2015 turkey

[triggertrav]

Gonna try and do a semi live turkey hunt for your entertainment and to document my hunts. This year I went for the archery tag versus the seaonal tag. Hope all goes well.

First morning setup.

So far lots of talking early, but as usual seems to have gotten quit since they hit the ground. See what the morning brings.

[triggertrav]

No gobbles in the last half hour that were close. Had these cut thru so I am certain there are birds here.

From what I could tell was 3 Jake's and a lady.

[triggertrav]

Heading in for the day here shortly. Gotta get to work. Quick sit this am but now I have a better idea of where the birds are roosting. Beautiful morning anyhow.

[Hoyt4]

Good luck if you get back out this evening trigger. Making me jealous my season for WI started yesterday so I'm itching to get out of work and hunt. Hope you are able to put an arrow in one.

[triggertrav]

One last view looking back at the blind. Didn't see any other birds besides the ones on the drive back.

Back to it tomorrow morning with a different plan.

[sticknstring]

Awesome - looks like a great area to me!

[DonBo]

Awesome - looks like a great area to me!

Yes it does. But I would never leave my decoys out if I'm not sitting over them. A great way to turn the birds decoy shy.

[triggertrav]

decoys are in the back of the truck - they shouldn't shy anything away from there.

I just wanted a pic for the setup. The closest toms roosted about 150 straight behind the blind in the last pic. From how it sounded the got down and worked from left to right, not coming my direction. But will try and intercept them in the next few days.

[triggertrav]

Sit # 2.

Little wet this morning and the birds are pretty quiet. Just heard the first gobble. See what happens.

[sticknstring]

That spot looks better yet! Is that cow pasture? At some point throughout the day, the birds will funnel through there. Question is... will you be in the blind? Got a camera out?

[triggertrav]

And there is water behind me also. I don't have a camera there cuz then I will know what I miss. We sat for a while this morning and eventually went after a talkative bird out about 300 yards that wasn't coming our way. Ended up getting real close to him at two different sets, but he stayed out of range with his hens. Not much you can do on that.

Covered some more ground and snuck up on another bird with about four hens, but same issue as earlier. He never got within 100 yards. See what the afternoon brings and might try and sneak out again today.

[triggertrav]

Another new set this morning. I have a couple hours before work so figured it would be a good morning to be in the woods. Have a few on roost within about 100 yards gobbling their brains out. See if I can sweet talk them my way. ...

[triggertrav]

Nothing came any closer that I heard. Had one gobble fairly close on the ground. Other than that the roost I set up by got silent once the birds hit the ground. Plenty other gobbles all morning in the distance, just nothing close. Here are a few pics from this morning.

[triggertrav]

I was back out again this morning. little fog, breeze and drizzle. I went to the same area i that i first hunted, listening for some rooted birds, but everything was silent today. I covered a good amount of ground before light hoping to get one gobble at my locator call with no luck.

I ended up sitting down around six to wait and listen in an area i had heard birds on two different occasions. After a short amount of time i heard my first gobble of the morning, but it was a long ways off and on a neighboring property. So i went to the line and started calling. After a short time i had determined they were coming at me so i set up my dekes (hen and jake) and crawled in a deadfall and started hen talking.

I could tell the gobbler was getting closer and he would respond to ever call i made. after about 15 minutes i saw him. he was out at about 100 yards and working right to left at me. There were actually two longbeards together, but neither of them were on strut mode.

They continued my direction and gobbled the whole way. Not sure why, but they didn't decoy/commit at all. They actually just continued on their path and didn't get within about 50 yards of me. They never saw me, but had to have seen my dekes. They just kept on there route gobbling back at me everytime i called.

I tracked them down in a food plot where the just seemed to be hanging out. I had to head into work, so i didn't try anything else on them. There's always tomorrow.

[triggertrav]

Here is the setup from this morning. The two toms came by on the next crest behind the decoys.

Here is the view from the other direction. The big decadal is were I was sitting.

Hopefully one of these mornings I will get some pics of a tom on the ground.

[sticknstring]

Probably headed to a preferred strut zone. Early mornings can be tough. I did the hunt before work thing last spring and was outfoxed by a sly tom during archery season. He'd usually get fired up about the time I was walking back to the truck to get to work. If you can, give it a shot around 9am or even the afternoon. Don't be afraid to gobble at 'em either. I try to use it as a last resort, but it can often bring them in. Thanks for the updates - good luck!

[triggertrav]

Another day set up and ready. Sitting in the blind today and glad about that with the wind abd rain. Set up on a food plot and I have a little longer to sit this morning than the last few days. Quiet do far but wouldn't expect much talking with this weather.

[triggertrav]

Views from the morning.

Still real quiet. Had a Fox come thru the plot with a rabbit in its mouth but that has been it so far.

[triggertrav]

Finally back in the blind after about a week. The weather seems to be favorable for the morning so hopefully I will have some action. All silent do far . Nope. just heard a gobble to the south as I type. Wait and see.

[triggertrav]

Real quiet out here. .... haven't heard a bird in an hour and nothing was even close to start. Nice morning anyhow.

[triggertrav]

This morning's spread.

[triggertrav]

Well - the season is about over and I hunted less than I was hoping.  I only saw a couple of tom's and nothing was even close to in range with my bow. 

Now waiting till fall.....

[DonBo]

Fun read. Just caught up as I sit in my blind. Another hour tonight and a couple tomorrow morning and my season will come to and end too.

Edited May 28, 2015 by DonBo

[triggertrav]

Good luck DonBo!

Way to stick it out. I bet it got toasty in that blind tonight.