Had my best turkey hunt last spring.

[doggzoe]

Had a great hunt! Had turkeys all around me. Gobbling and hen clucks all over the trees in front of me along a bluff. Had a Tom sneak up on my left front, then walk across in front of me at almost first light. Then had a jake fly over my decoys then walk back to the decoys and look around for a bit. Then the real excitement started. I had 3 Toms come down a tree line about 30 yards across from me on my right, then 3 more Toms came up the tree line on my right. All 6 birds were directly across from me at about 30 yards when they got into a fight and spilled out into the field in front of me. It was just like you see in the videos, they were all running around each other, jumping up and slapping each other with their wings. Had to wait until one got a little off to the side to shoot or I would have killed 2 or 3 :twisted: (I did wait.) After I shot 3 of the birds stuck around and spurred the Tom I had shot and gobbled when I would call. They stuck around for about 5 minutes, they were nervous but just didn't seem to know what to with the bird flopping on the ground and me calling at them. Then they slowly walked off. Man what a hunt. I sure would have liked to have that hunt on tape even though it only lasted about 30 minutes from the time I sat down to the time I was putting the bird into my vest I believe one of the Toms in the fight was the one that had snuck up from my left because they came from the direction he had gone and I could see him strutting over that direction for a couple of minutes. Man what a hunt. If my memory fails please let me keep that one.


___________
Don

 

[IndianaHunter]

Mine too as it was my first bird...

24 lbs.
8" beard
1" spurs.

[

 

[doggzoe]

I want to go to a university to learn to hunt turkeys. Where do I apply.
Never was a real good student, probably take a long time to graduate. :wink: Nice bird!


Don

 

[Pocampo]

doggzoe,
very good rendition of the hunt. I could see it unfold as you described the action. The one on one interaction between a hunter and a wild turkey in the spring is one of huntings biggest rewards.

We should all give a huge thank you!, to all the wildlife agencies and hunter interest groups for all their tireless hard work.

The restoration of the wild turkey in North America represents one of the greatest storybook come-backs in the history of wildlife management. Nearly extinct at the turn of the century, the wild turkey has a current range that exceeds its original native range.

Also the popularity of the wild turkey among hunters has grown in proportion to its amazing resurgence. Now more than 4 million sportsmen hunt wild turkeys each year.

As more and more sportsmen take to the field each year to hunt the wild turkey their will be more strain put on the land and competition between hunters for the best spots to hunt as it is now with the whitetail deer. Deer and turkeys inhabit much of the same range and compete for some of the same foods and this can sometimes put a strain on the food supply.

We will all have to learn to hunt smarter and do our part to help conserve our valuable natural resources so that our sons and daughters might have the same opportunity we had.

IndianaHunter,
Very pretty Eastern Wild Turkey and a dang good one at that, whether it be your first or last! I can see why you were so successful though, hunting at the school of higher learning ha, ha.... I sure hope that you can get it mounted to honor the bird and the memory.

There is nothing like the gobble of a Wild Turkey at first light to stir the emotions and start that old heart a pounding and the adrenaline flowing!

Pocampo

 

[dwhunter]

This is a 22lb bird with a 10" beard I killed back April 05. Sorry to say I missed #2. :cry:

 

[Pocampo]

dwhunter,
very nice eastern wild turkey and 10" is a really good beard. How long were the spurs and do you plan on getting it mounted? Also what kind of turkey gun/choke/shells did you use?
Pocampo

 

[dwhunter]

dwhunter,
very nice eastern wild turkey and 10" is a really good beard. How long were the spurs and do you plan on getting it mounted? Also what kind of turkey gun/choke/shells did you use?
Pocampo

I kill so many turkeys I really never thought about mounting one. Of course I keeep the beards and dry the fans out. I have two 12ga. turkey guns one Browning BPS w/21 1/2" barrel and a Remington 870 same barrel length in Mossy Oak camo and fiber optic sights, this is the one I use the most. This gun is deadly out to about 60 yds with Winchester Supreme 3" Mag in #5 shot 1 3/4oz. As far as spurs go they were 1" to 1 1/4" long but birds in the Mtns. of Arkansas don't get sharp spurs like some elsewhere do. The chokes on both guns are the standard factory extra full turkey tubes. The Remington's choke has a straight rifling in it.

 

[doggzoe]

Thank you Pocampo. The come back of the turkey is a great conservation agency/conservation group (NWTF) success story. They should be proud.

dwhunter
I made a beard mounting plaque out of caped turky tail .i.e the feathers from the neck on down to the tail including the fan. Turned out pretty neat with fan at the bottom. At the top across the plaque I would hang the beards with the spurs just above them. The spurs would hang from that years hat pin that the state use to give out. Had enough room to go six across.

Don