Sounds like you are getting in the right mindset for the season Phil. pinsapex7, good luck to you out there. This whole contest is riding on your shoulders. I'll be heading out in the morn to see if I can't waste away my sleeping in time. Going back to my stomping grounds by myself so it's all on me this time. No worrying about anyone else.

If I get the chance, I may even try something like in the video John posted in the turkey thread. Post that up on here John so the other guys see it. Some guys at my work have done that numerous times. Quick true story. There were 3 guys and 2 toms in the center of a field. 2 guys had bows and the other guy had the fan. The guy carrying the fan and 1 of the shooters are about 6' and 240pds. 3rd guy is 6' and 190pds. Anyways, they walked in a crouching position in single file towards the birds and ended up getting within 15 yards before the birds wised up. They did get 1 tom. Sounds crazy but those birds must get glued onto that fan. I'll try it if I get the chance. Keep at it guys!

I will be hunting private land on a farm I've hunted for years. Have two other farms close by if things don't work out. I usually now hunt turkeys but my time is limited a bit this year so taking out the old faithful browning over and under. If I kill one opening day I will probably break the now out after that. Well good luck team.

Goo luck Pinsapex! Whack us a good one!
Well, it's quarter to five a.m. Gotta finish knocking the dust out of my eyes, get a couple more cups of coffe in me and then I can go find out how my Monday morning hunts gonna go. It's clear and the wind quit, but only 18 deg out! This is gonna hurt if I don't see or hear anything!

Hi team,
Just stopping in to say it's great to read the stories and see the great pics, it has been a big help while I'm waiting for my season here to open.
With my work schedule it looks like my first day in the woods will be May 4th. I will be hunting on a mountain on the east side of Lake George where I've had sucess in the past. My fiance Annie is my hunting buddy and I'm hoping to help her harvest her first bird this year.
Goodluck everyone and happy hunting!

AL

Good luck Al!
Well this mornings scouting trip gives me good news and bad news. Good news is i have 3 nice longbeards in the area. Bads news is they have a whole bunch of hens with em, and the worse news is they are across a creek, a fenceline and 300 yrds of open feild on property i can't get on. I'm afraid its gonna be real tough to do anything with em. My only hope is the biggest tom of the three is the odd man out. The other 2 are joined at the hip and won't let him anywhere near the group. I'm hopin either i can call him away from em or i'm thinkin he's the single i've had roost on the farm earlier in the week. If i could get him to do that again i'd be in business cause i can get between that roosting site and the other group. Will be out tonite to put em to bed and get a final game plan for the morning.
Was still pretty cool to hear a bunch of gobbling and watch em do their thing this morning tho.

This is a funny videos (Just the first 30 seconds).
I know a few spots I would like to try it out.
Maybe next year.

http://youtu.be/9hXFQCQGVDE



John

Love that video. I bought the dvd that thats off of. There are a few other pretty cool turkey hunts on there.

Sonuva....C'mon.....Seriously??? If I were a betting man I would of placed everything on this morning. Got setup and a half hour later they started sounding off, counted at least 7 different gobblers in the area, straight ahead of me on the neighbors property about 50 yards in. I heard them fly down and I started calling like this is where you are suppose to come. They were answering but it sounded like they were moving away. Then I happened to hear 1 distinct hen in there so I mimicked everything she did. I could tell she was getting ticked off and the whole group started coming back. It was a mess of calling from both me and them. Definately noisy! I'm facing straight north on the west side of a creek. I just start to see them through the trees to my east on the other side of the creek. Just then the sun comes out from behind the clouds and I can't see a thing. Then I noticed 2 hens on my side but they ended up crossing and going with the others. So I scooted towards the creek and seen them in the wheat field. Grabbed my fan and started crossing when I heard a really wierd noise. Kinda like a death scream. When I came up the other side I had lost them. Closer inspection then showed them a few hundred yards away and moving fast. Tried to catch them but they took off east. Sat down to have a smoke when I hear some gobbles across the road. So I went. Got close to one even though I couldn't see him, the gobbles were loud. Trying to get setup since he was answering to my locator call and I hear the dreaded putt...putt..putt. Then NOTHING! Sat in disbelief of my horrible luck that I seem to have turkey hunting. Then hear gobbles west on the neighboring property. Might as well try. Had to cross an open field to get to it. Just coming up over the ridge, I try to peek over only to be 20 yards from a hen who takes off instantly. And 2 red heads also. But gee, can it get any worse? I have to walk back at least 3/4 of a mile to the truck. Get in the truck and start heading back to check my cameras. Driving down the road I see a big red head standing in the drive that I normally park in. So I keep going up a ways like I didn't see him. Doing a sneak from the east behind some barns and old machinery. He doesn't see me. He kinda moseys to the north and all I have to do is get around this barn to get a shot. Just as i start coming around there is a huge commotion and this hen takes off from about 2 feet in front of me. I might of pooped a little! I turn my gun towards her before I realize #%@$ , thats not him. Ohh thats him running the other freakin way!! Yep goin home!!!

Wow Mottz, sounds like quite the morning in the ole turkey woods! I've had wonderful days like that befor myself, then went out the next, plopped down, fell asleep, wake up, roll over light a smoke and shoot a bird. Keep after em! Sounds like ya had plenty of action anyways, that makes it fun.
Went out to set up the pop up a couple hours ago, and I'm completely stumped on how to set up on these birds in the morn. Checked for tracks at the far end of the field and ended up bumping them out of the corn. I have no idea where they are gone be or how they're gonna get there. Ended up not putting the thing up and just stashing it and the chairs by a tree out there. Gonna go back out just befor dark and see where they roost and I'm thinking the morning hunt is gonna be more about learning then hunting, we'll see.

Good Luck with this project AL, I hope you both have some great luck once you get out there..

Good Luck pinsapex! I hope you have some great success as well as a great story to read about after your hunt..

John while I liked the video it surely is something I am going to pass on.. LOL

Mottz I hope you have some better luck as well! I know how hunting goes. One day you think you have every thing all figured out and wham a big change of plans has to be made.. One never knows what to expect when out hunting for any game.. Good Luck to you on your next time out!

Now come on J76 your our team captain! You need to help us keep the pressure up on those other teams.. We are gonna win this contest no ifs, ands, or buts, about it!
What me thinks you need to do is wait them out. When they get done chasing the hens they will show up to your calling.. I believe so any ways. So keep the key thing in mind.. Pactience is number one on these big strutting birds.. Keep in mind most of the birds I have shot is between 9 and 11 am. Our hunting ends at 12 noon here, so only half a day but some pretty darn good hunting just the same.

I set my blind up today and where I have it set was a big tom with 3 hens straight out around 100 yards or so this morning. I am going to post some pics in the regular turkey hunting forum to get everyone all worked up! The only down fall is it is set up on the low side of a hill. But it should do fine. I will be hunting in 8 more days.. Yahoooeee! I am ready already!