4 birds total

[turkey slayer]

It all started with a bang. I roosted 2 toms and 3 hens on Tuesday night a and slipped in on Wendsday morning within 80+ yard. I started with  soft yelp and and clucks and the 2 tom cut me off and after that the 2 were double and tripple gobbling until they hit the ground. The 1 tom flew down about 60 yards below me and strutted up a little grade until I pulled the trigger at 30 yard and missed and again at 40 yard and missed then he flew. I ran over to the edge to make sure he didn't go down but he was fine. I ran back and sat down and started calling again an the 2ed Tom gobbled about 60 yard away and here he came in full strut 25 yard I pulled the trigger and miss but the 2ed I got him. The first Tom I missed was at 5:35am and the 2ed Tom I got was at 5:39. He had a 8 1/8 inch beard with 3/4 inch spurs. I was back in camp by 5:50.

I forgot that I didn't have any battery's so I had to wait until 7:00am for the Fruitland Service Station to open. Got them and headed back.

On the way back to the property I seen a big tom strutting on some Private property that I didn't have permission on but there was a 120 acre state peace the boarders it. I get up to the top of the 2 property lines and did some yelps and he gobbled (3/4 to a mile away). I got set up and started clucking and some soft yelping and purring. He started gobbling and coming up the hill. It took him 15 to 20 minutes to get to where I was set up and strutted 15 yard in front me and bang, 2ed bird down and I was done by 8:45 on opening morning with no one else to help until the next day when my hunting partner get here (cougkilr). That bird was 9 1/2 with 1 inch spurs.

Opening night I went up and roosted 2 more toms for the next day. The next morning came and we parked the 4-wheeler and got set up. The 2 were already on the ground gobbling. I started calling and they gobbled and came in strutting but the 2 got hung up in some jack pines so the 2 strutted back up the hill. I said, lets move 40 yards down the hill to the road and set back up.Cougkilr and I get set up and I started calling and back down the came with a hen. The Tom's sent the hen to the decoy and they came in the back door. Cougkilr moved to the other side of me and a few seconds there they were BANG Tom down at 5:50am. He had a 8 1/2 and 1/2 inch spurs. Back to camp we go.

The next 2 1/2 day we couldn't make any thing happen until Sunday at around 10:30, my Dad took a buddy and his son out and called 2 Jake down and the 16 year old shot 1 and my dad missed the other one. His beard was 3 1/2 with no spurs.

The first 3 are mine the 4th  is Cougkilr and the 5th is the 16 year old and his dad.

[BLKBEARKLR]

Nice birds congrat to all of you, not even going to comment about the three misses been there and done that.. Once again congrats.

Joe

[fc2038]

Nice lookin birds congrats!

[fishunt247]

Sure hope you weren't shooting hevishot, those misses are spendy.  But nice birds. That was a quick season.

[bowhunterforever]

Congrats on the birds Sounds like some exciting hunts.

[andrew_12gauge]

man you really lived up to your name this season way to go

[D-man]

Nice job, is that a primos power crystal call sitting next to your Tom.  I just started hunting turkeys and I got that call and am having a heck of a time using it.  But it looks like if I can figure it out it will work well.

[turkey slayer]

No it's a custom crystal Zink Call. I was ask to demo the call to see how i liked it. The call was hunted with last year in Iowa but nothing was shot with it. It took 2 weeks to tuned it up with the Primos 7 in 1 thing ( I forgot what you call it).
We killed 2 bird with that call this year. Once you get it worked in it's the best call I have ever used, but I don't think it is on the market yet.

[elkkiller]

lucky dog!

[robb92]

Very nice!!!! Thanks for posting the pics!!! Congrats to all who tagged one

[The Deacon]

Dear Son - Didn't I teach you anything, what with all the time we spent on the range? You have to open BOTH eyes when you're shooting at a gobbler; not close 'em both! Least the birds knew they were being hunted. Congratulations on some wonderful birds. Do some scouting now - I think me and Julia Carol need to come out next year, and you should come to Iowa and hunt big Easterns with us -

D-Man....I sent Brandon, our surrogate son, that Zink "Crystal Power Hen" in March, I believe. It's a prototype call that I worked with last year - the real deals are on the market, and feature several improvements that I think were well worth the wait. It takes a LOT (!!) for me to replace a friction call in my vest, but I swapped out a MAD Super Crystal for the Slate Power Hen this Spring, and couldn't be happier. You can see all the new Zink Turkey Calls at www.zinkcalls.com. I prefer the slate - it's soft enough to get subtle and quiet, but hard enough to reach out and touch birds, if you need to -

Congrats again, Son - M.D. and Julia Carol

[Diehard0123]

Nice birds, Congrats!

[turkey slayer]

The offer is always open in Washington and I'll take you up for the offer in Iowa one of these years. Those are 2 big Easterns that you and Julia got this last weekend, you guys must feed them well.

[Phantom Gobbler]

Slayer,

Nice Toms!  Big Congrats!  What a text book dream season for you!  Your camp and property is awesome dude. The Deacon and his wife are in for a treat.   

[turkey slayer]

Thanks Phantom and good luck this weekend if I can't make it.

[Phantom Gobbler]

Turkey Slayer,

Hope to see you over in the NE this weekend.  Would like to see if we can notch another longbeard with your Zink "Crystal Power Hen" Call!!   

[yelp]

nice birds turkey slayer..

[Gutpile]

Great birds, but you guys need to cheer up. GEEZ!!!!       It's ok to smile in your pics you know. 

[turkey slayer]

Number 5 last night. My buddy called Saturday night to see if I would take a friend of his out turkey hunting on Sunday with a bow.

I got up at 1:15am out the door at 1:30am into Bridgeport by 2:15 to pick up my buddy and on to Wilbur to pick his friend up at 3:30. Left Wilbur and got to a state peace by 4:20am.

Got the Double Bull blind set up in the field and started calling and the birds started gobbling but they were real shy. 5:40 one tom flew down with 4 hens. The tom Strutted to our decoys and the arrow flew and a miss at 15 or so yard. The tom strutted over to his hens a walked back up the hill.

Well long story short we set up on a few more birds but just couldn't get them into bow range.

Late afternoon comes ( after our nap  and I herd a gobble about 200 yard away down in a creek bottom that flow into the field that we were set up on. 1 1/2 later he and his girlfriends came into tne field. I did some lite calling and here he came with his friends. The hunter slung the arrow and the bird went down at 31 yard. The Tom had a 7 1/4 inch beard with 1/2 inch spurs.Just to tell you guys that is the same Tom that he missed in the morning.

Back to Waterville at 11:25pm. What a day

[wastickslinger]

whack em and stack em!!! Sounds like a good year!

[tlbradford]

Nice job, is that a primos power crystal call sitting next to your Tom.  I just started hunting turkeys and I got that call and am having a heck of a time using it.  But it looks like if I can figure it out it will work well.

Don't be scared to remove a lot of material off of that crystal call.  That little primos tool that slayer mentioned is great for conditioning your calls.  Also make sure your striker is clean and dry.

Nice job on all the birds Slayer. 

[Phantom Gobbler]

Congrats on getting number five for your bow hunter friend.    We are finding first hand that bow hunting turkeys can be quite the challange!!  But our quest for longbeards continues!!  It ain't over til it's over!!