Team 5

[hickslawns]

Team five reporting for duty.

I am Phil and I am a turkey hunting virgin. I will apologize now for my lack of experience, but assure you i will give it my best shot! Was out this morning trying to locate the gobbles and where they are roosting. Had no such luck. I will do what I can.

 

[fishwendel2]

Phil....make that two of us on Team 5! I have been seeing lots of birds so hopefully that will translate to a successful hunt!

 

[hickslawns]

Good deal Mike! Maybe we can double up on "beginners luck"! lol

 

[cynergyone]

Ok guys this is the other Mike. I got birds all over the place. I'm taking a 10 yr old girl out for her first hunt on saturday. I've been watching about 8 different birds on a regular basis. This should be a good season in my neck of the woods. Every field you drive by seems to have a bird strutting in it. I also have vacation the first week so I'll be out every day.

 

[hickslawns]

Nice Mike! Sounds like you have got them dialed in and are ready for it! I headed out last Sunday morning and couldn't locate the birds. Thought I might hear some gobbles, but had no luck. Not sure where to go from here. I know they are in the area. I am just not sure exactly where they are. I will find them.

 

[cynergyone]

Check some strutting areas. open fields, fairly open hardwoods, powerlines, even creek bottoms. I always try and glass these places from a distance. If you find them there in the early morning you can it treat it like a deer heading to it's bedding area. Chances are it's gonna head there just about everyday. Sometimes it turns into a waiting game. And remember if nothing is answering don't over call. Good luck guys.

 

[fishwendel2]

Was out Tues morning. Heard at least 100 gobbles prior to 7am. I have seen two toms in the area. Once the sun came up...so did the wind. Never heard a gobble after that for the next few hours. Did get to "meet" the game warden though. He was doing his job... let's put it that way but I have seen less "fishing" on opening day of trout season than what we experienced. Again...he was doing his job plus a little networking but we could have went about our separate ways in a shorter period of time. Was out this morning in the rain/lightning/fog. Consistent gobbles but only had time to listen. Back out tomorrow and Sunday. Have several other areas to hit that have birds but they are getting some pressure from other hunters/outfitters in the area. I can wait on those

 

[cynergyone]

I killed tuesday morning, I posted pics on the harvest thread. Plus I am taking a youth out with me friday morning so I will at least get a picture of her and I hunting together for 10 more points.

 

[hickslawns]

Nice job Mike!

I hit it until 11 today. No dice. Frustrating but I am far from done.

 

[fishwendel2]

Worked a huge tom today for 2 hours....unfortunately to 12pm. Got him to about 60 yards but the tall grass made it just too tough of a shot and I did not feel like chasing a wounded bird across US 33 lol. Back out again on Sunday

 

[hickslawns]

Good luck Mike. Keep after them. I am going to try to slide out in the morning but I need to be back to my mulch bin for the Saturday customers by 9. Going to be a quick hunt.

 

[fishwendel2]

Back up at 415 am then on to Logan County for a morning. All 5 properties tonight provided zero return calls so I am a little discouraged for tomorrow but...will go get em. Good luck to you

 

[hickslawns]

Secured permission to a new property today! I have seen turkeys in surrounding fields in the past. Nothing lately. Owner said last year there were a bunch but he hadn't seen any this year. Tried to roost one tonight with no luck. I sat in the truck with the window down from 8-910pm. Never heard a single bird. Not sure if I am going to waste my time there or maybe just do some more scouting first. I am striking out right now.

 

[fishwendel2]

Saw 17 in two separate flocks this fall on the property I am at now. Nothing....
No gobbles. Lots of deer checking out my decoys that's about it

 

[fishwendel2]

Finally bird down!! Does not help that I took a weeks vacation on the Disney cruise but finally bagged one around 845. Measurements to follow with pics

 

[hickslawns]

I had given up all hope. Nice job Mike!

I have been out many mornings and evenings. I have done more road scouting and attempting to roost birds than actual hunting. I have not had any success on the road or with the binoculars. Hunting I saw one bird. I believe it was a hen in a nest area. I didn't go in close to see if there was a nest there. It really didn't matter. Not seeing the gobblers.

 

[fishwendel2]

Add this to Team 5! Called in two gobblers to within 15 yards, took the larger male.

 

[Bloody Nock]

Congrats!
I had a really eventful Monday morning. Birds really chatting it up early. I got set up in a drainage a flat below the flat I wanted to be on (different property of course). I got him from the field on the ridge top down to the flat I mentioned (200 yards). After 30 minuets of him sizing my decoys up he decides to make his move exactly where I didn't expect it.
I was behind a double poplar that split at the base and had my gun postured in the middle pointed toward the low gap in the hog back I was sure he would take to get to these decoys. He came in quiet, 15 yards away, the vibration of his gobble and the thumping of his strut was enough to hook me. The only problem was he came in higher than me on the hogs back. with my gun in between the trees, I caught movement, my head moved slightly and cluck cluck cluck away he went.

I will be hitting the calls again Friday and Saturday.
Good luck to the rest of you.

 

[hickslawns]

Good luck to you as well Bloody Nock. Shame on me for not congratulating fishwendel2 last year in this thread. lmao