Spring Gobbler 2014

Took my first turkey this morning at 6am. Got to my spot at 4:30 and settled in for the wait. Every other morning I've been there, the turkeys have started gobbling from their roosts 30-45 minutes before sunrise, but today started out a bit slow. Sure enough, though, just after 5:30 they started gobbling, then flew down from their trees much faster than I've previously experienced. Must not have had their morning coffee.

I had my eye on one in particular, figured out the path I thought he would take, and got into position. I was feeling a little adventurous, so I just got into the prone position right out on the grass about 20 feet into the field. He ended up walking right by me about 8' away like I wasn't even there. It was pretty neat to watch him up so close, so I just watched a little bit longer before taking him at about 25 yards.

The guy at the check station said this tom was likely 2.5 years old. 22lbs, 9.5" beard, 1.125" & 1.1875" spurs.
 
Got my first yesterday at 7:15pm. Had been in the woods all day, started at 4am calling in a field. Had gobbles in the distance but couldnt get him to make entrance in my field.

Hiked the mountain woods around the fields we have blinds set up at about 9:30a.m., and finally settled back in my blind at 4pm.

Heard this bad boy gobble at about 6:30p, and called him in with my slate. He came strutting in with 4 hens in tow. Got a little buck fever and dropped him at 35yards (coulnt wait for him to make it to my decoy!- a 20yard shot).

I have to say, it was a rush calling in a gobbler for the first time...definitely had my adrenalin pumping!

19.8lbs
1" spurs
9.75" beard
Taken from Norway ME







My decoy I couldn't wait for him to get to:


Where he came in (way to the left of my decoy):
 
Took my 12 year old son out this am. Up at 4:30 which wasn't easy for him. Pretty quiet and then things got a little interesting. Around 6:15 had 2 gobblers on the line. I couldn't bring them in but we moved them closer to us ....enough to get my son's juices flowing. He wants to go this week before school but I think he'll have to wait for the weekend........Shoots a mossy 500 20 ga. 3". Going to do my best to get a Tom in range for him....
 
There were three turkeys ripping up my lawn (mostly weeds) when we returned home from teaching my MA Gun Law Seminar at the Clinton F&G Club today! It was ~6:30PM and two hens were clawing up part of the lawn (looks like a rototiller was used there) while the male was on another part of the lawn. Don't know what they were eating (bugs would be my guess) but they weren't spooked as I backed up the driveway within a few feet of them.
 
Went out Friday am....was over dressed and sweating.
Mosquitos were brutal........heard one gobbler a long way off and couldn't locate him.
To damn hot and buggy. I need to start going out in the evenings to locate and help improve my luck in the am...
 
had three gobbling back at me monday morning, they roost on the edge of a field and hang out in the field, which is of course just inside the 500ft range, so i have to set up in a clearing in the woods about 30yards in, they kept talking back to me but just wouldnt leave the field and come find me, maybe my calling is akin to fran dresher in turkey dialect i dont know
 
I had an unexpected death in the family first week of the season. Dealing with all the BS tied me up for pretty much the entire season. So I never made it out. I guess I'll just have to do some fishing until bird season and whitetail open up again.
 
I just had a new hen with 10 tiny baby turkeys in my yard. They seriously were only a little bit bigger than a songbird. They must have hatched very recently.

I have 3 different hens in my yard everyday, but they're babies are almost full grown. I started messing with my calls and it went from 11 turkeys to about 30 with 2 quick calls on the slate. I would've gotten pictures but didn't want to scare the new momma away
 
mpkeelee said:
I just had a new hen with 10 tiny baby turkeys in my yard. They seriously were only a little bit bigger than a songbird. They must have hatched very recently.

I have 3 different hens in my yard everyday, but they're babies are almost full grown. I started messing with my calls and it went from 11 turkeys to about 30 with 2 quick calls on the slate. I would've gotten pictures but didn't want to scare the new momma away
Click to expand...

That's odd to have them that small this late. They should be about the size of a full grown chicken at this stage of the year. Hopefully winter comes late for those little ones to give them the best chance to survive. I've got two groups that circulate through my property. One is a hen with six poults. One is a hen with five. Have seen many toms around although there are two that hang out together and follow one of the groups of hen/poults around.
 
I've never seen any poults out in the open around my proprerty; too many hawks.

I did fund a whole bunch of turkey feathers on the back hill of my property yesterday, I assume one of the hawks caught a turkey out in the open.
 
I hope they grow quick and its an easy winter. After I posted I saw a 4th hen with 7 poults but they were about the size of a blue jay. When I see the tiny ones ill try to get good pics
 
mpkeelee said:
I hope they grow quick and its an easy winter. After I posted I saw a 4th hen with 7 poults but they were about the size of a blue jay. When I see the tiny ones ill try to get good pics
Click to expand...
Id love to see the pics of the future main courses [smile]
 
Fan mount completed from my spring Tom. Two shells cause it took me two shots to get the bastid to stay down [smile]

 

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