Spring Turkey

Living between the ocean and the Chesapeake bay, we deal with windy days (20-30mph) throughout the season. I have found that metal topped pots, long boxes and tube calls seem to cut the wind quite well. If a gobbler is looking, he will respond just as well on windy days as calm ones. The biggest drawback is that you won't be able to hear them gobbling or coming in as well. Hang in there
 
Mark Belknap said:
Living between the ocean and the Chesapeake bay, we deal with windy days (20-30mph) throughout the season. I have found that metal topped pots, long boxes and tube calls seem to cut the wind quite well. If a gobbler is looking, he will respond just as well on windy days as calm ones. The biggest drawback is that you won't be able to hear them gobbling or coming in as well. Hang in there
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But wind often puts them in predictable locations (Lee side) and covers movement
 
Planning on going out tomorrow morning and trying to make it happen. It will happen just not sure when. Tomorrow is almost perfect conditions with an under 5mph breeze, clear morning, and 40-50 degrees. Hopefully tomorrow is the day.
 
Henrick Lind said:
Thanks RM, hopefully you also have some luck.
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Henrick,
Heather and I got to the roost this morning about 5 am and knew right away that they had roosted elsewhere. Another hunter was driving around with his atv and would stop every once in a while to shock call. My wife heard a gobble way up on top of the hill so we hustled out of there and started climbing. We were three quarters of the way up when they flew down so we set up as the cover got pretty sparce. Sure enough, the whole flock stayed on the ridge and crested the hill to the next drainage. So we got up and our plan was to circle around the peak and cut them off on the other side. About halfway to the other side of the hill, we were startled by a gobble about forty yards away. Heather instantly hit the dirt while I crawled to the next tree for a little better visibility. A few soft clucks and purrs brought him within easy range but the vegetation was so thick I couldn't get a clear shot. Finally he stepped into a clearing wide enough for a load of 8.5 TSS. We were mighty happy turkey hunters!
RM
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Cool! That is sometimes how it is, they are right next to you and they are watching you or hear you and you don't even think there could possibly be one in the area. I know that from this season and I still don't have a bird. Hoping to get one Monday morning I am going out because I am off of school for Memorial Day. I am hoping to get on a bird I have a week left of the season and starting Monday, I am hunting everyday before school, and next weekend to try for my Tom before the season ends.
 
Henrick Lind said:
Cool! That is sometimes how it is, they are right next to you and they are watching you or hear you and you don't even think there could possibly be one in the area. I know that from this season and I still don't have a bird. Hoping to get one Monday morning I am going out because I am off of school for Memorial Day. I am hoping to get on a bird I have a week left of the season and starting Monday, I am hunting everyday before school, and next weekend to try for my Tom before the season ends.
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Henrick,
We are all pulling for you! My wife asks me every day, "Has Henrick gotten his turkey yet?" Hang in there; it's not over till it's over.
RM
 
Exactly not yet and if nothing else it is very much a learning season as my first. My grandpa has never hunted turkeys and today my grandpa asked if he could go with on Monday because he hears my updates to him and he said he might join me next season because it sounds exciting. Me and him usually hunt pheasants and waterfowl together so he would maybe get into turkey also. I am sure hoping this week I have his roost and fly down spot narrowed down so hopefully it will work out for me.
 
Well, I ended up knocking a Tom down this morning. I was walking along the gravel road, and heard some rustling in some cattails next to me. I figured it was a coon or something but wanted to be completely sure, so I walked 4 feet into the cattails and I see a turkey run out 5 feet from me. I mounted my gun after I saw a reddish blue head and a 7-8 inch beard and shot, I got him in the bottom of the chest because as I was aiming for the neck, he jumped, the 2nd shot hit broadside and he was running a long the gravel road with his wing dragging behind him. The 3rd shot went right into his tail as he was still running down the gravel, I chased him for 50 yards then he ran off the road into the woods off the road. So then I went into the woods and searched for 2 1/2 hours until 9:45 and I shot him around 7:30. Never came up with anything but I might go look again later. I walked down to the edge of the woods, through a thick patch, and then across the property line and couldn't find him anywhere. Hopefully I find him later.
 
Henrick Lind said:
Well, I ended up knocking a Tom down this morning. I was walking along the gravel road, and heard some rustling in some cattails next to me. I figured it was a coon or something but wanted to be completely sure, so I walked 4 feet into the cattails and I see a turkey run out 5 feet from me. I mounted my gun after I saw a reddish blue head and a 7-8 inch beard and shot, I got him in the bottom of the chest because as I was aiming for the neck, he jumped, the 2nd shot hit broadside and he was running a long the gravel road with his wing dragging behind him. The 3rd shot went right into his tail as he was still running down the gravel, I chased him for 50 yards then he ran off the road into the woods off the road. So then I went into the woods and searched for 2 1/2 hours until 9:45 and I shot him around 7:30. Never came up with anything but I might go look again later. I walked down to the edge of the woods, through a thick patch, and then across the property line and couldn't find him anywhere. Hopefully I find him later.
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A lot of times they’ll tuck underneath logs and rocks odds are you walked right by him. Your shots definitely sound like they’ll be fatal hopefully he died where he hid from you and you can find him. If you know anyone with a dog try to bring one. We found my friend’s Tom like that last year actually. The dog bumped the bird out from under a log and my buddy rolled him
 
Henrick,
Oh no! Like Wyatt said, a dog is your best chance for recovery. Maybe if you don't bring a gun with your dog you would be considered legal as you are only trying to recover the bird. Good luck but work fast in this heat.
RM
 
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