turkey hunting

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Be careful of those old longbeards that clam up and won't say a word after you call. They're wise to you or aren't sure of who or what is over there sounding like another bird...... They'll sneak in on you from a different direction and stay in the thick stuff watching for you to give yourself away when you scratch an itch or turn your head looking around and then, BAM... you're busted!!!!

Dean, I'm sure that has happened to me this season. You're lucky to get one gobble out of an Osceola. After that is all a waiting game to see who makes the first mistake.

[J. A. EARLY]

That's why I make my last call at least thirty minutes before I get up to leave. I gave that bird that much or more this morning before I got up. They are all "henned up" here first thing in the morning. The hens are flying down and moving to him while he is on the roost. Unless you get close enough where he can sail down to you, it is tough now.

[charlie cleveland]

up at 4.00and in the woods by 5.15..i hunted hard todayit was a interesting day..the early morning produced no gobbling heard..i then came to the house at 8.30 and had breakfast with the wife..nothing like a good long morning walk to make a man hungary..the grandaughter came over and said she had seen some turkey tracks were she rides her horse on a old road...as i walked down the old road watching for turkey sign i see a huge deer track but upon farther looking it was a large hog track..this is the first wild hog track i ve seen close to my house...any way back to turkey hunting..i finally found a spot i liked and made a stand for about 30 minutes..i did get a cakle out of a jake but he never came in..i then went back to the house made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich..throwed me some vienie s in a sack some crackers and a coupla dr pepper s.then off to the big soybean field but before i got to the field i seen a gobbler in a green field i stopped and circled around the small field got inbehind a large cedar tree and called to him..well here he come i got the gun up on ready if that beard hada been a inch longer...well let himgo into the woods and cut outa there when the big jake left...i went to the big soybean field got my binockulers and gun i eased up to the field but all i seen was abut 4 big canadian honkers and a field full of crows..i decided not to hunt the big field i decided to hunt my grandfathers old place instead..going there i see another big jake but it s beard was on the short side..finalkly reached my stand and i put out the decoys..i then set there till 5.30 with nothing seen or heard...it was a good hunt....charlie

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Charlie. there's a beard length requirement in your state?? Tomorrow is the last day of the season for me, I'll be up at 4.

[Mills]

I am planning on blitzing it this weekend.

[J. A. EARLY]

Charlie and all,

Two gobblers in the trees before good light gobbling. Got as close as I dared and gave them my best, and they flew down about 100 yards away. Hens would not let them come to me, as they will do, in fact carried them the other way, as they will always do if possible.

Heard another. It was the same bird I had fooled with four mornings this week. Saw him Wednesday at 10 a.m. Could not get across swamp. Daybreak Thursday set up in his strut zone at 6:08 a.m. Five hours. He never called (very cold). Walked two miles to him Friday, and he shut up when I got there. Got to him this morning in good time, 8 a.m. After thirty minutes of courtship, here he came, big white head and all puffed up.

Went to my right which made it difficult. I aimed carefully at his head. Twenty-five yards and a big 10 gauge. Easy. Knew I had him. Trouble is the sights and rib were on his head, and the right barrel full of number fours was headed to a maple tree ten yards away. Second shot, well he was hauling a__ over the hill so it was wasted into the ground from what I could see.

Had I been using a single-barreled gun, dead bird. Had I thought about what you see down the rib is not what is going to happen if there is a tree off to the side, a dead bird. My second bird is safely in the woods I am guessing, not a single feather could be found.

I don't think he will respond to that call again.

[charlie cleveland]

boy them kinda misses really hurt..but i could not help but smile a little..i heard a fellow one time say after he had missed a big turkey say how can a man miss something as big as a wash tub with a shotgun... i went this morning it was cool i gave my best calls but nothing was seen or heard..a turkey has to have at least a 6 inch beard in miss....i ve got till may 1 to bring something home... charlie

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Jerry, at least you saw a turkey. Spent 6 hrs in the woods today and only saw a cotton mouth.

[Mills]

The better part of the day got shot by helping my wife get her car's oil changed. Did get out this afternoon for awhile, but saw nothing

[Quack me up!]

My season here in MN starts Mon. morning. My wife and I will be out giving it a shot. A friend of mine and his son each got their birds on the same farm this past weekend and saw several other Toms so we're hopin for the best.
I'll be using my VH 12ga in hopes it can add another bird to it's history.
As long as we have decent weather and see a few birds that's all I can ask as it's great to be out this time of year.