Wild Turkey Photos

[ZachD]

Nice bird 1eyeReD

[PFUNK]

Here are a couple good ones I got when I finally remembered to bring the DSLR. Would have had some even better shots the day before but forgot the darn camera. 

[DonBo]

My good luck continued in Wisconsin.  My buddy Dave and I doubled up on our 1st morning.

[bmc]

My wife and I had a GREAT season C!

 

We hunted our usual spot in Wadena County, MN.

 

I shot my jake on 05-03-18 at 0745 hrs.  He came into the decoys in full strut w/ 2 other jakes w/ him.  I picked my spot and put a wood arrow tipped w/ a Zwickey Eskilite broadhead in the 10 ring.  The shot was 12 yds.  My turkey did the death spin about 10 yds to our left and my wife was trying to shoot one of his side kicks but they wouldn't hold still for her to shoot.  Almost got a double!  My bow is a Bob Lee Bows Natural model recurve.  64" AMO 30" @ 50#.

 

My wife shot her jake on 05-04-18 at 0705 hrs.  We heard birds gobbling right away, heard hens calling, and heard the toms/jakes fly down.  Eventually the 2 toms followed the hens away from us, but a group of 4 jakes made their way to us and Mary got a 15 yds shot w/ her 20 gauge.  One of the other jakes then mounted her bird and then the 3 other jakes took turns beating up her bird.  It was quite the show!!

 

Her bird was 13.8 lbs  and had 2  3.75" beards.  Mine was 13.4 lbs and had a 4" beard.

 

I assumed my bird was a jake by the size of the bird, beard length, and jake type spurs.  My bird did not have the longer middle tail feathers like a jake does.  Any thoughts on that??

 

Brian

[ANYFISH2]

I had that as well this spring, Brian.  Had a bird strutting, nice full fan but a short beard.  We did shoot it so I dont know what the spurs were like.

 

Nice job the hunt again this year, congrats.

Edited May 13, 2018 by ANYFISH2

[Borch]

Awesome season for you two.  Sometimes turkeys don't always look like they should.  Based on the beard and spurs together I'd guess a Jake.  But it really doesn't matter.  Nice bird with a recurve to boot!

[Hoyt4]

Nice birds congrats to you and your wife BMC. Awesome with the stick bow .

[DonBo]

Good job Brian, congrats to you both!

[DonBo]

Archery Sniper with his very first Merriam's in the beautiful South Dakota Black Hills.

 

 

[DonBo]

My Black Hills Merriam.  Such beautiful birds.

 

 

Check out this cool video of some rarely seen behavior:

 

https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.tidd.52/videos/1415465785261770/UzpfSTE2NTgyMjMzMzc6MTAyMTIwNDU5NjIwMTg1MjI/

 

 

[Archerysniper]

[Cheetah]

MN was tough this year.  I managed to stay on birds by walking a lot of miles, but had a hard time getting in close enough for a shot as most would not cross fences or leave hens...  Ultimately I had to belly crawl up on this guy when he would not leave his little patch of ground above me for over an hour gobbling and drumming within 50yd the whole time.  

 

[leech~~]

Nice bird way to hang in there.  Sounds like my last Bird. Belly crawled down a old road to a raise and sniped him when you came over the top.

[Scoot]

Good work guys!   MN turkeys have shamed and humiliated me all season! I've got a couple more trips out,  but them im simply going to quit. I'm nothing if not persistent,  but this year has been a constant beating of my head on a brick wall.  Im not a quick learner,  but even I may know when to say enough is enough this time. 

[paceman]

Agreed this season has been brutal. Numbers appear to be way down in the areas I have been hunting...

[Scoot]

Me too!   No idea why...

[Cheetah]

I think I am done for the year.  Wisconsin was a success for me these past few days, but not so much for the rookies I took with.    I called in a nice 24lb bird with 1" sharp spurs and 10" beard on Friday.  The weather really shut them down after that.  Finally Sunday morning in the rain showers they came out and put on a show for four hours, but the big tom just would not come in close enough for a shot.  Hens dragged him by me one time with a few second opportunity to decide if I should try to stretch the range of my gun, but I held off thinking they would come a few steps further...  They did not...  He had spurs easily over 1", never gobbled, just strutted and drummed around the field all morning.  

 

 

 

[Hoyt4]

Congrats on MN and WI

 

It's been a great spring and the birds just seem to be getting fired up even more now.

[Williamgrey]

On 3/21/2016 at 4:59 PM, fishuhalik said:

Thanks guys, it was a really awesome experience. Hopefully I get another invite to get a couple more. Cooked him up today. Soaked in a kosher salt, brown sugar and black pepper brine over night, mopped in Apple cider every 30 minutes and smoked at 250 for 5 hours. The bacon soaked up too much smoke and tasted like a campfire, but the turkey was AMAZING!! 

 

[Williamgrey]

woow these are amazing

[Archerysniper]

[smurfy]

 congrats.....as deadly with a bow as with a spear i see!!!!!!!

[Archerysniper]

I was able to get myself a birthday bird out in the blackhills. 

[Archerysniper]

I was able to pass on the turkey hunting addiction to my wife. After a rough B season she was able to harvest a great first Tom during F season. She has been through a lot in the last 15 years. She has battled lyme disease for years and had surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2019. She seems too finally be on the mend and having the desire to be back out in the woods hunting with me. 

[Archerysniper]