Late season gobblers by Bowhunter 45 ... cant even tell ya all the stories !!!!

[BOWHUNTER45]

You know I love hunting but I am seriously all about turkey hunting and I really cant describe how much fun I had in the last four days. I will say this , if you head over for the last few days do not go in the woods at 4 am because the birds will gobble their butts off at you on the roost but guaranteed to leave you frustrated when they head the other way ...It was cloudy in the morning BUT when the sun came out around 10 am sh$t started to happen quickly ..I might be making it sound easy but it was knowing how to go about it ..We hardly saw any hens and the birds were all back deep in the timber so the best thing I can tell you is to get high on a ridge and try to locate where he is using a locator call or by giving a few single loud clucks and once he answers you move quickly as possible to his position without spooking him and then try to stay above him because most likely he will not come down hill.. I like to get about 100 yrds or closer before calling because you are now in his wheel house and if you play the bird right it will be fatal for the old boy.On this trip I called 10 different birds to our position in 4 days of hunting and NOT ONE before before 10 am .. when the sun came out it was a gobbling fest but I had to find the birds that were hot and wanted to play the game.. We walked our butts off but when it happened it happened fast ...The four birds we took all were 3 to 4 year old birds and all had 1 in or bigger spurs ... If we could not see hooked spurs we let them walk just because I was after the smart old boys and we did find them...If you need help or advice I will share my knowledge any time but it takes years of doing it to become and advid turkey hunter.. Main thing is taking time in the evenings roosting birds and knowing where they are and finding many as possible so you have many options to harvest ,, on this trip I roosted over 20 birds the first evening but that was running around quick as I could right at dark locating birds .. So if you go this week just sleep in to around 10 am and hunt mid day because if one gobbles he should come running .. Do not over call and use more clucks than yelps because the hens are noy yelping alot anymore but clucks with kill a turkey any time of the year.. soft suttle clucks and purrs should work well ....and  the best thing about this hunt I NEVER SAW ONE OTHER HUNTER AT ALL , not counting very few locals on the roads anywhere .... That was sweet as it gets for me ... well hope you enjoy the pictures ..and good luck if you head out for the final leg of the season....Plus we caught a butt load of trout so it was awesome ....

[BOWHUNTER45]

Spurs of plenty

[BOWHUNTER45]

Teddy Kyle 2011 late turkey hunt

[BOWHUNTER45]

Big birds down

[BOWHUNTER45]

Gobblers 2011

[BOWHUNTER45]

Porcupine or bear?

[Heartsblood]

Nice! Congrats and thanks for sharing the pics.

[carpsniperg2]

Some great birds I would hate to see a porcupine that could do that

[Machias]

Went out last Friday and I believe your pretty much spot on, however we did call in a nice gobbler to 20 yards at 0545.  But it did shut down after that.  Would have hunted the rest of the day but got pretty warm and decided it was better to get the bird on some ice then pack it around all day.  Those are some of the nicest spurs I've seen on a WA bird.  Congrats!!

[quadrafire]

Porcupine or bear?

Never seen a Porkie eat anything other than bark. Those chips look pretty big. Any other claw marks?

[BOWHUNTER45]

yeah IT was a bear but my buddy thinks porcupine ... and their was claw marks... just seeing who would tell me what !!

[Camp David]

the best thing I can tell you is to get high on a ridge and try to locate where he is using a locator call or by giving a few single loud clucks and once he answers you move quickly as possible to his position without spooking him and then try to stay above him because most likely he will not come down hill.. I like to get about 100 yrds or closer before calling because you are now in his wheel house and if you play the bird right it will be fatal for the old boy.On this trip I called 10 different birds to our position in 4 days of hunting and NOT ONE before before 10 am

[Camp David]

the best thing I can tell you is to get high on a ridge and try to locate where he is using a locator call or by giving a few single loud clucks and once he answers you move quickly as possible to his position without spooking him and then try to stay above him because most likely he will not come down hill.. I like to get about 100 yrds or closer before calling because you are now in his wheel house and if you play the bird right it will be fatal for the old boy.On this trip I called 10 different birds to our position in 4 days of hunting and NOT ONE before before 10 am

Thanks for the tips...I'll put them to use tomorrow.

[Gobble Doc]

Great pics.  I'll try the advice this weekend!  I've applied Tick Off to everything so I think I'm ready. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Well good luck and one other thing to try if he does not come to you within a reasonable time , like in a half hour is to try moving back and forth on a ridge clucking as you move then go right back to where you started .. I always take off clucking as I am walking around . you do not need to go far about 50 yrds and then turn around clucking as you return to your original position.. once you return do not call again for awhile but if all the sudden he gobbles on his own without you calling to him most likely he is coming and lookin for you .. answer him one more time with a couple more clucks..then watch for him to appear ... good luck

[yelp]

Nice Job!  Great hunts.  I am taking the wife out this Weekend maybe we sill have same result!  congrats to all.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice Job!  Great hunts.  I am taking the wife out this Weekend maybe we sill have same result!  congrats to all.

THANKS ... NO ONE HUNTING ... Still lots of birds to get after ..good luck and let me know how you do ... called in a couple along 25 north ..alot of gobbling birds up and around Colville... they are everywhere...not much in fields need to head for the timber ...

[slickme11]

 :drool:Nice lookin' birds man,congrats to all.We've been hunting Fruitland Valley area but numbers have dwindled in the last couple of years,lookin to move on,you guys ever hit the Cle Elum area?Thanx!

[turkey choke]

Thanks for the information, and those are some amazing birds!

This is my first year hunting turkeys and I have fallen in love with it.  Thanks to some buddies who have been helping me out this year, showing me the ropes and where to hunt em.  It's been a blast but man I want a bird!  I will only be able to go out now the last 2 days of the season, due to work.

This last week we have been in an area just full of birds, I mean FULL.  We have been hearing them and seeing them but just haven't been able to get close enough to them or get them to come in.  We have done a TON of walking and have covered a lot of ground.  A couple times we have walked right up to birds still in the roost at 0600 in pure sun/day light. 

It seems like we can get a ton of hot birds just talking but as we set up or move in, in every direction they just shut up and we can't get a peep out of them.  It has been fun but frustrating lol.

Thanks for the info, I will try to put it to use on Mon/Tues!

[BOWHUNTER45]

:drool:Nice lookin' birds man,congrats to all.We've been hunting Fruitland Valley area but numbers have dwindled in the last couple of years,lookin to move on,you guys ever hit the Cle Elum area?Thanx!

  first few years in the early 90 Fruitland was my hunting grounds ..killed many birds there and I am going to check out the cle elum area next year ..birds are coming around in that area....

[Heartsblood]

:drool:Nice lookin' birds man,congrats to all.We've been hunting Fruitland Valley area but numbers have dwindled in the last couple of years,lookin to move on,you guys ever hit the Cle Elum area?Thanx!

I hunted the cle elum area almost every week all season. I was into birds a coupla few times, and had what I felt was a real chance the last weekend I was there. They seem to have gotten a lot more vocal later this year. As a matter of fact, if I had stayed one more day, I feel that my chances would have been excellent. But, instead I had a date with a gobbler near Springdale.

As far as I'm concerned it was a great season. Even the silent days. And, I may get one more chance this weekend up in the 204. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Great pics.  I'll try the advice this weekend!  I've applied Tick Off to everything so I think I'm ready.
[/quote never seen one tick the whole time ... that was sweet!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Thanks for the information, and those are some amazing birds!

This is my first year hunting turkeys and I have fallen in love with it.  Thanks to some buddies who have been helping me out this year, showing me the ropes and where to hunt em.  It's been a blast but man I want a bird!  I will only be able to go out now the last 2 days of the season, due to work.

This last week we have been in an area just full of birds, I mean FULL.  We have been hearing them and seeing them but just haven't been able to get close enough to them or get them to come in.  We have done a TON of walking and have covered a lot of ground.  A couple times we have walked right up to birds still in the roost at 0600 in pure sun/day light. 

It seems like we can get a ton of hot birds just talking but as we set up or move in, in every direction they just shut up and we can't get a peep out of them.  It has been fun but frustrating lol.

Thanks for the info, I will try to put it to use on Mon/Tues!

yeah it easy huh ...good luck bud !

[Machias]

Thanks for the information, and those are some amazing birds!

This is my first year hunting turkeys and I have fallen in love with it.  Thanks to some buddies who have been helping me out this year, showing me the ropes and where to hunt em.  It's been a blast but man I want a bird!  I will only be able to go out now the last 2 days of the season, due to work.

This last week we have been in an area just full of birds, I mean FULL.  We have been hearing them and seeing them but just haven't been able to get close enough to them or get them to come in.  We have done a TON of walking and have covered a lot of ground.  A couple times we have walked right up to birds still in the roost at 0600 in pure sun/day light. 

It seems like we can get a ton of hot birds just talking but as we set up or move in, in every direction they just shut up and we can't get a peep out of them.  It has been fun but frustrating lol.

Thanks for the info, I will try to put it to use on Mon/Tues!

One thing to keep in mind, quite a few times when a gobbler is gobbling good and then goes quiet, he is slipping around and coming in from the backside or from just over the brush, sneaking in all silent.  Lots of guys get busted and never know how close they were to getting the bird in, but moved and off they slink away.

[Gobble Doc]

Bowhunter 45, I hope I can find gobblers as fired up as you!   I sense your excitement and I hope I have something good to report after the long weekend coming up.  A couple weekends ago the approach of patience worked for us so that is what I am going to try to employ with my 15 year old.  One time 2 weekends ago a really nice bird went walking down the road and then off into the brush and I made my classic mistake of not being able to resist going after it.  That approach has continued to fail me.  Instead I'm going to quietly wait for a gobble then immediately plant myself and start the waiting game. 

[Phantom Gobbler]

Congrats Bowhunter45 and Team.         What a great way to finish your season.  Thanks for sharing the great tips too on easy calling.  Good luck to all still out chasing em this last week.  Clucking and purring is really underated. 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Congrats Bowhunter45 and Team.         What a great way to finish your season.  Thanks for sharing the great tips too on easy calling.  Good luck to all still out chasing em this last week.  Clucking and purring is really underated.

hopefully someone will show me some more this weekend !!!

[coastalghost]

Great story and pics.  You guys do it up right.  Congrats to you all.  I think the best part is not seeing another hunter...couldnt get any better.