Stories From the Hunt - '05

[CornPirateKiller]

You guys have got my blood pumpin'!! I leave tomorrow for SE Iowa for a 4 day hunt. My MN season is still two weeks away. I'll post results and (hopefully) pictures when I return.

[setterguy]

Nova - where are you hunting at? We are heading down to an area about 20 miles south of Lanesboro tomorrow afternoon...do a little scouting tomorrow night and see if we can't score on Thurs and get back into the cities for a little Crappie action.

[Nova]

Setterguy, we are going near Spring Grove. Heading down tonight also and hoping to surprise them Thursday morning too. Good luck to, if you see and extra longbeard chase him my way.

[picksbigwagon]

That's funny, I am heading down to the spring grove area too, but can't get there until friday afternoon, so that gives me saturday and sunday. Hopefully I am down by on saturday, like the last two seasons....... Where abouts in the spring grove area there Nova with out being too specific? My wife is from Spring Grove and we are hunting at her uncles Strawberry farm... Pretty sure you know where that is if you are from the area down there. Good luck to you Nova, I heard the Plowboy resturaunt in Mable is a pretty good lunch place.

[Nova]

OH no, I am going to my little brother's place he has found, and it's on a strawberry farm too. About halfway between spring grove and Mable. It's gonna be crowded if we are both at the same farm???? I was told we would be there alone, oh well, the more the merrier. I can't remember the name of the farm off hand. Good luck to ya and if we get some birds I'll save one for ya.

[picksbigwagon]

Sounds exactly like the farm I am heading too. As far as I know there is only one strawberry farm between The Grove and Mabel....well, save a bird for me I guess and one for my buddy because we will be there on friday night...Wayne Wold is the owner of the farm we are heading to. Maybe there is more than one strawberry farm down there, but I don't think so........What is your brother's name?

[Nova]

That's the place, my brother is good friends with Missy. We will have to get together and plan our weekend for next year. We usually go one week earlier, but wanted to give the birds a break between hunting. Brothers name is Steve.

[picksbigwagon]

Mr. Kish I presume???? interesting how we both got on the emails quickly. I think missy got both of our emails at the same time. Sounds like you guys will be down there Tomorrow and friday. My buddy and I won't get there until late friday night. Anyway, there is a lot of farm space down there, so no biggie. Awfully small world though isn't it. Have you guys scouted out any areas down there yet? I scouted over easter and have a few spots picked out. I know Missy's husband already got one bird down there this spring, a nice looking bird too..... Anyway, good luck to you and if we cross paths, we can meet face to face. Yeah, we used to hunt in the Houston area but we chose to move this year due to some personal issues. No biggie, wayne and his brother have a lot of land down there....

[Nova]

That's correct, Little brother and I have been going to Wayne's for 5 years now and he is a great guy. Plenty of land and birds for all of us. We used to hunt right after Missy's brother in law and the birds were kinda getting run around. Scouted one weekend, but the birds always seem to be in the same spot every year. I hope to be done and let them cool down for you, but if we are still there Friday night and Saturday we'll get together and make a plan....don't want to be walking over each other. Is this your first time at this chunk of land? Hopefully we can point you in the right direction Friday night and leave you a couple hot Toms. See ya Friday.

[picksbigwagon]

This is too funny.... your brother and I are emailing Missy left and right, so, I won't get to waynes shop until 8 or 9 friday night, stop by and have a brew or two and we can meet on where you have seen them the last couple years. I was figuring on sitting in that back field that has had berry's in it the last couple years. I have seen them before running from the ravines up thorugh the field across to the sout west corner of teh farm. I know that there are some nice areas in the southwest corner of the timber area too up the hill behind the berry huts. If these are the area's you have seen them than we have them squared away. Good luck and hopefully we will meet this weekend. as far as next year goes, we will have to email that later this fall.

[Nova]

See ya Friday night, I'll tie one up behind the barn for ya.

[CornPirateKiller]

Well, my Iowa season lasted for a few hours... wish it could have been longer. Saw a lot of birds and heard a lot more.

Started out the day set up in a DoubleBull out in the middle of a CRP strip about 800 yards long and 150 yards wide with timber dropping off into valleys on both sides. Had a path about 10 yards wide mowed down the center. As the sun came up, the toms started gobbling. Had three on my right and six or seven on my left. At 6:15, a big longbeard flew down from the right and strutted towards our decoy. Went by on the right at about20 yards but I waited for a front shot. Mistake. He angled away heading for some hens feeding down the field. When I finally had a shot, it was a long one. I misjudged the distance and rolled him over at about 50 yards. He flew into the timber with a few ruffled feathers.

Stayed put and 15 minutes later, had six hens and two toms approach from the left. They found an open spot in the grass about 70 yards out and the hens fed there while the toms strutted for about an hour and a half. Finally two hens broke off and headed for our setup. The other four headed back into the timber and pulled one tom with them. The second tom followed the approaching hens. They crossed the path at about 20 yards, but the tom swung wide and crossed at almost the same spot as where I'd dusted the tom earlier. I let him walk. Had several more hens come to us but the toms stayed in the woods.

Headed down the road and saw three toms strutting in a field so we snuck within 100 yards and set up again. They responded quickly but retreated when two hens emerged from the woods behind them and pulled them in the opposite direction.

After som lunch, we hit a new farm and found three toms strutting in a corn stubble bottom. we set up on a small ridge over looking them and they came at a dead run at the first call. That in turn brought in more toms that we hadn't seen until there were between seven and ten toms gobbling and strutting through the brush to us. It really got loud and exciting. Everytime one would gobble it would set them all off and the woods would explode with noise! Finally, three of them emerged and started strutting towards us at about 35 yards. Before I could get a clear shot, though, they spotted our vehicle about 150 yards away and turned around and headed off down the ridge. Busted.

Since they were all still close and hot, we quietly backed up and hurried down the ridge to try and get in front of them. Got set up near a plowed field about 150 yards from our first setup and started calling. We must have been spotted or heard, though because all those toms shut up and ignored us. Then we spotted a lone tom out in the plowed field about 300 yards behind us. After a couple of calls, he headed for us like he was on a rope. Slipped under the fence and crossed in front. At 20 yards he spotted the decoy and broke into strut. I waited until he paused and stuck his head out and dropped him in his tracks with a load of #5s. 1:30 pm and I was done.

22 lbs even

10 inch beard

1 1/8 inch spurs

http://www.solisearch.net/ims/pic.php?u=11343Rewuh&i=64772

I LOVE this sport.

[Schwanny]

I'll try to keep this short. Started my walk into an area that was holding birds earlier this year at 4:30 am. I had about a 1/2 mile walk to the edge of a ridge. I set up on a picked corn field with a hen decoy with a jake not to far behind. I created a small ground blind approx. 20 yards from my decoys on the edge of the field. It was about 5:15 am when I heard the first gobble which was some distance away. Then all of a sudden a gobble came from a tree about 60 - 70 yards away. I didn't make any noise until I heard the first hen yelp. This when I started calling to the hen. After the first series of yelps the whole side hill let loose. I knew there were more than 2 gobblers at this point. I saw two of the turkeys fly down and scamper down the ravine, so I thought there they go. I scared them away. That is when I saw turkey after turkey fly down. Two hens came onto the field and then here came 3 big gobblers. The 3 toms saw that jake and they ran right over to him. All 3 of them were together trying to pick a fight with the jake decoy. That is when one of them reared back and bang, there went my jake decoy. It flew about 10 feet closer to me. This is when one of the toms seperated from the other two and I shot. The turkey didn't move. The other two toms came running over to the dead tom trying to pick a fight, but it wouldn't respond of course. Then they went back to the jake decoy laying on the ground trying to pick a fight with it. I finally had to get up and get my tom. What a morning, done at 6:20am (20lbs, 13/16" spurs & 10" beard).

[tealitup]

Schwanny,

What a site to see, great time in the field. You should have had a video recorder on that one.

[Schwanny]

It would've made a great video...the sounds from the hens and the gobbles all going at the same time. Then to see the 2 toms after the shot, that was unbelievable. My brother-in-law set up in the same spot Saturday morning and had another tom come in to the jake decoy at about the same time. His was 22lbs, 1" spurs & 10 1/4" beard. I will try to post the pictures as soon as I can.

[Uncle Grump]

The title of this post could be "Just one more step"....

Last spring, the only Tom I saw came so close, about another 10 yds, and he would have been in a hole in the brush where I could have taken a shot - this morning it was a step.....argh!!!!

It was chilly this morning - we had frost again - 28-29F. NW winds. Put my Carhart insulated bibs and winter chore coat and camo wind suit on this morning, stayed warm in that - only problem - really noisy in that set up - but as I say warm. At least the snow that fell Sunday night was gone.

Had two birds interested this morning - had gobbling from 5.30 until 7.30 - at one point, as I say two birds going - one from the south - closer, and one coming from the north, he eventually went away to the west, and then w/ no challenger, the south bird went silent. I did have two hens come in at about 20 yds, but they didn't drag a Tom along.....

At 8, I changed in to some lighter weight camo, and proceded to walk the property boundrys - looking for birds in the fields, saw some chase thru the trees, but nothing to get to excited about.

At 9.15 or so, I heard a bird gobble to the west, yelped at him, but no response. I could only go so far, as I have a property boundry in that direction. I waited 15 min, no response, changed positions. Yelped again, hard on a box call. He gobbled back. So I stayed with him, hard yelps and cuts. Got him to start responding, and start to move. I was up on top of a hill, he was below me.

Sounded like he was making some 1/2 moon archs on the hill side, once he was to the south, then later back to the NW. About the time it seemed he was half way to me, a farmer started working the field at the bottom of the hill, I could still hear the Tom gobble, but not him make his

way thru the brush.

There was a hole in the brush where he needed to come thru, the rest was pretty thick, and green. There was a close in gobble - closest yet - put the gun up, safety off. All of a sudden, there was his head, just sticking out. Bright red, but I wanted to see the beard. His head pulled back, and that was the last I saw of him. Heard him moving in the brush, and some soft clucks, then it was silent. I paced it off to where I saw him - 28ft. Got to figure he made me. Looked at my watch, it was 10.15. Had he given me another step.....

4 more days.....

UG

[Hotspotter]

I headed out this morning with a good friend and his father to hunt some deep woods birds. We were hunting these big ridges with deep, narrow valleys, and the only openings were two fields in several hundred acres.

The cold weather (21 degrees) and wind around dawn made it tough, but the sun warmed everything up and the wind became simply non-existant. Around 9AM, we set-up just at the bottom of the steepest part of a ridge, and did some calling. Mouth call.....nothing......mouth call.....nothing. Dead calm, no birds. Should I try the box call? Boom....two birds hammered on it......waaaaay off....500-700 yards away, two ridges across from us.

Now, to position/reposition? Give them a chance to call again on their own.....then yelp to see where they were at. Closer.....coming at us.....guess we stay put.

I hit the box call hard, and they love it.....we stay put. A few gobbles on their own, and 20 minutes of silence. A few check calls, clucks, confirm they're 100 yards away, on the ridge top, pacing back and forth, unwilling to work their way down.

Continued silence and leaf-scratching were the ticket. The lead bird strutted the whole way down the hill, and we actually heard him spitting/drumming/dragging wingtips at 80 yards out, well before we could see him. That's a first for me....hearing it that far out.

This bird was followed by another good gobbler, though 40 yards back. At 40 yards, the lead bird almost took a wrong turn, instead hopping up on a log......should've blasted him off it. My angle was not my buddy's, so he waited for a less-than-ideal 35 yarder moving to his right, against a stout dead stick, seeing only the top part of his head, in 3/4 strut. Nonetheless, the bird toppled. Will post pics soon.

STATS -

Weight - 24 3/4 lbs.

Spurs - 1/2"

Beard - 10"

Joel

[lookin4fish]

The turkey gods blessed me again this year. this was my first tom, got a hen last fall. nothing beats seeing that bright red head and turing the old boy towards you with a few calls. in all it was 22 lbs with 8 inch beard, 1 inch spurs and only took about 5 hours to find him. no trophy by any means but it was a treat for me. besides, smoked turkey on opener fishing is going to taste mighty fine! i wish the late season hunters the best of luck

[Stratosman]

With the crappy weather and all Saturday morning dad and I weren't to positiive but we were still hunting nonetheless. The previous 4 days yeilded only 2 tom sightings and a couple hens, very quiet indeed.

We got set up in a meadow surrounded by woods around 5:10, it didn't take long to heat the first gobble, then another, they were close! I decided to keep quite till they hit the ground so we just waited them out. About 5:45 I looked to the left and saw one of them coasting down out of the tree into the field about 200 yards down. I looked down to grab my call and when I looked back up he was landing in front of us just beyond the hen and jake decoy, about 50 yards out. I figure he saw the decoys in flight and changed his mind. Well, I didn't even hit the call as he took a few steps closer, when he paused I drilled him. It happened fast!

Dad and I tried a few more locations with liitle success. One other spotted, but he was henned up. Moved to another farm about 2 miles down the road where we spotted a lone tom on the field edge about 400 yards away. We set up and he disappeared into the woods, I gave a few clucks and waited him out nonetheless. About 10 minutes into the deal a hen came up from behind us, clucking and purring up to the decoy, it was neat to watch her. About 10 minutes after she continued on her way, another hen came out of the woods for a look, cool. Another 15 minutes and to my left about 200 yards out another hen was making her way across the chisel plowed corn field. I was thinking, man with all the hens there has to be some single toms around, we watched her for a while, looked aver again and about 100 yards behind her was her boyfriend, now were talkin. I kept the call on the ground as she was working her way right towards the decoys, she passed right in front of us and into the woods, and he continued to follow her path about 100 yards behind, strutting then jogging to catch up. It was fun to watch. When he was about 40 yards, dad drilled him. Game over! Two turkeys on the last day of the season. Funny thing is same thing happend last year. Sure was an awesome hunt.

The highlight of the day (besides the turkeys of course) was having three bucks feed within 15 feet of us about 10 minutes after I shot my bird, the decoys didn't bother them and niether did my hen calling. All in all a great season.

Both turkeys could be twins, 9-1/2 beard, 20 lbs, 3/4 inch spurs.

[Hotspotter]

Stratosman:

Hunted with a friend a few miles from where you do on Sunday morning. Had a tom, 3 jakes, and a hen fly down 80 yards from us.....perfect. The tom drove off the jakes, and sat with the hen in the middle of a pasture, gobbling easily over 50 times.

The jakes just hung out at the woods-edge with the hen, and begin to work away, despite my decoy's best efforts, and my own to call them in. Was very close to getting into it with the hen, but she backed down at the last minute. The jakes got a bit spooked from my increasingly aggressive calling (they were trucking away).

The gale-force winds were picking up now. The whole group headed off, and were wearing out some sole, but the gobbler was sounding off the whole way. Our leapfrogging to cut them off was always not leapfroggin' far enough.

Later in the morning we spotted 3 toms jumping up and fighting about 1/2 mile away. We put on a sneak that took 30 minutes of hard hiking to complete, and arrived with no toms in sight. We called, hung tight awhile, and eventually gave up. While walking away, we saw them another 1/4 mile out, spooking up a hill. Unreal. Hard to believe a diet of corn and sprouts could fuel those crazy turkeys to cover ground like that......especially when they were just hanging out for the first 10 minutes we watched them.

So I'm getting ready to head out for the last time this weekend, we'll see what happens.

Joel

[bigbucks]

This isn't very short, sorry I like details.

It was terribly windy Saturday morning. I was in the woods at 5:30. I found a spot to setup about 5:50, at 6:10, while I was taking care of some unmentionable business before adding my heavier coat I heard something coming that wasn't a squirrel, fortunately it was a deer that came to about 50 yards & then reversed direction due to it's nose. It never saw me. At 7:00 I'd decided I was going to start looking for turkeys, as it was so windy they weren't likely to hear my calls, nor my movements in the woods. Incidentally I was setup very close to where we heard a bird gobbling for three hours Tuesday morning. Now I had permission in the woods where he'd been, I didn't previously.

Anyway, just before 7:00, I heard a few gobbles way to the South of me, which were being carried by the wind and I could barely hear. I figured they could be a mile away, but having nothing else going I decided I'd just head that way into the wind, until I ran out of property with permission or found a bird. I walked a 4 wheeler trail nearly half a mile before getting to the edge of the property. (I thought it was the edge, I just found out it goes way farther than that.) I looked down the hill and low and behold there was a gobbler strutting and fanning about 300-400 yards away out in a huge meadow. After looking a bit more I saw a second smaller bird that I assumed was a hen. They were SE of me and looked to be working North down a fenceline. I backtracked over a hill keeping a tree between the birds and me until I was out of sight, and circled around to get more directly North of them and as close to the open meadow as I dared. This put me about 200 yards NNW of them. I found a deadfall up against some tall bushes and setup. I started calling and almost immediately he stopped fanning and started working my way, along with the other bird which I realized was a smaller tom of some type, possibly a jake. When they got to about a 100 yards I knew they were coming, so the gun was up and ready. Somewhere in there I lost sight of the smaller bird and still don't know where he went, possibly behind me. The bigger one crossed through a fenceline directly North of me, probably now about 75 yards and angling NW past me. I decided either he was confused on my location because of the wind or leery of something in my calling. Whatever the reason, he was passing me, but at 45 yards with a clear shot at his head I just went ahead and took him, shooting through a gap in a big deadfall about halfway between us and over another fence just behind that. I rolled him. The 5 shot didn't hit him with many pellets and mostly got neck, but he died quite quickly after flopping around just a little bit. I was pretty pumped.

I shot him on Saturday, 5/7/05, at 7:55am. He weighed 20 pounds, with a 10" beard. His spurs weren't very long at 1/2" & 5/8", but I was very happy.

I have some digital pics, taken at home, as I was alone, but don't know how to post unless Shutterfly still works here. I thought I read it doesn't.

Man were the ticks out I found 23 or 24 ticks that morning, after doing a lot more walking around scouting deer trails on other properties the rest of the morning.

[Stratosman]

Jnelson, we hunt about a mile south of Sogn, which is about 7 miles south of Cannon Falls. You were around there huh? Good luck the rest of the way.

Big Bucks, good work!

[bigbucks]

Thanks Stratosman, same to you, nice birds.

[run-n-gun]

Has anyone been out around the St. Cloud area? I'll be hunting in 415 starting Friday morning. It's supposed to be pretty cool out, and I'm guessing the birds will be pretty tight lipped. I know some buddies of mine hunting in the Cold Spring area have had a difficult time the past few days. Hopefully things change! Good luck to any hunters left out there.

[strat-o-caster]

There's no turkey's down there... Just kidding, Hope you do well I know you've been looking forward to this. If the bird's are not responding to your call's observe them and find a pattern and route they are using and try to ambush them!! Make Becki proud and bring back a bird!!! Strat