Team 2: Tom Takers

[bloc004]

I shot one this morning. It's no record setting bird by any means but an adult. I am hunting a later season as well, but I think we have to submit our first bird, if I read the rules correctly.

Anyway, got out to my spot at about 6 am. Hunkered down and threw out a few calls. I switched to a diaphram call this year, and I will never go back! Hands free is the way to be. I will be using my bow in the later season so I figured I better get used to the mouth calls. I had gobbling all around, it was just a matter of where they were going to come out. I was posted on a straight-away of a walking path.

Here is the Killer B sitting out in front of me.

I had a clear shot 40 yds to my right and 40 yds to my left. I had two gobbling closer and closer straight out in the woods. I could hear them working their way to my left, so I turned and faced that way. Out comes this guy and flapped his wings, stood tall, looked around, took one more step and I rolled him. I saw a lot of really nice birds yesterday, but I knew he was an adult, so I was happy to take him. Plus my wife will be happy that I will not be waking the entire house up at 5 am all weekend. He weighed 18 lbs(17.15) with a 9 3/4" beard and 3/4" spurs. I will get the form filled out and submitted.

[dukhnt]

Team 2 is on the board. Congrats on the nice turkey!

[Scoot]

WTG bloc!

[DrJ]

Way to get us on the board Bloc004. Any bird is a trophy in my mind.The excitement can't be beat when you hear that 1st gobble in the morning. I'm done with work for the week now and can't wait till Monday morning. Good Luck to All DrJ...

[minky]

Great bird and story!

[Sinker]

Bloc, congrats. What time did you shoot? I live not even a mile east of Willow River State Park and I got home from work around 9 a.m. yesterday. Thought I heard a single shot around that time, in that direction. Common to hear shooting out here but usually it's from the game farm in the other direction. Nice bird.

[bloc004]

I shot him this morning around 7 am. There were a couple guys hunting over on Trout Brook Rd yesterday morning, and I think I heard the same shot. On the way home I saw a bunch of birds crossing the road just down from the Willow River Saloon.

[Sinker]

Yeah, that must have been it. I also saw six in that yard next to the Willow River Inn last weekend. Two were strutters.

[Scoot]

OK, bloc got it done, but it's been awfully quiet for the rest of us. We hunted Fri and Sat and it was tough sledding for us. Heard gobbles on Fri morning and had a hen within 40 yards for two hours, but nothing to shoot at. Fun time in the outdoors with my son and nephews, but no shooting for us this weekend. The wind was brutal all of Sat and made for very tough hunting for us.

NoWiser invited us down to his neck of the woods this coming weekend and we're going to take him up on it. My son is really looking forward to it and so am I! Hopefully we can get a bird to cooperate and get Ryan a legit crack at one. If Mother Nature cooperates I have a good feeling about the weekend. If she doesn't, we'll have fun trying!

[dukhnt]

My hunt was a bust. I could hunt tuesday-thursday. Tuesday morning I saw 7 birds (3 toms, 2 jakes, 2 hens). Nothing wanted to come near my set-up. I have never hunted an evening before and I figured with the incoming weather I would give it a shot. At 5:30 I saw a couple of toms a long ways behind me in the neighboring property. Then around 7:00 I saw 3 toms heading my direction. At one point all three were side by side in full strut. It was a beautiful sight. There were in no hurry, slowly making their way to me. When they got within 100 yards I turned on the video camera. They were at 80 yards and still coming. Then a chainsaw fired up a half mile away at the farm. Those three toms turned around and ran so fast I couldn't believe it. The chainsaw didn't run long. And a half hour later I had a jake coming my way fast. I wasn't going to be picky on my hunt, just wanted to get it on video. All of a sudden the chainsaw started again. Yep, that bird took off the other way like the toms.

Wednesday morning brought plenty of rain and wind. I sat in it for 5 hours and only saw 2 hens.

I woke up to my alarm Thursday morning. A quick check of the radar and I decieded I didn't feel like sitting in the rain again.

Good luck to the rest of the team.

[Scoot]

Sounds like a very fun hunt that was riddled with bad luck! Cool experience seeing those toms coming in side-by-side-by-side, I bet!

[DrJ]

Well my season ended without a bird for the Tom Takers. We took 1 bird for our group of 4. It was a Jake. I had 1 bird in my set up the 1st morning and missed the shot. He was in the decoys for about 2-3minutes and never raised his head. Then a hen came running towards me with 2 jakes running after her. My Tom stared and started walking away from me to check her out. He turned to the side slightly and I took a shot at his head still tucked tight to his chest and missed. In hindsight I should have made a noise to get him to stick his head up. Wishing now I would have aimed a little more on his body but at the time I didn't want to blow him up. The rest of the week I saw birds but nothing would come close to my decoys. I guess I have to wait another year to get one. GOOD LUCK TO ALL...... DrJ.

[Scoot]

Still quiet for the Tom Takers! We went out last night and saw a few birds, but nothing came anywhere near us. Hopefully headed back out on Sat morning.

[featherslayer 1]

I got one this morning, it was a tough 2 day hunt this year. I went out yesterday morning and the toms were all across the field which is only like 200 yrds, I had one tom come out and look around and went right back in and the rest of the morning i just heard them. This morning i set up in the same spot and had turkeys talking well before light all in the same spot. gobbles for an hour then the hens started talking back which was pretty fun. I had 5 jakes come across the field only to head towards all the calling. Then a nice tom come to the edge of the field he was very vocal but didnt want to come across. At that point i got up and made a move across the field into the woods and worked my way towards them. I stopped at about 100 yards and set up on a little trail maybe 50 yards from the fields edge. I figured if they dont want to come out maybe i could call them to me in the woods. It only took about 10 minutes and here they came. Will register here in the next few days. Not the biggest bird but the way i look at it is time out in the woods enjoying life and trying to figure some of these birds out and at the end come home with a tag notched.

[123fish]

Congrats to you on your bird. Sounds like the move you made was the right one.

[Borch]

Congrats Featherslayer. They're all trophies.

[Scoot]

WTG featherslayer! Congrats!!!

[Wallydog]

My report thus far..........have not personally put the wood to one yet. Called in a great bird for a pal and 2 more a week ago for 2 separate youth hunters. Will be on them this weekend and possible next in Washington/Oregon.

[Wallydog]

Finally on the board. Nice 3 year old Rio take in Eastern OR at 11:55 am this morning.

[DonBo]

Finally on the board.

WTG Wally! Knew it was only a matter of time. How many others have already tagged birds while with you this spring?

[Scoot]

Atta boy Wally! Way to get the Tom Takers back up here!

[Wallydog]

Don, they really had their way with me the first 3 days of our season. I had birds every day but they seemed content to just give me the feather! I did call in a good bird for a friend but it 's the first time in 20 years I have not whacked at least 1 in the first go. I did call in 2 birds for 2 young ladies (11 & 14) the weekend before last. One had the best spurs I've seen on a bird in our parts (1.375 & 1.25) sharp and hooked.

[DonBo]

That's an awesome bird anywhere Wally. The smile on that girls face is just as nice. WTG.

I'm taking a young lady out this week too, and mentoring an archery only DNR sponsored Women in the Outdoors hunt this weekend. Still have an archery tag here in MN that's good till the 29th.

Hope you shoot a couple more!

[Scoot]

I'm super pumped to report that my 9 year old son, Ryan, can add to the Tom Taker's tally this year. The bird he shot had a 9.5" beard, 11/16" spurs (not sure if we're supposed to measure them to the 16th of an inch, but that was as accurate as I could get it-- not quite 3/4"), and weighed 22.5 lbs. It was an intense, wonderful final scene that ended with my suddenly not so little boy putting an arrow right where he was supposed to. I couldn't be more proud!

I've got the form filled out, but I forgot the pics on my camera, so I'll get it entred into the contest this coming Monday.

[hugonian1]

That is awesome Scoot.

Congrats to you both.

And to do it with the bow.

Way to go.