Congrats to all involved in the youth hunt. Let's start with Period A and follow the season with Hunting reports, conditions, pics of birds killed. Good luck to everyone!
Turkey Hunting
2017 Bird Reports
4/18/17 @ 4:23 PM
Displaying 1 to 15 of 74 posts
My son took his last chance this weekend, at the fall Turkey season. I told him, this is it. All waterfowl (and a little deer hunting) after this weekend. Saturday morning took his first tom. 8.5" beard and 1" spurs. He is pretty pumped. Never seen old twin beard. Maybe next year?..
A proud dad story.
Last deer hunting season, my son and I seen some nice Toms running around. My son tells me he seen a "monster tom with twin beards." He asked, why don't we turkey hunt? I haven't turkey hunted in 20 years. Priorities, I say. Like waterfowl, deer, fish, trap shooting, your sisters hobbies, work, dog training, yard work, etc. We don't have the time, and we can't do it all. And just after you were born I gave my dec's and calls away. Gave him pretty much every excuse I had. Short of telling him, I find it about as exciting as deer hunting. His reply "you can't do it all, but can i ?". Sure, Yeah, I guess so? I forget he is old enough to learn and hunt without me. Not just my little boy I take with me anymore. It was kind of a moment? Tugged on the heart strings a bit. Damn time is going fast.
So I told him figure it out. We'll be up a few times during the season. I'll work on the deck you can hunt. Threw the winter he turned into a turkey hunter. This call, that call, I read this and that, decoys for Christmas, strut zone, shock calls, saving money for a owl and crow call. Asking me all kinds of in-depth questions about our land. First weekend we got up there, he tells me, "dad, I'll be up and out early". OK. Where and Just be careful. 1:30pm comes around and he's not back? The fellas that know my boy, knows he doesn't like to be hungry. So I went out to check on him. He was hunkered down in a brush pile waiting. A quick "all good" and a thumbs up. From morning to night every day. He passed on Jakes and a tom. Waiting for old twin beard. It was unbelievable, two weekends of this? The boy is a turkey huntin fool. The last weekend, he says, really want to fill my tag. If i shoot a Jake would you be proud of me. I was speechless. I told him, the first day you asked me to hunt turkeys, I was proud. It showed me you're interested in hunting. Not just doing it because I do. You could of hung at the camp, rode the atvs around, etc. Instead you wanted to hunt more. I'm very proud, that means I did something right. Shoot, wait, tom, jake? You do what you want. He tells me some turkey hunting jargon, knows where they Roost, first beard I see I'm taking it. The last morning, BOOM! I threw the drill down, jumped off the deck, on to the Utv and rollin. Think I was more excited than he was. He shot his first turkey, on his own first hunting adventure. Nice first jake. My apologies for the long story, just a proud dad.
My birds for the last 2 years. All but 1 were shot during last season on leftover tags.
Took two friends out for their first turkey hunts and they tagged out Saturday morning. I had to hunt hard for my bird but was getting only Jakes and hens to come in. On the way home yesterday I drove around and found 3 toms in a field. Got permission and put the stalk on them. There was a double beard in the field but it wouldn't give me a shot and the bird I shot busted me so I couldn't wait any longer. 20 yds.
Well I was fortunate enough to punch all three of my tags this year for Zone 2.
Period A: After a frustrating beginning to the season due to a number of run-ins with other hunters on private property I settled for taking an 18.5 lb Jake with a 3 3/4" beard on the last day of the season that I was going to be able to hunt. Most frustrating part was on opening morning I passed on three Jakes in the decoys at 14 yards with my bow and a buddy there to video it.
Period E: Had a great first morning out with another buddy and was able to take a 20 lb Tom with a 9 1/4" beard and 7/8" spurs. Killed the bird at 5:26 AM and got great footage of it all. Here's the link (CLICK HERE) if you care to watch the YouTube video.
Period F: Went out again with same buddy as Period E and took another Tom this one weight 21.5 lbs with a 9" beard and 1/2" spurs. Killed the bird at 5:20 AM but do to the bird not following our script weren't able to get very good footage.
It's always fun being out in the turkey woods and just a bit sweeter when no tag goes unfilled. I finally have enough turkey meat to bring it all in to Maplewoods to get some turkey sticks made!
Displaying 1 to 15 of 74 posts
