Turkey Tour 2020

[basschump]

Interesting

All it takes is a few BB’s in the head/neck to put em down.

How tight a pattern you shootin and how far a shot??

Any chance you accidentally body shot him?

My son killed several toms with hi brass 4’s in a youth model 20 with a modified choke. I never even thought we were gun/shell limited when shooting them in the decoys. As you say Clay, they aren’t hard to kill if you hit them in the noggin.

This bird was was at 20 yards, maybe a tad less. I was using 3’’ 5’s in a beretta 12 gage, Mod choke. I’ve patterned the gun. Hell, my son shoots competitive clays, I’m on a sporting clays, trap or skeet field twice a week- which adds insult to injury.

I’m certain (now) I rushed the shot, lost focus and hit him lower in the body. Totally inexcusable on my part and nearly inconceivable.

Aside from flubbing the shot, everting else was executed really well. It’s been a challenging season, and made the best of the opportunity.

A coupe of random details- I’ve been using a HS Jake decoy for several years. My son makes fun of it by calling it a balloon. It’s led to lots of success, but today was the second time I’ve had long beards come all the way to the Jake and check-up and put. That added to me rushing the shot, I think. I’m usually the one calling- today it was solo and I’m obviously rusty.

The turkeys want silent for a bit after fly down. A cow started bellowing after daylight and really got them talking. They continued to gobble on their own afterwards.


Congrats to all the recent Eastern birds killed. Solid effort gents.







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ClayW]

My son killed several toms with hi brass 4’s in a youth model 20 with a modified choke. I never even thought we were gun/shell limited when shooting them in the decoys. As you say Clay, they aren’t hard to kill if you hit them in the noggin.

This bird was was at 20 yards, maybe a tad less. I was using 3’’ 5’s in a beretta 12 gage, Mod choke. I’ve patterned the gun. Hell, my son shoots competitive clays, I’m on a sporting clays, trap or skeet field twice a week- which adds insult to injury.

I’m certain (now) I rushed the shot, lost focus and hit him lower in the body. Totally inexcusable on my part and nearly inconceivable.

Aside from flubbing the shot, everting else was executed really well. It’s been a challenging season, and made the best of the opportunity.

A coupe of random details- I’ve been using a HS Jake decoy for several years. My son makes fun of it by calling it a balloon. It’s led to lots of success, but today was the second time I’ve had long beards come all the way to the Jake and check-up and put. That added to me rushing the shot, I think. I’m usually the one calling- today it was solo and I’m obviously rusty.

The turkeys want silent for a bit after fly down. A cow started bellowing after daylight and really got them talking. They continued to gobble on their own afterwards.


Congrats to all the recent Eastern birds killed. Solid effort gents.







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

At that distance, that’s the only thing I could think of

It happens! Get back out there

[Etxbuckman]

My buddy killed a tom this morning with an 11” beard and 1”+ spurs. Really happy for him.

[TwoHighways]

SE Oklahoma has been tough. WMA traffic has gone down considerably with most people leaving Sunday evening. Didn’t hear squat this morning and it’s windy and cloudy with a slight chance for rain. Probably a good day to travel elsewhere and put some boots on the ground in new country. Part of me wants to stay on SE Oklahoma and a part of me wants to head north to put me that much closer to Missouri.

[ClayW]

SE Oklahoma has been tough. WMA traffic has gone down considerably with most people leaving Sunday evening. Didn’t hear squat this morning and it’s windy and cloudy with a slight chance for rain. Probably a good day to travel elsewhere and put some boots on the ground in new country. Part of me wants to stay on SE Oklahoma and a part of me wants to head north to put me that much closer to Missouri.

Once you find those Easterns, send me your pins!!!

Good luck!

[MooseontheLoose]

Congrats on all of the recent success!

Brady area report for the weekend....

Tried to stick a bird with a bow so Saturday AM I went and set up in an area that had good activity a couple weeks ago. Daylight came and I called in a hen. Lots of gobbles in the distance but none close. Guess they moved on from that area.

Got busy with ranch chores that day and didn't get out as early as I wanted to that evening. Headed out and birds were gobbling before I even got out of the truck. From 6 PM until after dark, I bet I didn't go a 3 minute stretch without hearing a gobble. They were going bananas all up and down the creek. Been watching too much Heartland Bowhunter and I tried the no blind, bow, on the ground thing. Eventually called in 2 longbeards to 15 yards but they knew something wasn't right and eased off before I could draw for a shot. I think they're the remaining two from the trio I shot into a couple weeks ago.

After they worked off I called in another bird behind me a little later. I could feel him drumming behind me but never saw him. He didn't make his way in front of me. Not sure what he was. Right before dark from the other direction I called in 3 jakes a few different times. Snapped the pic the second or third time they came back.

Sunday went to a different area. Same thing with the bonkers gobbling. Had a few birds get within 150 or so but none would commit. Ditched the bow, grabbed the shotgun, and went down into the creek chasing gobbles. Right before noon I called in another bird but he stayed out about 38 yards. I couldn't tell if he was a jake or tom in the tall grass so I passed.

Best gobbling weekend I've had all season, maybe ever. I heard a couple hundred gobbles easy. Birds were fired up big time and gobbling on their own almost all day. Ended up calling in 7 toms with no shots on a mature bird. Not sure I have the patience to keep trying this no blind, bow, on the ground thing, especially when the birds are acting like that. Still have a few weeks up there so we'll see.

[ClayW]

Congrats on all of the recent success!

Brady area report for the weekend....

Tried to stick a bird with a bow so Saturday AM I went and set up in an area that had good activity a couple weeks ago. Daylight came and I called in a hen. Lots of gobbles in the distance but none close. Guess they moved on from that area.

Got busy with ranch chores that day and didn't get out as early as I wanted to that evening. Headed out and birds were gobbling before I even got out of the truck. From 6 PM until after dark, I bet I didn't go a 3 minute stretch without hearing a gobble. They were going bananas all up and down the creek. Been watching too much Heartland Bowhunter and I tried the no blind, bow, on the ground thing. Eventually called in 2 longbeards to 15 yards but they knew something wasn't right and eased off before I could draw for a shot. I think they're the remaining two from the trio I shot into a couple weeks ago.

After they worked off I called in another bird behind me a little later. I could feel him drumming behind me but never saw him. He didn't make his way in front of me. Not sure what he was. Right before dark from the other direction I called in 3 jakes a few different times. Snapped the pic the second or third time they came back.

Sunday went to a different area. Same thing with the bonkers gobbling. Had a few birds get within 150 or so but none would commit. Ditched the bow, grabbed the shotgun, and went down into the creek chasing gobbles. Right before noon I called in another bird but he stayed out about 38 yards. I couldn't tell if he was a jake or tom in the tall grass so I passed.

Best gobbling weekend I've had all season, maybe ever. I heard a couple hundred gobbles easy. Birds were fired up big time and gobbling on their own almost all day. Ended up calling in 7 toms with no shots on a mature bird. Not sure I have the patience to keep trying this no blind, bow, on the ground thing, especially when the birds are acting like that. Still have a few weeks up there so we'll see.

One of the few reports I’ve heard this year of birds being on fire.

Glad to hear you timed it right!

You goin without a blind just because or you trying something new? I’ve been doing it more and more but my success rate isn’t very high.

Good luck the rest of the season!

[MooseontheLoose]

One of the few reports I’ve heard this year of birds being on fire.

Glad to hear you timed it right!

You goin without a blind just because or you trying something new? I’ve been doing it more and more but my success rate isn’t very high.

Good luck the rest of the season!

Pretty much. I actually got tired of hiking in with a blind, cameras, and all my other junk every time I hunted so I wanted to try something a little different. My pack for a 4 hour turkey hunt weighed more than a 7 day hunt in Colorado . There are cows at some of the places I hunt and they destroy everything so I can't leave my stuff set up. I enjoyed being on the ground with the bow, I just wish those birds had been a little more aggressive with the decoys. I was surprised how timid they acted with how fired up they were.

[ClayW]

Pretty much. I actually got tired of hiking in with a blind, cameras, and all my other junk every time I hunted so I wanted to try something a little different. My pack for a 4 hour turkey hunt weighed more than a 7 day hunt in Colorado . There are cows at some of the places I hunt and they destroy everything so I can't leave my stuff set up. I enjoyed being on the ground with the bow, I just wish those birds had been a little more aggressive with the decoys. I was surprised how timid they acted with how fired up they were.

I know exactly what you mean. I take the golf cart and it still becomes a lot....main reason most of my sits have been without the blind this year.

[MASTERS]

I know exactly what you mean. I take the golf cart and it still becomes a lot....main reason most of my sits have been without the blind this year.

Going to have to start leaving the makeup crew and film crew at the house!

[Smart]

Going to have to start leaving the makeup crew and film crew at the house!

[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[ClayW]

Going to have to start leaving the makeup crew and film crew at the house!

Then how am I supposed to get the High Quality hero pics?

Good pictures is the 2nd most important thing

[ClayW]

PoPo got to the place a little too late this evening and the birds were already out in the field.

instead of going back to the house, he stayed up at the camp house and watch em. He ended up seeing 4 different longboards...we haven't seen that many since late march.

I assume our target bird was in there somewhere but he definitely wasn't a loner today

[slayr]

Just got in this afternoon from Val Verde County. The turkeys won this go round. Hunted a place Saturday morning where there quite a few birds two weeks ago. Showed up about 30 minutes before light and nada...not a single gobble within earshot and I stuck around there until about 9:45. The last morning I hunted there a couple of weeks there were a half dozen gobblers roosting within about 150yds of each other and were gobbling like crazy in the roost. That afternoon saw a lone gobbler about 1/2 mile from where I set up that morning, but couldn’t quite close the distance on him.

The next morning I was about to leave camp (~5:45) and started hearing gobbling from the neighbors property. I’m not as seasoned as the vast majority of y’all, but I’d bet a paycheck there were 25+ gobblers roosted within 6-700 yds. They gobbled basically non stop from the first time I heard them until they flew down. After that I heard less than a dozen gobbles the rest of the morning and they all worked their way away from our property...**** the luck. About 8:45 I decided to try a spot about 3/4 mile away where I called up a nice tom last trip, as I approached the spot there was a tom making his way away from there and there wasn’t a possible way I could cut him off. I saw a few more hens throughout the day and three toms that afternoon that evidently just wanted to do turkey things with their friends and not with me, *******s!
This morning was pretty much the same, tons of turkeys gobbling in the roost, but worked their way further into the neighbors property. As I was leaving I saw 2 toms in one of our pastures and one waking down the road, didn’t have time to mess with them as I needed to get back home.

May try my luck at an Eastern this weekend.

[ChickenWilly]

Well after 3 trips to the lease and one 13 hour sit in a pop up blind because she didnt want to give up. My 6yr old was able to put some #5s upside this Tom's noggin! This bird was tough to hunt because I'm 99% sure he was deaf. We saw him multiple times at a distance and he wouldnt even look up when I called. He wouldn't react when a real hen would yelp, crow would call, train horn, or even when 2 coyotes started yipping and howling about 100 yards from him. Now when it would thunder and the ground would shake he would hammer off everytime! But after seeing him not even lift his head when the coyotes went crazy that close to him I realized he had to be deaf. We had to pattern him and then get his attention by sight and it finally paid off last friday morning. My little girl did awesome and kept her cool even after he hung up strutting behind the only cedar bush around less than 20 yards from us for about 10 mins. Super proud of her! Sorry for the long read

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk