first morning

[charlie cleveland]

today was our opening day of turkey season.. i was onna get up at 4 oclock but after waking up at 12-30 and again at 2-30 i decided just to stay up...boy what a long day its been...got into the woods at 6-00 was not daylight till 7-00..it was as still andpeacful as ive ever seen...it was very warm about 62 degrees and got up to 83*...what a good morning it was to be in the woodsonly thing wrong not a turkey made a peep...we switched stradgeys and went to a field in hopes of maybe luring one into our decoys...we tried this seup for about 2 hours with no luck...went and had a sandwich at the house grabbed the 4 wheeler and made abouta 1 hour ride looking for turkey sign ....my hunting partner showed back up had a young lad with him who had begged him into letting him go with us...hey i remember those days of not getting to go with the adults... so off for another spot to hunt we again put out our decoys andset for 3 hours with no luck...we gathered up our decoys and was headed to the truck and we did not like 50 ft getting to the truck when a gobbler cut loose not more than 100 yards from the truck..well we quitely and quickly came up with what seem like a fool proof plan...boy was this old gobbler hot he gobbled at every thing that made a noise.. several crows was harrasing the old gobbler so we figured it be a cinch to get close enough to get a shot..well after 1 hour ofthe most gobb;ing ive ever seen a turkey do andheart pounding excitement that old gobbler shut up as suddenly as he had started...i dont guess will ever know how he sliped out without one of us getting a shot...but we will remember this ole bird for a long time....gonna be saturday before i try him again.... charlie

[ron belanger]

today was our opening day of turkey season.. i was onna get up at 4 oclock but after waking up at 12-30 and again at 2-30 i decided just to stay up...boy what a long day its been...got into the woods at 6-00 was not daylight till 7-00..it was as still andpeacful as ive ever seen...it was very warm about 62 degrees and got up to 83*...what a good morning it was to be in the woodsonly thing wrong not a turkey made a peep...we switched stradgeys and went to a field in hopes of maybe luring one into our decoys...we tried this seup for about 2 hours with no luck...went and had a sandwich at the house grabbed the 4 wheeler and made abouta 1 hour ride looking for turkey sign ....my hunting partner showed back up had a young lad with him who had begged him into letting him go with us...hey i remember those days of not getting to go with the adults... so off for another spot to hunt we again put out our decoys andset for 3 hours with no luck...we gathered up our decoys and was headed to the truck and we did not like 50 ft getting to the truck when a gobbler cut loose not more than 100 yards from the truck..well we quitely and quickly came up with what seem like a fool proof plan...boy was this old gobbler hot he gobbled at every thing that made a noise.. several crows was harrasing the old gobbler so we figured it be a cinch to get close enough to get a shot..well after 1 hour ofthe most gobb;ing ive ever seen a turkey do andheart pounding excitement that old gobbler shut up as suddenly as he had started...i dont guess will ever know how he sliped out without one of us getting a shot...but we will remember this ole bird for a long time....gonna be saturday before i try him again.... charlie

Good story Charlie!
They can disappear like ghosts and whitetails...

[King Brown]

That's a real hunting story, charlie. All of us have shot birds. The ones that leave us flat-footed are the ones we remember. Thanks.

[charlie cleveland]

gonna be after that old bird in the morning...my dad spent a week after a big tom several years ago he never got that bird..... charlie

[charlie cleveland]

well today was not a complete failure but came close...was in the woods at 6.00 am listening for the big tom he must have had the lockjaw because not a sound did i hear...about 30 minutes after daylight i put out my 2 hen decoys and called..a hour and a half passed by before something returned my call...dont you know he came to my back side but i was able to turn around before the turkey showed up...as the turkey came down the old logging road i d set up on he was coming at a trot i pushed the safety off on the old 10 ga parker took a bead guess what little jake that was clean shaven not a sighn of a beard...when the little tom got up to the decoys he was really trying to get the gals to talk but they never answered him...no beard finally lost interest and went his way cackling and purring...i stayed a while longer but decided to try another spot.. after dinner i took and went and got set up in a big field thats usally pays off but after 4 1/2 hrs not a peep did i hear...i pulled up stakes and was heading home when i seen a red and white turkey first one this color ive seen in my neck of the woods...well thats thehappening of today but was still a good day..no telling how many times i caught my self looking at the old parker ten and ive had this thing for 30 years or better... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

Great stories!

[william faulk]

Charlie,
Tomorrow is another day and another chance !
Good Luck...Bill :bigbye:

[william faulk]

Charlie,
This is a Rio Grande turkey..Is this the same turkey down in Mississipi ?

[charlie cleveland]

no bill.. we have the eastern turkey...i wish we also had the reo turkey .. saw a gobbler this evening but he was at about 90 yards...i was walking to my ride when the turkey and me seen each other at the same time...he looked me over good and moved on... a couple crows spotted the old gobbler andgave him heck...if the woosa hada been wet i woulda tried to have snuck up on him while the crows were harassing him but its was dry so im gonna try him in the morning.... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

My cousin was down in Florida this past weekend hunting the Osceola Turkey. All of my hunting has been for the Eastern Turkey so far.:draw::draw:

[charlie cleveland]

was raining here this morning but went hunting anyway...all i saw was a hen and a jake forgot did see 5 tame gobblers in a mans yard...not that desperate yet but heh seasons not over yet.ha been an unusal spring for us trees all leaved out the weathers warm but them gobblers aint gobbling rite...how bout you other fellas are the turkeys gobbling in yalls part of the country.... charlie

[Mills Morrison]

Am going tomorrow and Sunday as well if I am lucky.

[Frank Cronin]

Opening season started this morning in Mass. Hunted in the town of Ashby in central MA on the MA / NH border. Started with some light tree yelps and clucks with the slate call and then hen yelps with the box call. Within 20 minutes setting myself against the tree a gobbler was gobbling away in the distance to my right. From the distance I could tell he was nice Tom with a long beard. Distance was 60 yards and he hung up and couldn't get him in.

Gonna try again tomorrow with the big five frame 10.....

[Mills Morrison]

Sounds like a typical turkey hunt

[Dean Romig]

Frank, call softer and on a different call when he hangs up again. Makes them think you (the hen) are moving away.

[Mills Morrison]

I have found it very effective to call a little bit while you are walking, letting out a big call when you set up and then waiting.