Nice turkman1..... :)

Congrats turkman!!!!! My day is coming soon.

So is mine......you would not believe the number of toms we found on my favorite farm. This was a very good winter.....

JW

Way to go Turkman! Another bird down for Team Turkando!

Way to go turkman!

I have 2 more tags to fill this year. I know there a lot bigger turks out there. I just pick up my new bow today Matthews No Cam. The next turk is go be huge.

So, it's 9:52pm and I told the grandson 4:00am comes real early. We have all our last minute prep done. Everything is out and ready to go when we get up. Now if I can just get him into bed. Weather is looking real nice for us tomorrow.

So we heard a lot of gobbling early but nothing close. We are still at it though. Hopefully something will happen soon.

We heard our first gobble at 6:08 and we heard steady gobbling right up to when we left but nothing was close enough and we didn't see a single bird. I am up next Monday morning.

Well good luck.......8 have a wife duty to go see the blue man group as i promised and then will be hunting michigan opening on monday

Otherwise I'd be scoutin right now

Congratulations, turkman!

My season starts Monday, but I won't get out until Wednesday. Been seeing lots of turkey action around here. Sat on the back deck last night and watched a big tom dragging his beard in the field behind the house. Also got the trail cam up to try to catch a few pics of that ghost coyote I've been seeing.

And my momma grabbed my ear!

Congratulations to all who have put our team on the map! Hope it created a great memory for you!

JW

I'm working tonight. I get off at 4am and I head home then straight out to the woods. Looks like the weather won't be very good but I got one of my 2 birds last year on a rainy day. Good luck to everyone else out there this morning!!!!!

I blew it guys. I had a very nice longbeard come in early. This was my first real chance at a nice one. He was about 40-50 yards out and to me it seemed like he was starting to leave. So I took a crack at him and knocked a few feathers off him. He flew off but I saw him go down. I walked down in the trees where I last saw him and as I walked a bit I saw him take off running about 40 yards away. I gave chase but didn't see him anymore. What do you all think. I have been back in the blind for about an hour now and haven't had any other action as of yet. I have to leave about 10:30 cause of other commitments. Think I'll see him anymore?

I brought my video camera home and put it on the big screen. Here are a couple still shots of the gobbler. It looks like he has some pretty big spurs and a decent beard too. He is probably about 60 yards away here on full zoom. I shot when he was probably about 50 or a little less. Hind sight I probably should have waited and seen if he was going to come any closer but to me he appeared like he was leaving and I was really wanting to put this one on the board. Hopefully tomorrow I will have better results. I've still got quite a bit to learn when it comes to turkey hunting.

Had two birds come in to field setup this morning, about 8:45 AM. First tom mounted submissive hen and tried to breed it; first time I used this decoy and I was surprised because I assumed the bird would flog my mounted strutter. The landowner's granddaughter shot the breeding tom, and it jumped and stood there. I told her to shoot again; she did and nailed it. The second tom started walking toward his fallen buddy, I aimed and pulled the trigger, and realized the bolt on the Benelli hadn't seated properly. I pulled back the bolt and released it, it locked, the tom is flogging his buddy, I shoot him. Her first turkey, so she was excited. I was excited that we were both so lucky.
22.0 lbs, 11.0 inch beard, 1.0 inch spur, 1 1/16 inch spur.

We moved one of the birds for a photo.

Keep at it. One tell to watch for is a reset of the wings. Often, turkeys will reset their wings just before leaving an area. It happens fast.

Still got 9 days before my season opens. Just secured permission on 200 nice acres in Preston CT. Got another 100 acres in Baltic CT. Need to call the landowner of the small 30 acre plot that is an awesome early morning spot. Problem with that spot is, they fly down and pretty much make their way right off the property. If you don't get one right away, chances are you won't see anything else all morning. The bigger problem is its a 2 hour drive to get there!

First time I haven't killed a turkey on opening day in 7 or 8 years. Passed on some jakes, just couldn't get the big boy in range.

Great job Daveco! Congrats. 2 hunters, 2 birds down!

Right now it's 7:07 and there is a lone hen in the field about 120 yards out.

I have a question. When it's raining do they not gobble as much? I haven't heard a single gobble yet.

I've had 8 hens come by so far. One of them had about a 2 inch beard. I still haven't heard any gobbling or seen any Tom's or Jakes for that matter.

It's now a rain snow mix.

If you have hens, you should have toms in the area. If it's raining, you may not hear distant gobbles, due to the noise the rain is making. Remember, too, birds may not gobble on a bluebird day, on any given day, and if they are henned up they may be less inclined to gobble, except on the roost.

I finally did hear some gobbling between 9 and 9:30 but that was it. I thought with all those hens passing through I would have had some action this morning but no such luck. I will be back at it tomorrow then after that it's hit and miss the rest of the season. Any advice for the second half of the season when you can go all day?

Good news for me; my Indiana buddy got his bird this morning. He's heading here Friday, and we will hunt together on the weekend and Monday. A week from Thursday, I'll be heading to Indiana. There's a property we will hunt in Indiana that has two toms, "George Bush" and an un-named 4 yr old bird. George has to be at least 3 yrs. old. I asked him how he knows the other bird is 4, and he told me that the bird always struts with its head not laying back against his body; he's watched it for the last two years. My buddy spends countless days, scouting, every year (his preparation is thorough, he even rakes a trail through the woods, just before season, to have a quiet way in.) Of course, I may get skunked, but it is nice to know it's possible we might get one of these birds in front of us.

I am 2 days late but what rhe heck Happy Birthday to me.
Upper Michigan
Eastern
21 lb 10 oz
Beard 9
Spurs13/16 and 3/4
Pictures and stories to follow.
Passed on alot of jakes

Note:
Do not score this bird until I remeasure please. I always remeasure once I have the bird parts off.

Thanks
JW

Finally got it done this morning. This bird is kinda bitter sweet. I killed him off the place I've had leased for 20 years. It sold about 2 months ago but the new landowner has been gracious enough to let me hunt it. 26 lbs, 10 1/2" beard, and 3/4" spurs.

double down jakes
 

A friend and I doubled this morning on a set of jakes. It was his first turkey. Set him up in my spot along a woodline along a field. I went down the woodline about 200 yards. These two jakes came in strutting and he finally got a shot. .... and he missed. He took another shot and dropped one of them. The second one came across in front of me at an all-out full speed run. I dropped him right in front of me at about ten yards.

Hunter: jmedenf
species: eastern
Weight: 15.5 lbs
Beard: 4.5 inches
left spur: 1/4 inch
right sprur: 1/4 inch

15.5 + 9 + 2.5 + 2.5 = 29.5

Pics attached.

Whoa! What's going on! It looks like we got birds getting busted all over the place. Keep it up, and great job.

Turknado is racking up the points! Congrats to JW, jmedenf and DTC

DTC- e-mail me your address.

Congrats JW and DTC!

Congrats, Jmed!

Congrats everyone!!!!! My hunting will be limited from here on out, so I will shooting anything now that is legal if it comes by.

We are rolling!!!

Wow Great Job daveco, jmed , JW and DTO. What do we have 6 turk down??

And way to go men!

I will get my photos yup tonight I hope....

JW

One week down, three more to go. No luck today. Saw a jake and a hen. No gobbling at all despite it being a nice weather day. On the up side, picked up a shed walking out. One more tag to fill and have properties not hunted yet. Back at it next week.

Congrats to all that got one already.

My grandson and I will be going out in the morning after I get home from work. We probably won't get out to our spot until about 8:30. I have always gotten out there before sun rise. Should I approach this hunt differently. Maybe try and locate some birds then try and set up on them. Input would be appreciated.