2017 Ontario Spring Wild Turkey season

Got mine first time out this year, after being skunked last year. Didn't even get a chance to scout this year. I used set of decoys the wife/kids bought me last fathers day.
A Jake with fan, and laying hen decoy. Set them up and waited. I was initially disappointed as I didn't hear any gobbles, only a few purrs in response to my box call. A mid size Jake with about 8 hens came out of the bush towards the decoys. The jake all plumed up, starting to strut. They got about 60 yards away from the decoys when the Jake's fan collapsed and he and the hens took off running. My first thought was my decoy was too large and intimidating. Then this guy came running across the field at the decoy, all angry like. Stopped about 20 yards from the decoy and started strutting. He eventually came in closer but his head was tucked in the whole time he was strutting.
Gave a chirp on the mouth call - the one I am absolutely horrible using......think wounded chipmunk sound. His head pops up to see what the noise was and gave me a great target. Total distance 11 yards. 2.75 #4 Heavishot.

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22.2lb. Really neat coloring on one of his tail feathers
 
Hey gang just wondering if anyone has turkey tail feathers and wing feathers for a fellow hunter to tie flies with i`m in NS and sadly we have no turkeys ,well no feathered ones LOL,thanks all PM me if you have any ,thanks.
 
capebretonhunter said:
Hey gang just wondering if anyone has turkey tail feathers and wing feathers for a fellow hunter to tie flies with i`m in NS and sadly we have no turkeys ,well no feathered ones LOL,thanks all PM me if you have any ,thanks.
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I can save some for you if I fill my second tag. I do have fully cured wings that I was planning to use for a taxidermy mount or a decoy. Would that be of interest to you?
 
Looking at this weekend's forecast, I thought I better get out before work today, as the rain wasn't supposed to start till mid morning. Hunted a hardwoods forest at the back of a farm I've hunted for a few years. We've gotten to know where they normally roost, and have brushed out trails (even used the leafblower) to be able to sneak in quietly in the pre-dawn hours. I've hit this place a few other times this season, and had encounters with some wise old gobblers. Some have hung up, some have come in cautiously only to find something they didn't like, some have run off with the real thing rather than waste more time on the invisible hen. Seen lots of birds, had many conversations, but hadn't sealed the deal yet.

Got out in decent time this morning, and only put out 1 hen, as I was worried that the tom that took off the last time I was here may have been spooked by my strutter. Had 1 gobbler start up early on the roost, as coyotes were howling nearby. Back and forth they went - bark-howl, gobble, howl, gobble, yip-howl, double gobble. I'm thinking that this bird is never going to fly down with yotes around, but as soon as it got a bit lighter, the coyote choir stopped, and the tom crashed to the ground. Started strutting, and gobbling in my direction, and eventually came over very, very cautiously in response to my quiet, pleading yelps. Gobble, quarter strut, deflate, step-step, straight-up head jerk, gobble, 3/4 strut, gobble. He gets in to about 10 yards from the unmoving plastic feeding hen, no clear shot, gobble, gobble, head up, put....put...PUT...PUT (something is wrong with this girl....I'm out of here), 180, complete deflation, wing tucking and fast PUT retreat. This is almost a perfect repeat of the last time I hunted this spot, likely the same tom. PUT - PUT, putting on some distance. My yelps stop him momentarily, gobble response, then continued Put-retreat andhe's back where he started, and still going. Great, blew it again.

Pack up my things in the vest, close my eyes for 5 minutes, and replay the tape to figure out what went wrong. Maybe some slight movement? Smart bird. Bad calling? OK, time to go to work. Or maybe, maybe just go for a bit of a walk around the back of the bushlot, where the elevation drops out of his sight, and make him think there is another hen. Why not? So I do the speed-walk as quietly as possible, cluk a few times at the halfway point, set-up in some brush, no decoys this time, change mouthcalls from the sweet young innocent girl I had been to a chain-smoking raspy old hag, and let him know where I was and what I needed. Now. Right Now. Loud. And he liked it, really liked it. Gobble, run, gobble, coming in hot, what some would call "on a string". Really clsoe now, he's talking, I'm cutting him off, neither of us has seen the other. My gun is up, more vocal foreplay, and there's his head, just over the rise, safety comes off, then gone, then back up again, BANG. I missed, no PUTS, no death flapping and flopping.....just......silence, nothing. I missed. Damn, I should have waited, let him come right in, not shot over his head. Some woodies screeching on the pond in the distance. Yelp. Nothing. Goose honking on flyover. Yelp, silence. Are you kidding me? Rack another shell into the chamber, stand-up slowly, no movement anywhere, one step, crane my neck forward and up, up on my tip toes, and there he is, just over the rise, dead in his tracks.

Not quite 7am, and he's hanging for some pics. Just a wonderful spring morning in the turkey woods. Thanks big guy.

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Double beard, nice spurs, and zero feather damage. Thank-you.
 
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Awesome. Man I love turkey hunting.
I can't get out again until Monday; please keep posting stories and pics to make the next 3 days a little easier on me.
 
Some great birds guys. Also can't wait to get some time and be able to hit the turkey woods again. Keep all the stories and pictures coming they just make me want to get out there even more. Good luck tight groups.
 
2 birds, 2 Wednesdays in a row, same field.

First bird 24lbs, double beard 9.5"/8", 1" spurs

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Second bird 22lbs, 10.5" beard, 1" spurs

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[video]https://goo.gl/photos/qjge7tqpN7AxCvex6[/video]

Video of after the shot a few days ago. Two nice toms came in and I shot one and this one would not leave. I let him strut for 45minutes before I had to leave and he finally ran away after I stood up and walked out of the tree line. Decoys are at 12 yards so he's at about 10 feet in the video
 
Mrs Arclight and I have not gone out for turkey yet. I am up in 46 hunting bears. We will have a late season turkey hunt. A few cops from the OPP have got turkeys at our property.
 
Anyone hear of a turkey shedding its feathers under stress? A buddy shot one this morning and it was flopping around. He put his foot on the neck, and all of the tail feathers and a lot of the wing feathers instantly came off the bird.
 
Today we saw a gang of 6 jakes who have made a hen as in a hostage situation. A big Tom came to the group and jakes attacked the Tom. Tom ran away like chicken.
 
QaziRanga said:
Today we saw a gang of 6 jakes who have made a hen as in a hostage situation. A big Tom came to the group and jakes attacked the Tom. Tom ran away like chicken.
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I've never seen Jakes run off a Tom...must have been a submissive guy. The Jakes I've seen all knew their place in the pecking order.

Damn...all this turkey talk is killing me. I havent been able to get since opening day. Im starting to get the shakes...
 
Got out this morning with my buddy and his 14 year old daughter for her first wild turkey hunt. Heard gobbling early from the tree line facing my blind. Spotted a big tom in a tree just as the light came up. Talked to him softly and he responded beautifully.

We saw him fly down in our direction about 150m away from us. He started strutting immediately and as we watched him do his thing from afar, 3 hens showed up next to him. Called a little more to try and coax him our way when all of a sudden a second tom showed up! They squared off a bit, posturing to each other in front of their group of hens. Called a bit more and the lead tom started heading our way with the second guy and hens in tow.

They circled left of my decoys and then at 17 yards, both toms were in our sights at 6:30am. I putted to get their heads up and right on cue we both took our shots, her the bird on the left and me the bird on the right! Two nice toms down! Both were very similar in size/age with 9" beards and 22lbs, 1" spurs. This was her first hunting harvest and I was so happy to be there and help her take her first wild turkey!

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hoytcanon said:
Runningfool... that is very good stuff! Congrats to the young lady and to you for taking her out.
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Thank you. In the relatively short time time I've been hunting, I count my biggest blessing as the opportunity to introduce some young people to the wonders of hunting. I'd gladly give up all of my tags for a decade in exchange for the thrill of helping young people experience what I never had the chance to when I was younger.
 
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