Spring Turkey

Mark Belknap said:
View attachment 75489View attachment 75490It was a beautiful morning here for Virginia’s opening day. Every gobbler I called in , came in silently. When does your season start Henrick?
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Mark,

Congratulations that's a fine gobbler.

Silent has become the norm in PA & NY for many years. Years ago while hunting pheasants in SD one of our group asked the friend and guide. "Why don't the roosters Cackle?" That gene pool is gone. They cackle they Die... he replied. Made sense to me. Often the first thing that comes to calling now are Coyote's, and sometimes very quickly. Gotta keep sharp eyes and no napping like I sometimes did in the past. I solved that by going later in the day Geezer Style.
 
Mark,
Beautiful gobbler and I couldn't help but notice your fine shotgun. I have always had an affection for SS shotguns despite not being able to shoot them well. Do you hunt any other states for turkey once you fill out?
Our season in Minnesota starts next Wednesday and we were very fortunate to also draw tags for the Black Hills.
RM
 
Lots of good advice. There are only two things I’ve ever claimed to be good at. 1. Drinking whiskey. 2. Killing turkeys. It used to be an unhealthy obsession, taking off 30 days to hunt from work. Then a wife and kids happened, and access and birds dwindled.

Reach out by PM if you want to have a phone call.
 
Henrick Lind said:
Anyone thinking about heading out for a gobbler this spring? I was looking for some tips for my first turkey season so if anyone has any it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks -Henrick
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A few things to take to the woods:
Don't underestimate how easy a gobbling turkey is to kill after 9am.
Sometime waiting until 30min after flydown to make your first call is THE RIGHT MOVE
Don't ever use a white light to enter the woods
A gobbler knows within 10ft where he heard that hen once he is inside 100yds.
ALWAYS shoot for the neck and not the head
There is no need to do anything but cluck or purr when they are inside 100yds...Everything else is just FUN
 
Chip M. said:

A few things to take to the woods:
Don't underestimate how easy a gobbling turkey is to kill after 9am.
Sometime waiting until 30min after flydown to make your first call is THE RIGHT MOVE
Don't ever use a white light to enter the woods
A gobbler knows within 10ft where he heard that hen once he is inside 100yds.
ALWAYS shoot for the neck and not the head
There is no need to do anything but cluck or purr when they are inside 100yds...Everything else is just FUN
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That is some good advice right there!
 
Chip M. said:
A few things to take to the woods:
Don't underestimate how easy a gobbling turkey is to kill after 9am.
Sometime waiting until 30min after flydown to make your first call is THE RIGHT MOVE
Don't ever use a white light to enter the woods
A gobbler knows within 10ft where he heard that hen once he is inside 100yds.
ALWAYS shoot for the neck and not the head
There is no need to do anything but cluck or purr when they are inside 100yds...Everything else is just FUN
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Thanks for the good info, What color light is best to use?
 
Henrick Lind said:
Thanks for the good info, What color light is best to use?
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Turkey can see all colors of light (and more) than you can. There is no secret color that they can't see. Just go without a light or don't use a light near them.

I can't say I'm on board with 1/2 of the things Chip has listed as fact, I'd say take all strict rules with a significant grain of salt.
 
The count here in northern NJ is terrible. My archery club debated postponing their range cleanup due to turkey season. They called the state and they said "Go for it, we couldn't find any turkeys in our pre-season count." The predators (foxes, yotes, bobcats) are doing a number on them up here. South NJ is a whole other world. I get pics from buddies setup on the edges of fields calling in groups of 10-12 birds at once.

I enjoy but just haven't had the time. 2 years ago, my first hunt, I just lucked out and picked a spot within 200-300 yds of a group. Heard the gobblers all morning but only managed to call in one hen.

It's my second favorite hunting next to waterfowl. Just doesn't seem to pay off where I am at.
 
Jay K said:
The count here in northern NJ is terrible. My archery club debated postponing their range cleanup due to turkey season. They called the state and they said "Go for it, we couldn't find any turkeys in our pre-season count." The predators (foxes, yotes, bobcats) are doing a number on them up here. South NJ is a whole other world. I get pics from buddies setup on the edges of fields calling in groups of 10-12 birds at once.

I enjoy but just haven't had the time. 2 years ago, my first hunt, I just lucked out and picked a spot within 200-300 yds of a group. Heard the gobblers all morning but only managed to call in one hen.

It's my second favorite hunting next to waterfowl. Just doesn't seem to pay off where I am at.
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Glory days are over, that is for sure.
 
Iowa 1st season started yesterday April 13th. I listened to gobbling from the roost across the river. Once down on the ground nothing more was heard. I stayed until my butt was sore.

Today much less gobbling. Only heard two, with one of them being on my side of the river. Two hens crossed 100 yards out in front of me. They picked up on something they did not like. Started "putting", getting low and nervous. They settled down and continued on there way heading west.

Then I heard a hen in the timber behind me. We conversed for a bit and I could tell she was getting closer, so I shut up. Sure enough she exited the timber on a trail just 15 yards to my right. She stayed right next to the timber calling and clucking to that yet unseen hen. (I had no decoys out)
Soon she tired of that and made her way back into the timber.

A bit later, she exited the timber further away and crossed the open weed/prairie ground in front of me heading south, away from me all the time. The tom I had heard behind me on the roost, never materialized.
 
RM Anderson said:
Mark,
Beautiful gobbler and I couldn't help but notice your fine shotgun. I have always had an affection for SS shotguns despite not being able to shoot them well. Do you hunt any other states for turkey once you fill out?
Our season in Minnesota starts next Wednesday and we were very fortunate to also draw tags for the Black Hills.
RM
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Hey RM
I pretty much only chase turkeys in my home state now. We are allowed 3 tags per season. I live fairly close to 2 other states but not sure the family would like me disappearing for a month. LOL Filled my second tag yesterday. 2 big gobblers came in silently at 10:00. Only one leftIMG_5767.jpegIMG_5751.jpeg
 
tod osier said:
Glory days are over, that is for sure.
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The southern part of the state is a whole other animal entirely. Guys down there religiously apply in the lottery because a lot of segments and zones sell out down there. Up here, my segment, I don't even bother applying any longer. If I feel like hunting? I go on the night before and just buy the permit for the corresponding segment and zone. They never sell out, always available.

It's crazy how 60-70 miles can change things.
 
I got my son on his first ever Sunday afternoon in between worship. Temps were in the mid 80s and the wind was howling out of the south so we set out for a scouting mission but took along his 20 gauge just in case. I had a feeling that if we found birds, they be down in the creek bottom and in the shade. We eased through a red cedar thicket towards a good glassing post overlooking the bottoms. I spotted the first one less than 50 yards away in the bottom- a jake, and then another. Perfect first bird if we can get them into position for the shot. I got him settled, knelt behind his shoulder, and blasted a call into the wind. 3 heads snapped to attention and a long beard took the lead. It was inside 15 yards before he could get a clean shot off and the rest is history. 23.3#, 9.75” beard, and spurs measuring 1.125”. He’s ruined now but he’s put the time and miles in. We were home in less than an hour.

Gobbler #1 for me went down yesterday. I set up about 80 yards across the holler (I’m from the south, y’all) from a pair of gobblers on roost. I was expecting them to be the opposite direction so I scooted around the tree and settled in. I threw a couple calls out so they knew where to find me on the way to their strut zone and almost immediately heard steps over my right shoulder.I struggled to get turned and to see through my glasses that wanted to fog with each breath. This bird slipped in completely silent without even a peep on the roost and I killed him on his way past at 25 yards, less than 25 minutes after I left the truck, and walked out to the remaining birds still gobbling less than 100 yards from the shot.

He was a satellite 2 year old gobbler and a lightweight at only 16.5# but he sure made a 10.5” beard look big. The fan damage was from him learning his place in the pecking order I assume.

IMG_2539.jpeg
 
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