Alfalfa County Oklahoma Tom

[retrieverman]

I had a family funeral to attend this morning in Oklahoma, so I came up yesterday to my place in Alfalfa county and got in an evening turkey hunt. I had two toms answer my call, but I only got to see them through my binos as they went the other way. A little while later, I had a jake come within range, but I let him leave healthy and lead free.
I spend most of today funeraling and visiting with family I don’t see often, but I got back to place in time to hunt again. I almost didn’t go, because it was hot, windy, and there’s a ton of buffalo nats. I set up in a ground blind under and behind a locust tree, and I was texting with a buddy and randomly calling. I heard clucking behind and to the left of my blind, and I hit the call again. About a minute later, this tom walked around the blind on the right side. When the tree was between me and him, I was able to get my gun up and take an 8 yard shot with my combo gun and a handloaded 1 1/4 oz #6 shell.
He had a 6.5” beard, 7/8 and 1” spurs, and weighed 27 lbs.

 

[Ninering62]

I had a family funeral to attend this morning in Oklahoma, so I came up yesterday to my place in Alfalfa county and got in an evening turkey hunt. I had two toms answer my call, but I only got to see them through my binos as they went the other way. A little while later, I had a jake come within range, but I let him leave healthy and lead free.
I spend most of today funeraling and visiting with family I don’t see often, but I got back to place in time to hunt again. I almost didn’t go, because it was hot, windy, and there’s a ton of buffalo nats. I set up in a ground blind under and behind a locust tree, and I was texting with a buddy and randomly calling. I heard clucking behind and to the left of my blind, and I hit the call again. About a minute later, this tom walked around the blind on the right side. When the tree was between me and him, I was able to get my gun up and take an 8 yard shot with my combo gun and a handloaded 1 1/4 oz #6 shell.
He had a 6.5” beard, 7/8 and 1” spurs, and weighed 27 lbs.
View attachment 33594
View attachment 33595

Nice Rio at 27lbs, & up close & personal too. Exciting isn't it. Congrats.

 

[deermanok]

That's awesome brother. Congrats.

 

[HC]

Congrats on a beautiful Tom.

 

[MrTom]

That's a dandy. Congrats.

 

[Okie Hog]

Congrats on the great tom turkey.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Congrats!

 

[GLenn]

Man, that must have been "Big Bird" at 27#. A 23 eastern is the best I've ever put my hands on.
Congrats, that's a very nice one and any turkey is a trophy to me. And all jakes get a free pass from me.

 

[Swamp]

Congratulations on a beautiful bird!

 

[BP Addict]

A job well done! Congratulations!

We have both a Spring and Fall season here in Oregon. I've never hunted them as the tags are $24.50. I can buy two or three Butterballs for that!

Walt

 

[retrieverman]

A job well done! Congratulations!

We have both a Spring and Fall season here in Oregon. I've never hunted them as the tags are $24.50. I can buy two or three Butterballs for that!

Walt

Tags in Oklahoma are $10 for fall and $10 for spring, and I agree it’s not “economical” to hunt them vs buying a turkey at the store. However, if economics were really a consideration, the majority of us wouldn’t be deer hunting either. I know for a fact that I can buy A LOT of waygu beef for what I spend on deer hunting each year.
I haven’t been turkey hunting, because the population had been down around my place for a few years. However, I’ve been working on improving habitat which seems to be working, because the numbers I’m seeing on game cameras are growing (finally). I even had pictures of turkey poults last fall.
The hunters on neighboring places have been turkey hunting every year, so I decided this year that if I can’t beat them I’d join them.

 

[bamawoodsman]

I had a family funeral to attend this morning in Oklahoma, so I came up yesterday to my place in Alfalfa county and got in an evening turkey hunt. I had two toms answer my call, but I only got to see them through my binos as they went the other way. A little while later, I had a jake come within range, but I let him leave healthy and lead free.
I spend most of today funeraling and visiting with family I don’t see often, but I got back to place in time to hunt again. I almost didn’t go, because it was hot, windy, and there’s a ton of buffalo nats. I set up in a ground blind under and behind a locust tree, and I was texting with a buddy and randomly calling. I heard clucking behind and to the left of my blind, and I hit the call again. About a minute later, this tom walked around the blind on the right side. When the tree was between me and him, I was able to get my gun up and take an 8 yard shot with my combo gun and a handloaded 1 1/4 oz #6 shell.
He had a 6.5” beard, 7/8 and 1” spurs, and weighed 27 lbs.
View attachment 33594
View attachment 33595

Congrats! Nice heavy bird. I filled my last tag the 26th. I’m done for the year. It’s winding down anyway. They’re gobbling very little here now

 

[MrTom]

That’s a dandy bama.

 

[bamawoodsman]

That’s a dandy bama.

Thanks Mr Tom. They’re harder to come by here now that the numbers are down and they’ve delayed our season 2 weeks. It’s been a while since I’ve been on birds this good. I usually have to go north or west to get on some good hunting.

 

[retrieverman]

Congrats! Nice heavy bird. I filled my last tag the 26th. I’m done for the year. It’s winding down anyway. They’re gobbling very little here now View attachment 34114

Thanks Mr Tom. They’re harder to come by here now that the numbers are down and they’ve delayed our season 2 weeks. It’s been a while since I’ve been on birds this good. I usually have to go north or west to get on some good hunting.

The turkey numbers have been down around my place for several years, and Oklahoma also moved the spring season back two weeks. This is actually the first year I’ve hunted a turkey in 10 years (though I’ve still bought my tag every year). I was on the fence about hunting this year, but I know my neighbors hunt every year not taking number into account. I decided that since I do more than any of the properties around mine for habitat management as in brush clearing and prescribed burns as well as predator control that I was going to hunt.

 

[deermanok]

Congrats on a good bird.

 

[bamawoodsman]

The turkey numbers have been down around my place for several years, and Oklahoma also moved the spring season back two weeks. This is actually the first year I’ve hunted a turkey in 10 years (though I’ve still bought my tag every year). I was on the fence about hunting this year, but I know my neighbors hunt every year not taking number into account. I decided that since I do more than any of the properties around mine for habitat management as in brush clearing and prescribed burns as well as predator control that I was going to hunt.

You’ve been conservative managing the habitat and harvest. I’m glad you got to hunt and got a nice one. Those are the first Tennessee birds I’ve killed in 4 years. I’ve been mostly hunting Bama and a couple other states trying to let them build back up. Evidently we’ve had a couple decent hatches the last 2 years. I saw 38 in a flock in the hard winter and 16 were jakes. I haven’t seen that in over 10 years

 

[retrieverman]

You’ve been conservative managing the habitat and harvest. I’m glad you got to hunt and got a nice one. Those are the first Tennessee birds I’ve killed in 4 years. I’ve been mostly hunting Bama and a couple other states trying to let them build back up. Evidently we’ve had a couple decent hatches the last 2 years. I saw 38 in a flock in the hard winter and 16 were jakes. I haven’t seen that in over 10 years

My place in Oklahoma is 500 miles from where I live in east Texas, so I run 4 cellular game cameras all year to kind of keep an eye on my place when I’m not there. Last year was the first time in 20 years of hunting up there that I had turkey poults on camera. I got about as excited about them as I would a 170 class trophy buck. I’m letting a couple local guys hunt coyotes, and I’m working on whittling down the coon population. I’m hoping to see poults again this year.

 

[bamawoodsman]

My place in Oklahoma is 500 miles from where I live in east Texas, so I run 4 cellular game cameras all year to kind of keep an eye on my place when I’m not there. Last year was the first time in 20 years of hunting up there that I had turkey poults on camera. I got about as excited about them as I would a 170 class trophy buck. I’m letting a couple local guys hunt coyotes, and I’m working on whittling down the coon population. I’m hoping to see poults again this year.

I hear you one the poults. I was excited to see all those jakes this winter. I absolutely believe the predator issue is the main problem. No one here hardly coon hunts. It’s really hard to coyote and bobcat hunt here because it’s so thick. I pick one off every once in awhile. They also had the bag limit too high for years too. Back in the late 90s I could owl hoot and have 6 to 10 birds gobble I had my pick. I’d go to the hottest sounding one it was constant action. . The last 10 years I’ve been lucky to hear 4 or 5 different birds gobble all year in Tennessee.