VA season opens tmw.

I'll be at work. I don't mind delayin' the smack down for a few days.

It all break loose on Wednesday morning. :rock:

Gobbler down!

we headed out this morning at 6:00 a.m. and drove to some public land we have hunted the last few years, and did a hen call and 2 gobblers replied up on the top of a hill, we got up as close as we could without being seen, put a decoy out and started calling. I had my brother sit infront of me by about 30 yards so he could get the bird. so anyways, this gobbler came to about 80 yards and then went up the hill to another little road, so I called for about 2 minutes and then decided to sneak up there because he wasn't comming, I got about 4 feet from the top of the road and this gobbler was comming in, I wasn't calling, but he was comming my way, so I just waited to see what would happen and sure enough, about 4 minutes later he came strutting around the corner to 20 yards and then he raised his head up high like he was looking off the edge for some hens, and I let him have it. He's a nice public land bird! weighs 17 pounds has about a 7 inch beard and has 3/4 spurs! I'll get better pictures up when my brother gets back with the camera. he looks pretty mangled in this picture.

ahhh the first to score. congrats

My father killed the bird of a lifetime this morning.

Long story short... he took a neighbor of ours who is fairly interested in hunting. She does our taxes and has been a family friend for a long time. She isn't quite ready to shoot one yet, but leaped at the chance to go observe.

Dad called in 4 right off the branch... shot him at 25 yards at 650am.

21#s 14oz, matching 1 3/4" hooks, 12.5" beard = NWTF score 81.875

For a typical, one bearded turkey.... its the equivalent of a 200" inch whitetail. I'm freakin' stoked for pops!

I'm going Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Monday (my birthday) over the next ten days. Sat and Monday will be in the mountains... Wed and Thursday here in the tidewater area.

I gotta better picture... right after the shot

Nice job, HOG.
Swampcollie, that's incredible, any pictures??

Not yet. One really ****ty cell pic.

Great Hog, You finally put us on the board, and Swamp, Dang! You could cut his feet off and use his spurs to catch another 8lb bass!

How about a 30# striper? On a 6'6" bass rod? In the rapids?

Can't hunt on Sunday in VA... so pops and I took my boat and went fishing this morning. The river was a little cloudy, and we thought it might be a bit early in the year, but we hammered the stripers this morning. Probably caught 15 or so... all over 7 pounds.... this is the biggest striper we have ever caught in freshwater... I caught one 34" fish last year... this one was 36" and a touch over 30#s.

Cell phone pic... rather poor quality... but thats what we had. I fought the fish for 15 minutes and had to chase it with the boat... cold water stripers at the end of one of the best urban whitewater stretches in the country ain't nothing to be taken lightly! My arms were so cramped from holding the little rod and working the fish that I couldn't lift the thing up... so I just held her in my lap. Released her to go make some more stripers.

As promised... here are the better pictures of dad's bird.

Nice bird congrats to your dad!

Thats a nice bird!

Ok... my birds score


17 lbs
L R
spurs .75" .75"
beard 7.25"

NWTF score 17 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 14.5 = 46.5

I didn't know if the cap'n wanted to post it on the score board!?

Congrats Hog, thanks for getting us on the board.
You should leave your score for Tom to post, thats part of the captains job.

Day 1....
 

Today was my first hunt of the year. It was nice to finally get out in the woods after watching several hunters a day bring birds into the shop to be officially weighed.

I had a good place picked out, thanks to several weeks of proper scouting. This land belongs to my bosses family.

As I am putting my vest on this AM, another truck drives by (small road) and hits the brakes. I walk around the back of the truck and he rolls the window down. I turn my flashlight on to see who it is, because I don't recognise the vehical. "Who are you?" Askes an individual I have never seen before. I introduce myself and ask him the same question. He doesn't answer it, just asks another question. Long story short, I asked him directly if he had permission to hunt this property, because I was under the impression that no one else had permission to. He replied that he had been hunting it for years (notice he didn't answer my question). Then he proceeded to tell me that he has been hunting everyday and asked how me and my buddy did on Saturday. I told him this was my first hunt, and he said "Well who were those two guys over in the NE corner on Saturday?" Seems like the place is turning into public property. I have yet to call the boss and confirm things. I did finally get his name. I am sure he got permission at some point... probably years ago.. and figured he has lifetime rights since he got to hunt squrrels in 1973, maybe I'm wrong, I'll find out. He proceeded to tell me where he was going, without regards to my plans or the fact that I arrived in advance of him and drove off.

So my morning was off to a super cheerful start.

I heard two or three different birds sound off on the limb, and they were all on the other side of the swamp (funny how pressure will move them away huh?). This swamp is called a creek... but its dang near a river... and is a good 50 yards wide in most places. Had a hen and a jake come in to halitosis range then work off in the direction of the gobbler up the point a few hundred yards. At about 8 am, my backside started hurting and the two bottles of water had run their course so I got up to stretch a bit. About 845 I contemplated heading to another plot of land behind a church and trying to strike a bird when I thought I heard a hen yelp. I half expected it to be this dude doing some mid-morning prospecting down the swamp frontage path. I found myself a bit torn, but I found a smallish pine tree on the east side of a drainage ditch about 30 yards wide and took a seat. I pulled a call back out and strapped it to my leg, put the face mask on and struck a few clucks on the freak. I thought I heard an immediate yelp response, followed by what almost sounded like a half hearted gobble. The wind was blowing a bit, and I thought I might be imagining things, or perhaps that this guy was a real doufus. I gave it 5 or ten minutes and said the hell with it and let out a quick 5 note yelp on my mouth call.... GOBBBBLBLBLBLBLE. Oh snot.

I looked at my watch... 857am... I gave it a few minutes and at 901 I called again and he cut me off closer. Gun up...

Few minutes later I see a turkey coming... this turns out to be two turkeys and one is already in strut. 75 and closing through the thick pines and hollys. He works in behind a thick group of trees and I steal a chance to rake some leaves... I don't exactly like where I am sitting at, because I feel like a flamingo stuck in the yard in front of this one little pine that is half as wide as my shoulders. But I'm in position and on him and he is coming still.

He strutts down into my shooting lane and I'm hoping he is going to turn a bit and come to the rain drainage ditch (which is just the apex bottom of this little rolling hill I'm on... ain't 4 feet of elevation change) which is about 30 yards from me. He stops... goes into a hard strutt.... then lifts his head up, crosses his wings and strikes a pose.

Knowing full well that I am not hid as good as I'd liked, and also thinking that he might just be surveying for that hen since he was on the edge of cover and could see the whole bottom... I leveled the gun and shot. It was somewhere between 35 and 41 yards.

On the shot, the bird scrambled off the right and took to the air...

I was totally dumbfounded.... what the hell? I'd made a good shot, I was pretty sure the bird was close enough... about as far as I'd care to shoot, but close enough... and there his ass went away from there. Me and my bright ideas... bringing a dove gun to a turkey hunt... what was I thinking trying to kill a 20# bird with a 20 banger? Hevi-shot or not. Now I've gone and buggered one up. I refused to accept it at first... he had to be dead where he hit the ground... of course, I never saw him hit the ground.

I jogged over to where he had been standing when I shot. No feathers. No blood, no idication at all of a hit. I scanned the area and found some branches about 5 feet off the ground blown all to kindling. I went back to where I was sitting, replayed everything, switched places again.... shot went high. What the hell?

I know the gun shoots a bit to the right sometimes... not much... but a bit... but high? My last thought was face on the stock... what did I do??? Has to be the gun... I only have a bead on it afterall, and it shoots a super tight pattern..... might be time to go back to the turkey rifle?

All these thoughts were running laps around my mind....

There was no sign I'd ht the bird at all, and based on what I had seen... I was and am 100% sure I whiffed. I took the distance, and as I reported, somewhere between 35 and 41 depeding on exactly which spot he was in.

I had to go by this other place we deer hunt where we do our sighting in to shoot Katies 1100 for the weekend mountain hunt anyway. So, while I was at it, I decided to recreate the situation and see just how far off my 20 banger Beretta 391 is shooting. 40 yards... a nice control distance... leaned my back againest my tire... shot with my hands on my knees, just as I hand in the woods. And just as I suspected...








The problem is the indian... and not the arrow.

So lift your glass to lifting your head off the stock to watch yourself kill a turkey.... standing still and full erect... at a distance of 35 yards... across open ground.... in full daylight.... from a solid rest...


At least I had an encounter... I must say it did start the old adrenline pump back up.... hadn't fired it up since duck season. Sure is nice to be back in the spring woods. Took me an hour or so to get over feeling sorry for myself... afterall.... I am the only person to ever miss a turkey. Probably won't ever be another missed by anybody anyway...:arms: I am very thankful I missed him clean. First one I've ever missed further than 15 yards... I'd like to say if I'd just carried the 835 I'd have pictures of spurs and beards instead of a picture of a target proving that I ain't as good as I once was.


Don't know what the fall out will be on this bird or with our new friend over there... but I'll be back out tmw AM.... with the turkey rifle instead of the dove gun. :s2:

Swamper!

Great Story - and remember this K.Y.H.D.D! ----> Kepp Your Head Down Dummy!

Been there myself once or twice - I admit! That lead me to put on open fully adjustable Tru Glo sights to which when I could not see the back ramp I went to a scope....

Missing - knowing you may have hit or wounded - is not a feeling I want to experience no more! And I know you are the same......

But hey - that is how we learn.....sometimes not very pretty!

JW

Oh PS - from Team 3 - Yuze boys gots allotta ketchin up to do!

hehe

JW

Thats alright... Only three or so of our team members in areas with open seasons so far.

A ninth inning rally to win... is still a win.

That's right Swamp, and the birds are just starting to show up. I won't be done till end of May, and a few others have forever to score also.
It hasn't even begun so don't count celebrate yet Team 3!

Hey Team

Firstly, my sincere apologies for not posting lately. Big shakeup at our company this past week with several of my colleagues across the country being shown the door. Fortunately I survived, though I was transferred to the neuroscience/psych division. I don't like it but my options are not very abundant in this economy.

I still haven't killed a bird yet and is starting to get under my skin. Ok, it's worse than that, it is starting to keep me up at night. Been close many times with a different reason each time. Some were my fault for trying to get too close, hens cut me off several times. and once a cropduster started spraying an adjacent field and turning that dang thing right over the top of me and a hot bird this past Sunday. That turkey never made another peep, and he was gobbling his fool head off prior to the P-57 showing up.

We have had a weird spring in TN with incredibly hot days. A front is supposed to move in tonight and cool thing off a bit. Turkey's are starting to get right and I will stay after them hard.

I want to see a flopper, bad. Real bad

Congrats Hog on your bird. Nice job.

Anybody heard from Fl Huntress yet?

Swamp ==> Happens to everybody. I've done it too.

MC

Ok dad please dont post as me. Anywho yea the season is a little tough but I am happy with all the encounters. Hopefully one will have an encounter with Hevi. 13 #5,#6,#7's!

Opening Day Tomorrow WOOOHOOOO. Can't wait. Keep you all informed. Later and good luck

Awesome, good luck Pins!

The others all think that we are has-beens, what they don't know is we are just getting started!
Lets get out there and repeat boys and girl!

I didn't notice the MC at the bottom until you pointed it out doall.... I thought you were talkinga bout neuroscience and psych and I'm sitting here thinking.... wait a minute... I thought he was still in High school..... thought you might of needed to change your name to Doogie!




Well... came back from the farm yesterday. I'm supposed to be hunting today, but the weather is ridiculously cold and windy.... thats what we encountered in the mountains also.... didn't see or hear birds either day we hunted. Glassed a few struting way off on a distant hill far off our land. The wind really had us messed up. I don't know this place all that well and was kind of relying on the intel from my girlfriends brother and his best friend who have been hunting there all their lives and go to Va Tech about 30 minutes away. I am sure they put us in a good place, but as I wrote, the wind had them low and not talking.

As it turns out... the guy who I encountered on my first hunt does have permission to hunt the place. Apparently, he only bow hunts, but he also (so I've found out) hunts almost every day of the season. I haven't heard a bird on the property save the one I shot at since the season has opened.

On Thursday morning, he was set up not 75 yards from where I had shot the day before. I went back to about the same place, hoping the birds might still travel through. Considering that he is set up RIGHT SLAM UNDER the trees they usually roost in... no wonder they have dispersed.

I am fairly down about it... because I had these birds pegged. Nothing I can do about him, it sucks that he is overhunting it.... I don't think he will hurt the population much (this coming from some of the other folks I share the place with), but the pressure is going to keep the birds away. Its only abouty 150 acres... and he is right were the birds either roost or cross the swamp to access the place. He has been hunting the place for years... as he pointed out... and he wasn't there the first day I hunted (meaning he wasn't that close to me). Apparently he has deducted that I'm on to something.... frankly... I usually try to be, that is the point after all.

I'm still a bit burned about the miss last week... it is looking like that may well have been the golden chance I was looking for.... as I haven't even worked a bird in the four hunts since. It comes in waves sometimes... I'm keeping the chin up... got a hunt with my best friend later this week... and there is still a month worth of season.

Opening day for me on Friday

Went out this morning and had a great morning. Had 5 birds come in right off the bat and let my buddy in the blind wack one since he had never shot a turkey with a bow. I got them in to ole about 5 to 7 yards and let him rage one. It didn't go far and couldn't drop the call quick enough to wack one of the other jakes. Then later that morning had two nice longbeards hang up just out of range. I just put out my widow maker hen decoy and should have used my b-moblie. Oh well probably head back out in the morning. Good luck team.

Well, Went out Sunday and had a great day. But didn't get one. On the way to our place we decided to split up.I went to the south part of the of the property and he went to the east side (roughly). Early didnt hear anything so I get up in a box stand just to start. Just as I sit down, GOBBLE GOBBLE. Right behind me, good, good. Turns out I only hear 3, thats low considering grandpa has seen 40 gobbblers at once. They shutup at daylight and I think, "Well then I guess I am going to do some walking today." I look up to my right and bam there is one heading straight for my dekes at 150 to 100 to 80. Trying to get my gun up slowly I am thinking finally, I just know it will work out. He gets to 80 yds turns around and walks back to about 150. Um okay thats not suppose to happen. Hen walks out, but he seems to not pay to much attention to her. Well he walks out to atleast 400 yds and struts for about 30 minutes. After he walks into the woods I wait 15 minutes. Get out and start to get my dekes lokk up and there he is again. I hit the deck and miracoulsy do not spook him. He walks into a place that I know well. I sneak up and there the hen is. I dont think I spooked her so I'm okay. Look around the corner and there he is in his pride and glory right smack in the middle of the field. He walks to off and I fiqure he is in the woods and is going down a ridge. So 20 mins later I walk into the field and.. wingbeats. AHHHHH. Turns out he decided to camp out in the weeds and the let me spook him. That stinks. Nothing the rest of the dayand nothing to show. And again I say better luck next weekend.

i finally scored...awesome first eastern but didn't score very well because he was missing a spur...i'll post pics and the story up later but right now i'm exhausted but i wanted y'all to know.

copy and paste of the stats....pics to come....i thought i got a second wind but i was wrong...night y'all...lol.

South Carolina - my very 1st eastern!!!
April 16th
25 yard shot
0930et
21 lb`s
10-1/2" beard
7/8" spur & 1/16th inch spur
Score - 51.375

Awesome huntress, good work, now get some sleep.
Keep at it everyone, with all these encounters its only a matter of time before you all connect.
Season is only a week away from me now, but it opens on a Monday so I'll probably have to wait till the 1st weekend in May.

Congrats fl.huntress!

thanks guys....

copy and paste:

Hunted this area the last 2 weeks in SC.
Birds would fly down and go directly to the private club.
Turns out that they were baiting...grrrrrrr.
Anyway, I bumped my bird off the roost so I wasn't into it.
About 0830et or so I ate my bagel and told Jim that I was going to pack
up soon.
I then heard some far off yelping so I decided to play games.
I let loose and started cuttin', yelpin', purrin', cluckin', and just
tearin' it up.
The responses were getting closer and closer and before I knew it they
was crunchin' coming right at me.
I saw movement and went to turn but realized it was a gobbler so I
froze.
He came through the bushes and jumped up on a log and started to strut.
It was so beautiful!! He had 2 jakes with him and they kept watching me
so I was afraid to move.
At this point the gobbler knew something was up too so he jumped off the
log and started to head off.
Luckily he stopped behind a small tree long enough for me to turn and
shoot.
All I saw were birds flyin' so I wasn't sure if I got him or not but
then I saw floppin' on the ground.
I jumped up and stomped on his head cause this one wasn't getting away,
I had waited too long for this moment.
I then go so excited that I puked...lol...and thanked God over and over
a million times over.
He only had 1 spur, 7/8in and the other looked like it wanted to grow
but was more like raised skin, not even a bump.
He weighed 21lbs and had a 10.5in beard.

Will give full update and pic maybe tomorrow. Bird down for me this morning. He weighed 20lbs 7ounces with matching one inch spurs and a 8 and a 1/4 inch beard.

Fantastic Pins, congrats.
Unless I've missed something thats 3 team-mates on the board; Hog, Huntress, and Pins.
I can't wait to get out there!

Good work everybody! Team 1 on the assault!

Huntress that is a mighty heavy bird for SC this late in the season. A good hunting friend of mine killed one this morning down there with 1 3/8" spurs that only weighed 15#s. Usually by this time, they are really really running themselves thin. Thats a great bird! Congrats!

Good work on yours also pins... looking forward to seeing pictures and getting the full report.


I went this morning myself to a little 20 acre patch back of a church. Had three gobbling in the tree, sadly.... all off the property. There is no doubt in my mind that the birds are relating to this place, as it looks like a team of landscapers with leaf blowers have gone through the woods... turkey scratching EVERYWHERE. The rain moved in about 830 and the bird I was trying to coax across the creek hushed up and went the other way... hen likely found him. I just need to catch one on my side and he is a ghost.

Going someplace with my best friend tmw AM. It'll be fun and hopefully productive. Got another extended hunt in the mountains lined up for mid-May when we can hunt all day.

Well went out tuesday morning to a farm close by. Had probably eight to ten different birds hitting all around me. Then about 7:30 they shut up and disappeared. Heard a four wheeler or tractor an think it might have moved them off a bit. So I thought while I still had a little time I would run to another farm close by. Didn't see or hear any birds in the cow fields so I set up in one of my favorite spots with my widow maker hen and b-mobile. Sat there for about 10 to 15 minutes soft calling a bit. Then I heard him gobble at the other end of the field. So I got the ole browning over and under up and ready. Called one more time and he hit again. Then I seen the hen working my way and I knew he was in trouble. Then here he came around the cornerturning sideways and strutin a bit. Then he came running to b-mobile ready to lay the smack down but he didn't get a chance. I dropped the hammer on him at about 17 yards. It was a great morning and ready to get back out there and try and fill that other tag. Good luck team and will try for a bigger one now. Lets keep it up. Nice job to the other ones too. Later

Here is bird number 1. Head back out Saturday to try for a bigger one.

home from a long week way up north. I hate those mill towns, the smoke stacks don't stop spewing stink. The people are friendly enough though.
My season opens monday, I don't have the day off but seriously considering running up to the farm sunday to set up blinds, get my cameras back out, and maybe sneak in a quick hunt monday morning before running back for work.
Keep at it everyone, good luck.

Hey guys, computer took a crap on me, so had to bring it in to get fixed... No more birds down, but we're going to a promising spot tomorrow, so we'll see what happens... Congrats to all that have downed birds!