Turkey Opener
- Thread starter 7.62mm
- Start date
Now I have to wait until next year! AARRGGGGHHHH!
I'll be taking my first stab at it tonite or tomorrow morning depending on how quickly I can buy a tag and get home from school. Likley tomorrow morning I guess.
Wish a newbie some luck, and don't worry, my family owns land so you wont find me in your spot come dawn tomorrow
Wish a newbie some luck, and don't worry, my family owns land so you wont find me in your spot come dawn tomorrow
FishDoc
CGN frequent flyer
Nada today...
Got to a couple of spots - heard lots of other gals around, but narry a gobble. Closest I got was seeing a couple of turkey vultures on a fence post. Trout tomorrow - then some more Turkeys on Monday - then trout - then more turkey.... AAAH Love spring!
Dr.O
P.S Hope no one is sick and needs to see me in the office (LOL!)
Got to a couple of spots - heard lots of other gals around, but narry a gobble. Closest I got was seeing a couple of turkey vultures on a fence post. Trout tomorrow - then some more Turkeys on Monday - then trout - then more turkey.... AAAH Love spring!
Dr.O
P.S Hope no one is sick and needs to see me in the office (LOL!)
Up early to see if I can use a tag this morning. Anyone else?
Yup. used up mine and it only took 10 mins.
20 lbs, 9 inch beard, and 7/8 spurs.. nice bird...
Was out this morning for my first ever turkey hunt. We saw several large flocks on the way to the hunt (WMU65 in Ontario) . Just as we got out of the truck at the farm where we hunted we heard/saw a LARGE flock one farm over. We setup and had one or 2 gobblers respond to our calls..but did not see any. By about 10am all was quiet (nap time for turkeys?) We switched to another spot with nothing heard. We know there are Gobblers there so we will try again soon. I think next time we should be in getting setup well before sunrise. I think I am addicted! What a beautiful day it was to get out into the bush! +20C and sunny!
Funny.. Last weekend I was out scouting, and I didn't heard a damn thing.. one possible hen, very far away, but that was it.. it's been quiet this year.. I guess they weather still needs to warm up a up..
Well I went out to the spot on the farm where saw an exceptional Tom last Saturday at sunup. Sunup came , Thomas didn't. Very little gobbling to be heard except down low along the river bottom. Lots of coyote howling across the Otter on the way in earlier. Waited till sun was up high and snuck out for the Jeep and another spot on the far side of the farm which is about a half mile away. On the way out I spoted a lone hen walking the edge of the alfalfa field and made a setup to see if she had a gobbler dragging by the snood. Nope she was a spinster.
The other west side of the farm edges up to a feeder creek that flows down to the Otter with a very deep ravine. One side of that ravine I can hunt the other side belongs to a school teacher. Loaded up and moving to the top of a knoll where I can see the better part of a 300 acre cornfield I hear a pitiful snort and growl coming rom a pile of old concrete slabs. Investigation found a very sick and manged coon doing the weave and head wobble. I figgered the sound of the "sick coon medicine" would put alert on any birds along the edge of the field but I best be checking anyway. To the top of the knoll I go to see a tail fan way at the back corner. I made my way back little at a time to see he was headed my way too. I see he is following a lone hen and so I have to keep an eye on here not to see me as well. The ground is covered as far as I dare without being busted and I pulled up on my belly behind some downed branches. Tom is about 75 yrds away but he isn't coming any farther cuz the hen wants to stay in the corner of the field where she is and feeds on in little circles. It appeared as though if she decided to move on it would be my way so I stayed quiet. Sometimes in a predicament like this a call will make the hen lead Thomas in another direction away from you in jealousy. I wait watching through the brush between us as they are at about 70yrds or maybe just a little less for at least 20 mins and I'm thinking I better try something. A light soft purr followed by a short yelp on a glass/slate pot got things going! Thomas ups the speed of his strutt and starts hearding Jezabel my way closing the gap by a few yards only but at least things are lookin good for poor old grnhawg. Sudenley I see movement on a slope straight in front of me at about 150yrds. COYOTE! SOB sits down as soon as he or she as it appeared.I wonder by the look of her if she didn't have a belly full of pups. Coyote puts head down and starts slinking towards the birds at a trott. Thomas gobbled at the coyote once even and it actually stopped. Something has to happen so I sat up ready. Either the coyote will possibly push the birds in front of me or it may swing around to my side of them and pursue them. If the later is the case she woun't have to worry about birth'n no pups. Coyote makes another move closer to the birds with Thomas still at half strutt then throws on the brakes and looks right at me! F##ker smelled me and turned back the other way 50yrds ,stopped and looked back at my position again. To late my birds are heading into the tree line and the tree hugging side of the valley. Once on the other side the hen took off yelping likely to me. I yelped back the same call as she did and we spent the next half hr or so in conversation. No bird but a classic morning none the less. This gobbler was a very nice mature bird but I doubt he was in the class of the bird I wathched last weekend. Two cheese burgers and an hour's napp and it's back to the cornfeild to see if they have grazzed there way back
The other west side of the farm edges up to a feeder creek that flows down to the Otter with a very deep ravine. One side of that ravine I can hunt the other side belongs to a school teacher. Loaded up and moving to the top of a knoll where I can see the better part of a 300 acre cornfield I hear a pitiful snort and growl coming rom a pile of old concrete slabs. Investigation found a very sick and manged coon doing the weave and head wobble. I figgered the sound of the "sick coon medicine" would put alert on any birds along the edge of the field but I best be checking anyway. To the top of the knoll I go to see a tail fan way at the back corner. I made my way back little at a time to see he was headed my way too. I see he is following a lone hen and so I have to keep an eye on here not to see me as well. The ground is covered as far as I dare without being busted and I pulled up on my belly behind some downed branches. Tom is about 75 yrds away but he isn't coming any farther cuz the hen wants to stay in the corner of the field where she is and feeds on in little circles. It appeared as though if she decided to move on it would be my way so I stayed quiet. Sometimes in a predicament like this a call will make the hen lead Thomas in another direction away from you in jealousy
. I wait watching through the brush between us as they are at about 70yrds or maybe just a little less for at least 20 mins and I'm thinking I better try something. A light soft purr followed by a short yelp on a glass/slate pot got things going! Thomas ups the speed of his strutt and starts hearding Jezabel my way closing the gap by a few yards only but at least things are lookin good for poor old grnhawg. Sudenley I see movement on a slope straight in front of me at about 150yrds. COYOTE! SOB sits down as soon as he or she as it appeared.I wonder by the look of her if she didn't have a belly full of pups. Coyote puts head down and starts slinking towards the birds at a trott. Thomas gobbled at the coyote once even and it actually stopped. Something has to happen so I sat up ready. Either the coyote will possibly push the birds in front of me or it may swing around to my side of them and pursue them. If the later is the case she woun't have to worry about birth'n no pups. Coyote makes another move closer to the birds with Thomas still at half strutt then throws on the brakes and looks right at me! F##ker smelled me and turned back the other way 50yrds ,stopped and looked back at my position again. To late my birds are heading into the tree line and the tree hugging side of the valley. Once on the other side the hen took off yelping likely to me. I yelped back the same call as she did and we spent the next half hr or so in conversation. No bird but a classic morning none the less. This gobbler was a very nice mature bird but I doubt he was in the class of the bird I wathched last weekend. Two cheese burgers and an hour's napp and it's back to the cornfeild to see if they have grazzed there way back
Lanark Highlands success!
What a beautiful morning it was to be out turkey hunting. Got up at 4:00am, heavy frost on the roof of my car. Got to my favorite spot around 4:15. Set out a hen & jake decoy about 20 yrds in front of my position. Forest already starting to wake up. Heard one tom gobble far off in the distance at about 5:15. Knew there were birds in the area. Thought I heard a bird flydown at about 6:00. Gave 4 soft tree calls with my box call. Nothing happened for a while, then all of a sudden I hear drumming & a nice tom heads strait for my decoys in full strut! He never made a sound before coming in. He passes right by the hen & lays a beating on my jake decoy; knocked it right off the stake! Well I couldn't stand for that so I introduced him to my Mossberg 500 & a storm of #6 copperplated lead pellets. Turned out to be a nice 2 or 3 year old bird. Weighed 20lbs with 3/4" spurs & 8.5" beard. Unfortunately I don't think it's going to be big enough to win Grndhawg's pot call, but I will have another chance at it Best of luck to all the other turkey hunters out there.
George
What a beautiful morning it was to be out turkey hunting. Got up at 4:00am, heavy frost on the roof of my car. Got to my favorite spot around 4:15. Set out a hen & jake decoy about 20 yrds in front of my position. Forest already starting to wake up. Heard one tom gobble far off in the distance at about 5:15. Knew there were birds in the area. Thought I heard a bird flydown at about 6:00. Gave 4 soft tree calls with my box call. Nothing happened for a while, then all of a sudden I hear drumming & a nice tom heads strait for my decoys in full strut! He never made a sound before coming in. He passes right by the hen & lays a beating on my jake decoy; knocked it right off the stake! Well I couldn't stand for that so I introduced him to my Mossberg 500 & a storm of #6 copperplated lead pellets. Turned out to be a nice 2 or 3 year old bird. Weighed 20lbs with 3/4" spurs & 8.5" beard. Unfortunately I don't think it's going to be big enough to win Grndhawg's pot call, but I will have another chance at it
Best of luck to all the other turkey hunters out there.George
swailmeister
CGN Regular
- Location
- Southern, Ontario
Nice bird GLANG!!! Hopefully I have the same luck this year. Gotta work today and Saturday, but can't wait to get out on Sunday! They are calling for crappy weather out my way for the next few days, but perfect conditions for Sunday.
Sometimes the crappy weather makes it even easier to locate birds. Rain will drive them out of the woods & onto the field edges. Can be miserable to hunt in unless you are prepared. If I have planned to go out, the rain never stops me. It just give the hunt a different dimension. A lot less hunters out too when the weather gets bad. Good luck getting your bird.
George
George
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So ckc and glang have birds. Congrates guys. Glang you allready dun won a prize right there in that bird Your right he's likely a 2yrld and he'll still be edible
yeHawww!
http://media.putfile.com/dayone
Your right he's likely a 2yrld and he'll still be edibleyeHawww!
http://media.putfile.com/dayone
Well, I shot at one this morning, about 6:30 a.m.. 2 Jakes were pissing around with a hen, the hen busted me, at about 15 yards, she gave the Putt, putt, putt, and the Jakes started to bugger off. I got on the call and they came back. The hen started to come around my left side, one of the Jakes was I guessed 25 yards, turned out to be 30. I leveled the shotgun, got the Reddot on it's neck and squeezed the shot off. Watched the bird drop in the scope. Started putting the calls back in the vest, collected my decoy, got to where the bird should have been, dead, .......but no bird. Have a look around, no feathers, no blood........I watched the bird drop like a bag of hammers.......but still no bird. Looked around for 45 min to an hour, still did not find it. A good but crappy opening day.
I got myself a jake opening afternoon, and my brother in law got a nice TOM opening morning.
After pics at the hunt and then cleaning them and then more pics at home with the kids, (the bird got all dirty from the lawn at home What a royal pain in the #$%^, it took me several hours to pluck and clean the dirt off the damn bird.
The hunt was fun, and I enjoyed that - but if I never have to clean a turkey again, that's fine with me....lol Lesson learned - don't put turkey on the ground after you have begun the cleaning, or take all pictures then clean the bird. Plucking it was also quite tedious never did get all the little ends out of the skin, anyone have any expert tips on how to get these things ready for the freezer.
I was supposed to be out today for more turkey hunting but after that cleaning experience, I decided not to go at all.
lildave
After pics at the hunt and then cleaning them and then more pics at home with the kids, (the bird got all dirty from the lawn at home What a royal pain in the #$%^, it took me several hours to pluck and clean the dirt off the damn bird.
The hunt was fun, and I enjoyed that - but if I never have to clean a turkey again, that's fine with me....lol Lesson learned - don't put turkey on the ground after you have begun the cleaning, or
take all pictures then clean the bird. Plucking it was also quite tedious never did get all the little ends out of the skin, anyone have any expert tips on how to get these things ready for the freezer.I was supposed to be out today for more turkey hunting but after that cleaning experience, I decided not to go at all.
lildave
