Hoyt4

Dang , that had to give the heart a test.

Saturday morning I was able to put my tag on a nice bird. If I did no get to put some scouting time in I would of moved too fast. I knew these bird was going to show up but he never made a peep on roost or the ground. I was able to call in the hens with him following. The hens yelped twice on the ground and that was it. Had other birds gobbling but I knew this guy was around. It was him with 3 Jakes and 3 hens that pretty much stayed by themselves and nothing to do with the larger group of birds. I was able to see him the Saturday before opener and trail cameras showing he was coming through around 720 each morning. I shot him at 7:15 plan worked out great. 20 Gauge is becoming my favorite gun for turkeys. He was just a couple oz’s shy of 24lbs. double beard 11inch, spurs 1inch. Some big birds dropping. My dads was 25lbs and Protourbait above 24. Might head back to NE this weekend see how the week goes. I have WI left for a couple tags.

Congrats nice bird Featherslayer

Mn opener this morning old man tagged out on a nice Tom with his new 20 gauge. 3 came in put on a good show and one stayed behind :). Waiting for pictures still. Started off with a great spring in NE and this should be just as good in MN this week. Heading out after work

Good luck boys and girls. Got out and scouted more this weekend. Saw plenty of birds and man are they talking in the morning. I will not be able to hunt a full day until the weekend. Just after work to start the season off. Looks like some rain for Wednesday, so i'm going to pack up one of my blinds for that night. Hoping it's done by the time i get out of work. Thinking of heading back to NE and getting my last tag and run and gun the cedar hillsides down there. Still have WI season E (two tags) if I can make it work might even try F.

Don Sounds like you are ready to go. Best of luck to all you bring out this spring. I will be out as much as I Can all spring. This year I do not have ball until June. I turned down a tournament in NE this weekend. I want to scout for next week MN,For me and a buddies kids.

LOL No ground blinds unless there is rain coming. Going to put out couple more cameras this weekend. Hoping to get a few kids coming out also but that is not looking so hot right now. If they can make it out I will put up a ground blind for them.

Sure is, been getting some really good ones the last couple springs.

One to start this spring

After chasing old thunder chickens with the bow. I'm ready to get even with them next Wednesday with the old pipe bomb. I will not be able to hunt till after work next week until the weekend. Cameras are out and going back up Saturday to hang a couple more on another chunk of land. I will be there before sunrise hoping to know as much as I can about what the birds are doing by Saturday. Tonight getting the shotgun shells out for the 20guage and re-packing some clothes after doing laundry this week. Can't wait for Wednesday it will not be here soon enough. Have a few phone calls in to the land owners checking to see what they are seeing birds doing. Trying to get the MRI I can. Decoys will be in the truck but not sure I will use them. From talking some friends hunting the same area birds seem to be really aggressive right now so could be a good choice to use. Anyone else getting out and scouting? Good luck , Week from today for those hunting Season A.

Don good luck , if things are are going about the same you will hit it just right.

Primos has been my go too calls all my turkey hunting. Right now nothing to make me change. The raspier the better for the mouth calls and box. The heart breaker was the best small box call made in my mind even against custom calls. It was many call competitions against all box calls. I will not be in the woods without. They stopped making this call a few years ago not sure why but will bring back the last few years as a promotional with different things engraved on it. Have a few different slates that will work in rain or dry (power crystal) call has been good. Main calls are a handful of mouth calls with the box. Deep and raspy has been my best luck with getting hens or gobblers to respond. This time of year starting in NE the more aggressive the better from what I’ve been seeing over the years. My 2nd bird I called in this year my mouth was so sore. Calling non-stop ,if the hen keeps going you need to keep going. I pulled the birds off neighbors land and across a road to me . She came in looking to kick my butt. Was her mistake and the boys followed.

This spring started off great. So far we have 10 birds down in camp with one more out hunting today. 7 birds with bow for archery only and this last Saturday was youth weekend. One kid tagged two birds one shot and filled two of his tags on opening morning. Then last night the girl put her bird down after many close calls with dad. Was a blast having the kids come down and join us after some long grueling out hunts all week. First called in a bird for my buddy on our first morning, Shot at 7:15. Then I finally worked over a couple birds around 930 and took one of the two. First bird with the new bow this spring. Next morning I took in another from our group and called in a bird for him around 8:30. Our birds were on the lite side this year , the kids birds were heavier. I tried hard to get my old man a bird but they just would not work out. Had chances and some real close calls. I went run and gun on Tuesday morning and was able to take my 2nd bird without the blinds. I would rather hunt this way then locking myself to a blind. You can still run and gun hunt with a bow.

Also got my bonus tag. Both tags bought and ready to rock in a couple months.

That really stinks. I'm trying to remember but the last few bad winters even north of the cities the big snow we got and then freezing rain at the end of the winter was bad. We found a dozen frozen dead birds. We just started to get back to numbers the last couple years.Going out this weekend to put cameras out and scout. Hoping I do not find any birds this year.