TEAM 8 - "TURKEYSNIPERS"

[rundrave]

well 2 guys in our group were out hunting this morning. I got a txt at 8:30am saying that they got 4 birds. I thought they were just pulling my leg until I got the picture of all 4 birds (3 toms and a hen).

I don't know if that's good or bad, but now I am super excited to get out. Going to be a long day at work today. Really hoping this doesn't turn into "you should have been here yesterday"

I will be leaving here tomorrow morning at 4am and plan to be in the woods before sun up.

wish me luck.

[rundrave]

bags are packed, and I cant sleep. Alarm is set, convoy is leaving here at 3:45am.

I should be able to provide updates on here from my phone. Wish me luck! And good luck to the rest of you.

[Archerysniper]

Get on out there and lay the smack down. Good luck and be safe.

[featherslayer 1]

finally a day off work thought i would go out and do a little scouting. cheetah how did you do any luck? rundrave havent heard from you if you bagged one either.

[Cheetah]

Hey guys, I haven't had much time to be online all week since we were chasing turkeys as they ran circles around us. I got a bird. I'll post info a bit later today, have a lot of catching up to do at the office.

[Cheetah]

Lots of photos, wish I just had the camera sometimes so I could get some really cool shots. Here are some of the ones that came out ok.

Part of a large flock that I was chasing with my bow. They were going nuts in the trees where I couldn't see them. The flock eventually passed under me at 70yd and I didn't feel like flinging arrows into the rocks. Suddenly the were all putting and grouped up, 4 coyotes charged in from the left. The flock went crazy and a bunch jumped up into the trees, I took a shot with the bow as one of the toms came up the hill towards me. Instead I shot a big old rock. The coyotes missed too.

An army of jakes. I counted 12 jakes being lead by 2 toms. I circled ahead of them and ambushed one of the lead toms with my shotgun as they paraded past, then counted 14 birds wondering what the heck just happened. Somehow an extra bird was in the group which I wasn't able to see before. They all grouped up to find out why my bird was suddenly acting all weird and couldn't decide what to do next. Finally they walked off about 50yd, but my bird flopped a couple times and the whole bunch came back to check him out again before finally leaving for good.

I shot this tom just over the ridge in the background. He came within a few feet of falling off the cliff.

One of many curious deer.

Playing with my camera I managed to get a decent shot of these birds way across a valley.

My uncle glassing for a flock we were sneaking up on. We got right into them and they were going back and forth on a logging road that we had positioned below. I could see some tail fans every so often go by. They wouldn't commit to coming down to our calling. As the flock moved on we did have one jake and a tom come up to us about 5yd but we were not ready. Funny stuff. The tom almost got shot but my uncle was waiting for a beard to show so he wouldn't shoot a jake on accident, it didn't flip out until just out of range.

My uncle with his bird, shot on the last morning with his Long Tom at 20 yards. We had set up on 4 birds on the end of a ridge but they went away from us so we scrambled to get ahead of them. Other birds came down and joined up with them. We committed to crawling up to the edge of the big clear ridge top. This one came in close, drumming for quite a while while the rest were on the far edge of the ridge about 60-70yd out. He peeked over at 20yd and that was the end of that.

One of his buddies strutting after the flock moved off.

[Borch]

Very cool Cheetah!

[Hoyt4]

Congrats Cheetah,

Has Neil fixed that curved barrel on that long tom or can he still shoot around corners?

[rundrave]

got back late last night after 3 very very hard days of hunting. 9 guys 1 bird all weekend.

I will give a better recap when I get more time. I plan to get out again before my season closes. Hopefully with better luck.

[Cheetah]

Hoyt, the curve IS the fix! It doesn't shoot straight without the big bend.

[sticknstring]

Awesome pics! Congrats on the bird!

[Cheetah]

A tom showing off to a hen, the flock is calling in the background.

[DonBo]

WTG Josh! Great pics as usual.

[featherslayer 1]

CONGRATS cheetah well my morning of scouting went pretty good, i went to the area i plan on hunting and just sat there and i know i had at least 15 toms in the area they were gobbling all around me. I didnt see any till i took off and scouted a few other fields, located one field of corn stuble that is loaded with turkeys so going back tonite to hopfully gain permission.

[Cheetah]

15 toms and you need another spot? You'll probably get one on opening morning like DonBo from the sounds of it.

Here is a sneak peak at what I will be entering for the contest.

[sticknstring]

I love long hooks - nice!

[mws4dux]

Cool pics and nice bird cheetah !!!

[DonBo]

Looks like a great bird Josh. WTG!

[Archerysniper]

Great job getting us on the board,and judging by the hooks it's a nice bird.

[featherslayer 1]

I've got a question for you guys, what would you shoot a nice tom with a beard around 10 inches or a hen that has one 5-6 inches.

[Cheetah]

I'd rather shoot the mature tom.

[Cheetah]

Just posted my score. 48.375

Sorry to say my bird lost a few points due to weight. A whopping 11.5 pounds. He had a crushed breast bone which was probably from being hit by a car in his youth and he just couldn't grow much bigger than a jake in that condition. The amount of meat I got off of him was embarrassing. Probably why he was leading an army of jakes when I shot him...

[sticknstring]

I was wondering if that was a typo when I read the submission - that's crazy! I bet that bird could maneuver like a barn swallow in the air!

One year we had a prize for the smallest bird entered. I think I won with a headless & beardless 14 lb jake. A bobcat got to it before I did and tore the upper third of the bird off. It was half-buried in leaves just an hour & a half after I shot it. 14lbs, 1/4" spurs, & 0" beard - needless to say it didn't score very well! Made for a good story though.

[featherslayer 1]

Like my grandpa always told me One in the hand is better than two in the bush. every bird counts and yours could be the one thats helps out. congrats again

[mws4dux]

Went out today with a buddy and his girlfriend,lots of gobbling on the roost. We had a nice tom pitch down into the field. He strutted his way into the dekes @ 15 yds. At 6:20 she had her first turkey.Then I received a txt at 7:00 another buddy shot his first today.Heading out with my brother during the D season then my season starts can't wait...