Goose 11

Man, that Big Tom in the above picture has kicked my butt! I just can't seem to get him patterened! If I'm there at 3:00 he was there at 1:00, if I go early, he's there late! I think I'm gonna have to sit all day to kill him. My season ends on the 30th. So I am very limited on time. I think I'll be able to go on Friday. Any suggestions?

wineguy

No luck for me so far. California has been getting hammered with rain all year, and when I do go out in the rain I can't get anything to respond to calls, so I end up hiking the hillsides and trying to find some toms to set up on and usualy don't find anything.

I'll keep tryin'

Goose 11

Hey man, keep it up, just stay out there as long as you can and as often as you can! I may slip away today and see if I can catch up with my old nemesis, "Tom"!!

Annie Oakley

No birds for me yet. I chose muzzle loader for my IA hunt. I've never used a muzzle loader before and didn't know when I'd get a chance to again. I had the best hunts ever and learned a ton. I had 1 bird I could take ( chose not to take any jakes) and I blew it. I'm such a loser ! Shot and missed and then wished I'd had a regular shot gun. No Bama birds either. Saw 2 jakes and would have loved it if my dad had been able to get one. Oh well, still have a few weeks left, will see what I can find in WA and OR.

PABowhntr

Hey,

Sorry I did not check in sooner. I was out for the first day this past Saturday and should have something posted in my journal this evening. No luck yet but it was a fun day regardless.

jghoffman12

Tagged my first SD merriams on Thursday afternoon. not much size on those black hills turkeys though. weighed 16 lbs, 8.5" beard and both spurs were 3/4". looks like my 2nd bird will be the one entered in the contest

MassHntr

I hit the woods for a couple of hours before work this morning. And, like every other morning, no gobbles. Well, perhaps one in the far distance. I had a nice set-up and listened to song birds and squirrels until about 7:30, when I headed back to the truck. On a whim, I decided to swing by some fields where I’d seen them displaying last year. It’s posted, but at this point I would have been happy to see a turkey. As I got to my turn, I looked to my right and saw a flock in a field. I swung around, dodged the school buses and commuters, and took another peek. At least three fans. I drove past – no posted signs. I turned around again and pulled in behind an abandoned building. I grabbed the binocs and snuck up to the corner. Seemed like a flock of 8 or 10, with at least two long beards displaying. They were about half-way across the field (100 yards or so) and feeding away towards the back. No houses real close, nobody seemed to be paying any attention to them or me. I decided to go for it and explain later. There was a hedge along the road and down the right side. I geared up and took off, passing a sign that said: Town of Grafton Recreation Area. Since I was recreating, I figured I was good to go. I glanced toward the field – empty. There was a little knoll, which I hoped they’d fed over. I was pretty sure I didn’t spook them. I picked my way through an overgrown orchard behind the hedge and got almost to the end. There was a small break in the hedge and I could see a lone hen, standing sentinel out there about 80 yards. I set up and began calling. After a few minutes I saw a white head pop up behind another knoll almost to the woods. He strutted up to the knoll and proceeded to parade back and forth. I called some more and he started towards me. He made it about fifteen yards and then stopped, turned around, and headed back. I called again and a hen popped up over the knoll. She led a parade towards me and when she got closer, I could hear her cutting and yelping. She was clearly annoyed at the interloper who’d managed to turn her boy’s head. I cutt right back at her and she got fired up, giving me a piece of her mind. As she led the gang closer, she angled off out of my sight, giving me a chance to get into the 870. Then she turned and crossed in front of the opening, about 40 yards out, still complaining. Another hen followed her, and then a jake did his best to look impressive. His brother was right behind him, more hens, and then I could see two white heads bobbing, fans displayed, coming behind them. Everyone decided to mill around together, testing my cardiac system. Finally they separated out and I put the dot on one of the strutters. When I had a clear shot, I took it even though he was strutting towards me. He went down under the influence of 12 ga. Hevi-Shot Number 5’s. The others milled around, the jakes and other strutter continuing to display. My boy started flapping a bit and I decided I had to go get him. I was reluctant to move since I didn’t want to spook them; I still have another tag. I eased out and let them see me. They moved off towards the woods and I went over to get my guy, forty-two paces away. He’s a two-year-old, 18.5 lbs., 7/8” and 1” spurs, and a 10” beard. It was a fun encounter (well, for me at least). Being in the right place at the right time, and getting lucky, helped.

callemin

Hey guys, sorry for not checking in lately. I have been hunting hard since May 1 st. I took a week off from work. Out every morning and hearing gobbles all around. But couldn't get any in close enough for a shot. I was getting very frustrated to say the least. Every morning I would find two toms on the same roost half way up a big ridge, I would call and they would gobble from the roost but after they pitched down they would stay up top and walk the ridge to a food supply. Any way on day 13 I got permission to enter the land from the ridge top and set up 80 yards from where I thought they were roosting, half way between the roost and the food source. Well I only gave them a few soft tree yelps and clucks at 5:00 am and they gobbled. Now I just shut up and waited. Sure enough they pitched down parallel to me at 50 yds. 5 or 6 hens and two long beards. Long story short they headed to the food source and I connected with a shot at 45 yds.

He weighed 19 lbs 2 ounces
1 spur is 1 in and 1/16
the other is 1 in and 1/8
the beard is 9 and 1/2 inches
total score is 19.125 + 10.625 + 11.25 + 19 = 60

MassHntr

Nice job! Congratulations. Got a pic?

callemin

Thanks masshntr, congrats on your bird, definitely anice bird. I do have pics butI always have a hard time loading pics on this thing. It tells me the file is too large. By the way I got the second bird a week later 17 lbs 9 inch beard and 1 inch spurs.
PS where are all the birds for our team, were in last place now!