The Late Season Turkey Hunt

[Rick]

The Late Season Turkey Hunt

by Quackaddict

Last season in Minnesota. We've always applied as it is a safe bet you will draw. This year with the poo-ee weather for the last month has the birds behaving differently from previous years. We had to resort to gorilla tactics. Saturday we had the big flock of 5 Toms, 2 Jakes and 3 hens

come within 100 yards, the two jakes broke off and got close.....then the rain came. The toms came out of strut and the flock disolved. They all stayed within 200 yards and looked like they were sleeping. After an 1 hr of setting there in rain we decided to make a move as there were 3 of the toms about 50yds from a finger of woods. We crawled back and went around (way around). Still raining we came up to within 60 yards of the birds, but could only see 1 of the 3, the alfalfa was tall and the birds were just hunkering down. We were getting ready to make the final belly crawl when we were busted. They moved off fairly quickly putting as they went through the downpour. We busted tail all the way around and were able to intersept them again. This time they were real close to the woods, I had one in my sites at 20 ft but backed off to get my dad in position (got greedy). Busted again. Day over, had to dry off.

The next day I was able to ambush a gobbler and about an hour and a half after that my old man ambushed one 100yards from where mine was taken. My dad was watching my bird in the bics when I took him and I was watching in the bics when his was taken. I don't need any lectures on the dangers of hunting this way. We are the only hunters on this property. We don't go creaping around without the other one knowing it.

My first morning was trashed as a road grader stopped for 45 min to pick morels on our property 100yrd from my setup (with the machine running the whole time) The only birds I could bring in was this bearded hen, the toms wanted nothing to do with her I watched them treat her like she was diseased for 2 days!

Here are the shots of my dad and me.

Congratulations on all who scored, enjoy the feast!