Team 3 Sons of Fanarchy
05-08-2015, 08:35 PM
#201
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Turkey-Town Kansas
Posts: 344
So the specifics:
Got to this new p[piece of ground at 5:00am, and moved to a central location... it was POURING rain all night and STILL raining, and I don't use a blind.
after slogging around the edge of this muddy field I found a place on the edge to have a seat against a locust tree.
once daybreak crept in I only heard a few weak gobbles and not too close. after an hour or so I got antsy and low crawled toward the field to see if I had any visitors at all.
well about 75 yards to my right I saw a few hens and some strutters.
let me insert here - _ I was given permission the hunt here because the landowner AND several coworkers of his could not seal the deal on these birds and they thought I was doomed as well.
These birds have been called to for DAYS on end and seen every decoy you can imagine... worse than public ground on opening week.
I used no decoys, and only called VERY sparingly! and even then I limited it to purrs, and some soft contented yelps. the birds that I was watching moved off at 75 yards and disappeared. then more hens from the same area, and a few more strutters.... only to disappear over the same ridge........
THEN......... I catch a glimpse of something RED through the foliage... it's a mature Tom, with a WHITE head and RED waddles!!... no... TWO Toms!
These are the smart Toms that everyone had been chasing.... hanging WAY back and being the last to enter the field.
they moved out to about 70 yards and just strutted like mad!, TWO HOURS go by and they never get any closer... then I start "talking" with the hens they are with, and those hens begin to work my way... you know the feeling... when the birds are coming in and your heart starts to THUMP!
well, a few short minutes later and I need to decide which Tom to take at 40 yards.
the one in the rear drew the short straw....
Eastern
Kansas
Shotgun
23.3 pounds
beard 11.2"
Right Spur - 1.5/8
Left Spur - 1.5
Muddy MESS!!!!
Great hunt and they really tested my resolve!
Got to this new p[piece of ground at 5:00am, and moved to a central location... it was POURING rain all night and STILL raining, and I don't use a blind.
after slogging around the edge of this muddy field I found a place on the edge to have a seat against a locust tree.
once daybreak crept in I only heard a few weak gobbles and not too close. after an hour or so I got antsy and low crawled toward the field to see if I had any visitors at all.
well about 75 yards to my right I saw a few hens and some strutters.
let me insert here - _ I was given permission the hunt here because the landowner AND several coworkers of his could not seal the deal on these birds and they thought I was doomed as well.
These birds have been called to for DAYS on end and seen every decoy you can imagine... worse than public ground on opening week.
I used no decoys, and only called VERY sparingly! and even then I limited it to purrs, and some soft contented yelps. the birds that I was watching moved off at 75 yards and disappeared. then more hens from the same area, and a few more strutters.... only to disappear over the same ridge........
THEN......... I catch a glimpse of something RED through the foliage... it's a mature Tom, with a WHITE head and RED waddles!!... no... TWO Toms!
These are the smart Toms that everyone had been chasing.... hanging WAY back and being the last to enter the field.
they moved out to about 70 yards and just strutted like mad!, TWO HOURS go by and they never get any closer... then I start "talking" with the hens they are with, and those hens begin to work my way... you know the feeling... when the birds are coming in and your heart starts to THUMP!
well, a few short minutes later and I need to decide which Tom to take at 40 yards.
the one in the rear drew the short straw....
Eastern
Kansas
Shotgun
23.3 pounds
beard 11.2"
Right Spur - 1.5/8
Left Spur - 1.5
Muddy MESS!!!!
Great hunt and they really tested my resolve!
Last edited by BIG DONNIE BRASCO; 05-08-2015 at 08:47 PM.
05-09-2015, 07:18 PM
#205
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Turkey-Town Kansas
Posts: 344
I certainly can't claim that it's all "skill". I like to think that I'm a pretty good turkey hunter.. and I guide some folks too. But where I have an unfair edge is that I have exclusive (or near exclusive access to 100's and 100's of remote acres that no one has turkey hunted forever. These are cultivated fields with very well fed birds that have lived unmolested lives. In any given flock there are guaranteed to be a few 4 year old bird and the ocassional 5 year old.
So I do my homework and glass the flocks to see where grandpa bird is hanging out. .. then rain or shine I'll sit on the edge of his field dark to dark If need be, but I'll get him. I find the bird I want and go hunt him.
It's no different than when the deer and elk hunters do the same with big bucks... I just don't really hunt anything but turkey so I'm a little obsessed about my turkeys
So I do my homework and glass the flocks to see where grandpa bird is hanging out. .. then rain or shine I'll sit on the edge of his field dark to dark If need be, but I'll get him. I find the bird I want and go hunt him.
It's no different than when the deer and elk hunters do the same with big bucks... I just don't really hunt anything but turkey so I'm a little obsessed about my turkeys
Last edited by BIG DONNIE BRASCO; 05-09-2015 at 07:21 PM.
05-11-2015, 05:19 AM
#207
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 647
Awesome bird Donnie, Well I'm done. I only got 1 bird but I guess its better than none. Work consumed me this year, I have the Mo state welding fabrication champs in Skills USA and we are preparing for Nationals in Louisville,KY this summer so I didn't get to hunt like I wanted. But it was a blast and I'm ready for next year. Congrats to all that have scored!!!! Thanks for letting me paly.
05-12-2015, 09:11 AM
#208
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: North Louisiana
Posts: 3,050
Let us know how you are doing. We could use another bird. The contest looks like it's going down to the wire between us and team 2. I think one more bird from you or turke7 would probably do it. We haven't heard from turke7 in a while. You still out there hunting? I'm going on one last hunt this weekend. Going to north Texas. I'm not expecting much, but at least I will be out there turkey hunting, that is if I can find any dry land.
05-12-2015, 06:48 PM
#210
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 63
Sorry I've been very busy lately. I've still got until the end of the month to get a turkey. I've seen a couple jakes/hens but no shooters. I usually head to Nebraska for a weekend but I don't think Im going to make it this year so hopefully my local birds don't put the slip on me.
