2010 Turkey pics

[Cheetah]

Back from zone 349D, both my brother and I filled our tags on public land. Not many hunters were around at all. Was kinda strange.

I got mine by hearing a hen yelp in the dark and I managed to sneak up into a big roosted flock, had birds all over above me and didn't know it til they woke up. One spotted me after a while and they all got nervous, a bunch flew across the valley, my jake came in range and I saw a nice beard so I shot him since I figured it would be tough hunting based on other reports I had heard. Was a good choice it turns out. His beard was 4 3/4", which is why I figured he was maybe more than a jake at first. He rolled a good 60 yards down the steep hill into drainage below and there was a trail of feathers. He looked like [PoorWordUsage].

For my brother's bird we walked a long ways get. We figured since they weren't responding to calls we would locate one on the private fields and try to either call or ambush one as it left the fields. We found a nice group of 5 jakes and 1 hen a long ways out, and watched two big gobblers come up and attack the jakes and steal the hen. They went over a hill so we took a long walk to get around to hopefully catch them. It worked, but I think maybe we found a different set of birds. We heard them gobble a couple times as we circled around, so it wasn't a completely blind luck deal. As we came up a logging road that went up to the field two big gobblers saw our movement and were watching us from about a hundred yards out, I saw them though and we froze like trees and they didn't run. A third came to join as well. One I guess thought we were a hen or something, and after a long 30+ minute standoff he actually came off the field and into the public woods right to us. My brother shot him at about 15 yards, had to wait longer than I expected because a lot of branches were in front of him. Was a great time, probably won't repeat a shot like that.

My brother needs lessons on how to use a camera I think... Not a single decent photo, oh well, bird looked like hell anyway.

[Archerysniper]

Well after dealing with the gail force winds yeasterday and a easy chip shot passed on a bigger bird because thier was a huge one behind it today I help get him his first bird. I had him in my double bull matrix with me because it has more room and shooting options and I was the camera man with his dad in a blind along side us. We heard a few gobbles until they left the roost then they were quiet at 7:30 we have a hen in the decoys and the kid was sleeping didn;t think I needed to wake him up for her and let him sleep. At 7:45 we have a gobble right in front of us about 70 yards away in the trees so I wake him up and get the blind ready for were the birds went through yesterday and I start giving a few soft purs and waiting for him to step out then I hear his dad say there are 2 jakes in the decoys wich were at 5 yards they snuck in from behind us and didn't make a noise so as he's folding up the chairs I'm closing windows on the one side and tell him to get ready as soon as I slide my windows open they are right thier and starting to spook and move away so they are at 28 yards now and I tell him to take the bird on the right and he takes his time as his head was bobbing and makes a perfect shot and drops him on the spot. The only bad thing is it happened so fast that I never had time to get the camera rolling but got to enjoy him getting his first bird along with his father.

5 inch beard

3/8 spurs and 15.5 Lbs

[Shoot2Kill]

Nice birds fellas...

I watched this guy strut in the field I shot him in 3 mornings in a row at 7:00....he came right in on que with 3 ladies on my season C opener at 6:48...he beat the snot out of my PB and got a face full of #4s....it's been a LONG time since I had a plan work flawlessly!

28lbs

1.25" hooks on both sides

9 inch beard

[DonBo]

Tschida boys, way to go! I'll have to hear the whole story sometime...

Archery, guess you had a good BDay then huh? (any cake left?)

Shoot2, what a stud! Hope you're gonna mount that bad boy. I've never taken one that big (snit, who has?) in 30 years of turkey hunting.

[sticknstring]

It's always nice when a plan comes together. That's a stud bird for sure - congrats!

[Borch]

WOW!

What a heavy bird!

Congrats on the results of your hard scouting.

[duckhuntr21]

I got lucky and filled my MN tag this morning. I had been alternating between two properties, seeing tons of birds, but none would come withing range or present a decent shot. What was most confuzing was the number of birds that I saw without hens, and still none would committ. Thursday morning was the only time out that I didn't see anything. Thursday night, A nice tom snuck up behind me and literally walked 2 feet from the group of trees that I was leaning against. I watched him strut behind me for 20 minutes and couldn't convince him to come on my side of the fenceline(property line as well). I have to admitt, I was very tempted several times. Both Friday morning and night, I had a tom coming in pretty good and was busted by a hen coming from the other way. Maybe should have learned a lesson from that the first time. On Saturday and Sunday, I hung out in my groundblind listening to raindrops and occasionally watched and swore at some turkeys. There was a turkey that would gobble and strut behind me in the woods but would not come out to play. Last night I watched 6 toms go to roost not far from my blind so I sat there again this morning. For some reason, I didn't hear anything this morning until about 8:30 when this guy gobbled behind me. I am pretty sure it was the same bird that I heard drumming the previous two days. This guy finally let his guard down and put his head in an opening between two trees. It is still cool to get the same rush as shooting my first buck after half a dozen turkeys. The beard was only 1.5-2", one spur was 1 1/4" other was broke off, and 22lbs 9oz

Here is my bird from S.D. taken two weeks ago. 18lbs 12oz, 3/4" spurs, and an 8" beard

[Shoot2Kill]

Shoot2, what a stud! Hope you're gonna mount that bad boy. I've never taken one that big (snit, who has?) in 30 years of turkey hunting.

Thx man....yep, he was a toad. That's actually the 3rd bird I've seen in 4 years here in MN at 28lbs, I thought it was a joke when I hung this guy up and the scale said 28.0...it's like we're stuck shooting the fatties! haha. Unfortunately he's not getting mounted...I've got a canvasback and a deer shoulder mount getting done right now....if I want to fish at all this summer there's no way I could spring for the $800 full body mount. I did a fan mount and will be finishing that up this week.

Duckhunter21....nice birds man....absolutely beautiful fans on both of them...I have to get out after those Merriums, dang they are beautiful.

[sticknstring]

Hope you're doing something with those hooks as well. Trophy spurs are hard to come by!

[mrklean]

sweet looking birds guys nice job

[derek5]

Nice looking birds guys! I had a great time hunting the D season. Every hunt we either saw toms, jakes or heard gobbling. After scouting for 3 weeks prior to the season I thought a long beard was coming home. Well they kicked the snot of us! They would either hang up or sense something wasn't right. Had a few chances, but really wanted my 1st bow kill. So held of until day #5 to take a jake. I have to say that was a rush with the bow. I was able to take out the fiance and boy for one evening hunt. He was pretty quiet until a turkey gobbled to the call, then he couldn't hold it in. Never saw that one. Here are a few pics.

[derek5]

[derek5]

[Borch]

Looks like you had a lot of fun!

Very Cool!

[Shoot2Kill]

Nice bird man.....it looks alive with it's head up! ha!

I have a son about your sons age, (mines 2 1/2)....I can't imagine mine in the blind with me right now! Nicely done!

[Muskie456]

That picture of the little dude with the face mask and nook is great. Good job on the bird.

[duckhuntr21]

I have a son about your sons age, (mines 2 1/2)....I can't imagine mine in the blind with me right now! Nicely done!

+1 I was thinking the same thing. There wouldn't be a turkey around for miles if my son was in the blind with me. It is pretty cool though to see it can be done though.

[derek5]

Thanks it was alot of fun with the little guy. He usually doesn't have a nook in, but it kept him a little quieter. He turns 2 in July. His eyes got pretty big after the loud gobble within 60yds or so behind some cover. Good Luck to those that are still after them!

[ac777]

I got lucky and filled my MN tag this morning. I had been alternating between two properties, seeing tons of birds, but none would come withing range or present a decent shot. What was most confuzing was the number of birds that I saw without hens, and still none would committ. Thursday morning was the only time out that I didn't see anything. Thursday night, A nice tom snuck up behind me and literally walked 2 feet from the group of trees that I was leaning against. I watched him strut behind me for 20 minutes and couldn't convince him to come on my side of the fenceline(property line as well). I have to admitt, I was very tempted several times. Both Friday morning and night, I had a tom coming in pretty good and was busted by a hen coming from the other way. Maybe should have learned a lesson from that the first time. On Saturday and Sunday, I hung out in my groundblind listening to raindrops and occasionally watched and swore at some turkeys. There was a turkey that would gobble and strut behind me in the woods but would not come out to play. Last night I watched 6 toms go to roost not far from my blind so I sat there again this morning. For some reason, I didn't hear anything this morning until about 8:30 when this guy gobbled behind me. I am pretty sure it was the same bird that I heard drumming the previous two days. This guy finally let his guard down and put his head in an opening between two trees. It is still cool to get the same rush as shooting my first buck after half a dozen turkeys. The beard was only 1.5-2", one spur was 1 1/4" other was broke off, and 22lbs 9oz

Here is my bird from S.D. taken two weeks ago. 18lbs 12oz, 3/4" spurs, and an 8" beard

Nice birds, I love the way those Merriams look. where do you hunt near Evansville?

[ac777]

Originally Posted By: DonBo

Shoot2, what a stud! Hope you're gonna mount that bad boy. I've never taken one that big (snit, who has?) in 30 years of turkey hunting.

there's no way I could spring for the $800 full body mount.

Where do you go that charges that? I just brought mine to the taxi and it was a little over $400 for full strut.

[jkcmj]

2nd day of my season and scored a nice Tom this morning. I had 4 different Toms gobbling at me on the hillside and ravine above where I set up this morning. I could hear them working in closer when my brothers cattle herd came over the dam I was set up on and started nervously approaching my decoy and touching it with their noses. When they were done sniffing it it was at a 45 degrees angle. Just as they were losing interest I heard a loud gobble just off to my right side. A large tom was coming in from the other side of the creek from my blindside. He was about 30 yards out when he 1st gobbled. I turned my attention to slowly moving my gun his direction before he got behind the cattle when I started to hear drumming and spitting behind me. The one I was on was a nice bird so I didn't bother checking on the one behind me. I took the bird as he started to circle to get in behind the cattle. The toms still out of site kept gobbling while I retrieved the bird and walked away. Amazing hunt and back to the house by 6am. 23 lbs. 9 inch beard. 7/8 inch spurs.

[Shoot2Kill]

[bigbucks]

Here's some pics of the bird I shot at 7:40 last night. He came from I'm guessing 400+ yards away. Got him coming with the Jake gobble. He was upwind & couldn't hear the hen calling I don't think. Took him about 45 minutes to get to me. Shot him at 18 yards. He was in full strut & fan mode for about 15 minutes, the last 150-200 yards, what a rush!

Hopefully you can pull up my FB photos. Also pics of my set & the bird my cousin shot yesterday morning.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-a...8_3213425_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s...0_4746842_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-s...7_4334593_n.jpg

[mrklean]

nice looking bireds guys

[duckhuntr21]

Great looking birds and pics.