anyone else looking forward for the BH turkey hunt?

[Dan Brelje]

This will be my first hunt...ever. I am looking forward to it and i can imagine that many others are too. Lets hear some plans.

A couple buddies and i are hoping to bag 3 birds in the northern black hills.

[sticknstring]

A buddy and I will be heading out there the 3rd week of April... Drew prarie tags as well so we'll each have 3 tags. Will be the 1st time for both of us so it should be a good hunt. I think we're gonna start out by Custer but who knows.

[elevatorguy]

I am stoked and can't wait. I will be out there on the 23rd of april and hopefully get me another bird out there. We will hunting behind private land north by Piedmont. And if we are not there we will go back to our normal places by Hill City. Good luck...

[Wanderer]

Good luck guys!

HUTNBUX and I will be headed out Wed. night for a short 4 day weekend. We'll be in the Southern range.

How long does it take for SD to send an Internet purchased license?

Hope to hear reports!

[Nightcrawler]

week-------

[sticknstring]

Good luck guys! We just got back from the hills last night sans turkeys ;( First time out there for us and it's an entirely different ball game out there. Birds were bunched up pretty good and not coming to calls. We hunted from Edgemont to Custer. Report your hunt when you get back.

[Wanderer]

Well, here's the report:

No, seriously, we had an awesome time out there. The weather stunk the birds were call shy (except one) and the towns shut down at 8 pm making it hard to get a decent dinner!

But, beautiful scenery, my only turkey hunt this year, getting to work at least one bird every day, learning its harder to shoot a bird with a rifle than a shotgun (had to try), and spending memorable time with a good friend.

We both passed on jakes, both missed a tom (day two and four), and both decided that a tandem dumping of strutting toms in the ditch about 15 minutes after we got there (10 hr drive) wasn't how we wanted to end our trip. So we let them hit the woods. Then the toms (5) were holding so tight to the dozen hens that we couldn't risk a shot and had to watch them walk away. They did do some breeding before our very eyes though.

I have no bird pics but here's a few shots of the hunt anyway.

Let's go!!!!!

The setup the ONE call crazed bird came into. This was an hour after the first pic. Nice weather change. The tom came from the opposite hill, and followed my tracks up to me. He gobbled off to my right but when I tried to reposition, the hen that quietly topsided me suddenly wasn't quiet anymore! No more tom.

My ambush point.

A view from the top the first day.

Same spot, but where 4 jakes came through.

Get the idea the birds were preferring the high ground?

I realize some of the summary of the hunt makes us sound hackish but there are too many details to throw in, and I for one KNOW I didn't bring my "A" game. But I'm O.K. with it. I was there to enjoy myself whether I got a bird or not.

[prov1900]

Great pics. The best hunt I have ever had in my life was turkey hunting and I never got a shot off.

[Dan Brelje]

Nice pics, looks like a fun hunt. Still looking to get mine in the northern hills, only got a couple days left.