I had a good morning!

[msbadger]

Yes indeed a good morning...6:30 today 18# 9 14/16" beard....15/16 " spurs.....[:D]
 
="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/madbadger/IMG_0326.jpg" border="0" alt="5-15-2009"></a>
 
="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/madbadger/IMG_0321.jpg" border="0" alt="5-15-2009"></a>
 
="http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/madbadger/IMG_0320.jpg" border="0" alt="May 15 2009"></a>

[dewey]

Hey everyone, I just thought I would share the story of my first day turkey in MN from this past Sunday.  It all started on Friday night when I see one of the guys that has been hunting the same area where I will be going and he is telling me there is no turkeys out there and to not even bother.  I just said I will take my chances with 4 days to go hunting.  The next morning (day before my hunting starts) I am out there at about 7:30 doing a little calling to just try and figure where they are and I hear 2 gobblers.  So I go out Saturday night with my 9 year old nephew who is EXCITED to go hunting the next morning, we set up our blind and did a little light calling but heard no gobbling, but we did see a bunch of deer.  The next morning I go to wake him up at 5:00 am and he literally jumps off the coach and is almost immediately ready to go.  We get all set up that morning in our blind at 6:00 am and start calling about 6:20, it is really foggy out and the fog is rolling down the hills due to a light North wind, it was really cool.  At 6:25 we here some gobbling not real far away but couldn't convince him to come for a look.  So at 8:00 he is getting hungry and a little tired so we go for breakfast and his dad comes and gets him to spend the rest of the day with his mom and grandma.  I decide to go back out and I am set up at 3:00 pm.  I hear a real distant gobble about 3:25 and I gobble back and wait a couple of minutes for a response and I hear nothing so I decide to take a little nap because it is so nice out.  Next thing I know I hear something off my right shoulder and look out the blind window and there stands a big tom.  As I am trying to get all the crap of of my lap and he is steadily going towrds my pretty girl decoy (2 hen set up) and he gets to her and takes another step to the second hen and then at 3:40 pm the Browning 12 ga silver hunter ROARED and the season was over.  Here are the pictures from that day.

Weight 23.4 lbs, spurs 1.25" and 1.3125" and beard 9.75"  NWTF score of 68.525.  When I register this with the NWTF it will rank #35 in the total score of all MN turkeys taken.

[msbadger]

Nice job and great bird and story....I'm sure you have the makings of a good young hunter there....
 
Well I have my Tom all skinned cleaned and cooling in the frig.....took off beard....fan and wings and have them in salt until I can get to the store for borax...I have one more tag and Dad in-law and I will be headed down to camp...hope to call one in for him...
 
This bird was several hundred yrds away when I heard him gobble...I stayed silent to hear what the other birds in area would do.....alot of purring went on all around me ...and then I heard him sound off a bit farther down the hill...So I did a short series and ended with a feeding sound...and waited...He circled down hill behind me and just appeared on the opposite side of my blind ...with another bird in tow...I let him walk by at 3yrds and at 15yrds I raised my gun ...the other bird saw as I expected but it was too late...he raised his head and I squeezed the trigger....ranks right up there with bow hunting
 

[buckhunter21]

Congrats on the birds guys...Beautiful!!!!!

[msbadger]

Thank you buckhunter21....I hope you do give it a try....it's as fun and some times as or more challenging as deer hunting [:)]

[reeper0697]

Congrats on the birds!!
 
I took my gobbler a few days after our season opened (I posted in the NY section I think). Then I called for my cousin who took his first gobbler (a jake) and I was really excited for him. These all have stories but I dont want to fill up the whole wall.
 
Then the last 2 days one of my bestfriends and I have gone out. It has been dead here in NY but we have heard gobbles the last 2 days over to his land. Then this morning we heard a gobbler a little before 7 in the woods not far from the edge of his field. A few purrs and soft clucks I saw a hen start walking across the field. I told him that the gobbler was going to be right behind her. A few seconds later one of the biggest toms I have ever seen in my life walked out!
He was about 40 yards or so and my friend made a clean miss. I told him not to worry it happens to the best of us and atleast he didnt wound the bird. Just hearing the gobbles and getting the opportunity to take a shot at one put the fever right in him[:D]
 
Msbadger, did I read somewhere that you said you call with your mouth and not a call?

[msbadger]

Yes ...and actually that is how I called him in...but I believe the smartest thing I did was to stay quiet at first and see what the other birds were doing...then waiting till I heard he was moving away not towards me..I did a 2 note yelp and then quick excited series..... followed by a chuck cluck purr....I then shut up...he never gobbled again and when I heard the movement behind me I thought I was about to get busted by a deer...and he popped in around my ground blind...have circled down and round me...Congrats on your birds.......

[reeper0697]

Thats awesome. Some day I hope to be able to learn to talk turkey without a call!

[OHhunter]

Great birds and stories congrats.

[DeanoZ]

Hey Deanoz, just reading your last post you said he didn't come down your way. Does that mean your were set up down hill of him? Just a little tip, birds are usually easier to call up hill, than down. It's easier for them to escape. Anyway congrats on your first season, good luck in the future.

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Brad

REALLY?  OH FER THE LOVE OF CHICORY!!!  Well when i sorta roosted him the night before he was headed up hill of the ridge line so i figured he would roost on a tall tree half way up, and come the morning fly back downhill.  So I basically set up in the tree line on the edge of the field I had shock gobbled him at.  Oh well, another nugget to take with me for next season [;)]  Thanks for the tip Brad!