Team 1 ~ Beard Bandits
05-02-2013, 01:32 PM
#312
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 365
Ok I am going to try this from the phone for the first time.
I arrived Sunday for my annual out of state hunt. We did some scouting and found a nice group of turkeys working at the back of a field. We did some more scouting and had to go back by the field where we saw the nice group and now there were at least 5 toms in the group. Was able to spot one hen on the roost already and was making plans on where to set up. Well the spot that looked best was squashed when I watched the last bird in the field fly up into to the tree I wanted to set up by! Another plan had to be made. Monday morning I was greeted by cold rain so I grabbed my blind so between it and my rain gear I could stay dry. Eased in from the opposite direction and decided to setup along a lane in the field probably 150 yds from the roosted bird I saw fly up. As it got lighter I could see a longbeard roosted on the field edge that would have busted me if I had pushed closer. At flydown toms, jakes, and hens pitched down right where I wished I was sitting. Two jakes started chasing each other in circles that I would have made many people dizzy. It carried on for almost 2 hrs! There were at least 5 toms, 5 jakes, and a bunch of hens. Most of them went out of sight for a while except for 4 Jakes but eventually a tom and 3 hens joined them 150 yds down from me. Short of the remainder of the story is over the next hour I coaxed them into range and had to wait for the tom and a jake to separate. At 39 yds he took his last step. At this point I was ready to get up and move since the cold rain had taken is toll on me.
I arrived Sunday for my annual out of state hunt. We did some scouting and found a nice group of turkeys working at the back of a field. We did some more scouting and had to go back by the field where we saw the nice group and now there were at least 5 toms in the group. Was able to spot one hen on the roost already and was making plans on where to set up. Well the spot that looked best was squashed when I watched the last bird in the field fly up into to the tree I wanted to set up by! Another plan had to be made. Monday morning I was greeted by cold rain so I grabbed my blind so between it and my rain gear I could stay dry. Eased in from the opposite direction and decided to setup along a lane in the field probably 150 yds from the roosted bird I saw fly up. As it got lighter I could see a longbeard roosted on the field edge that would have busted me if I had pushed closer. At flydown toms, jakes, and hens pitched down right where I wished I was sitting. Two jakes started chasing each other in circles that I would have made many people dizzy. It carried on for almost 2 hrs! There were at least 5 toms, 5 jakes, and a bunch of hens. Most of them went out of sight for a while except for 4 Jakes but eventually a tom and 3 hens joined them 150 yds down from me. Short of the remainder of the story is over the next hour I coaxed them into range and had to wait for the tom and a jake to separate. At 39 yds he took his last step. At this point I was ready to get up and move since the cold rain had taken is toll on me.
Last edited by blackheel; 05-02-2013 at 05:40 PM.
05-02-2013, 01:44 PM
#313
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 365
Bird 2
Tuesday was a bust. Wednesday dawned with hope and beautiful weather. We had watched a large group of turkeys go to roost and I was able to set up really close where they supposedly always flew out. Well I was greeted with thundering gobbles but today they flew to the east and got no closer than 80 yds. One satellite tom got in range joining the group but I passed on him (stupidly). They all worked away.
I regrouped and was met by my friend who suggested we check the farm where I have killed a bird each of the last 3 yrs (we hadn't seen much there this year). Long story short, we spied a group of birds near where I've had success before. He dropped me off to work them and he had something to do. As I was making my first move to get into position, his truck spooked them and changed my plans. They moved! I had to make a very quick hook move to get in front of the group. Made a quick call and a tom appeared. He saw me as I saw him and I had to make a quick move. I knew the gun could do it so at 52 yds he went down. Done and tagged out at 740!
Tuesday was a bust. Wednesday dawned with hope and beautiful weather. We had watched a large group of turkeys go to roost and I was able to set up really close where they supposedly always flew out. Well I was greeted with thundering gobbles but today they flew to the east and got no closer than 80 yds. One satellite tom got in range joining the group but I passed on him (stupidly). They all worked away.
I regrouped and was met by my friend who suggested we check the farm where I have killed a bird each of the last 3 yrs (we hadn't seen much there this year). Long story short, we spied a group of birds near where I've had success before. He dropped me off to work them and he had something to do. As I was making my first move to get into position, his truck spooked them and changed my plans. They moved! I had to make a very quick hook move to get in front of the group. Made a quick call and a tom appeared. He saw me as I saw him and I had to make a quick move. I knew the gun could do it so at 52 yds he went down. Done and tagged out at 740!
05-02-2013, 05:32 PM
#316
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sulphur,Indiana
Posts: 1,350
Way to go Blackheel and Turkman1 ! You guys are doing a great job because me and Arrowmaster are having a tough time in the Hoosier State. Two more hunts in prime areas and not a Turkey in sight all day. Back at it tomarrow took 2 more vacation days to try and get the job done before rain comes in for the next 3 days. Guess I'll get the blind out even though I hate hunting in a blind,but I don't like sitting in the rain either.
Congrats