Your Turkey Hunting Tales

[RDS]

I guess this is only for those of us in Canada that have the privilege of hunting wild turkeys, but, I was interested in hearing from those of you that have had the opportunity to hunt them and some of your tales of conquer, or woe.

Lord knows through my first few years of hunting turkeys...there were a number of instances of woe.

My most memorable one was five years ago. I entered the woods well before sun-up with one of those locator calls (Owl sound) from Quaker Boy, which I was told would locate a gobbler for you no problem. Personally, I think that it sounded like blowing over the top of an open beer bottle...but somehow, just before the sun came up, I blew on it and got a gobble about 100 yards away or so. I think it was just coincidence...but, it told me where a turkey was anyway.

I figured that I'd best hunker down against the nearest large tree. The sun came up and all I could hear were bugs buzzing...birds chirping, etc., so I started on a few yelps on a box call.

Nothing.

I kept up a pretty loose calling pattern...a few yelps here and there about every 6-10 minutes or so...and heard nothing for about an hour. I didn't see anything either...

So, impatience got the best of me and I figured that the turkey was either still in the roost or flew down and went in the other direction. I stood up...and when I did and looked to my right I had a perfect view of a Jake who had come in from the right, behind a bunch of bushes and trees, high tailing it in the other direction...away from me after he saw me move.

I was too busy looking in the direction I thought the turkey would be coming from to check all directions...dumb dumb dumb.

I've since learned my lesson...I think.

 

[fogducker]

i survived the course...im hoping a story will be posted in a few weeks

 

[tac-driver]

Went to a friends farm at 6am. walked about 1000 yards to the bush and went in. At about 150 yards into the bush I scared 6-8 hens out of the trees and they flew away. I assumed I screwed my hunt up for the day, sat down and had a drink. All those hens flying away sounded like hens flying down to the ground to a gobbler roosted 200 yds away. He walked right to me and by 7am I was in my truck driving home for a beer with my 22 lb, 11 inch beard, 1 inch spur tom!

 

[Minshall]

This will be my 4th year in the spring woods in a few weeks.
During my first year I seen a few birds but never got a shot. The next year I did my homework scouted my one property, finding dusting sites, strut marks and droppings. Located a few birds a few weeks before season and continued scouting 1 week before opener. Returned on opening day with my stepdad and bagged my first tom at 630am

22lbs 10 3/4" bd 3/4" and 1/2" spurs
Last year I returned to the same bush the night before opener to find 3 tom tracks leaving the bush. I returned the next morning to see the 3 birds have returned before nightfall. Set up in same location as last year to hear shooting at 7. My uncle and stepdad missed a tom and a jake. Discouraged they left for home leaving me to call when I wanted to come back. I was waiting patiently but nothing was happening. I checked every field and fence line for birds but to no avil. Sat back down realizing that the 10am magic hour is about to happen. Well not 5 mins later a gobbler lets loose when a crow disturbed him. I called softly every few mins to be answered back by a gobble. Then it grew silent..too silent. Being hidden by cut limbs I could not see if the bird was coming. I let out a purr and he was not more than 20 yards away! I caught him running through the gaps in the limbs, raised my gun and when he came face to face with my jack decoy he went down at 10 yards. And at 10am.

21lbs 15 oz 10 1/4"bd 3/4" and 7/8" spurs

Cant wait to field test my Hevi-13

 

[Fox]

Minshall, where do you hunt, those look like very nice birds and a very nice story.

I got my first, a jake last year on the day before my 21st birthday with my dad, it was 21 yards away and should have been my dads but he was anxious to go have a pee when it came out with him looking the wrong way from out tent. Weighed 16lbs 8oz. We jsut got some new property so I will have to try there, near Stratford, I am still in Ottawa but my Dad is listening in the mornings to get a bearing on them.

 

[Minshall]

Hello Fox, I live near Chatham, but for opening week I'll be in the Lindsay area since the strike put me back an extra week. We have a few new areas hooked up around here with plenty of birds look forward to the 25th!

 

[blargon]

My best turkey hunting story doesn't involve a turkey at all. I was setup on the edge of a bush with decoys out, when 2 deer came out across the field. They walked to my decoys and sniffed them, then the buck walked right to me and stood about five feet from my boots and stared me down for 3-4 minutes, while I sat motionless, waiting for him to pounce on me! The gun was ready (for scaring only), but he turned and walked into the bush with the doe following. He had 4 inch stumps on his head. I wish I had that on video.