Any Successful Ontario turkey hunts yet?
- Thread starter jbr87
- Start date
Thanks... I am looking for a real limb breaker now.... but they are rare.... trust me... when i get one... you and everyone else will know....lmao... until now, I post pics of big jakes..... LMAO
We hunted Friday and Saturday out of Walkerton with Luke from Wingfeather Outfitters. It was an absolute blast! He worked so hard for us. I have only been out with one other outfit that worked as hard, and that was Serengeti Charters. (shameless plug, I know
)
Our first bird on Friday was textbook. We had put the Tom to bed the night before, and knew where he wanted to strut his stuff in the morning. We set up on him a couple hundred yards away, near the field edge and waited for the light.
Once the woods had started to brighten up, he started gobbling on the roost. Soooooo cool! Once he flew down and Luke started calling him in, he came in like he was on a string. I was set up on the trail that we expected him to come in on, and Kooz was set up 20 yards away in the trees in case he tried to flank us.
I saw him zip out of the trees and onto the trail, but he seemed to be taking a long time to come down the trail for his introduction to my 870 and 2 ounces of #4 shot.
I glanced over at Kooz, and saw him slowly shift his shotgun. He shook the woods up with a big blast, and Tom went for a dirt nap.
We did a few more setups, without success. We had some hens take offense to that we were plotting, and they took the toms with them.
We spotted a big tom out in a field. Luke had permission in that field, and knew where the bird would be heading. We drove a couple quarters away, and
walked in to set up on him. The wind had picked up a lot, but Luke set out his dekes and began to call. No reply from the turkeys, but we had a young golden eagle swoop down and clobber one of the hen decoys! Very cool!
We moved to the next patch of bush and set up again. This time, we got a reply right away, and close! I had to belly crawl to get set up in the bush to wait. It was a short wait, as Luke reeled in 2 beautiful toms. They came in gobbling like mad, right into my chosen shooting lane. I had to wait until they split up, or it would have been a 2 for 1 shot. Once the bigger tom split off enough for a shot, I let him have it! Great bird, 22 pounds and a bit. I never actually measured the beards and spurs, but have a pic with a card in it for reference.
I'll do a separate post for Saturdays hunts.
)Our first bird on Friday was textbook. We had put the Tom to bed the night before, and knew where he wanted to strut his stuff in the morning. We set up on him a couple hundred yards away, near the field edge and waited for the light.
Once the woods had started to brighten up, he started gobbling on the roost. Soooooo cool! Once he flew down and Luke started calling him in, he came in like he was on a string. I was set up on the trail that we expected him to come in on, and Kooz was set up 20 yards away in the trees in case he tried to flank us.
I saw him zip out of the trees and onto the trail, but he seemed to be taking a long time to come down the trail for his introduction to my 870 and 2 ounces of #4 shot.
I glanced over at Kooz, and saw him slowly shift his shotgun. He shook the woods up with a big blast, and Tom went for a dirt nap.
We did a few more setups, without success. We had some hens take offense to that we were plotting, and they took the toms with them.
We spotted a big tom out in a field. Luke had permission in that field, and knew where the bird would be heading. We drove a couple quarters away, and
walked in to set up on him. The wind had picked up a lot, but Luke set out his dekes and began to call. No reply from the turkeys, but we had a young golden eagle swoop down and clobber one of the hen decoys! Very cool!
We moved to the next patch of bush and set up again. This time, we got a reply right away, and close! I had to belly crawl to get set up in the bush to wait. It was a short wait, as Luke reeled in 2 beautiful toms. They came in gobbling like mad, right into my chosen shooting lane. I had to wait until they split up, or it would have been a 2 for 1 shot. Once the bigger tom split off enough for a shot, I let him have it! Great bird, 22 pounds and a bit. I never actually measured the beards and spurs, but have a pic with a card in it for reference.
I'll do a separate post for Saturdays hunts.
Well, Fridays hunts were pretty easy, so I guess we had to pay our dues on Saturday a bit.
We set up Saturday morning in a field that has had up to 27 turkeys spotted in it. We had scouted 8 birds in it the evening before, with 4 big toms. It turned out that the birds were roosted a lot farther away then we thought. They were in range of Luke's calls, but there was a hen that sounded pretty PO'd, and wasn't going to let things go our way.
We tried probably a dozen spots before we got a gobble in response to Luke's calls. When we did, we set up on the field edge, tucked in to a cool old cedar fence. The birds could hear us, but just weren't going to come out for a look at the dekes, so we went in after them. We had 3 or 4 birds gobbling back for a while, but they kept pacing back and forth, close, then backing away. Then, there must have been 8 different birds gobbling at us. The bush was super thick, with not too many shooting lanes. When the birds finally came close enough, I could see Kooz drawing a bead on one, but no kaboom.
I thought he maybe had some jakes, and didn't want to take them. I was watching my chosen shooting lane, when I saw the brightest red, white and blue head peek around a tree! It looked like there was a bulb in its head, it was that bright. Luke whispered "he's right in front of you". The tom stretchd his neck right up and cocked his head. He looked like he was going to spook, so I let him have it.
We worked those birds for probably an hour or more before they came in.
Now we needed to find a bird for Kooz. There sure weren't as many birds out in the fields as there were the day before. We went to some of Luke's walking spots, and walked kms of trails, stopping to call, but no gobbles. We saw a HUGE tom out strutting by himself in a field. We had to walk almost a half section to get up on him, but got busted by an unseen hen just as we were close enough to set up.
ry3:
We kept trying, and found 3 toms working the top of a hill (again, a quarter away) and moved in to try to call them once they went behind the hill. No luck. They must have moved out of earshot.
Luke figured they were heading to the hardwoods, so we drove around to try and move in on them from the east. My boots had been rubbing my heels, and I was super bagged from our morning, so I wussed out and had a siesta in the truck while they went to give it a try. I had the window down and figured I'd hear if they shot.
I woke up to a thumping on the other window, and Luke holding up a great tom! I never heard a thing. :zzz:
It was a blast! We're doing that again, that's for sure!!
We set up Saturday morning in a field that has had up to 27 turkeys spotted in it. We had scouted 8 birds in it the evening before, with 4 big toms. It turned out that the birds were roosted a lot farther away then we thought. They were in range of Luke's calls, but there was a hen that sounded pretty PO'd, and wasn't going to let things go our way.
We tried probably a dozen spots before we got a gobble in response to Luke's calls. When we did, we set up on the field edge, tucked in to a cool old cedar fence. The birds could hear us, but just weren't going to come out for a look at the dekes, so we went in after them. We had 3 or 4 birds gobbling back for a while, but they kept pacing back and forth, close, then backing away. Then, there must have been 8 different birds gobbling at us. The bush was super thick, with not too many shooting lanes. When the birds finally came close enough, I could see Kooz drawing a bead on one, but no kaboom.
I thought he maybe had some jakes, and didn't want to take them. I was watching my chosen shooting lane, when I saw the brightest red, white and blue head peek around a tree! It looked like there was a bulb in its head, it was that bright. Luke whispered "he's right in front of you". The tom stretchd his neck right up and cocked his head. He looked like he was going to spook, so I let him have it.
We worked those birds for probably an hour or more before they came in.
Now we needed to find a bird for Kooz. There sure weren't as many birds out in the fields as there were the day before. We went to some of Luke's walking spots, and walked kms of trails, stopping to call, but no gobbles. We saw a HUGE tom out strutting by himself in a field. We had to walk almost a half section to get up on him, but got busted by an unseen hen just as we were close enough to set up.
ry3:We kept trying, and found 3 toms working the top of a hill (again, a quarter away) and moved in to try to call them once they went behind the hill. No luck. They must have moved out of earshot.
Luke figured they were heading to the hardwoods, so we drove around to try and move in on them from the east. My boots had been rubbing my heels, and I was super bagged from our morning, so I wussed out and had a siesta in the truck while they went to give it a try. I had the window down and figured I'd hear if they shot.
I woke up to a thumping on the other window, and Luke holding up a great tom! I never heard a thing. :zzz:
It was a blast! We're doing that again, that's for sure!!
Next time, I'll take a couple extra days and go fishing. Soooooo many lakes, rivers and streams! Made me drool. The Saugeen River was right there. What a beautiful part of the country!
I had such an itch to shoot all the raccoon and groundhogs we were seeing!!
I had such an itch to shoot all the raccoon and groundhogs we were seeing!!
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
My dad and I went out for a few hours this morning before work. Lots of jakes but no toms. Oh well. I had a couple landowners ask if they could get a bird from us so we dropped a pair of good sized jakes this morning for them. KInda depressing actually. In all my years of turkey hunting I've always passed on jakes... Oh well....
Sorry for the late post but here is the story of my first bird this year
So I get to the bush around 5:00 (I slept in) and I meet my buddy to go out and set up. Was a dark overcast morning so the the 15 minutes of extra sleep did more good than harm. lol
5:10: I get to my spot in the South-East corner of the property I’m hunting and set up against a big oak tree facing the West giving me a nice swing area to my right (I’m a lefty). My decoys were set up to my West in-front of me about 15-20 yards away in a clearing where 3 cut paths meet in a T. The Forest is old growth hardwood with a very thick canopy so the ground vegetation is relatively low and clear offering good visibility to about 60 yards. Not that it matters now cuz it’s pitch dark. My buddy sets up in a meadow about 175 yards to my North-West looking North-West behind a giant oak.
5:15: the forest is really quiet the weird weather made it so the frogs that usually breed during turkey season here were already finished their business.
5:20 The forest is disturbed by two geese in a pond about 125 yards behind me in an adjacent property that go absolutely apes**t and a thunderous gobble coming from a tree to my NNW about 150 yards away at this point I’m thinking great me and my buddy are going to have an equal shot at this guy. The honking and gobbling last for about 5 minutes until the geese just up and fly away.
5:30 I’m starting to se faint light and the forest is starting to wake up
5:45 I can barely make out my decoys ahead of me. An Owl starts hooting now Three birds gobble at it coming from the same area that I heard the first one. At this point I’m thinking oh it’s on now. But the owl keeps calling after the 3rd time I was thinking it was another hunter trying to locate birds but after the 8th time I thought If this guys is a hunter he’s not really good so I wont have to worry about him because he’s located every bird in the area and is still trying to call lol. That and the change in calling locations convince me it was a real owl.
5:55 I hear another gobble and figure I should hold off a bit to give a tree call (I can make out the white on my jake decoy now)
6:00 shooting time... I let out some soft tree clucks and yelps. not 30 seconds after I clam up a hen in a tree to my NNW about 60 yarsd from my position starts cutting hard from in the tree as if to say “there’s no way in hell your taking my man”. So i’m thinking perfect the wind is blowing straight out of the south she will fly down my way into the wind and call the toms in for.
6:15 not a bird has come down from their roost yet and I let out a yelp and some clucks to try and entice them. Nothing.
6:20 I hear two gobbles coming from the ground in the vicinity where my friend is I’m thinking damn there goes my bird.
6:25 The hen flies in right where I thought she would 40 yards to my north followed by 2 other hens and they start calling like three rookie hunters practicing with a mouth call the night before opening day. I mean they would not shut up. and I hear two gobbles the same to birds as earlier but they were a lot closer this time say 100 yards still out of sight.
6:27 The males gobble again only this time they must have been within 50 yards to my north west so I call with a couple clucks and I see 2 red white and blue heads poke up and look in my direction I freeze, then they look at my decoys and start coming in all the while the real hens were still within 40 yards to my north.
6:28 the toms are now about 5o yards away from me on their way towards my decoys when a big hen gives them a cluck or two and they turn east towards them and get behind a tree at 40 yards from my position. I draw up slowly to not spook the hens but at this point they have something else on their minds.
6:29 the hen rushes towards the birds still behind the tree my gun is getting heavy at this point and then goes back about 5 yards and presents herself to the tom. as the tom comes out from behind the tree and I #### block him in the worst way lol. Boom I see 5 birds scatter and I think to myself damnit I missed so I stand up and see my bird doing it’s last dance about 43 yards away.
Here he is 22 pounds 9 inch double beard (was real thin though) and 1 inch spurs
So I get to the bush around 5:00 (I slept in) and I meet my buddy to go out and set up. Was a dark overcast morning so the the 15 minutes of extra sleep did more good than harm. lol
5:10: I get to my spot in the South-East corner of the property I’m hunting and set up against a big oak tree facing the West giving me a nice swing area to my right (I’m a lefty). My decoys were set up to my West in-front of me about 15-20 yards away in a clearing where 3 cut paths meet in a T. The Forest is old growth hardwood with a very thick canopy so the ground vegetation is relatively low and clear offering good visibility to about 60 yards. Not that it matters now cuz it’s pitch dark. My buddy sets up in a meadow about 175 yards to my North-West looking North-West behind a giant oak.
5:15: the forest is really quiet the weird weather made it so the frogs that usually breed during turkey season here were already finished their business.
5:20 The forest is disturbed by two geese in a pond about 125 yards behind me in an adjacent property that go absolutely apes**t and a thunderous gobble coming from a tree to my NNW about 150 yards away at this point I’m thinking great me and my buddy are going to have an equal shot at this guy. The honking and gobbling last for about 5 minutes until the geese just up and fly away.
5:30 I’m starting to se faint light and the forest is starting to wake up
5:45 I can barely make out my decoys ahead of me. An Owl starts hooting now Three birds gobble at it coming from the same area that I heard the first one. At this point I’m thinking oh it’s on now. But the owl keeps calling after the 3rd time I was thinking it was another hunter trying to locate birds but after the 8th time I thought If this guys is a hunter he’s not really good so I wont have to worry about him because he’s located every bird in the area and is still trying to call lol. That and the change in calling locations convince me it was a real owl.
5:55 I hear another gobble and figure I should hold off a bit to give a tree call (I can make out the white on my jake decoy now)
6:00 shooting time... I let out some soft tree clucks and yelps. not 30 seconds after I clam up a hen in a tree to my NNW about 60 yarsd from my position starts cutting hard from in the tree as if to say “there’s no way in hell your taking my man”. So i’m thinking perfect the wind is blowing straight out of the south she will fly down my way into the wind and call the toms in for.
6:15 not a bird has come down from their roost yet and I let out a yelp and some clucks to try and entice them. Nothing.
6:20 I hear two gobbles coming from the ground in the vicinity where my friend is I’m thinking damn there goes my bird.
6:25 The hen flies in right where I thought she would 40 yards to my north followed by 2 other hens and they start calling like three rookie hunters practicing with a mouth call the night before opening day. I mean they would not shut up. and I hear two gobbles the same to birds as earlier but they were a lot closer this time say 100 yards still out of sight.
6:27 The males gobble again only this time they must have been within 50 yards to my north west so I call with a couple clucks and I see 2 red white and blue heads poke up and look in my direction I freeze, then they look at my decoys and start coming in all the while the real hens were still within 40 yards to my north.
6:28 the toms are now about 5o yards away from me on their way towards my decoys when a big hen gives them a cluck or two and they turn east towards them and get behind a tree at 40 yards from my position. I draw up slowly to not spook the hens but at this point they have something else on their minds.
6:29 the hen rushes towards the birds still behind the tree my gun is getting heavy at this point and then goes back about 5 yards and presents herself to the tom. as the tom comes out from behind the tree and I #### block him in the worst way lol. Boom I see 5 birds scatter and I think to myself damnit I missed so I stand up and see my bird doing it’s last dance about 43 yards away.
Here he is 22 pounds 9 inch double beard (was real thin though) and 1 inch spurs
Shot my first bird ever on the second day 14 pound jake 4 inch beard and 1/4 inch nubblets
sorry about the bad picture
Shot at a Big Ton on saturday and somehow missed him, i guess i shot over pretty freaking embarrasing missing a turkey with a shotgun but it happens i guess. I was mad at my self for the whole weekend. Still out to find another bird
sorry about the bad picture
Shot at a Big Ton on saturday and somehow missed him, i guess i shot over pretty freaking embarrasing missing a turkey with a shotgun but it happens i guess. I was mad at my self for the whole weekend. Still out to find another bird
I was out this morning before work. Setup before daylight in a small scrub field next to where the turkeys roost in a thick treed area.
First gobble comes at 05:05 and its within a couple hundred yards. Right On. He gobbles on a regular basis for the next 30 minutes and I hear a second tom coming from the same spot. Then I hear a hen clucking from the roost - not good. I heard the birds fly down at 05:58. I waited 20 minutes and they didn't show so I decided I'd circle around and cut them off at the other field. I get around close to the far field and let out some calls. No gobbles so I peak into the field and BUSTED - 10 turkeys look over and run for the trees.
Seems the turkeys in my area are still henned up and simply refuse to cooperate. Oh well, still lots of time left.
First gobble comes at 05:05 and its within a couple hundred yards. Right On. He gobbles on a regular basis for the next 30 minutes and I hear a second tom coming from the same spot. Then I hear a hen clucking from the roost - not good. I heard the birds fly down at 05:58. I waited 20 minutes and they didn't show so I decided I'd circle around and cut them off at the other field. I get around close to the far field and let out some calls. No gobbles so I peak into the field and BUSTED - 10 turkeys look over and run for the trees.
Seems the turkeys in my area are still henned up and simply refuse to cooperate. Oh well, still lots of time left.
Never posted video before so hopefully it works....
Killed a good tom on the weekend and called in another beauty tom for my 16 year old nephew. It is his 3rd bird and all 3 have been beasts.
This jake came in and I had no intentions of shooting him originally. Lots of time to hunt yet so I was looking for another big boy.
I cannot believe how well the Dave Smith Decoys work. I had a hen attacking it at the time I killed my tom.
After watching this jake for a bit I decided I would see if I could take him and video it with my iphone. Worked out not bad for only having 2 hands.
Killed a good tom on the weekend and called in another beauty tom for my 16 year old nephew. It is his 3rd bird and all 3 have been beasts.
This jake came in and I had no intentions of shooting him originally. Lots of time to hunt yet so I was looking for another big boy.
I cannot believe how well the Dave Smith Decoys work. I had a hen attacking it at the time I killed my tom.
After watching this jake for a bit I decided I would see if I could take him and video it with my iphone. Worked out not bad for only having 2 hands.
Hey Brad, though I'm sure that works it's not my style in the spring (fall maybe) That bird was called up from a river bottom with six hens into a pasture field in the afternoon. The picture you see is taken at my house (as is the first picture) just before dark when I got home with the bird after bragging him around to my buddies
jf
Hey Brad, though I'm sure that works it's not my style in the spring (fall maybe) That bird was called up from a river bottom with six hens into a pasture field in the afternoon. The picture you see is taken at my house (as is the first picture) just before dark when I got home with the bird after bragging him around to my buddies
jf
LOL... nice... I love calling the ridges too... I am not a field hunter, I hunt the swamp and the hardwoods so I work the ridges and funnels and patterns....
Great work... I would have bragged that biggun' around too!
