Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: giddyhitch on April 21, 2009, 08:22:52 AM
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Ok, I am a bit embarased but thought you might get a kick out of my very first experience at turkey hunting. First of all I would like to say to everyone on the blog that you all got me out there and now I am pumped. Got over to Colville, Deep Lake area last monday. Seen probably minimum of 60 turkeys going out to the farm I stayed at. Monday evening I was able to scan the 800 acre valley for longbeards with my spotting scope and binocs. Spotted one big tom and about 5 hens strait across the valley from the farm. We watched them untill they roosted that evening. Spent tuesday watching the same group from my chair in the yard. Got a feel for what direction they were moving in the morning and evening. Figured out where they roosted that evening. Sat up north of them opening day with the help of Spokaneslayer , doing the hen clucking with his exstinsive collection of great turkey calls. Hens did not want anything to do with sharing their tom, they all went south. Oh well so much for that morning. Went back to the farmhouse and could here the tom up in the woods gobbling, went back to try to call him and chased him up a hill for about a 1/4 of a mile. The whole time he managed to stay about 100 feet in front of me. Made me think he was probably laughing his ass off thinking of how stupid I was trying to catch him :chuckle:. End of opening day and it is turkeys 2 hunters none. Spokaneslayer had to get back home so next morning I sat up about 60 yrds from the roost. About 5:30 am tom flies down then the hens about 60 yrds out. Needless to say never got much closer than that. I shot anyway three times. Tom just kinda looked over my way like who is making all that racket, it was hillarious. So day two turkeys 3 hunters none. Last day I could hunt was friday. This time I had made up my mind to get right below the roost tree. So 3:30am I was sitting less than 25 yrds from his roost. About 5:15am he starts to gobble from the roost. Hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up :yike: He finally flies down about 5:45 he is less than 40 yrds in front of me. Never even knew I was there. So I am ready to lower the boom on him. I lift up my shotgun an lay a beed on him pulled the trigger and nothing, not even a feather flies. I shoot again this tom looks over like man are you back out here making racket again. I swear they feed those birds armor plating :P. So anyway I ended up shooting at the same tom 8 times with my not so great 2 and 3/4 number 5 shells. Never even peppered him. But man did I have the greatest time of my life. And learned alot about turkeys and my gun. I am hooked. I will be back over there in a week. This time I will take some real firepower. Over all I guess you could say turkeys 4 hunters none, but what a awesome time. Thought you guys and gals would get a kick out of my greenhorn story. Love to turkey hunt Scot
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Very green, yeah. Some tips and prejiduces on my end: Shoot your gun before the season so you know how it patterns and you won't end up wounding a bird. And 60 yards with any shotgun/shells/choke is way too far. I was hoping when I got to the part about you sitting 25 yards from the roost tree that you weren't going to shoot him out of the roost. :bdid: If you want real fun turkey hunting, in my opinion calling them in is the only way to do it.
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I had a great time up there, even though I had come down with a cold prior to driving up. Some things Scot didn't mention that had nothing to do with the hunt itself:
- Scot wailing on a predator call while I sneak down to try to get a shot at 4 coyotes. Wish I had the 25-06 with me.
- Got to pop some ground squirrels.
- Feeding the baby goats. The wife loved the picture.
Thanks to Scot, his buddy Paul, and Paul's sister and husband for letting me crash there for a night. Those garden fresh taters were awesome. My offer still stands if you don't get a gun before your next hunt. My place is right on the way. Just give me a call and I'll have the Remmy turkey slayer ready.
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Hey, First of all I would never shoot a turkey from the roost, and second I did pattern my gun just ended up using different shells. My bad, but no harm done to the tom. He will be back in my sites again. ;)
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Jake, I really appreciate that, I am so juiced. Makes me want to wake up over there soon. :chuckle:
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Sounds like a learning experience then. Good luck.
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:yike:
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I shoot 2 3/4" shells and have no problem dropping them at 40 yrds. I suspect you put the bead on the head and not the neck and you were shooting over them. If you had hit them the birds would not have stood there for a second shot. Next time aim at the neck and not the head
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Maybe this turkey shot load thread from last year might help ?
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,6290.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,6290.0.html)
