Where are all the turkey hunters ?

[turkeydancer]

Congrats ... sounds like a great time ... post a pic !

[Gobble Doc]

Chesapeake,

Nice job.  It is interesting to see what you can call in with a turkey call.  Last year a yote ran right up to my decoy and then wondered what was up.  This year an Elk ran right up to my son and I.  Hope to see a pic of your bird. 

[Chesapeake]

I'll give the pic posting a try.

I located the birds on the roost with a shock call. Then made the mistake of moving in too close. I set up and called, but they wouldnt respond. After it got a bit lighter I used my bino's to try and look and see if I could see them. I found them all in the trees about a 100 yards out looking right at me. They were watching me call. I was busted and they soon flew off. I gave them a few and then tried to follow and see where they went. I couldnt find them so I headed off looking for more birds. After an hour or so I looped back and shock called in the same general area. One gobbled back, so I again set up and called. No response. I called off an on for 30 or 40 minutes with no result. So I snuck over toward where he was and didnt see anything. Threw another hour loop the other direction and on my return shock called and got a gobble. Again set up and called and all got quiet till a few ravens came by. They got the bird to gobble and he was in the same spot. So I decided to try and stalk in on him. When I got there he was gone. So I just set up right on his strut zone and called. He gobbled back from a hundred or so yards down the ridge. I just sat there more or less frustrated figuring I'd just hang tight and see if he didnt wander back. Maybe 10 minutes later he came walking in silently.   

[turkeydancer]

Nice bird and story ... 

once again tom is looking for love in all the wrong places ... 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Good job ...nice bird  I was wondering if anyone was going to show off a few more to end the season 

[Wea300mag]

Unfortunately I have to calculate vacation time and cost into my outdoor activities and turkey hunting always ends up towards the bottom of the list.

[kevinlisa06]

Great bird and story sounds like it definately had its ups and downs that morning. Very nice bird to end the season with!

[Chesapeake]

Best to keep it at the bottom of the list. It's highly addicting. That and 3:40 wake ups get old. I like the fall where the sun rises much later in the morning.
I only weekend warrior it. And most weekends that was just Friday night trying to roost birds and Saturday morning hunting. Then back to the LIST.   Only about $35 a weekend for the gas wasn't bad.

[Gobble Doc]

$35 for the gas to get a bird sounds like a screamin deal to me.  I probably spend 10x that to drive across the state to feed my addiction.  After a couple days of getting to bed late and getting up in the middle of the night to go try to find a turkey I'm definitely feeling my years.  Plus my kids sleep in the car so by the time I'm able to take a nap they are all ready to go again.   I still can't wait until the fall when I can take my kid and hopefully see him put his arrow into a turkey.  If he doesn't get a turkey I'm afraid there will have to be another blood sacrifice of some sort. 

[turkeydancer]

  
Roosted birds 7:00 pm night before, up at 3:30 am, leave camp 4:00 am, arrive at sight 4:20 am, setup at 5:00 am, 5 gobblers start non-stop gobbling at 20 & 30 yards behind me 5:10 am, flydown at legal shoot 5:31 am (all within 10 to 20 yards), and 2 gobblers down 1 ft apart at 25 yards 5:35 am. 

8 hr drive one way with & my share of diesel and camping fees $350 ...
4 minute hunt with 2 nice toms tagged (the bigger one 22 lbs & 11-1/2"beard) ... bonus helping my buddy get a tom ... priceless!

Just doesn't get any better than that ... 

[BOWHUNTER45]

Unfortunately I have to calculate vacation time and cost into my outdoor activities and turkey hunting always ends up towards the bottom of the list.

Totally opposite for me ..I put more time into turkey hunting than any other things I hunt .... its on my mind all year long . I love hunting big game but turkey hunting has always been my main gig ...besides I can not fit many more big game animals on my wall because I am out of room    Just saying !

[turkeydancer]

    Big game fills my freezers, but turkey hunting fills my heart !   

[Chesapeake]

$35 a weekend, not a bird. That bird was 4 weekends worth.

Elk steal my heart and soul with mule deer and blacktail a close second, but turkey are right in the mix.

The spring is a great time to be in the woods. The birds will get your heart pumping and try your patience. Pluss, the very best thing. After the shot the work is easy. They arent nothing to pack out, and very easy to clean.

Now to wait for the fall turkey tag results!!!