bushman
New Member
Well, this story is a little late as you can probably tell from the pictures. Got to go turkey hunting for the first time last weekend (April 26th). It was a blast but the weather did not cooperate and left us skunked. Ohh well, I'm OK with not getting a bird. It was a great hunt to share with my Father.
For all of you down in Iowa that can buy tags over the counter you don't know how lucky you are. Here in MN turkey tags are dispersed by lottery drawing. Well it took us 4 years to build up enough points for the area we hunt. We were drawn successfully last year but unable to hunt due to the birth of my daughter. We retained our points and were successful in the lottery again this year. April 26th - 30th, prime time. Well, I was only able to hunt the weekend so it was going to be do or die.
Friday afternoon found us driving to West Central MN in increasingly worse conditions. By the time we reached our spot (my grandpas) it was a full on snowstorm. We woke up at 4:30 on Saturday morning to 8 inches of snow, still coming down, and the wind howling up to 30mph. This was the most blizzard like conditions of the winter. Anyway, had to get out and hunt. Got the new Dark Horse set up and were ready to go by 5:30. All morning the woods were dead silent besides the whipping wind. We brought my fathers God Son, who has recently lost his father, with for the hunt. He was getting cold so we figured we'd head to the truck and go in for some breakfast. Dumb rookie move. Jumped 3 toms off roost at 10am. They were gone and not coming back. Went in, had some breakfast. Came back out. Sat down in a spot I thought looked, did a little calling. Instantly heard one sound off. Responded back to him, another gobble but closer. He was coming. I saw him as he crested a ridge. Nice tom, not in strut just coming on a string. I was ready, just waiting for him to come out of the brush. At 40 yards he just turned off. I don't think he busted me but I don't know. There were 3 of us sitting up against different trees so we could have got busted. Didn't see another bird the rest of the night.
Sunday we woke up to a 30 degree morning. Seemed more like November than April but at least the snow had stopped. We had to leave by noon to get my fathers godson back so it was go time in the morning. Got all set up on a known travel route for the morning. Birds sounding off all over in the morning then not a sound after fly down. Spotted movement to the left of the darkhorse. Hens were coming. I counted 8 total. The were nervous. A few soft "puts" and they were coming. Bringing up the rear was a big ole tom in full strut. One of the coolest things I’ve seen while hunting. I don't know why hey let those hens go. They hens came right through our decoys but that big boy just hung up at 80 yards and wouldn't come for nothing. Didn't see anything else all morning.
Like I said, the weather did not cooperate and I think it screwed with the birds a little. Although nothing took a dirt nap this will be one of my most memorable hunts. Sorry for the long post. Here are some pictures of the Darkhorse in a blizzard. I'm buying a white slipcover for it for next turkey season!!!!
Darkhorse in the snow
My dad and his godson
The woods after the snow
For all of you down in Iowa that can buy tags over the counter you don't know how lucky you are. Here in MN turkey tags are dispersed by lottery drawing. Well it took us 4 years to build up enough points for the area we hunt. We were drawn successfully last year but unable to hunt due to the birth of my daughter. We retained our points and were successful in the lottery again this year. April 26th - 30th, prime time. Well, I was only able to hunt the weekend so it was going to be do or die.
Friday afternoon found us driving to West Central MN in increasingly worse conditions. By the time we reached our spot (my grandpas) it was a full on snowstorm. We woke up at 4:30 on Saturday morning to 8 inches of snow, still coming down, and the wind howling up to 30mph. This was the most blizzard like conditions of the winter. Anyway, had to get out and hunt. Got the new Dark Horse set up and were ready to go by 5:30. All morning the woods were dead silent besides the whipping wind. We brought my fathers God Son, who has recently lost his father, with for the hunt. He was getting cold so we figured we'd head to the truck and go in for some breakfast. Dumb rookie move. Jumped 3 toms off roost at 10am. They were gone and not coming back. Went in, had some breakfast. Came back out. Sat down in a spot I thought looked, did a little calling. Instantly heard one sound off. Responded back to him, another gobble but closer. He was coming. I saw him as he crested a ridge. Nice tom, not in strut just coming on a string. I was ready, just waiting for him to come out of the brush. At 40 yards he just turned off. I don't think he busted me but I don't know. There were 3 of us sitting up against different trees so we could have got busted. Didn't see another bird the rest of the night.
Sunday we woke up to a 30 degree morning. Seemed more like November than April but at least the snow had stopped. We had to leave by noon to get my fathers godson back so it was go time in the morning. Got all set up on a known travel route for the morning. Birds sounding off all over in the morning then not a sound after fly down. Spotted movement to the left of the darkhorse. Hens were coming. I counted 8 total. The were nervous. A few soft "puts" and they were coming. Bringing up the rear was a big ole tom in full strut. One of the coolest things I’ve seen while hunting. I don't know why hey let those hens go. They hens came right through our decoys but that big boy just hung up at 80 yards and wouldn't come for nothing. Didn't see anything else all morning.
Like I said, the weather did not cooperate and I think it screwed with the birds a little. Although nothing took a dirt nap this will be one of my most memorable hunts. Sorry for the long post. Here are some pictures of the Darkhorse in a blizzard. I'm buying a white slipcover for it for next turkey season!!!!
Darkhorse in the snow
My dad and his godson
The woods after the snow
