Had a hen go by at 30 yards 20 mins ago, I'm assuming she's nesting cause she headed straight for the woods and left the gobblers in the field. The gobblers are still hammering right now.
Bonemonger last week
This morning...... He's had a hell of a season so far, trying to get one for his wife now....
Heard several on the roost,one gobbled about 100 times and ended up with 5 hens,closest he got to me was 50 yds. Have been hearing lots of hens.
Most fun in Turkey woods I've had in a long time. Roosted 2 last night. Turned out to be 3 jakes this morning. Apparently the others I didn't realize were hunting on this property thought calling to them 15-20x on roost was a good idea. They pitched Way from other guys towards my decoys. I passed. They moved on. I switched properties. Have had great action. Lots of gobbles. A great call stand off where the tom wouldn't commit. When he did he had 2 buddies with him. 3 Tom's in field at 100yds but wouldn't come to me. Oh well. Having a blast. Waiting on next turkeys to move thru now. I'm not chasing them. They can come to me while I enjoy the sunshine and beautiful day.
Mao
Member
Nice tom crossed at roughly 100yds. Few min later his buddy shows at what I thought was 50yds. I killed the dirt in front of him by 10-20yds. The rise in the field is deceptuve. Turkey 1. Phil 0.
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Missed a big tom this morning. Bird roost gobbled with hens. Alex and I moved in to within about 80 yards of his roost. He pitched first over the hill and was in a bowl. Right after he pitched I stood up and busted the hens off the roost making them all fly away. I snuck forward and peeled up and could see the birds fan at about 35 yards. He turned strutting facing away and I stood up and got the gun on him. I kept peeking over the bead to see when he turned back facing me so I could shoot. He turned around facing me strutting and I cut loose. He didn't roll or anything. Just shot out of a strut and took off flying. No trouble getting up high over the trees and sailed down through a valley about 400 yards away into the horizon. Pretty sure when I was looking over the bead to watch for him to turn back I never set my cheek back down on the gun. Poor form.
matthew
Junior Member
Eh. I am enjoying the day. It is beautiful out here. Listening to gobbles in distance. Zero pressure. Got heart rate up first thing this morning. Otherwise? I don't see me growing a passion for it because my time in spring is so limited. Mental hurdle I guess.
Got to work another bird around 10,went back and forth for about 30 mins then he popped up over the ridge to my left at 30 yds but had no shot.
Oh well, back at it next week.
Oh well, back at it next week.
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Btw. Lesson learned. I've always heard "wait until he comes out of strut". Always thought it was BS. It's 35 yards and he's about to get a face full of lead, nothing can survive that. I was doing a little research earlier. When strutting their neck is pulled in and forms an S shape. Out of strut their neck is a straight line, or at least a lot longer. The S shape reduces the kill zone by around 2/3. A long line neck bisecting a circle of shot will catch far more pellets up and down the neck increasing the odds of one being fatal. . It's like a baseball batter squatting in the box. Really hard to pitch a strike. Apparently shooting at a turkey while in strut at 35 yards is numerically like shooting at one at 70 yards when not in strut.
No birds road home with me today but still had one of my most enjoyable hunts. Beautiful crisp morning. Had one gobbling. 2 coyotes foiled that when they popped out between the bird and I. One was a really pretty blonde coat that I would have been happy to take to the taxi had they come closer. They drove the Tom to the other end of the field. Had 6 deer work through with 2 of them at about 5 yards.
Just a fun morning to enjoy nature.
Just a fun morning to enjoy nature.