Team 3 "Strut Stoppers"

[Scoot]

Atta boy!

[DonBo]

walleye, Pfunk, monster, we need one more bird to qualify for bragging rights.  You guys still after them?

[monstermoose78]

My nephew is still at it

[Borch]

29 minutes ago, monstermoose78 said:

My nephew is still at it

The afternoon hunts have been a lot more active lately.  

[monstermoose78]

We will try that thanks

[PFUNK]

I am giving it a last hurrah tomorrow. Sorry I haven't been able to check in here much. I have hardly been able to get out this year between work, a baby at home, and a recent trip out of the country for a relative's wedding. 

 

Last time I was out I had a real nice Tom within 20 yards after a very long standoff. I think I screwed it up by rushing myself a bit. He stood around 50 yards out literally strutting back and forth like someone had drawn a line in the mud that he wouldnt cross. He must not have wanted to fight with the strutter decoy we had out. He did that for 45 minutes to an hour and finally came our way after a hen led him towards us. 

 

They came past us but were outside the decoys and angling slightly away from us. Then the tom turned and started angling straight at the strutter decoy. That meant he was basically quartering to me and when he was 15-17 yards or so out I drew because in the back of my mind i was thinking if he kept moving that way and past the decoy he would quickly be in a spot I would have had no shot.

 

In hindsight I think he had realized (once he got close enough) that he would have been able to whoop up on the decoy and he was coming in to do just that. I probably should have waited to see, but I didn't and right as I hit the backwall of my draw his head popped up on alert and he turned around and walked straight away knowing something wasn't quite right. I could have easily shot at him at 20 yards but he was facing away and I just didn't feel comfortable. I am confident I would have hit my mark but I didn't like shooting at something walking straight away when I am not experienced with bow hunting turkeys.

 

I know some people will say that I should have shot, but I have been bow hunting for awhile and never wounded anything because of a poor shot or poor shot selection, so I didn't want that to be a first. Hopefully I get a shot at redemption tomorrow!

[monstermoose78]

Tomorrow we will be back at it

[monstermoose78]

How can a bird with brain the size of a pea out smart us!

[Borch]

They can sure humble a person. 

[monstermoose78]

We called at about 4 had them as close behind the blind but never came around for the nephew 

[PFUNK]

Nada for me today. Had some hens come in to give my decoy some company today, but no toms. Sorry I wasn't able to help out on the scoresheet this year. As always, learned some stuff that will make me better next year.

[monstermoose78]

Turkey season is over for my nephew!! It was a long season with many hours spent in the blind. He seen more turkeys then ever before and had a toms close enough to grab. It is going to be nice to sleep in.

Until fall turkeys!

[Borch]

Way to get him out MM!  I'm sure he appreciates it.

[walleyehunter02]

I was unsuccessful and did not make it out anymore. We left the 23rd of may to head to Texas for a graduation and are still in the vehicle headed home now. I got to fish in the gulf while we were there and caught some saltwater catfish, black drum, a redfish, a croaker, and some whiting from the beach. Saw some hogs while we were cruising the trails where we stayed a few days. Hit a deer with the rental van on the way down and coming home to a tree of mine laying on my truck.

[123fish]

Ouch walleyehunter. Should have stayed home and turkey hunted. Just kidding.

[Borch]

Sounds exciting!  Not all good, but exciting. 

[walleyehunter02]

It was an adventure for sure! Those were just the big items on the list of things that went wrong. There were many a times I wished I was back in MN turkey hunting. It was all new to me and kept things interesting. IF I went back, I would be more prepared for the hogs and do more research on where to catch a shark from shore.