Turkey opener

[garyb]

Pouring rain. Set up small flock of decoys and my new jake decoy 15 yrds from my tower stand ....before sun up. 1 hr after sunrise I hear gobble and in comes a long beard. I had a good shot opportunity at 30 yrds, but thought he would keep coming to the decoys. He stopped, at 30, turned and gobbled all the way up hill. He did not like something about the decoys. Maybe a lover and not a fighter. You never can tell. I worked him for. 2 hrs and he gobbled the entire time, hung up hill from the decoys. He wanted the hens to leave that jake. I should have taken him at 30 but wanted a little better shot. I even pulled out and circled around him trying to make him think the flock moved up hill too. He responded but would not come in. I circled back to the tower in the rain and he continued to answer for a while. Eventually he moved off or just got quiet. That's hunting. Will sit tight for a bit and head back home to eat, nap and work out in the afternoon.

[340pd]

I was one of the first year turkey license holders in MN. The birds were introduced into the southeastern corner of the state in a couple of counties. We were required to take a DNR hunting course on Wild Turkeys including the history as well as how to call them in. The DNR's fear was they would become too domesticated and that would destroy their natural ability to live in the wild.

Fifteen or so years later, I now shag them off my walking path in the center of metropolitan Minneapolis.

I am waiting for a city wide wild turkey lasso season.

[muggsy]

And here I thought that we were all going to be invited to a turkey dinner. The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee. (With apologies to Robert Burns.)

[dkmatthews]

Oh, you meant opening day?

I thought you meant an opener for turkeys, like this one:

http://bowhunting.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tom-bomb-2.jpg

[muggsy]

That looks like a mighty fine turkey opener. Never knew that you were a turkey plucker, dk. I'll have a drumstick. :)

[knkali]

Pouring rain. Set up small flock of decoys and my new jake decoy 15 yrds from my tower stand ....before sun up. 1 hr after sunrise I hear gobble and in comes a long beard. I had a good shot opportunity at 30 yrds, but thought he would keep coming to the decoys. He stopped, at 30, turned and gobbled all the way up hill. He did not like something about the decoys. Maybe a lover and not a fighter. You never can tell. I worked him for. 2 hrs and he gobbled the entire time, hung up hill from the decoys. He wanted the hens to leave that jake. I should have taken him at 30 but wanted a little better shot. I even pulled out and circled around him trying to make him think the flock moved up hill too. He responded but would not come in. I circled back to the tower in the rain and he continued to answer for a while. Eventually he moved off or just got quiet. That's hunting. Will sit tight for a bit and head back home to eat, nap and work out in the afternoon.

Good luck to you. Send pix

[dkmatthews]

That looks like a mighty fine turkey opener. Never knew that you were a turkey plucker, dk. I'll have a drumstick. :)

muggsy - if it can be grilled, smoked, roasted or fried then I'll do my best to put meat in the freezer and dinner on the table. Rifle, bow, rod & reel or whatever.

[Bawanna]

Oh, you meant opening day?

I thought you meant an opener for turkeys, like this one:

http://bowhunting.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tom-bomb-2.jpg

That's about the nastiest looking arrow tip I've ever laid eyes on. Never seen such a thing. Course I always used a scattergun.

[dkmatthews]

That's about the nastiest looking arrow tip I've ever laid eyes on. Never seen such a thing. Course I always used a scattergun.

Colonel - the idea is to separate the head from the neck. Tom won't run far after that happens.

[muggsy]

Looks like that would, "Git 'er dun."

[leftysixty]

That thing kinda looks like some ancient torture device.:eek:

[Bawanna]

Sure looks like it would hurt, I'll tell ya that much.

[garyb]

In NY, Spring season for Turkey, we can only hunt till noon. I got tired of sitting and came back for a snack and nap at 10am. That bird showed up in my apple orchard strutting at 5pm with a hen. Wouldn't you know it that he went right back down past my tower blind and strutted in the field till about an hour before dark...then they headed to the roost. If I were ambitious, I'd go out and roost them with an owl call to catch them in the morn. But I look forward to intercepting him another day. Gotta love the time in the woods and the hunt.

[AJBert]

I've been turkey hunting exactly ONE time and will never go again. I was maybe 15 or 16, sitting with my back to a tree with some small bushes hiding me. Using my hen call and getting some calls back getting closer and closer.


Finally, I see some movement. Turns out it was another hunter closing in on my calls. Stayed as still as possible without making a squeak.


Last time I'll ever hunt turkey. Too many damn idiots out there. And, yes, this was public land. I tend to like my life a bit enough not to get shot by an idiot that sees movement.


Good luck none the less!

[garyb]

I've been turkey hunting exactly ONE time and will never go again. I was maybe 15 or 16, sitting with my back to a tree with some small bushes hiding me. Using my hen call and getting some calls back getting closer and closer.


Finally, I see some movement. Turns out it was another hunter closing in on my calls. Stayed as still as possible without making a squeak.


Last time I'll ever hunt turkey. Too many damn idiots out there. And, yes, this was public land. I tend to like my life a bit enough not to get shot by an idiot that sees movement.


Good luck none the less!



Been hunting turkey for many years. That situation happens, but pretty rare. I always have a reversible camo / orange hat to wave when it does. Just because two turkey hunters engage while calling, does not mean it is a dangerous situation either. It is part of hunting. You had your eyes on him and realized it was a person, best bet is to let him know you are there and you are a person ASAP...just in case he is an idiot.


Quick story....I once shot a buck with my bow. I was tracking it and saw a white tail flashing on the side of a tree. It was out of shooting range, so I stalked in to range. It sounded like a blat and the white would appear. Very unusual. I watched for a while and then realized it was the shoulder of a neighbor starting a chain saw. I could have sworn it was a deer tail and blat, but it sounded and looked unusual, so I held tight. I told my neighbor that I had shot a deer and exactly what happened. I suggested he wear another color during deer season, because another hunter may not have been as careful as I was....especially during gun season.


Moral of the story....Always know with absolute certainty of your target and what is beyond it.
Safe Hunting.