Turkey Hunting

[tnbowhunter]

Originally Posted by njtitan

He called his whole family from the field on his dad's cell phone to tell them....he was HAPPY....I congradulated him but told him there would be no more jakes....longbeards only....

Now that's what it's all about. Being with and helping someone new to hunting make their first kill is just as exciting to me as if I had taken the animal myself.

Tell the new hunter congrats from the "bowhunter" and congrats to you njtitan for taking the time to take someone hunting.

[Pot Hole]

Originally Posted by Pot Hole

Tomorrow is the opener for NC. I'll be in the woods before daylight, and hopefully I'll have the same success as last year.....

Well, I screwed them royally on Saturday.

Had two gobblers raising cain before daylight about 1000 yards from me across a field. I hurried down there hoping to get set up next to the field so when they came off the roost (and presumably strolled over to the field to graze) that I would be able to call one into my setup. About 200 yards from the edge of the field I waited on them to gobble so I could pinpoint their position. Well, they gobbled again and I could have swore they were about 75 back in the woods from the edge of the field (wrong!). I hustled over to the edge of the field and started to put up my decoy when all of a sudden one of the two birds gobbled RIGHT OVER TOP OF MY HEAD!!!! I looked up and could make him out in the twilight that proceeds dawn. I knew then I was hung out to dry as both he and his partner had spotted me. All I could do was hunker down and hope one or both flew down close enough for a shot.

After another 5 - 10 minutes, the bird over top of me flew down, but he landed at least 60 yards from my decoy. Heck I could have roost poached him or I could have shot him on the wing he was so close to me when he left the roost. His buddy immediately flew down with him and they started walking away from me. No amount of calling I did could get a rise out of either bird, so I was pretty much screwed at that point.

After these two birds left, I did set up on another bird that was gobbling behind me, but although I could see him, he stayed about 75 yards from me and wouldn't come any closer.

I should have had my first turkey of 2007 15 minutes after daylight on opening day, but that's the way it goes sometimes.....

[njtitan]

I got my first bird of the year this morning....I roosted some birds last night....there were 3 longbeards a jake and a few hens.....looked like a slam dunk but you never know........well...a buddy of mine joined me and we were in the blind by 5am.....we realized we were within 50yrds of them when they started gobbling.....things went just as planned...they flew down to about 35yrds away....there were 4 longbeards together....they saw my decoy and made a beeline for us.....we doubled at about 10 feet!

awesome, awesome hunt with a good buddy.....don't get a chance to do that too often.....we'll see if I can do it again at another farm on Saturday....

[bloody13]

I feel sorry for the turkey...