Team #5 "TOM COMMANDERS" Official Site

[bmc]

Sounds like Walli and benbosh are on the birds, so it's just a matter of time before we see some success pics posted.

My season doesn't start till May 7th, hurry up and wait stinks!!!

Keep after 'em guys!!

Brian

[benbosh]

On the birds indeed.. Had to go into work early this morning to push snow so I didn't get out scouting right away this morning. Around 830 I went home, grabbed the trail cam and headed to the woods. The trees had a lot of snow sticking to them and their branches so you couldn't see through them at all so I tried a locator call to make sure I wouldn't spook anything but got no response so I slowly walked along. Put my trail camera where 3 trails meet up just to see if they use them much or not.

Walked down the hill to a low, open spot with a pond/some trees on the east and north sides with woods and river on the west side. It's probably 80-100 yards from where I think they've been roosting lately. Found 1 set of fresh tracks and followed them for a bit but backed out because they went into the woods but I didn't want to follow them being visibility was low in the woods and was fairly quiet. Got back to the truck and 250 yards away on the road near the land owners yard I seen 2 of them. Couldn't quite tell what they were from there so I drove down the road, turned around and came back to do a drive by. Turns out, just off the road on the other side of an old fence was what appeared to be 5-6 hens and one strutting tom with a HUGE beard. Went home and drove by about 2 hours later and the tom was still there, couldn't tell if the hens were too or not.

[benbosh]

Kinda quiet in here but I'll update with my latest scounting.. Yesterday I went down to the private land I'm hunting and walked to my usual scouting spot on an oak ridge just south of where they've been roosting. Start walking up the ridge and I bust 2 hens out of the tree just on the otherside of the ridge. Wasn't expecting it at all because in the 5 years I've hunted this property, I've never seen a turkey roost in this spot. The tom I've been watching was roosted about 1/3 mile west of his normal spot, on a different property, but I did hear another gobble to the south end of my hunting area. I ran into work for a quick meeting then drove by where I'll be hunting and out in the field is the tom I heard gobbling right away in the morning to the south, hes with a hen.

This morning, go to my scouting ridge, carefully watching the trees this time but no turkeys roosted there thankfully. The gobbler thats been hanging around this north end of the property was in his usual roost. Checked the trail camera, got a few pictures of some hens on Wednesday night and a few more yesterday morning along with the tom.

Heres the guy I'm after (date is off by 2 days and time is off by 6 1/2 hours, FYI):

[Borch]

Looks like a nice one.

Good Luck Benbosh!

[Scoot]

Sick him, benbosh!!!

I'm headed out both days this weekend- if I don't get it done this weekend I've probably only got one day left after that. Busy schedule between work, kids, home... it's been tough to hunt as much as I've wanted to. I'll do my best to knock a bird down for the Tom Commanders though!!! Wish me luck...

[rundrave]

good luck guys!

[bmc]

Good luck guys!!!!

Brian

[IlliniWalli]

i am starting to think i am snakebit this season.

struck out on my second tag opener today and on the way home had a blowout. ended up buying a new set of truck tires. ouch

was hunting one of my favorite places on a big bluff where if you are in the highest spot on the property you can see the mighty miss in the distance.

had a couple gobblers oh so close off the roost but they wouldnt crest the ridge into the field and headed off down the draw with the hens.

hunted til quittin time at 1 and did not hear another gobble or see another bird. wind kicked up to around 20 mid-morning and when i reached for my tube call that was attached to a lanyard on my vest, it was shattered to smithereens after i apparently sat on it.

since this was my first trip to the property this year, which is an hour away, i think i have a better plan for tomorrow.

[benbosh]

Thanks guys! Got the blind set up tonight and its go-time tomorrow!!

Man, sounds rough Walli. Keep after 'em!

[benbosh]

Well fellow Tom Commanders.. 2 1/2 hours into my hunt this morning I happened to let an arrow fly at a critter with a spur that was 1 5/8".. we'll just leave it at that for now

Pics, story, and contest submisson to come later. Hate to leave you guys in suspense but it's time to go enjoy this weather!

[DonBo]

...spur that was 1 5/8"...

Wow, congrats! Can't wait to the pics.

[IlliniWalli]

so ... you sliced his leg off?

big congrats, ben, lookin forward to pix and story.

score another one for the tom commanders. sounds like he might be in the running for big bird, too.

[bmc]

C'mon benbosh! Don't leave us hangin'!

Looking forward to pics and the story!!

Brian

[Archerysniper]

OOOOOO,I can't wait to see a pic of those monster hooks

[benbosh]

Well here he is guys. I'll get get it submitted for the contest hopefully tomorrow but heres the story and some pics.

After scouting all of last week I knew right where I wanted to put my blind, same spot where I got those trail cam pics from. So Friday night at dark I snuck in there to the top of this oak/basswood ridge where 3 trails intersect making a "T". The top of the T running north/south and the bottom of the T to the east. I set up as quietly as a could on the east side of the intersection on top of the ridge with a pond to my right (north). After I got the blind set up as quietly as possible, I snuck out of there.

Saturday morning came, I got up a little earlier than I normally would due to the fact that there was ZERO wind and it was dead quiet, giving the woods a chance to quiet down should they hear me. I let out a few soft tree yelps early to let him know I was around. 5 minutes before legal shooting time, GOBBLE! He was roosted probably 100 yards straight west of me. I scanned the trees hoping to spot him but couldn't find him but figured he must be just across the river. He'd gobble about every couple minutes on the roost then a little after 6 it was silent. I knew he had flew down because all week scouting, as soon as he hit the ground he'd go silent. Finally 10 minutes later he gobbled but he was probably 300 yards across the river in the field, figuring he was with hens.

Knowing he wouldn't come anytime soon, I would call every half hour or so and he'd gobble every 15 minutes or so. Having confidence in this tactic, being I've killed 2 out of 3 of my turkeys this way (and one miss ) I kept at it until about 8. Finally just before 8 I noticed he started gobbling more, if he was with hens I figured they must of left or he got bored of them. I picked up the pace and intensity of my calling, about every couple minutes or so, he'd respond. I went silent for a little bit and he was still gobbling every 2 minutes. I went back to some real intense cutting, yelps and purrs and finally he let out a gobble, he was closer and crossed the river!

I brought down the calling to just some light purrs, clucks and a couple yelps and I finally see a red head bobbing along the bottom of the ridge from the west looking for this hen. He worked his way along the bottom, when finally he seen my decoy. He hit the trail that runs along the west edge of the pond, he was just 30 yards north/northwest of me at this point. I grabbed my bow, clipped my release to my loop and waited. He slowly half-strutted up the hill, gobbling every time he stopped. At 14 yards he stopped, brought his head up and did a little head bob look around. I thought he busted me, he must have been checking out my decoy because a few seconds later he was back to half strut and even threw a little spitting and drumming in for me.

He walks maybe another yard, stops to gobble so I drew my bow knowing he only had to take about 4 more steps to clear about 3 tiny twigs of a gooseberry bush and I'd have a clear shot. He took those finally steps, stopped to gobble one last time of his life, raised his head a little to see if he got a response out of the hen and THWACK! I let the arrow fly. He went 30 yards back to the bottom of the ridge where he came from and piled up! It was about 8:30 opening morning and I had my bird!!!

I went and got him, took a few pictures, then packed up. It was a long 1/2 mile walk back through a muddy cornfield to the truck but worth every ounce of energy it took, even though that was the shortest walk back I've had turkey hunting.

He weighed 22.2 lbs (22 lbs 4 oz), 1 3/8" and 1 5/8" spurs, 11 inch beard. Everything for the contest will be submitted hopefully tomorrow, if not, Thursday for sure!

Has anybody seen white in the tail feathers like this before?

[Cheetah]

Impressive spurs on that bird! Congratulations!

I shot a bird once with white in the center tail feathers very much like your bird. I did a bunch of reading online and the basic conclusion was that it has to do with the bird's diet, or lack there of, while that feather was growing.

[sticknstring]

Congrats - that's one heckuva bird! Wallmount variety! My MN bird last spring had white in the center like that. First & only one I've taken like it so far. Unique!

[123fish]

Limb hanger for sure. Congrats.

[hugonian1]

WOW, those are some nice hooks and a great all around bird.

Congrats.

[bassmann77]

Sorry Guys I stuck out this year. I hunted all day Saturday which started off great. I heard 4 different sets of gobbles at about 5:15. Right about fly down the coyotes started yipping and two of the sets stopped. At about 6:15 I had a nice hen slip into the decoys, but no tom around. Nothing the rest of the day. Sunday was dead woods. Nothing No deer, ducks, pheasants, nothing. Monday was the same as was yesterday morning. Well the weather today prevented me from getting out. The birds that I did see while driving around were with hens and the weren't gobbling at all. The private property that I was hunting hasn't got a bird so far this year. In the past we usually get 4-5 nice toms throughout the season. Pretty sure the weather messed up all of their usual haunts. Where they usually roost on the property had snow until yesterday. Sorry I wasn't able to help the team.

[Scoot]

Congrats benbosh- really impressive bird!

Sorry I wasn't able to help the team.

Well bassman, I've got a little more time to try chip in, but if things keep going like they have been for me, I'll soon be posting a reply much like yours. I've been kicked in the groin a bunch of times by these dang birds! I'm frustrated and irritated, but I'm not smart enough to give up! Some tags don't get filled no matter how hard we try... I hope you had a fun season trying, bassman!

[bmc]

That's why it's called huntin' and not killin' bassman. I've had more than my fair share of un-filled turkey tags.

Benbosh, that's an AWESOME bird. LOVE those hooks!!!

Keep after 'em Scoot!!

Brian

[benbosh]

Thanks guys! I finally got him submitted. It's only my 4th turkey and it's gonna be a tough one to beat, but I also said that the past 2 years and every year I've killed a bigger bird than last. Couldn't have gotten any luckier with the weather for the C season. To everyone else still hunting, good luck!

[IlliniWalli]

i'm still out there chasin the big one, guys. aint about to give up, even though this has been my toughest season in recent memory.

has been very, very difficult getting the toms to work. birds still flocked up in my neck of the woods - thats crazy for this late in the season.

the other day i was set up between two groups that had about 6 toms apiece firing off from the roost. after flydown, both flocks got together and moved off in a group of about 30.

about a dozen times i've had a tom within 75 yards, but he eventually would drift off with the hens. i've shot a lot of birds from mid-morning on cuttin and runnin but have struck only a couple gobbles this season.

i'm down but not out. my final season begins thursday. maybe by then most of the hens will be on the nest and the big boys will be out cruisin.

[bmc]

Keep after 'em Walli!!!

My season starts Tuesday.

Looks like the weather will be really nice and I know the landowners where I hunt have heard and seen birds on their properties.

I'm really pumped as this will be my wife's 1st time hunting anything, ever!!!

Keep after 'em guys!!

Brian