch. Came up with a plan and stalked to him - 45 yards - I can make this shot. Pull the 12 gauge up and see two heads stick up. One was a hen. Knowing the shot pattern would hit both I waited; they got scared -seperated-and I took a quick shot. He rolled! then got up and flew away. Then hen was unscathed and followed the big boy.

Orions Hunter was at the corner of the field watching it all unfold. I walked back to him and he said "my hand were shaking just watching!" He then had the fever. We found another patch of woods/open space and some jakes milling about. While standing there talking about how we could make a sneak another Jake came out about 50 yards away with no gun in hand. Orions Hunter grabbed a gun but the shot was too far away.

Back to work - I am going to try and get out at least one more time this week. I am feeling sick - you know the Turkey Sickness

[LABS4ME]

Go get 'em...

Sounds like there are birds in your area... put one more on the board for team 8!

Good Luck!

Ken

[tealitup]

Today is the last day and it HAS to rain. So much fun sitting here watching the rain come down (I hate hunting in the rain).