Any Luck Turkey Hunting?

[rweyman]

Has anyone else had any luck with the gobblers so far this year? My buddy(Mike) and I went out Friday night to watch were the birds were roosting. We set up Saturday morning at 6am and the birds were allready goggling. I waited until 6:30 before I made a couple of soft yelps, and the birds gobbled right away. I waited another 5 minutes and yelped again, and the went nuts. We were calling them the dulling gobblers the way they were gobbling at each other. At 6:40 the first bird flew off the roost and landed in the field about 75 yards out from our decoys. He strutted and goblled for about 5 minutes before he decided to come into our setup. This was Mikes first Turkey hunt, so I told him to take the shot when the bird got to the jake decoy and presented him a shot. When his shot rang out it was wide right, anfd the bird ran about 15 yards and stopped long enough to let me put one in the back off his head. It was a awesome show he put on for Mike on his first Turkey hunt. I hope to see him finally connect on one before the season closes this spring. Good Luck to everyone else too! He was a 2 year old bird, 18lbs, 9 1/4" beard, and 3/4" spurs.

[MSHunter]

No luck here. This is my 2nd year trying my hand at turkey hunting and there a lot I don't know. I went out this morning, had not luck. Jumped 3 hens and ended up loosing some of my calls. Its days like this I ponder why I even try.

[rweyman]

I know what ya mean. But to here that gobble first thing in the morning and when you do finally get him to come in, makes it all worth while. Stick with it, try and pattern them and it will work out. I did have 8 jakes come in this weekend, but let them live. Can't wait to here all of them thundering away next year!! Still got 2 weekends to fill my other tag. Good luck!!

[MHHC S. IL]

I've been hunting in southern IL for the last three weekends.  Gobbled good the first weekend, but there's been silence ever since.  Had a close encounter yesterday with a couple of toms but they just wouldn't pay any attention to my calling or to my decoys. 

[rweyman]

Their still gobbling good here, but after the first weekend they definately want you to come to them instead of them coming to your calls. They definately wise up after the first weekend it seems. I got one good bird that I missed last year on opening morning, and ever since he stays on the next ridge from me and will put on a great show. But thats where he stays and wants me to come to him. Hopefully I will catch him headed to his roost site in the next 2 weekends. Good Luck and remember a bad day of hunting is 100 times better than a good day at work! 

[DeerCamp]

well yesterday morning i didnt have a very good one..didnt even hear a bird.. this morning it raind hard and i had class so i couldnt make it out.. around 830am i turned the tv to see that class had been cancelled due to a power outtage..to the woods i went. it had stoped raining by then, it didnt take long for me to see a bird.. on my drive out right as i parked my car 4 toms where 70 yards out.. no luck with those guys.. however after hunting and calling i was able to hear a few more but didnt see anymore.. they wouldnt come into my calls. at least i found where they are and ill give it a shot at that area again tonight.

[rweyman]

Keep at um DeerCamp. How much longer you got to hunt them there? Keep us posted on how you do. 
Hey Shaman, whats up with the birds in Braken Co.? You still chasin' um?

[shaman]

Sorry I missed this post.

Yep, I'm all done.  I filled all my tags the first one came on the first Friday as it warmed up.
[url=http://blackholecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/double-beard-with-double-barrel.html]
Double Beard with a Double Barrel[/url]

Then I bagged my last one on the last Tuesday of season

Last Tag Filled


As I mentioned over on T&TH, you're right:  it was a tough season.    I don't know why they weren't gobbling more. Out of 13 days, I only heard good robust gobbling on about 5.  Some days there was none at all.   In fact, the last day I hunted had very little gobbling;  the only way I knew the last one was coming was when I saw the fan peeking over the grass. 

Good luck on the Fall bowhunting.  I've had a lot of days where I've alternated deer and turkey under my stand.  In fact, I can remember once having both a nice buck and a gobbler at the same time, and  my brain froze up trying to decide on what to do.

No Meat on the Pole

[rweyman]

Way to go Shaman. I went out on the last Thursday(7th) and set up on a tom that has been strutting and gobbling his heart out on the neighbors ridge all spring. That morning he was roosted only 75 yards away from me, but in a tree that was on the fence line of my property & the neighbors land. He gobbled his little head off, but flew down onto the neighbors property and went to the top of the ridge and strutted and gobbled for 2 hours before he finally worked over the top and out of sight. I stayed in all day, and at 6:15 he was back on top of the ridge. He didn't gobble but he worked right down the hill coming right towards me. I was set up 25 yards off the fenceline. He worked all the way down the hill, right to the fence. But for whatever reason he did not come under the fence like the hens had done just an hour and half before him. On Friday morning, we had a nice thunderstorm rolling thru at 5:30am, and my buddy forgot his rain gear. So we stayed in the truck and let it pass. At 6:30 I got out of the truck to try and locate him before we went in. I did not hear him gobble at all and I looked over to ask Mike if he had heard anything and to my surprise the gobbler was standing 40 yards to my left just looking around and laughing I think, because both of our guns where still in the truck.[:'(] So needless to say, he's still alive until the Fall season atleast. 

[kykevin]

Turkeys are EVERYWHERE this year. Killed a triple bearded jake the other day. Im in Owen county by the way.