zvholk
Active Member
tagged out on day 2 (Story and pics added)
This was my 4th year turkey hunting and I only remember one opening day that had good weather, and that was the first year.
On Monday I saw a few birds but nothing came into my setup.
I decided the next day I was hunting to the same two spots but going to try the strutter and Jake combo. So Tuesday I awoke with nice weather, it was a little cool but the wind was nothing like the day before. I got set up and sipping on my coffee by 5:50 and immediately heard the sounds of the 4 gobblers I had been putting to bed for weeks now. When they flew down I saw a tom coming my way and I thought to myself that this was going to happen fast, but when he got to the edge of the woods he stalled out. He did a few circles and headed back the way he came. All the turkeys stayed in the woods sounding off like crazy till about 7:20 when 3 more hens flew down then all was quiet. I sat till 9 then started thinking they went out the other way (the woods is just a thin strip of oaks) I jump out of the blind, grab the tail fan off my decoy and start walking slowly to the woods as I get closer I see birds walking my way. With the fan in my face a walk back to the blind to get situated again. It didn’t take long for the flock to make it to the field, the first tom skirted around me but the other 2 came walking side by side strutting the whole way right up to Bubba. I drew my bow and let the arrow fly; he did a back flip and then limped off only to make it 30 yards. The second bird started to wing slap Bubba as I nock another arrow settle the pin and let it fly. He took off running then stopped at 43 yards. I thought I had smoked him so was just waiting for him to drop; but he never did. I get out of the blind and run after him but he flew off into the CRP grass, I looked for him for some time with no luck. Went to find my arrow stuck in the ground with little blood.
bird one 22lbs, 9.5", 1", 7/8"
One bird down and one to go I packed my stuff; head for the truck so I could get to field number two. This spot was better than the first because there hasn’t been a day I haven’t seen the turkeys. I was set up by 10:30, it was going to be a long day but I knew that sooner or later they would show up. Throughout the day it was really quite with only hearing a couple gobbles off in the distance and a few hens came out for a quick bite. It wasn’t till 4:30 when all 13 hens came right into my setup for supper.
I didn’t realize they can get very angry at each other. They milled around for about an hour then started making their way to the other side of the field, that’s when I spotted a strutting tom just off the field edge. It didn’t take him long at all for him to make his way in, just like the two did this morning. As he came around the backside of Bubba I drew my bow and settled the pin, he didn’t take more the 3 steps and he was done for.
bird 2 21.5lbs, 9inch, 7/8", 6/8"
If you remember I also shot a double last year on the second day of the season. If you think its luck or whatever the biggest part of my success is the many hours I spent driving around looking for and watching the turkeys before the season even started, and I have the gas bill to prove it!
This was my 4th year turkey hunting and I only remember one opening day that had good weather, and that was the first year.
On Monday I saw a few birds but nothing came into my setup.
I decided the next day I was hunting to the same two spots but going to try the strutter and Jake combo. So Tuesday I awoke with nice weather, it was a little cool but the wind was nothing like the day before. I got set up and sipping on my coffee by 5:50 and immediately heard the sounds of the 4 gobblers I had been putting to bed for weeks now. When they flew down I saw a tom coming my way and I thought to myself that this was going to happen fast, but when he got to the edge of the woods he stalled out. He did a few circles and headed back the way he came. All the turkeys stayed in the woods sounding off like crazy till about 7:20 when 3 more hens flew down then all was quiet. I sat till 9 then started thinking they went out the other way (the woods is just a thin strip of oaks) I jump out of the blind, grab the tail fan off my decoy and start walking slowly to the woods as I get closer I see birds walking my way. With the fan in my face a walk back to the blind to get situated again. It didn’t take long for the flock to make it to the field, the first tom skirted around me but the other 2 came walking side by side strutting the whole way right up to Bubba. I drew my bow and let the arrow fly; he did a back flip and then limped off only to make it 30 yards. The second bird started to wing slap Bubba as I nock another arrow settle the pin and let it fly. He took off running then stopped at 43 yards. I thought I had smoked him so was just waiting for him to drop; but he never did. I get out of the blind and run after him but he flew off into the CRP grass, I looked for him for some time with no luck. Went to find my arrow stuck in the ground with little blood.
bird one 22lbs, 9.5", 1", 7/8"
One bird down and one to go I packed my stuff; head for the truck so I could get to field number two. This spot was better than the first because there hasn’t been a day I haven’t seen the turkeys. I was set up by 10:30, it was going to be a long day but I knew that sooner or later they would show up. Throughout the day it was really quite with only hearing a couple gobbles off in the distance and a few hens came out for a quick bite. It wasn’t till 4:30 when all 13 hens came right into my setup for supper.
I didn’t realize they can get very angry at each other. They milled around for about an hour then started making their way to the other side of the field, that’s when I spotted a strutting tom just off the field edge. It didn’t take him long at all for him to make his way in, just like the two did this morning. As he came around the backside of Bubba I drew my bow and settled the pin, he didn’t take more the 3 steps and he was done for.
bird 2 21.5lbs, 9inch, 7/8", 6/8"
If you remember I also shot a double last year on the second day of the season. If you think its luck or whatever the biggest part of my success is the many hours I spent driving around looking for and watching the turkeys before the season even started, and I have the gas bill to prove it!
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