Sounds like a day to remember! Pictures if you have any.

Sure Garry, I got pictures- but not of that one. Got this one today with the Grade 2 hammer 12 with 30" F/FF, ser 34275. No action early morning, and was half asleep in a lawn chair when one gobbled over the hill. Put the decoy out quickly and he popped into the field 250 yds out. Came right in, and at 100 yds, laid down the box call, cocked the hammers, and just used my natural voice to bring it thr rest of the way in. Thought he was at 25 yds, but was 32yds. Shooting 1 1/8 oz of #7's with 23 gr of 7625 in a Rem hull. Went down real hard.
Two year old with 10" beard and 1 " spurs, probably 20 lbs. Very happy with it. My first Parker turkey--pictures to follow, have to download off my phone.
Hey Garry, didn't you live in Ohio for a while??-flushed a grouse in strip pit area, made me quite happy!!

Pictures

Nice bird Harold.





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Gun was made in 1883, 137 yrs old and still kickin'

THINGS DON'T ALWAYS WORK OUT AS PLANNED
 

Gave a Trojan to my cousin's grandson last week. Let turkey walk by him and never saw it. This week after ninety minutes of cold calling, well, you can guess what happens. So much for a photo for the Parker Pages.

I'm carrying a new to me 20 ga A5 all wrapped up (so don't jump on me about it!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq6ONiiPDYA

Had a tom and two hens come in to me, and as they came around the corner, the lead hen saw my decoy. She didn't like it, and told the old man. I understood her to say "what's she got that I don't have?" End of today's hunt.

Harold, that is a beautiful Tom and a wonderful gun to take him with. Yes, I did live in SE Ohio (Athens) for a while, and ventured back to grouse hunt for many years until the bottom fell out. I sure miss those days. I killed my first turkey in Ohio during one of their very first seasons back in the late 1970s. I wish I had the energy and desire I had then.

You've inspired me to take my EH 10 tomorrow morning. I tagged my first bird last Wednesday (with a gun not to be mentioned on this site!). I know where 6 gobblers are having a party every morning about an hour away. Their set-up is perfect for them (and not for a hunter), but we'll see what can be finessed...if it does not rain as predicted.

Thanks for posting your pictures, and letting me know that there is still at least one grouse in Ohio.

Take care an be safe,

Garry

Women! Whadaya gonna do??!!

Garry, were you at Ohio University? Had 2 yrs there, 72-74, before going on to Ohio State. The grouse I flushed was in Jefferson County, and the next day heard one drumming there. Man, that sure made my day!! Yes, grouse hunting in eastern Ohio was as good as anywhere. I was hunting the UP then also, and always said the hunting was not better in the UP, just a whole lot easier--no steep hills, no multiflora, or greenbriar.
Do you remember the name Nelson Groves, a grouse hunting legend from that area( Nelsonville).

I was sitting on the edge of an alfalfa field Saturday morning at daybreak. The turkeys must have been practicing social distancing. I had the Oregon 20 gauge with me.

https://i.imgur.com/qWuGyrP.jpg

That’s a great picture Reggie - Home Page quality.





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Harold, yes I attended OU from 1977-79, and continued to return to hunt there until the early 2000s, mostly hunting from out of Nelsonville. I also hunted in NE Ohio when we went to visit Elaine's parents. I loved hunting in Ohio, as much as anywhere else I've ever been. The cover was great on all of the public land once upon a time. I'm surprised that I never met Nelson Groves, but did run into some unique characters over the years, interestingly, very few were grouse hunters.

Take good care of those birds you found. Maybe one of the imported tree scourges will knock back growth enough to bring back the grouse. Hey, we can always hope.

My office this AM. Remnants of an old chimney from a halfway house which burned down in about 1930. It's about 100 yards from my cabin. 30 degrees this AM. The birds chose to not get out of bed. Sorry about the rotation

Harry and I could not get into our favorite WMA this weekend between water and downed trees. The birds are pretty educated too. My brother went out at Dad's place and did not hear anything.

John, that's a neat old building remnant. Looks like a great place to explore.

I got up at 2:30 am to drive an hour to where I know there are at least 6 Toms that hang out together. I had planned an in-the-dark sneak across a large field and through a wet bottom so that I could take advantage of their movement patterns...and so that I would not flush any hens on my way in. Just as I was leaving the truck the heavens opened up and it rained hard and steady. Back home by 5:30. Will try tomorrow, but rain is predicted again. That's turkey hunting for you!

Turkeys have been really quiet since season opened on the 22nd. Not much gobbling on the roost and it gets quiet shortly after leaving the tree. I have not even been hearing the occasional bird that gets lonesome in the afternoon.

i went hunting this afternoon every thing was queit no gobbling...i think they got the lock jaw as my dad use to say...i did see a fresh hen track...gona try to hunt every evening for the rest of the season...ours goes out may the 2nd...always glad to see the new season come in and glad to see it close....may get something done around the house then...charlie

Harry and I are giving it another try this afternoon.

Lots of gobbling this morning but could not get them to cross a large clear cut. I don't know what I AM DOING..

i went this evening it was very quiet except for the wind blowing in the trees...i think all my turkeys flew north....charlie

At 3:00 am I checked the weather -- 25 mph winds and light drizzle. Thank goodness! I went back to sleep and pledged to go tomorrow. We have a week and and half left in our season, and I have a bird in the freezer...but I'd sure like to get one of the 6 Toms that have been gobbling at me for the past week. We'll see tomorrow. Thank goodness, there's a tomorrow.

BETTER LUCKY THAN GOOD
 

Garry, I have always hated the early mornings required for turkey hunting. Now, I never sleep in, have always got up at 6:00am, but just don't function well if I have to get up at 4:00. I have killed a lot of birds by not getting into the woods until after 8:00 am. Let them hen up, but by 9-10:00 the hens will leave them, and they will be on the prowl again. This past Sat., I was half asleep in an old lawn chair I had put up in the field, when a bird gobbled a couple hundred yds away and woke me up. He saw my decoy, heard my calls and later became my first turkey killed with a Parker- at 10:15 am.

Hey jerry, are those 3" TSS shells? Looks like they certainly did their job?

Charlie if they want to come North they will need web feet. Between snow, rain and tonight/tomorrows monsoons tomorrows turkey opener would be best done from my duckboat. Good luck to all and stay safe.

tomorrow is the last day of the turkey season for us in Mississippi...I will try to go to see if mr tom is going to cooperate one more time...will go back to my job of clearing a 5 acre field I let grow up and now trying to reclaim it... charlie

One of the great things about hunting is that I get to see and experience new things each and every season. This turkey season was no exception. I finally managed to get set-up correctly on some gobblers I've been hunting this season. Although I think Harold and Mills are spot-on regarding the improving chances one has by waiting until later in the day to call a Tom, I chose the opposite strategy and went in extra early. The problem was that the birds were roosting in some isolated timber in a drainage that was surrounded by large open fields. There was also a deep and treacherously muddy creek that precluded a more direct approach. So, to avoid trespassing on the adjacent landowner, I had to take a circuitous route that made my trek in over three miles. I also had to go in under the cover of darkness, thus the extra early walk in. I set up as close as I could to what I hoped was their roost with about an hour and a half before shooting light. As dawn approached, and just from where I'd hoped he would be, a bird gobbled at a barred owl's call...and then continued to gobble until fly-down.

Here's the "new experience" part of this hunt. There were two Toms roosted together, and they continued to gobble at each other for about 30 minutes, just over a slope in the field that kept them out of sight. Finally, one of the birds shifted over the crest of the slope and started to move my way. I had given only a purr and cluck to them just after fly-down to let them know there was a hen in my direction. Too much calling here would not work as my set-up spot had only sparse cover and I was sure a bird would see me before he got close enough to shoot if he was looking in my direction for a hen. I just wanted to coax them my way.

The Tom strutted and drummed closer, and then at about 50-60 yards the periscope went up and I could tell he was scanning my cover. He stepped a little closer and I chanced a shot. He went down quickly. The other Tom gobbled at the shot and did not fly away, although I still could not see him. I decided to wait to see what the other bird would do. In 45 years of hunting turkeys I've had three instances of other Toms jumping on a bird I'd shot. They are so programmed to fight off rivals, they don't care about the noise of a shot. This time when my bird flopped in his death throes, the other Tom jumped him and started pecking away. He finally left, but came back again and again as my bird would shudder every now and then. I watched this for about 10-15 minutes. I'm sure the Tom would have continued to attack my bird, but I finally decided my back and legs just needed to be stretched, so I got up. The Tom ran off and I went to retrieve my bird. Since the downed bird was just at the slope of the field, I could only see his wings thrash from my vantage point, not being able to clearly see all of him. I was surprised to find that the other Tom had plucked most of the feathers from my bird's neck. I now wonder if I'd not stood up and spooked off the other bird, if he would have completely plucked my bird for me.:whistle:

Every day's a new day in the field...

Great hunt and story Garry, congratulations, you really earned that bird! I looked at the picture first, and wondered what the heck happened to its neck, figured you must have carried it out of the woods by the neck. Your strategy of getting in super early is a good one--I just hate getting up that early in order to do that--of course, you need to know where the turkeys are roosting. My best friend uses your strategy, he is always settled in long before daylight.
What were you shooting? Well, at least you can sleep in tomorrow. When does the season end for you?

In VT we can shoot 2 bearded birds in the spring and one of either sex in the fall. In the spring we can shoot both birds on the same day. Twice I have killed my second bird while he was thrashing my downed bird.





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Way to go Garry. I do not recall ever having a bird thrashed that I had taken with a gun although it may have. Archery killed birds are another story as I have had that happen numerous times. They will hang in there for the most part and abuse the downed bird about as long as you can endure the show.

On another note I like to take the breast and cut it into chunks not to thick, say about 1/2" max. Cube it with a hand held cuber, marinate over night in Zesty Italian dressing, right out of the marinade into your favorite flour or breading and then cook over medium heat. Tender and yummy. :bigbye:

Randy, you have my mouth watering(!) I'll give it a try.

Dean, now that the statute of limitations has passed, I can admit that many years ago I mistakenly shot a second bird while he was "giving what for" to my already shot bird. I was lying in a logging road and after my first shot I thought the bird had only been wounded and was getting ready to run off...so I shot again and when I stood up, there were two dead birds.:eek: The first one shot was a Jake, the second one weighed 27 pounds and had 5 beards. I'm still chagrined that probably my best turkey was not taken more "appropriately." :nono:

Harold, I was wide awake at 2:30 am this morning. Once I get into the early morning pattern, my internal alarm clock goes off on its own. I could not get back to sleep. It also frustrates Elaine because the sleep pattern also means I go to bed at 8:30 pm. :banghead:

Charlie, good luck with getting your chores done. Hey, our squirrel season opens at the end of May, so if you lived in Missouri, you'd have another excuse to not do chores.:rotf:

P.S. I cannot in good conscience reveal what I was shooting, but I did not want to cross that creek in the pitch black dark lugging my 9 pound EH 10 gauge. I'm sure I'd be banned from the Association if I told what I was shooting.:crying: Let's just say it was my "creek crossing" gun.:corn:

my creek crossing gun will be a 8 ga davenport single barrel today...I don't get up to early anymore I hunt the evening shift now...good luck and don't fall in the creek...charlie

well I made it back across the creek...not a bird did I see or here...a turkey had been there I saw his fresh track I guess you could say turkey season ended without a bang....charlie

There’s always next year Charlie.

(I often tell myself that consolation.)





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From your posts I'd say your season was a good one. It's a wonderful time of year to be out with a gun.

And now I’m telling my grandson, Cam, that. That young man is frothing at the bit for me to take him turkey hunting in VT, NH or MA but just about any public land we can hunt on is swarming with hikers and cyclists and tree-huggers so hunting undisturbed is out of the question... there’s always next year.:crying:





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Garry, my favorite turkey gun is my Rem 870 Wingmaster 12 ga that I bought with my money made by throwing hay bales in the summer( $1.00/hr) when I was 17.
It now sports a 21" barrel with a turkey X-Full choke, and a 2X Weaver scope. Put the crosshairs on the wattles and down goes the bird. More importantly, it has a sling, making it much easier to get around when moving. I shot my first bird this year with it--the second bird was with the Grade 2 hammer gun.
Sure killed a lot of deer with that gun also, with a rifled choke tube in place, and still have its original 28" barrel.

Harold, as a fellow Buckeye, I loved your shirt in your earlier photo. While there are huge questions as to what this season may look like, I have faithfully paid my money for what will be our 40th season of season tickets to Buckeye football!

Best to you, my friend.

Dave

OhowIhateOhioState :rotf: