Hey, MO's. I sure hope these birds start doing something. Still very henned up this morning. I heard about 4 birds gobbling within 100 yards of me but everytime they would gobble on the roost, I could hear about 4 or 5 hens answer back. They say screw you and your decoys, I'm gonna get me some of the real thing. But I hunted til 11 and they don't make a peep the rest of the morning. I don't know if the are staying henned up that late or what. maybe just maybe this weekend will be halfway normal.

Your right though, that cold snap killed the vegatation and kept these birds in the woods.

I agree with both of you 100%. I'm just disgusted right now. It's to the point where i know that every time I hear a gobble I pretty much know he has some hens with him. I also agree about the fields thing. Last year I killed both of my birds in fields and this year i havent seen a single bird in a field(except on someone elses private property). Thursday everything is going to change tho i can feel it! Im trying to stay positive but it's hard.[:@]

MO, ya gotta hunt them like you would a deer right now. Be somewhere they wanna go, and meet them there. Ambush style. In fact, I would leave the calls at home. That's the strategy this weekend. I know the field he sometimes lands in, and I'll be in the blind waiting, with decoy out......

The birds are call shy right now, BIG time....

Hi all,

I hope everyone is having a great spring. My birthday is Saturday May 5th and what a birthday present I gave myself today!!! I harvested what is the highest scoring typical gobbler of my lifetime at 73.0625 NWTF points. 24 pounds 7 ounces, right spur = 1 1/2", left spur = 1 3/8", beard = 9 15/16".

Heres how it went down; At daylight I heard 2 birds but couldnt do anything with them. I walked off of the hill and headed to another farm. As I'm driving in this big gobbler crosses the road in front of me and I realize he's alone. I watch him walk up into the woods. I drove maybe 200 yards up the road and got out and cutt and he immediately cut me off. I got back in my suv and drove up around on top and parked and walked down he ridge to him. I heard him gobbling on his own as I approached. I set up and sent him a series of soft yelps and he went crazy. He was 2 flats below me and immediately started my way. He probably gobbled 30 times as he walked to me. He was one of those turkeys that hammered every single call I made. The last time he gobbled he was 60 yards below me and I just shut up. The next thing I know he pops up on the flat below me at about 40 yards which is plenty close enough for my 835 that's loaded with nitro 4x5x7 hevi shot.
He wasnt displaying, just walking steadily to me. At 35 yards I couldnt stand it any longer and let him have it. At the shot he went down and I was up and running. I didnt realize how steep the bank was and I lost control on my way down and fell and as you'll see by the picture, I tore my right shin up pretty good so I guess he got his licks in as well. What a gorgeous gobbler!! What's most impressive about him besides his awesome hooks is his weight. I've killed a lot of gobblers in my life but I've never killed one over 22 pounds. In West Virginia the hills are steep, we dont feed the turkeys and the longbeards that I kill are usually between 16 and 19 pounds. This guy weighed 24 pounds 7 ounces. I dont think I've ever had a more enjoyable walk out of the woods![/align]Can our team captain please enter this upgrade for me and the team?

Here are the pictures:

His beard is 9 15/16"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/hom...nes/beard52.jpg

The right spur measures right between 1 7/16 and 1 8/16 inches so I rounded up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/hom...ight-spur52.jpg

The left spur measures 1 6/16 inches or 1 3/8
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/hom...left-spur52.jpg

Me with him
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/hom...es/mebird52.jpg

My right shin after I got showered
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/homerjones/leg52.jpg[/align]

ALRIGHT!!!! That is one fine bird!!!

It was a cloudy, damp, foggy morning out. No gobbling to be heard anywhere. There I sat in my blind, trying to stay awake. Suddenly, I hear a purr to my left and immediately recognize it as a turkey. I peek out the window to see a lone hen about 15 feet from the blind. Ya'll ever seen a hen strut?? I've never, but they do. She puffed herself all up, tail fanned out, wings out and I thought she was gonna way lay my decoy. She was pushing on Henrietta something terrible. Now, she wasn't strutting like we see Tom's....Her tail was fanned but not up, and her neck wasn't sunk in her chest......but she was displaying a very aggressive posture. I've never seen this before, so I was having a blast.

That's also the first bird I've seen while sitting in a blind....Ya'll, they REALLY just don't pay any attention.....It's quite amazing. No gobbler, but a fun morning. One day left, and I'll be out early in the morning....But for now, I've got softball pictures and practice to go to. I coach my oldest daughter's team, so I guess I better be there. [&:]

Well this year sucked. I'm kinda glad it's over as much as i love hunting. It was a very frustrating year for me. I managed to make it out 9 times in our 3 week season, and being a full-time student that's quite a bit. Out of those 9 times hunting only two times i did not see a bird. That is pretty successful i guess. Last thursday was my last day out, and I saw 13 birds, the only problem was they roosted on conservation land but then flew down to a field on private ground. The whole season I did not see a single gobbler without a hen. Thats what made it such a tough season. Other than that I am waiting on bow season to start again. Bring on the 3d shoots this summer. Good luck to everyone that is still hunting, and sorry I couldnt close the deal, but Hey thats why it's called HUNTING. Have a good one guys.

Oh well, sounds like you gave it your best!

I believe if I just had 1 more day, I could get one....[8D]

Got 3 or 4 days left to hunt for myself!!! Finish strong fellas!!!