Virginia Turkey

[Machias]

Here in VA we have to stop turkey hunting at noon.  Last Sunday the birds were talkative on the roost, but they are henned up pretty good. 1120 I flushed a hen on a powerline.  A couple of minutes later I get a gobbler to sound off waaay out there.  I started heading to him and then he answered again, but was already getting closer.  The woods here are still pretty open and the leaves, by 1130, were pretty crunchy, so I did not want to run in and spook him.  Got set up and called and he answered me, much closer, probably 200 yards off.  About that time I hear a hen over my left shoulder come walking in and yelping softly.  I thought sweet live decoy.  She walked past me and headed to him and then they both came in slowly.  He gobbled one last time just out of sight and I glanced at my watch....1204.      Really.     About 3 minutes later he came in struttin, drumming and spitting following the hen right up to 18 yards.  Took 15 more minutes for them to move off so I could slip out of there without spooking them.  I'll be back after him this Sunday.

[BOWHUNTER45]

  Yeah I remember those type hunts ...

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Good luck next week!

[lokidog]

 

Had something similar happen in CA back in the 80's, no hunting after 1:00 I think it was and of course could have shot one at something like 1:10. 

[one more]

Good Luck on your next hunt.

[MLBowhunting]

Very cool.  Good luck on Sunday.

[Machias]

Left the house at 0400 this morning and made it to the property at 0515. Met another hunt club member there. We started hiking at 0545. You could already feel it was pretty muggy and warm. Made it up a ridge and called a couple of times with no response. We both remarked to each other that rarely do you actually get a bird to come in first thing in the morning. In 39 years of turkey hunting it's only happened to me a couple of times. At 0620 I let out some yelps and we heard a gobbler fire off. I must have said something extra sexy because in all my 39 years I've only had a couple birds gobble this much. He probably gobbled 8 times in a row. My hunting partner moved out about 25-30 yards in front of me and I sat down, got my facemask and gloves on. As soon as he got to the tree he was moving to I called again. This time the gobbler was MUCH closer and coming fast and gobbling non-stop. In 2 minutes he probably gobbled 30+ times. The way he was acting heck this fella hadn't seen a hen in weeks. My partner barley got situated and in walks a really nice bird strutting. 20 yards and BOOM , bird down. Perfect, clean shot. 20 pounds, 9.5 inch beard and 1 inch spurs.  We managed to spook 2 single hens the rest of the morning and never heard another bird. We gave it a good try though and walked a LOT. Had a great day and a great hunt.  Very pretty bird.

[lokidog]

SWEET!  Now get out there and find his brothers... wait can you hunt Sundays there?

[Machias]

Yes they just started it last fall, as long as it's on private property and you have permission, you can now Sunday hunt in VA.  I'm headed back out tomorrow.

[Machias]

Took a British guy out today for his first ever spring gobbler hunt.  I manage to call in 4 nice gobblers today and he managed to mess up three of them.    He had a head and neck shot at 15 yards but didn't take the shot, then tried to move around for a bird that had come in from behind, spooking both birds.  Then we had one out about 65 yards who would not come any closer, but while he was out strutting in front of us another bird was coming in from the right.  He manage to knock some feather off of that bird but it ran off.  Great day out in the woods.

[Wacenturion]

Sounds like you're having a good time.

[trkykilr]

Fine work buddy