Team 3: "Fan Tastic Toms"

[DonBo]

Nice job, can't wait to see pics.

[rkhinrichs]

hugonian1- nice jobs!

[rkhinrichs]

im headed home tomorrow. then hunting Saturday. It is my only day I can hunt so idk if i am much help for the team but im on some really good land!

[benbosh]

wow sounds like your figuring out the puzzle!

Ehh, I feel like I'm not at all.. For some reason I just feel like I can't figure these birds out at all this year.. Got the roost pin pointed, for the hens anyway. 2 hens in the same trees as the days before but the tom was roosted a couple hundred yards south this morning. Watched the hens fly down, got a few gobbles after he hit the ground and silence. Check back later in the morning and still silence and no sightings. After they hit the ground I can't figure out for sure what they're doing. I'm sure he's henned up and what not so I'll probably be competing with them once my season starts unless they start laying soon. So far my plan for Monday morning is to set up on the ridge 75 yards away from the roost and try to get the hens and/or him to fly down towards me otherwise try to p*$$ one of the hens off so he follows.

Congrats on the bird!

[hugonian1]

Good luck on your hunt today rkhinrichs.

Pretty windy out there.

[rkhinrichs]

Well here is the report! We hunted on our land just outside of long prairie. I took my cousin out with me. It was his first turkey hunt. I had a tag and could only hunt Saturday. We got to our land around 8:00pm. I already had an area picked out. So my cousin and I booked it across the corn field, to set up the blind. I got a turkey to shock gobble which got us fired up.

Next morning it was raining and windy. Nothing all morning. Around 10:00 we decide to walk around and look for some sheds and maybe get one to shock gobble. Well around 10:30 we headed back to the blind. It was kind of weird because it was like the rain stop and the sun was coming out. As we were walking to the blind I heard a gobble, so I let out a locator call and I got a shock gobble!!! I told my cousin “get in the blind.” After that we had a show 4 toms 2 jakes strutting and gobbling over the fence. The cool part was that the jakes and toms had two hens with them one was a normally one but the other hen was an albino or piebald hen! I did not get a picture since I was more worried about the safety and keeping my cousin calm. And trying to figure these birds out.

The fence where the toms/jakes were strutting was just 35 yards from our blind. After, 20 minutes of watching this show of me calling, then playing hard to get. I got one Tom to come under. But he was kind of behind us and was just putting on a show. Then after an hour, another Tom came across the fence, I told him it is now or never. My cousin shot…. missed and then missed again. I told him shoot again! this time he hit it and the tom went down!!!!!!!!! I ran out of the blind and made sure it was not going anywhere after! We were cheering and yelling. If anyone was in the area that was me yelling

After that we took plenty of pics and we went out for a burger, After lunch I was up to bat. I had a Tom going for an hour, just could not close the deal with the bow!!!!

If anyone needs a spot in the metro im more than willing to give you a couple spots or meet up and I could help call. (my favorite part of turkey hunting)

I am on the right with the bow!

ALL smiles!

[hugonian1]

Great job getting your young cousin on a bird.

That makes it all worth it.

Not often you get 3 shots at a bird. Way to stick with it.

Are you sure you were not guiding Donbo Jr.

[DonBo]

Are you sure you were not guiding Donbo Jr.

Right out of left field

[hugonian1]

More like a line drive right up the middle.

It's all good DonBo.

Somehow I think you will be posting pics of at least 2 birds shortly.

[Archerysniper]

Are you sure you were not guiding Donbo Jr.

Ha ha, at least I'm not the only one that remembers

[Powerstroke]

Congrats on the bird and good for you for helping someone else out. Great pictures too.

I'm not sure if you receive PM's. I sent you one. I have something I want to discuss.

[triggertrav]

heading out in less than 12 hours. The weekend looks pretty crappy, but still gotta give it a go. Tomorrow morn should be nice.

Good luck to all out this weekend - i will keep ya'll posted.

[hugonian1]

Good luck Triggertrav.

[rkhinrichs]

Triggertrav shoot straight!

[triggertrav]

Out and set. Lots of talk but no birds sighted. Beautiful morning.

Can I pay photos directly from my phone does anyone know?

[benbosh]

Well guys... no turkey for me Frustration and hens (including a bearded lady up close and personal) were the theme of the week.. Encounters every day of the week, 2 times within 10-20, everyday at least once within 150 yards or less. I'll post a re-cap of the week hopefully tomorrow when I have time. Just thought I'd check in quick.

[ANYFISH2]

I am able to upload pics from my phone by useing the fifth button from left on the tool bar above(in the text/reply box). Click search, chose pic, click add file (pic), this may take a little time. Then repeat for additional pics. When done click the done button.

[benbosh]

Well grab a beverage of your choice because its going to be long but here's the recap of my week:

Sunday night I headed out to hopefully find where the birds were roosting that night, sat for an hour before dark, no gobbles, not even anything with the locator call. I decided to set the blind up on the top of a small ridge, about 70-80 yards from where they have been roosting every night for the past week and a half. On this ridge there in a pond on half of the north side with a steep bank leading down to the pond. A trail that runs along half of the top of the ridge and then comes to a T, left going down to some grass/young growth trees, to the right follows on the edge of the woods and the pond.

Monday morning came and the girlfriend was coming with, shes never been turkey hunting and wanted to come with. We get to the blind well before light knowing that we were fairly close to the roost. It rains lightly for a while and right around shooting time it let up. Not long after we hear the first gobble of the morning, right where hes been all week, about 80 yards away along the river. I gave out a few soft tree yelps to let him know we were there. He gobbled off and on, finally I gave more tree yelps then a fly down cackle, he responded. About 20 minutes later I can hear a hen talking in the trees but south of where the gobbler was and we hear her fly down.

I call off and on to keep the gobblers interest in me up and hopefully get the hens to come in so he will follow. Finally about 715 the gobbles keep getting closer and closer. Finally he let one rip CLOSE! I get the bow ready and watch along the pond edge since thats where he was coming from. Silence... I peek just out the blind to see if I can see him and there he is coming up the trail right towards the decoy 15 yards away, perfect, just how it played out last year on opening day when I was done by 830 but only an hour earlier this year! I clip on my release and I'm ready to draw until I hear leaves rustling just down the bank towards the pond and the tom never shows. Finally I get him to let me know where he is. He circled to the back side of the blind! I peek out the back and there he is 40 yards away half strut. I try and seduce him in but he ain't having it. Soon after I hear a hen yelping with him. I cut her off and mimick her every call. Not long after here she comes along the bank to our right and right by the decoy. Shes got a beard! .. but even though legal, she got the pass.

[rkhinrichs]

benbosh great story! i thought you would seal the deal! I know the turkey season is way to short! i think next year i want to hunt some other states just to extend my season out!

[123fish]

Well you certainly can't say you didn't have any action. I would have been tempted to switch out the bow for the boomstick after the third day. Good story and better luck next time.

[benbosh]

I've been thinking about trying other states too.. As for the broomstick, it crossed my mind but just couldn't get myself to do it. Could've sealed the deal Thursday morning if I would have but I don't regret it.. Of course this evening I had a tom and a hen 20ft from my front door

[Powerstroke]

What an exciting week! As a bowhunter myself, I appreciate your determination to stick to the bow. It is certainly a tradeoff.

[triggertrav]

Great read and way to stick with it.

i also came up empty for my hunt - 3 days in 501 didn't pan out, actually the slowest i have ever seen i think. Only saw about 5 birds from the blind, but as a group we did pretty good, just not me.

Good luck to the rest of you.

[Powerstroke]

I've got one for the scoreboard. I'll put together the scoresheet and get my story done tomorrow. It's a respectable 2yr old and out group went 4 for 4 in Nebraska; that includes my 11yr old daughter getting her first bird.

[Borch]

That's super cool Andy!