Turkey Hunting
2021 turkey reports
Well the 2021 season is in the books for me. I might go out this weekend and try to call some in for some pictures. I took my brother in law out week first morning we hunted we got it done. For I got my butt kicked week 4 taking tel Sunday to full my tag. Hunted today after work. Got to the spot at 2:15 killed my first double beard at 2:40 he was gobbling his head off. I love them mid day gobbles. I was surprised he had 3 hen with him. Such a great way to end my season.
While picking asparagus today I flushed a hen turkey off her nest. She had a dozen eggs in it. Would assume that she was sitting full time. Might bode well for the last week. Odd that she was right off the road yet I never hear gobbling in the morning.
There is a lane around the outside of the field I hunt. have a blind set up there as a lot of times the Toms cruise it looking for hens. Was set up there yesterday and looked down the lane and a Tom was coming. As he came there was 2 Redwing blackbirds dive bombing him. Never saw that before. They were really harassing him. Was funny, used it to swing around and get ready. Every time they dove on him I would move to get ready. Shot him at 17 yds.
It was a tough week 4 for on birds all week and each day they acted different. The first 3 days I was able to set up under 100 yards from them in the roost could get them all fired up but wouldn't budge. Was able to move on them but couldn't get them to the private land. Saturday they wouldn't gobble. Today I was going to sleep in cause beat. Was averaging 10 miles of walking a day. As I laid in bed I kept on thinking of my 7 year old daughter telling never give up. So off went and of course people where at all the spots I was hunting went to a new public spot listened from the road heard a bird close to the public. So off I went worked him he tried to pull a fast one on me. But I was able to pull off a 43 yard opposite hand hand shot on him. 10in beard 1inch spurs and a lite bird at 17.14 pounds.
Got out yesterday and put out the Ole strutting Tom deke w 2 hens..the birds gobbled off the roost for an hour then all came running out of the woods onto my dekes at once...I had 6 hens and 3 toms at point blank range and I'm sitting in a folding chair right off to the side. Talk about intense...my breathing was hard and fast. I shot the strutter through the neck and into the body...he ran about a 100 yards...shot w xbow...26lbs 10.25 inch beard 1.5 inch daggers...it's like ground hog day...it just keeps happening day after day year after year...now onto week 4
Wadu
Was able to fill my tag Thursday 5/7
Shot him about 745 in the morning. Came in with 3 hens and another Tom. Both full strut right into the decoys. Had roughly 6-8 different birds gobbling all morning. Finally got these two to commit. Very cool watching these bird work in!
10 yard shot
9.5 inch beard
19lbs
Attached a picture of the birds toe on one side. I like turkey hunting but it's bass fishing season now!
Nice job with the turkeys guys, nice to see some old timers and new hunters with success!
I always get 1st time period but drew 3rd this year. Filled my tag 5/5/21 at 6:50am. I had turkeys all around from 4:30am on until I shot. This one came into the decoys @ 20 yards with a bigger one about 30 yards. I took the sure thing and I hope to get the big boy in 2 weeks when my 2nd tag comes up. The big guy attacked the one on the ground and then my decoys after the shot. I could see 4 different Toms fanned out when I shot. I sit in a cattail marsh on the edge of an overgrown field that the turkeys love. Perfect natural blind but wet enough to keep most of the other public land guys away. 21.8# and a 10.5" scraggly beard, not much for spurs one at 1" and one 7/8".
Last year it took me 7 days of the first season and 3 days of the 3rd season to connect ( about 50 hours). This year done in less than two hours, that's turkey hunting I guess.............
Also had a big mink stalk the decoys and stand up on it's back legs trying to sort things out.
To the guys with tags left don't give up, I shot my biggest bird on the last morning of the season 21 years ago on a cold rainy morning when I should have stayed in bed. It had been a terrible season up until that point..........Good luck all!