I am not sure if I have the beard pictures in order or not but they are posted..

We now are at a best bird per hunter score of 502.75 !!! ( this will be hard for any team to beat!! We are also currently at 1031.5 for all birds combined score !!

Way to get it done camokenny! Are you planning on mounting that one? I know for many it is a once in a lifetime bird!! Again Congrats to you !! Also I think it would be fair to say on behalf of the team.. Thank you for the giant boost this bird just gave us!!!! It will now be next to impossible for any team to catch us!!

When you get the chance will be fine.. Thanks..

No unfortunately he was in bad shape feather wise or he would of been mounted. My taxi man said he would not be able to make him look as good as he deserved. May never shot one that good again but will always have the beards and memory of the hunt.
I probably won't be able to add to the one bird per hunter score but should be able to add to the all bird total a couple more times.

He guys here is the story for my latest Kansas trip. Left last Wednesday afternoon got in late and woke up early ( my friend and I ). We couldn't really get on anything Thursday had some birds get close but nothing promising. Late Thursday afternoon we went to a spot were we saw three that morning just off our property. We got out owl hooted and they answered three hundred yards away. The next morning we get up early get out there and set up. They are gobbling pretty good on the roost fly down and seem to get a little quite. At this point I get a little more aggressive with my calling and they pick up there gobbling. I cut back on my calling and they would lose interest( they act like they didnt really wanted to cross under the fence) so they head back were they came from. I take my box call and mouth call and call at the same time acting like several turkey. I rotate my box for my slate during this process as well. They start to get really fired up and comment to coming in. I can hear him spitting as he is coming in, I can't see him because of the terrain. Suddenly he appears and he is about twenty yards away. I start thinking that he is about to put on a show for us and BOOM!!! My buddy shot the turkey jumps in the air comes down and starts running off. I turn get on him and drop him. Hunt is over. After that we went after other birds and was tagged out by 10:30. It was a great trip and the end to a great season that The Lord allowed me to have!

I am sure it will add to the one bird per hunter score.. As it is your best bird!! The one bird per hunter score is based on the best bird per hunter.. That bird counts for all of it! Way To Go!!! That should push all our totals over now!

swampbuster's turkey of May 9, 2014 4th bird! You guys are making it seam to easy.. LOL Congrats!!!

This gives you the best bird as well.. Congrats on another fine bird!
Your score is 20.6875 + 8.75 + 8.75 + 18.5 = 56.6875

Thanks Phil for posting turkey pics for me again. I think we will all have to take up a collection to help with your cell phone bill for the pics we have been sending you. Lol!!!!

Do not worry about that none.. I just sent you a pm because I had some how lost some info..

Also a nice story to have read! Congrats again!

Hope every one who is hunting has good luck and a good time in Gods creation. Lets keep those birds coming in.

Man you guys are crushing it. I'm starting to feel a bit inadequate not adding my fair share. Camokenny, that is a stunning gobbler. 5 beards!

Saturday I went out on National Forest land and got setup on a creek bottom where I had seen several toms before. They normally roost away from there and then work their way through the area around 8:30 going up to the mountain top. Shortly after sunlight I do a light tree yelp. I hear a gobble uphill and over my right shoulder. I debate trying to move up the mountain but I can't pinpoint the location and distance of the bird now that it's greening up and due to echoes in the bottom. I'm concerned about being spotted and bumping the bird and yet I know it's hard to call a turkey downhill. I hear a second gobbler on a ridge in front of me further away. I decide to sit tight. Gobbles continue for about 15 minutes and I'm certain the closer one is not far up on the ridge over my right shoulder. I've got two hen decoys out in the creek bottom. I don't do a lot of calling because these birds are pressured. Also I've seen guys drive their trucks on forest service roads below with their windows open calling and then listening for a gobbler so I know they are over-called. I mostly am doing purrs and scratching. I hear the gobble again and he's closer! He comes and crosses a dry wash to another ridge over my left shoulder. I rotate behind the huge tree I'm leaning on and get in sniper position facing uphill. I'm wearing a ghillie suit and not worried about being picked off as I've had gobblers at 5 yards not see me. I do some light calling and he cuts me off with double gobbles. I see his dark form move through the greenery and he's about 80 yards away and 50 feet above me in elevation. He holds tight gobbling at all my calls but wont' commit to come down to me. I maybe should have got more aggressive with my calls because he was hot but feared driving him off. Unfortunately he lost interest and wandered away. After thirty minutes without sight of him or hearing anything I grabbed my decoys and headed up to his original ridge to see if I could call him back. I got set up and started calling. Nothing. Ten minutes later the rain starts. Then it gets harder. It looks like it is here to stay so I pack it up and head out. Rained the rest of the day.

I was going to go setup on him this morning on the second ridge but forgot to set my alarm. :bash: Hopefully I'll get a chance tomorrow. Trying to juggle hunting and getting my garden in. The all day rain really threw my schedule out the window as I was going to get the garden in Saturday. I had even mowed the grass earlier in the week so I'd have Saturday to hunt and garden.

Keep at if talondale. It will all come together for you

Any suggestions of what I should have done different? (besides the obvious setup closer and higher, LOL)

Hindsight is always 20/20. I am always cautious about spooking roosted birds. You could try starting from higher or on same level. I have also noticed that this year I don't know if its the late spring stuff or what but it seems the birds that I have killed this year really want to be called in. You back of and they loose interest. In your situation with heavy pressured birds take there tempeature start off light and crank up if you have to. Sometimes it's just turkeys being turkeys. Good luck talondale! Keep hunting hard and your hard work will usually pay off

Congrats on the birds guys and Kenny not sure if you realize it but your bird ranks #153 all time! Heck of a bird

Is that all. 153 all time, you can do better than that camokenny. Lol!!I don't Think my best bird of all time breaks 85. Kellyguinn thanks for putting things into perspective on that bird. Heck of a trophy camokenny!! Congrats again

In some cases like here where the birds are pressured I have found that if I have a bird coming in. Then he backs away I will try a few different calls to try to sound like a flock of birds to get his attention again. Sometimes this will work and other times forget it.. Which makes me think he has an interest in another hen? I am not sure if it will work in your case though. It is just a thing that most of these driving by is using a slate here. So if I am going to use a slate I might just as well mix it up a little. I have had them come in a little closer before. Just an idea that you may want to try if you have another one come in and he starts going away from you. Nothing to loose by trying it..

Good luck to you as well as all that are hunting right now!

I also updated our scores in our team's score report for anyone to view..

Well guys my season ended Sunday.

I went out both Saturday and Sunday and the birds where not in a talking mood either day. I heard just 3 birds this weekend and they all only gobbled once. The humidity was at 100% at day break and I really think that shuts them down unless they are in the peak of breading.

This year has been tough one for me, I had several birds that where just out of range and everything from me making a mistake to deer running through, which happened 3 times. I hunted hard this year and what I have to show for it is unfilled tags and the fact that this was funnest spring turkey season I have ever had!!! Which to me far out weighs not filling my tags. Yes there where times when frustration kicked in but I just keep plugging away. I seen more gobblers and hens this year than I have ever seen before during the spring.

Sorry I couldn't help the team out!!!

Congrats to those that have taken a gobbler or so and also to those that had a great season!!!

For those still hunting keep after 'em and wish you all the best.

I will checking in every few days.

What place is our team in now?

I am sorry to hear that you have had no luck this year.. However, as you have stated that you have enjoyed your hunting this year is the main thing. Being out in the great outdoors enjoying yourself while trying to get a turkey is the main part of the hunt.. Scoring a bird is only a bonus to it..

We are in 1st place in all catagories! We have a great team! I believe we will be the winners!

Went back out this morning before work. Climbed the ridge he was hanging up on and, although it was a beautiful morning, I heard nothing. Still nice to wake up with the world in the woods though.

I agree, although you still want to hear that gobble! They are around there somewhere. Hang in there

I am sorry to hear that, but, that is turkey hunting for you.. Keep at them they will be back.. I am sure they are not to far away. We all hope you have some success.. Good Luck..

I will be back at it Friday & Saturday.. Hopefully I can get my other tag filled.. I might take a ride just to see if I can find one hanging around someplace.. As I have until around 7:30 tonight to hunt for them..

Good luck to everyone still hunting. Be safe and have fun

Woke up at 4 and then talked myself out of going this morning. Flood warnings for today and tomorrow but as it turned out it was still nice when I woke up. Was going to hunt my property instead but must have flubbed the alarm reset because I didn't hear an alarm until my regular alarm went off.

How much longer do you have left in your season talondale?

I took a ride last night after work scouting some places out and only saw a total of 6 hens. But if there is hens there is toms someplace around there.. So I will be hitting the area on Friday morning and then Saturday as well if I have no luck on Friday that is..

I've got just through Saturday. Storm held off so I went out after work for a short hunt. Lots of wind, no birds. Thought I'd share the view on the way to work after yesterday's hunt.

Nice picture Talondale! You can see all those storm clouds down below in this pic. I am betting that is some nice country out there.

That's a great pic talondale thanks for sharing

Well guys I am heading out early in the morning and hope to have something good to report when I get back.. This area i am going to has been hunted hard by those driving by. From what i am hearing they have mostly been getting jakes so it may prove to be some pretty decent hunting? I will soon be finding out as I had seen quite a few big toms there last year.. Also that is where I got mine that had a 11 1/2 inch beard. So I am still quite hopeful..

Good Luck everyone out hunting for those long beards.

Congrats to those that have scored and good luck to those still at it!!

Good luck Phil and everyone else who is out there hunting. Hunt safe and hard

I hunted for quite a while today.. I did have an issue with leaving my thermos full of coffee home and ended up coming back to get it. I left here at 4:15 am to get up to where I wanted to hunt. I saw a jake strutting with 2 hens. I passed on the jake which actually is the first jake I have seen this hunting season. I did think about adding that one but, figured I still have time for another bird as of yet. I saw them before coming back home to get my thermos. Then on my way back out a big tom went running just ahead of me. I tried to get him to stop but no go. So I went up and brought my blind back down to where I had seen the tom. I will be back to my blind at first light hoping he will show himself again.. If I have no luck tomorrow I will see if I can find that jake again and take that as my hunting time will be winding down after next week..

Phil did you get out there today?

I hope you had a good time!! Did the jake show up? Nothing wrong with taking a Jake especially late in the season.

I went out hunting this morning and almost nailed a jake.. He would not give me a clear shot so I let him go.. I am some glad I did as well. Because after I had made it to my blind and calling for around 2 hours and seeing or hearing nothing I decided to go for a drive. While on my drive I was wondering that big tom I saw yesterday may have been heading to. I figured what the heck and took a drive on an old dirt logging road that run up threw the back of that area. Sure enough I found the birds as 2 toms were walking near the end of it as I rounded a corner. They took to the air from around 140 yards from me. They flew around 200 yards in different directions I am thinking. As I scouted the area you could see droppings from the hens almost everywhere. So I once again relocated my blind to where I had found them. There is a lot of fir trees dividing 2 hardwood ridges so it has me guessing this is where the hens are nesting as well.. We currently have wind with rain coming for around the next 3 days.. I am still planning on setting in my blind come Monday morning.. Hopefully I can add another decent bird to our ratings..

I did go out today and I could not get a shot on a different jake this morning.. I moved my blind because I have found where the birds are most likely nesting and I saw 2 nice toms there when driving in. The bad part about it is there is a bear track there like I have never seen before up here. He is surely the biggest feet on a bear I have ever seen in my life. I hope he stays away from me come Monday. Also on the way back I saw a sow and 2 yearling bears. I wished I had my camera with me!! But, I did not want to leave it in my jeep in case someone came around..

Good luck Phil! Hang in there

I am going to keep at them! I will be back out Monday morning and at my blind if the weather breaks.. I went back up there this afternoon and saw nothing. The rain has hit and the wind was quite gusty to say the least. On the way back home I saw 4 different hens and another jake. This jake had no beard though so he surely was allowed to walk. I also so another bear only much bigger than the ones I saw earlier.. Maybe the birds are going to start moving again as this is jake number 3 i have seen all in 2 days time.. I hope they will be moving some more and hopefully gobbling as well..

Hopefully the turkeys will be on the move and the bears wont

I am only nervous about 1 bear and that one is up where my blind is.. He is currently following the moose up there around. Most likely waiting to kill a moose calf or something. That bear has to be a huge one.. The other bears I have seen while traveling to and from the area so not really any problem at all.

Phil, If that bear gets to close for comfort there isn't any turkey worth tangling with a bear.

But you haven't seen it yet so the bear may have just been passing through, you will know once you hunt the area. I myself would have to try and hunt it and if the bear is staying around there I would leave otherwise I would stay, sounds like a great spot!!!!

Best of luck and keep those eyes peeled!!!!