RE: Team 3 Thread
 

No need to explain Fingerz, I understand. If you want to spook all your birds before season opens, that's up to you:D. Just kidding. Hearing all of that gobbling probably fired you up, didn't it? Who cares if they were jakes. I also like to film before season opens and during season.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

haha.. I just wanted to clarify HOW I called and how everything went down.. I didnt want to give the impression I go out and call in birds prior to the season just for something to do..

Shoot.. I have been fired up since february..

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

thats awesoem fingerz could u show the video to us?!?!?!:D

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

I am going to have to find a DV cord so that I can download it to my computer. Itisnt a digital camera so the video isnt on a card. When I get a chance to get the appropriate cord I will definitely upload it. All those jakes came in gobbling the entire time, one time all of them gobbled at no more than 15 yards. It was great. I'll look into getting the cord.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Tomorrow is the season opener. I'm heading to west Texas this afternoon to hog hunt this evening and to roost some birds. I talked to the landowner,( my wifes boss), last night. He was out there 2 weeks ago and counted 37 birds. I likee! i'll post pics and a score Monday morning!

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Journeyman, where are you hunting in Texas? Do you know of any decentpublic hunting in north or east Texas? Even though my hunt went great, I'm not going back to south Tex. this season. Good luck to you.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

The Standing are posted in the main turkey contest forum. Thanks to superstrutter we are currently THIRD for overall score.

Just a heads up.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

thanks

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Guy's, it's been tough hunting on my property in LA. so far. I haven't even heard a bird since it opened March 28th. I still have hope though. I have been seeing a few hens, so I'm hoping at least one longbeard will wander my way eventually. This is the first time since I've turkey hunted on my property that I haven't heard at least onegobbler by this time of year. I'm not giving up though. I'll be off to Tennessee next week.Hopefully the weather will be decent next week. I'm glad I'm not there this week. The weather has been crazy this Spring so far. Good luck to all of you.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Here is a photo story of the highlights of my trip.

Friday we left out at noon and didnt roll into camp until after dark due to traffic in Nashville and Birmingham.

Saturday I sat up on a ridge based on last springs roosting patterns and waited....at daybreak, the closest gobble was well over a half mile away...so I grabbed the bow and hoofed it up and down these cliff like ridges to make it over. Got on his ridge, struck him up and got him to respond two to three times, and sat back and waited for him to come...as he was closing the distance, a flock of 5 hens intercepted him about 100 yards out, and off they went. No more gobbles the rest of the day, which I spent daylight to dark in the woods, minus 1 hr for lunch and to hang the trail cam. During lunch break, we drove around to check one of the 1/4 acre cleared food plots, as we drove up to one we were stunned at the 30-40+ hogs in the field...I dumbly reached for the shotty instead of the bow and took off after them...I closed the distance to 45 yards simply by walking straight across the plot at them, they just never happened to look up until then....they scrammed in a hurry...I was an idiot on multiple levels. Had I grabbed the bow, I had a 45 yard broadside feeding shot at a huge sow, OR if I had crept around the edges from inside the pines, I could have got to mere feet likely.

Sunday we got up and I sat on the ridge where I struck up the bird the morning before. He gobbled once, I moved to within 100 yards, and nestled in, shotgun in hand this day. Just as I let out a soft tree yelp he fired off at me, and then the sky opened up...it began to POUR, and I had nothing but an UA shirt on under my vest. I refused to retreat to the truck, so I stuck it out. After 1-2 hours of silence ( I was waiting to hear/see him fly down), I finally go back to the peak of the ridge to ask dad what happened...he told me the gobbler flew from tree to tree on down the ridge throughout the morning and eventually flew out of sight, How I missed that I still don't know. I stuck it out in the rain the rest of the day, minus 1.5 hrs for lunch and trailcam time/hog scouting. Not a SINGLE gobble after fly down on either day, tell me that ain't frustrating.

Monday I had a better feeling...until I walked outside to 25 degree colder temps and 25+ mph wind gusts. I head out and sat one ridge over where we heard some birds fly up...I surprisingly heard a gobble real early, which confirmed they were on the same ridge as I. I slowly worked into this bird, and got him hot and heavy over the next 50 minutes. He was actually closing the distance, then he just went silent. I had bow in hand nestled against a HUGE oak, so I sat back and waited, returning the silent treatment...after 1 hour, I couldn't take it, I had to move on and try something else..I got impatient basically. I began to pack up my calls into my vest, and as I began moving I see movement in the corner of my eye. I look up to see A turkey flying off from about 50 yards out through some dense pines. Don't know what it was, but I can't help but wonder if I had held still if it would have been that old tom coming to look for an arrow to deliver his death. We finally tucked tail, returned to camp to pack, and headed for home.

No turkey killed. 600 acres, and only 2 toms gobbling total. Did see alot of animals though. Saw 40-50 hogs total, a few hen turkey, alot of deer, two armadillos at mere feet, tons of big owls, a bobcat at 20 yards, and a few other cool things. I sucked at getting pics of the things I wanted to. I did get a trail cam photo of a buck carrying both sides still on Monday morning, a Dandy for southern AL at that. I also reconfirmed my beliefs from last year that the mosquitos are decendents of song birds down there...ridiculous, but the thermacell was a god send, and I only got one bite all weekend.

10 days till our kick off here...and now for the pics.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Interesting story Trevor, and very nice pictures. Sounds like a successful hunt even though you didnt come home with a bird.
Better luck next time.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Finally I get to go outside and hunt. It is SOOOOOO nice to be able to go out and sit and watch the animals.
I went out tonight and took a friend who had never been turkey hunting. To say we had a good hunt would be a HUGE understatement. With the exception of harvesting a bird it was the best hunt I have ever had. I saw things that I have never seen in the turkey woods before. We had a hen come in in full strut (she almost got an arrow as I thought she was a male). We had about 10 turkeys come in later with one in strut. Several were gobbling. Two were fighting with there necks wrapped around one another. After all the others left they were still going at it in the field so I tried to walk up to them. I got within 35 yards! They were in the middle of a cornfield and I walked right up to them. They separated and when I went to draw back my release came unclipped . But it was still incredible being able to walk up to them like that. Lucky for them I wasnt hunting with my shotgun or I would be having me some turkey tomorow.
Well I will be going out Wednesday night again and I hope that a quarter of the stuff that went on tonight happens then. By the way, my friend is now hooked

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

I got my kansas license and tags downloaded and printed. I can't stand the wait. I won't be hunting up there until May 4th-7th. I don't think I'll be able to make another trip here in Texas.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Ive been out a couple evenings bowhunting. Dont start gun hunting til later. I will be going out this evening. I have seen birds every time just havent been able to get them in close enough.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Well GOOD LUCK BR!

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Tennessee wasn't successful for me. I hunted Mon.-Thurs. and heard only four different gobblers on two different places. The birds were henned up bad. They would gobble some on roost and then of course go silent soonafter flydown. We didtalk to a couple birds for a little while after flydown, but they were with hens and wouldn't budge.I hunted private and public land. We almost closed the deal on a longbeard on the public land on Thursday afternoon. I was trying to help my friend get his first bird. If I would have been hunting alone, I would have killed the longbeard, that is if I would have shot straight, but that's how it goes sometimes. I did finally hear a gobbler near my property in LA. the day before I left for Tenn., so I'm a little optimistic about getting one before my season ends next weekend.It's hard to believe I have only week left to turkey hunt. Some of you haven't even started yet. Good luck to all of you.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Nice.. Keep at it.. my season starts in a few days..

how have the rest of you done so far this year? I've only heard from superstrutter a few times and now buckrogers. Are the rest of you out and hunting or when do you start...?

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

I went out saturday morning and had gobblers surrounding me. I was in a river bottom pasture and had 1 big tom to the east and a bunch to the west. At first light the one to theeast flew down into my pasture about 400 yards away and started strutting. A few minutes later a hen came from some willows to the west and went over and joined the strutting tom. A short while later she was followed by a tom that skirted around me, flew across the river to a different hen and continued east. The hen he flew to flew across to my side and joined the strutting tom. About 10 minutes later a hen and big tom come out from the willows and start heading east and they are in range. (bowhunting). I get set and the tom kinda heats up and is half strutting. I pull back and make sure that my broadhead will clear the blind window and get him to raise his head. I hit the release and the arrow shoots down into the ground 5 yards infront of him and he just stands there and then walks off. I look and there is a neat 1/2inch cut in my blind window[:'(]. That tom and hen continue to head east to the strutting tom. I watch them stand off and just as they are getting ready to kill each other the tom from across the river comes sprinting in wanting some of the action. The two big toms then chase him around the field for a minute before going back to strutting. I now have 3 toms in the field with me. I call fairly aggressively to try to get their attention away from there hens when the willows errupt with a GIANT gobble. A few seconds later 4 more toms show up and skirt around me and take off running to the other toms and proceed to chase them around and then all 7 toms started strutting around the hens. They continue for a couple hours as the occasional hen comes in from the willows and walks off to join the flock. They finally start comeing back when a farmer starts working in the field over by them. There is a hen behind me just standing around doing nothing and the lead tom sees her and comes running in and starts strutting about 35 yards away behind us[:'(]. the rest follow in and start strutting around all the while ignoring my pleas on the slate to come over and destroy my b-moble. They all end up leaving and we call it a day. What a great hunt. I cannot wait to get back out there. As far as I know I didnt educate any of them. I did learn that I will only be having my one breeding hen decoy out next time though.
Sorry for the long post...

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

I shot this guy in ky on the second morning of the season. He is a Double-Bearded Tom. He is an eastern turkey

Weight: 20.2
Spurs: Both 1"
Beard Lengths: first one 9" second 8"

Overall Score: Your score is 20.125 + 10 + 10 + 18 = 58.125








I also caught this guy trying to sneak up on my decoys opeing morning...

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Very nice trevor, but i think you shorted yourself on the bird's score. A double bearded bird you measure all of the beards and then add them all up and double that score. So you're score should be Your score is 20.125 + 10 + 10 + 34 = 74.125

Get back to me if you have any questions.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Your second beard actually looks longer than 8" in the picture... Once you let me know about the bird, I'll post the score in the official thread.. Hell of a bird!

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

each beard is actually 9" long... im away at school again so i had my dad recheck it... but he didnt take any pics.

So my final score would be Your score is 20.125 + 10 + 10 + 36 = 76.125

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Congrats on a great bird. That bird will help our teamout a lot. The weather is supposed to be perfect here for the last week of my season in LA. Hopefully I will be able to contribute another bird. I may also be going back to Texas the first weekend in May. I just can't get enough of turkey hunting.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Nice...

ENTERED.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Well I finally got my first bird this afternoon. Saturday, I took my hunting buddy Rod, and his friend from Indiana Jeff out to my hunting spot. We didn't hear a peep all morning until a few shots that sounded pretty close, so I went to investigate. I didn't find anyone around except a decent gobbler and a couple of hens. I didn't have any deeks with me and couldn't get him to leave the hens. Had a 65-70 yd. shot, but with my muzzleloader I didn't want to wound a nice bird.
That afternoon, we had a nice Tom come our way and I filmed Jeff hammering him after he pecked and flogged Rod's new DSD jake decoy. An hour later, 4 jakes enter the field and Rod nailed the biggest one with my ML. Sunday, we didn't hear or see anything as it rained most of the day. They had to leave about 10 am and I went on a seek and find mission. I located 2 gobblers and a few jakes, but I couldn't get any closer than about 100 yards in an wide open pasture field. I looked like a soaked rat by the time I got back to the truck. Stayed home that afternoon.
This morning I didn't get to the blind until after 8 and before 9 I had lone Tom slip into the cornfield, but he didn't show any interest in the decoys. I heard a gobble over the next hill and went find him. There were 3 toms, 3 jakes and a few hens across the way from me. The jakes and a couple of hens spotted me first and ran over the next hill. The toms and a hen were lagging behind and didn't notice me but were confused by the others sudden departure. They just stood there and finally turned around and started back the way they had come from. I tried to outflank them but I lost sight and couldn't ever find them. I ended up back at the blind and they were out in front at about 125 yards. Two more gobblers enter the field, but none of them would heed my calls and I didn't have decoys out. Those 2 finally circled the long way around me and left. The first 3 followed that hen out of sight. I got a phone call and had to leave.
Rod met me that afternoon. He brought his bow along and I switched to my shotgun. He wanted to try to take a jake with a guillotine broadhead as I videoed. First we saw 2 toms and a jake at the far corner of the field, but they had other plans. Next came 3 jakes on a string right to the decoys, but the never even stop to check out the DSds and strolled right on by as we were shocked. Next 2 toms appeared and it looked very promising until they hung up about 100 yds out. Eventually they left form whence they came. Very strange. Out of the blue 5 jakes come from behind us on the left and Rod gets ready for the shot. I filmed him as he cleanly missed at 13 yds. The jakes all jumped up in the air and started to scatter as we tried to coax them back. They started to wander off and then stopped just short of woods. I was filming the whole time and then Rod motioned to me and there a tom appeared from behind me on my right at only 5 yards and heading for the DSD jake. I picked up my gun to get ready for the shot when Rod asked if he could shoot him with his bow. I relented and let him take the shot. He nailed him right in the chest and the arrow bounced off of him. As the bird started to take off I hammered him with aload of hevishot #5s. I guess good things come to those that wait. Rod was disappointed, but was glad I gave him first shot. Sad to say when he took over the camera, he pushed the wrong button and the camera was on pause the whole time. After we took pictures, I found that Rod had hit him in the wing. He is switching back to regular BHs next time. So here are the results.

Eastern
21 lbs. 4 oz
10 1/2" beard
both spurs were 7/8" long

21.25+ 21+ 8.75+ 8.75= 59.75

Waiting on Rod to email me the pictures. Sorry for the long post, but it has been an eventful 3 days. We will be back out there tomorrow.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Very nice job Bandhunter! Yours is entered as well!

My very first post of this thread has been edited and updated with our new score and individual largest birds. Good job fellas! I'll be out this saturday and I cant wait.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Guys, I went out this afternoon and got this bird. My first setup didn't work because the mosquitoes drove me out. I forgot to bring my thermacell and spray. Thank you skeeters for making me move. I set up at my 2nd spotand on my first yelp he gobbled. Fifteen minutes later he was down for good. Got him around 5:30.

Weight 20.10
Beard 10.5"
R spur 1"
L spur1 1/8" (1.1250)
Score: 62.875

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Another picture

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Dang superstrutter, you're keeping us in the game! Great work.

ENTERED.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Your turn is coming fingerz. Unfortunately my season isjust about done. I know there is another bird around my property. He is being very quiet and stubborn.I'll be hunting him this weekend. I'm about out of time to get him, but that's fine if I don't. It's been a pretty danggood season either way.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Well, I'm done. My season is over and I have decided not to go back to Texas. I ended the weekend by filming my future stock. I had three jakes walk by me yesterday morning. I was sure glad to see them. I need some new gobblers badly on my place.I believe the one I killed this past week was the only longbeard I had on my place the whole season.Heard no gobbles the whole weekend, including Friday afternoon. Only 11 months til openig day in Texas. Looks like I'll be fishing now. Haven't heard from many of you. How is the hunting going? Let us know how your hunts are going. Fingerz, JW has our score wrong. It says we have 193, when we should have 198.750. The overall score is correct. Keep in touch guys.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Well, I called in three jakes on opening morning. I decided to let them all walk. Very little gobbling and the hens are still roosting with the gobblerss. Hope it heats up soon. I'll be back out a week from monday.

I'll let JW know superstrutter, thanks.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

My gun season doesnt start til this weekend. Good thing to because I have a ton of school crap to worry about.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Turns out I was only half right, he was predictable for the general area but it still took some sweet talkin to coax him in, even at 715pm. Got there late, we got out and got our gear on and headed down the ridge. It is a long narrow holler with a field in the bottom and both ridges are wooded. He ALWAYS roosts on the far side, which is where we were off to. Get halfway across the field, and I look down in the faaaar end and see the turkey emerging from the neighbors land, BINGO they are coming. We had to crawl the rest of the way to the woods, but made it unseen. Sprinted halfway up the hill and set down against a huge cedar. I just KNEW they were headin down the ridge right at us, which is why I was shocked to hear him sound off on the OPPOSITE ridge where we parked. Pulled out the slate/glass call and got to purring, clucking, yelping, and generally just causing a ruckus. Got one of his hens riled up, and it was game on from there. In no time she had the whole crew steamin our way. They dissapeared into the woods, and I heard them cirle up around us, now closing the distance from above. The next time I hear a turkey sound off, it is less than 30 yards, JUST out of sight. Few quick clucks and I dropped the call and raised the gun. I next see a thin line move in the woods, and it puzzled the **** out of me on what it was until it turns sideways and reveals a full fan in full strut! I click off the safety and wait, both guns at the ready. 4 hens come storming over to see the intruder, only to find a vacant ridge side. They begin getting nervous as the tom is still just over the ridge where there is no clear head shot. The hens start retreating back, but finally the tom couldnt take it anymore. He broke strut and came to peep over while in half strut. To our surprise another gobbler head poked up to the left. We fired on 3 and both birds fell. Got over the hill to find my two year old tom as expected, but Dads turned out to be a jake. fine by him, he couldnt give a crap about killing turkey anyway, just goes to spend time with me.

Anyway, I had a bird dead within 5 minutes of shutting the truck door, and couldnt be happier. Gun kill so it dont count for this contest, but I still have another tag to burn with plenty of time. Here are some pics, enjoy!

9.75" beard, only 5/8" spurs, and 21 lb 11 oz. Decent tom, barring the tiny spurs.

Too bad my cameraman backed out last second and this hunt wasn't on film, he was kicking himself after I called him, but too little too late. Pictures turned out halfass as well, my camera is in TN at the moment, so I was stuck soaking wet with a less than willing Dad to get good pics, so these will have to do for now.







Turned out JUST under this in all actuality.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Trevor... that beard looks more like 10 1/4 (you go to the longest strand)

Also, that bird WILL count for this contest... this isnt the bowhunting contest.. I'll get it entered in a little while..

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Great contribution trevor.. Hopefully by this time next week I'll have one on the ground as well...

Heres your score...
Your score is 21.6875 + 6.25 + 6.26 + 19.5 = 53.6975

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Yeah sorry about the confusion, I copied and pasted that from a story I wrote up for a bowhunting contest, my mistake...I knew it counted and already entered it.:) The beard measurement in the picture was slightly off, I measured it more exactly when I cut the beard off, 9.75 is all I could honestly claim out of it.:D

Good luck to the rest of you fellas, hope you knock em dead soon.

Headin back out in the rain this afternoon to try and top that one with my second tag.;)

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Got another decent Tom this morning. Rod and I were out in the rain again and boy they were hammering this morning. Probably heard 4 or more different birds. Last week they hardly gobbled at all. This bird came straight to the DSD jake and laid a whoopin on him. Once again I let Rod have first shot at him with his bow as I videoed. And again he hit him in the body and the arrow just bounced off. The bird quickly was leaving the scene and Rod couldn't get a second chance. So I laid him out with a load of hevishot #5s.

Eastern
22 lbs. 2 oz.
10 3/4 " beard
1" left spur
7/8" right

Score- 22.125 + 21.5 + 10 + 8.75 = 62.375

I am waiting for Rod to email the pics.

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Good work bandhunter. I'll enter it in a few minutes. I have all of our scores posted on the first page of our thread. Check it out to keep up on everything!

RE: Team 3 Thread
 

Okay, everything is entered. Our total score should be about 422 and our team score should 255.0725 for FOUR birds. Thats an average way over 60 per bird. Good work.

I'll be out tomorrow, we'll see what happens.