Team #5

[Archerysniper]

Looks like we have a good team, let's think of a team name once everyone checks in.

[hugonian1]

Hugonian1 checking in.

Hunting C season in the north metro and have a sconny tag also.

Saw my first tom today following a hen around.

Looking forward to another great spring in the woods.

[Powerstroke]

Hey team 5, I wanted to drop by and let you know that MadyRocks12 is my daughter. She wants to be involved this year. I haven't created her HSO account yet, but I will tomorrow and have her check in with the group.

[FrontenacPike]

Sniper...good to be paired up with you again :-)

FrontenacPike checking in! I'll be hunting season C around the Lake City area. I just opened up my new AvianX decoy this morning and hot dang does she look good!!! I received my feeder hen and still waiting on my backordered breeder.

[FrontenacPike]

HSO/FM Team #5.....Cast of Characters

benbosh

Archerysniper

MadyRocks12 - Y

FrontenacPike

hugonian1

Anyone a walking dead fan?

Team name "The Walking Dead".....just an Idea

[benbosh]

I'm here.. I'll be buying the archery tag but not sure which zone yet

[Mady Rocks12]

HI, this is Mady! I can't wait to go turkey hunting this year. Me and my dad are going to Nebraska on thursday. Last year I shot a jake and this year I want to shoot my first tom. I hope I get one.

I will be trying to get one with my bow. Me and my dad practice alot and I get to shoot at carrots and bananas as practice. I use bullheads to try for a headshot. I also can use a 20gauge. Thats what I used last year.

[hugonian1]

Welcome to HSO Mady and to Team 5.

Seeing the video your dad posted, too bad you can't hunt in the yard.

Turkey hunting is hard to beat and this little "competition" adds to it.

Looking forward to hearing about your Nebraska trip.

And with the bow!

Good luck.

[DonBo]

Can't say I'll be rooting for your team, I mean archersniper is part of it afterall but I'll be sending huge amounts of well wishes to you Mady! Best of luck! Can't wait to hear how your hunts turn out.

[woody1975]

Good Luck Mady!!!

DL

[Archerysniper]

Good luck Mady,have a great safe hunt.

[benbosh]

Scouted a little bit last night at sunset to see if I could hear any gobbles right before or when they were up in the roost and ended up seeing a strutting tom and two hens before I could even cut across the field to the woods so I watched them for 10 minutes as he strutted and then they eventually headed into the trees to roost.

[Archerysniper]

Is anyone else excited yet? I will be doing the archery season and I have permission again for my lucky spot,the 2 times I have hunted it the longest I have sat is 2 hours till the tag was punched.

My main goal this year is to get my 9 year old daughter a bird. I built her a really nice 870 20 ga with a tactical stock and rifle sights. She shot it tonight at 25 yards and can kill one,I patterned it to 35 and it is good with a stock full choke.

[FrontenacPike]

I'm getting super excited!!!!

What season is everyone hunting?

I'll be hunting season C ....April 25-29th.

[hugonian1]

I have C season this year.

Trying for a "smart" bird this year.

Yes, the excitement is building.

Seeing others already punching their tag is hard but the anticipation makes it fun.

[benbosh]

Yesterday evening I was out shooting bow in the yard and in the field seen a hen and the tom I seen the other day, him strutting then walking ahead to catch up to her. This morning headed out the door for working this morning about 545 and heard a gobble immediately straight to the north along the river, then another. Two gobblers were going almost non stop back and forth gobbling their heads off.

I'll be hunting the archery season.. April 30-May 28

[Archerysniper]

I got my warm ups in this morning,brought my 9 year old daughter out for her first hunt of any kind.

pure awesomeness

[hugonian1]

Great job.

It does not get any better than that.

Way to go.

[FrontenacPike]

Nice job sniper...she'll be a gobble-holic for life!!!

[hugonian1]

My Minnesota season starts tomorrow.

Excited to get out and hopefully get us on the board.

Most of the "dumb" birds should be culled out by now.

[benbosh]

Got permission for the property I've hunted every year I've turkey hunted (This will be my 7th season). Went out right away this morning to scout and find one on the roost and heard a gobble immediately. I walked along the trail to get out of the wind and not long after I seen him up in the roost. Good first morning of scouting. Hung the trail cam and will be back for more scouting

[Archerysniper]

I finally made it out for my first set tonigh. My daughter and I sat drom 5 till 730 tonight,saw 3 big toms come through at 50 yards and one hen came right in to 3 yards.

[benbosh]

Hunted Thursday morning, had a tom come into about 80 yards but he had a hen with him and she came into about 40 yards and headed back to the woods and he followed.

Saturday afternoon was hot, windy, and the woods were dead. No birds seen or heard.

Sunday, woke up late at 615, seen the bird in the field on the north end of the property at 625 when I drove by almost to my parking spot so waking up late was a blessing cause I was planning on setting up on the way opposite end of the property. Got set up where I hoped he would make his way to but by about 9 he was done gobbling all together and no sightings.

About 1130 I decided to pack up and cross the river to find my decoy stake that had fell out of my bag Thursday morning. I crossed the river, got on the trail through the woods and got to where it "Y"s off either through the woods or into the field corner. I caught movement out in the field, it was a hen. I knew if she was out at this time of day he wasn't probably far behind being it was only 100 yards from where I seen him right away in the morning. After looking around a little, there he was silhouetted on the hilltop in the field. I quickly found a spot to hunker down.

I got set up in a spot where right before I would have a clear shot at him there was a stump and a tree so I would be able to draw back on him. I made a few yelps and cuts and sure enough he heads my way, drumming, then walk aways, strut then I lost sight of him. Waiting and waiting and not seeing him he finally gobbles and I knew he was on the edge of the woods. Time stood still and he still wasnt showing until finally I see his head above the gooseberry bushes and other vegetation between us.

Spit, drum, walk for the next couple minutes closing the distance down the trail and finally he gets behind the tree and I draw back my bow. Get anchored, he takes a step from behind the tree, perks his head up, takes another step. Two more steps to clear a few bunches of shrub at the corner of the trail, 10 yards away, until I can release the arrow. He takes one step... One step to turn around that is. He headed back out towards the field knowing something wasn't right. Close and quite the adrenaline rush but no kill. Still considered it a successful hunt. Thats the kind of stuff I love about bow hunting, fooling animals so they are up in your face, it ain't about the kill!

[FrontenacPike]

Well boys I struck out this year. I ended up hunting a huge private property that had all the characteristics of a turkey mecca. My first two days I didn't even hear a single gobble. The third day I woke up and felt like a bus hit me. I mustered a little energy and ended up going out and tried the far reach of the property. I found an active gobbler along with a very vocal hen in roost. I creeped in and set up between him and her. Everything was looking good and I thought I would be filling a tag as soon as he flew down. As I waited I had a hen pop out of the wood line within 10 feet from me. I wasn't in a blind that morning and she instantly got suspicious being that incredibly close. She stood there next to me inspecting and putting what seemed like an hour. As she sat there squawking away, I heard Mr gobbler sneak around me through the woods and he popped out about 100 yards down the field line. I watched him prance and strut for about 45 minutes but couldn't get him to close. He ended up walking away with a couple hens and that was the last I seen of him. By the time I quit hunting for the day, I was in full sick mode...sneezing / coughing / head congestion / and a fever too boot. Packing my gear up hiking it out was probably the worst hunting experience I've ever had. I ended up getting out one last evening once the fever and chills broke but didn't see a thing...the birds probably heard me sneezing.

Darn bird flu....hope the rest of the team has better luck than me.

[benbosh]

I've been having a hard time with birds hanging up. Been seeing and hearing birds everyday and actually had two new gobblers move into the property sometime between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Had one gobbler hang up at 40 yards Tuesday morning but not quite comfortable to take a turkey at that range even though I practice that far with as small of vitals as they have