Phil from Maine

Congrats to you and your daughter!! Whoo Hoo.. I am glad to hear she scored and now she will become addicted and another future turkey hunter !!

Talondale

Alright Swampbuster. Congrats!

We hiked up the mountain this morning and didn't hear a peep. We decided the storm last night may have them seeking shelter down low so we relocated to the bottom and our first yelp got an answer. We moved into position and had multiple birds answering us. The main bird was hot but wouldn't come closer. The subordinate birds stopped gobbling after he got wound up. Eventually he gave up. We tried to move closer and found a drop off and a road between us. We worked down hill and up the other side of the road and found a nice spot with an old forest road. We got set up and did some calling but nothing. We're going to try again in the morning before church but I'm going to just film for my buddy. Monday and Tuesday has us going full throttle at the family farm.

jepcho

Well my brother was ready to get back after it this morning after the incident with wounding that bird on Monday. Him and my dad picked me up at my place around 445 AM this morning. We got setup on some birds right off the roost and they flew down and walked over the railroad tracks to a hen and shut up. We waited on them a while then decided to work our way up river to try and strike one. After going about a quarter mile, we heard the ones we were on this morning start gobbling again. They had moved to the far end of this plowed field we were walking near. I was barely able to see them with the binoculars and could see there was two gobblers, but yelped at them anyway and they answered right back. After checking google maps when I got home, i know that there were about 700 yards away. We started working back but it was kind of open and I didn't want to get spotted plus they were gobbling so hard so we stopped and watched while I called. They turned our way. I quickly set the decoys while my dad got my brother situated. We got all setup but were over 600 yards from them. I told my dad, I know we are far but they have no hens and are coming. They went from over 600 yard to about 17 yards in under 15 minutes! Gobbling like crazy the whole way and strutting quite often. Just as they were getting ready to pounce on my Avian-X jake decoy, my brother smoked one of them! This one didn't get up and run off. It was his first tom! He killed a jake a couple years ago and missed one last year, but he finally got his first tom. A two year old with about 9 inch beard and 3/4 inch spurs. What a great way for this season to get rolling for me in Iowa!!

jepcho

Talondale,
Glad to see you at least got out and got on a bird. Man turkey hunting is just so much fun!!
Swampbuster,
Look forward to hearing about your hunt this morning!!

It looks like things are about to start rolling for our team here. Looking forward to some more stories, and hopefully successful ones! Keep after em guys, season is just kicking in!

Phil from Maine

Glad to hear you had some birds responding to you Talondale! Hopefully you guys will have some better luck on your next outing.. But at least you was able to get outy there and give them a shot..I know it sounds great to hear an old tom gobble to your calling..

Congrats to your brother jepcho!! It sounds like an exciting hunt to be doing! I am glad to hear the you fella finally has gotten his first tom in!! Nice story as well.. It sounds like a great hunt to me..

swampbuster

Well guys sorry I have not had a chance to post pics or story. It has been a busy day. Both of my daughters softball teams came in second place in there pre season tournaments. So we have been driving back and forth from one ball field to another. It's 11:30 and I just got settled I. And about to go to bed. My daughter wants to go again in the morning so we are going to give it another try.

Phil from Maine

That is quite alright!! Enjoy your time with the children.. They are only young once..

Phil from Maine

I went and took my wife and daughter after picking her up to the hospital and we are now proud grand parents of a baby girl.. We went down at 4 this morning and my wife has stayed with her all day while I did some other stuff.

It was a sunny morning so I took a short drive and saw quite a few deer and also a couple of small flocks of turkeys.. We had temps running in the mid 50s so the snow is finally starting to go away.. Down state they are stating they are seeing more turkeys this year than they ever had.. I hope the same holds true up here once the snow leaves us.. Any way here is a pick to share with everyone..

blackheel

Congrats on the successful hunts!

I will not go into details now but my nephew and I had our hunt ruined by some unacceptable actions during our 1 day public land special draw hunt. Still has my blood boiling.

Not sure when I will get to hunt again.

swampbuster

My daughter and I didn't hear anything at our first spot, drove to a second spot and heard one a few hundred yards off the road. Couldn't really get on him, and he acted uninterested in my calls. Didn't hear anything else the rest of the morning. Came home and took a nap and did some much needed yard work. Nothing will be getting done once turkey season starts next weekend.