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Team #7 = TOM TERMINATORS

Gordie

By Gordie
in Turkey Hunting

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Surface Tension Grand Master

Surface Tension

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Thanks guys.

I hunt private land in SE MN. No scouting because of distance but know the field I'll be on as I've hunted it for 7 seasons. Surrounded by bluffs its not a run & gun situation but more sit and wait. While I've scored on opening day more then once there, its also can be a day of observation then adjustment and relocation.

I hope to at least have a good story.

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Gordie Grand Master

Gordie

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60% rain & Tstorms predicted for at least the first 3 days of my season. I'm thinking 1 extra pound for soaking wet feathers and another 1 pound from flopping around in the mud.

thats the way always think possitive man

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ChuckN Veteran

ChuckN

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Ok, the story... smile

My cousin and I set out to start our season Saturday morning. It was a rather uneventful morning....some gobbles before daybreak, but we didn't see a turkey until this guy showed up at 8am, and that was the magic time. A hen suddenly appeared about 80 yards from this guy (strutting), and across the field a few Toms popped out enjoying the morning sun and feeding.

This Tom came in fast, then stopped and strutted behind a haybale for what seemed like eternity. He then slowly strutted his way in a half circle around the decoys and outside of shooting range while he eyed up the deks.

We watched this bird for a long time, and as it moved directly in front of me (into the sun at that time) I thought he was finally in range and I placed the shot.

It turned out he was farther than I estimated, but the end result was a dead Tom. grin

It's been a tougher hunt. Saturday was the day and the Toms were responsive, even to my cousin who had 3 longbeards surprise him at 10 yards. He's still hunting at this moment, so that should tell ya what happened.. wink

Cold weather, some snow blew in and shut the Toms down. Hens are running wild and we are not seeing Toms with hens.

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ChuckN Veteran

ChuckN

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Thanks.

I can't wait to hear from S.T., what's the word Frank??

My cousin scored this morning on a nice Tom, so he's feeling great after whiffin the other opportunity. His Tom came in with 10 hens just after sun up. crazy

Hunting the nice, sunny days really gets these birds moving again!

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Surface Tension Grand Master

Surface Tension

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Nice one Chuck!

The weather forecast was right on.

Arrived to the farm Fri afternoon, it was hot out. Shortly after the T-storms started which was pretty much what we had for weather till Tuesday morning.

Turkeys were out in the field so instead of getting my hide set up, my hunting partner and I set up the tent. Between the T-Storms we then set up my partners blind in an adjacent field along an over grown fence row. Later we go to my field and get my stuff setup. We've hunted the same farm for 7 seasons so we both knew where we wanted to start out. After a day or two of observations we then make the move, if needed.

Sat. 4AM the alarm went off, the sound rain drops and high winds against the tent was, well a bummer. Dressed and just about ready, I go to slip on my Muck Boots. They lay on the floor of the tent in a puddle of water. Good news is the rain let up for a while so off to the blind I go. In addition to rain, T-storms, and high winds it was cold.

6:30 AM, 4 hens enter the field 45 yards from my left. I have a hen and jake decoy out 15 yards in front of me. The hens go about feeding, paying little attention to the decoys as they pass in front of me. I can hear gobbles far off across the valleys around me but nothing close. The hens meander around in gun range for 45 minutes then disappear over a nob in the field.

9:45 AM. A Tom enters the field from the same spot the hens entered. Its obvious he sees the decoys and immediately starts a half hearted strut and lets out a few gobbles. This bird was a jake last year and one I wouldn't hesitate to take. I've patterned the shotgun up to 50 yards and while it'll kill a turkey out to 45 yards it can't kill them 10 out of 10 times.

I wait and hope he closes the gap. Meanwhile his gobble sparks gobbles out of a Tom to my right and off the field. It wasn't apparent at the time but as the days went by I learned why that Tom started increasing the distance between him and the Tom in the woods to my right. A series yelps and the Tom to my right answers. Thats all I give him. He stays in the woods, patrolling the edge for hens. After and hour of gobbles they stop. I hear a shot from across the valley and know its my partner. His Tom weighed in at 23lbs 14 oz. The rest of the day is uneventful and that continues for the next 2 days. The blind stays put and is a welcome sanctuary from rain, high winds and even heavy fog of which so far I've logged 36 hours of sitting in. The weather forecast is for clear skies on Tues. I however am leaving at noon.

Tues morning I awake to the alarm and like past mornings listen for rain drops on the tent, to which there aren't any.

I slip on the wet Muck Boots, no they hadn't dried out on a account of 100% humidity for the last 3 days, and headed out to the blind.

The sun rises as the birds sing to clear skies but for the first hour the Toms are quite and nothing enters the field.

6:30 AM a gobble. Its the same Tom that was on my right on Saturday. I judge him at 100 yards but not far off the field. He patrols the edge back and forth as I hear the gobbles getting near then further over and over.

Then I see this magnificent Tom on the field edge in full strut. Now I've seen a lot of strutting Toms spitting and drumming but this guy is HUGE. Hes got two hens with him and hes giving them the full display, tilting, charging, and herding.

I hoping right about now those hens make their way toward me, which they don't. The hens enter the woods with the Tom. I let out a series of yelps and the Tom answers. Not only does he answer but he making his way toward me. I should mention I have one hen decoy out. Gobbling along his way he gets closer and closer to me, while staying in the woods. Then his gobbles indicate hes going back from which he came. You learn as you go and I should have right then and there left the blind and set up straight in back of me 20 yards. I gave out a series of yelps, yelps that were very aggressive and enough of them that I might say was over calling if hadn't heard hens behave the same before. The yelps pulled the big Tom back to me and directly behind just out of sight as the hill drops off fast otherwise he was definitely in range. For the next hours to pass the Tom stayed behind me gobbling. I was pinned in the blind and no hens or Toms in the field just the Tom behind me. I know what my next setup on this bird would be but I have to end my hunt.

That was tough knowing the rest of the day and next day would be very good days to be hunting. A total of 43 hours in a blind, most of it being down right nasty and dull but the high intensity times made up for it. So sorry guys no turkey for me.

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Gordie Grand Master

Gordie

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thats an awsome story ST and a ending that we all will face sometime or another and thats why we call it hunting. and it will keep putting us back in the same situations yr after yr. thanks for sharing ST. theres always next time.

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