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  1. #1
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    TURKEY HUNTING Thread!

    Anyone pull the early unit and shoot one already?

    What kind of calls do you use?

    Where are the hot spots this year?

    I pulled the second week for a unit on the west side of the state, so I'll give it a few days next weekend. Just picked up two box calls and that have good potential (Lynch's World Champion, Cabelas, 32 bucks store pick-up, and a Ben Lee Twin Hen, 50 bucks off of Ebay), plus I run a slate for dawn/roost time frame (Cody that I picked up years ago).

  2. #2
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    I filled my early spring turkey tag yesterday, Apr. 27. Went to the blind at 6 AM and was walking out with my bird at 8:30 AM. No calls or decoys needed in this particular spot. Its in Ingham county near the black-muck sod farms; thats as close as I'll say.

    My turkey rig is a Remington 1100, using Winchester XX #6, 2 3/4", 1 5/8 oz. turkey load. I use a custom barrel: I took an 18" smooth bore slug barrel and had it threaded to accept a .665 choke. I replaced the rifle sights with a set of TruGlo slug gun sights. This combo patterns about 90% at 40yds, so you don't want to shoot if the bird's too close. The short barrel is well suited for use in a blind.

    When I had the barrel work done, I also bought an IC choke so I could use the barrel for things other than turkey, but I am reluctant to ever shoot a slug through it again. Maybe buck-shot for home defense? (The barrel is a pre RemChoke thinwall.)

  3. #3
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    Dang, no turkey is safe around you!

    I picked up a beater Ithaca Mod 37, full, short chamber and use Remington Duplex, or a Winchester turkey cartridge. No scope. I taped a camo cover over it so I don't have to worry about reflection.

    Eventually, I'll have a smoothbore black powder piece with either flintlock or percussion ignition, to make things more interesting.

    With this set-up, I don't mind if they come in real close, as long as I can get a shot in before a bad boy tries to tear up one of the decoys.

  4. #4
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    Here's mine. Got him last night in Lapeer county.

    He came in at 7:30pm and went straight to the decoys. He had a buddy with him as well....if only MI issued two tags. I hit him at about 25 yards. I had a tent set up on the edge of a field. The property I'm on this year does not have much room for the run-and-gun approach.

    This year I've been using mostly slate calls with the occasional box and mouth call thrown in for some variety.

    Weapon of choice is a Mossberg 930, 28" barrel with a Primos Tight Wad choke tube. Ammo of choice was 3" Winchester Super X Copper plated #5's. This is the same setup I used two seasons ago.

    He's not a big tom; he's a youngster with a 4" beard and small spurs.

    It's all good with stuffing and gravy

  5. #5
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    Nice!

    I had a chance at a later evening jake once, but missed, and then took a nice gobbler the next morning.

    While back I went to New York State. They allow two turkeys per season, but only one per day, and no hunting past noon.

    Looks like I'm heading out Friday morn...
    Last edited by sse; 05-01-2012 at 07:38 AM.

  6. #6
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    My openng day bird shot on 4/23 = I got to my blind at 5:50 in the morning and i just about had my decoys set when i heard the first gobble in the distance. At 6:20 i had 3 jakes come to my call and fed around my 1/4 strut tom and single hen. while they where feeding they went on high alert and i looked across the field to see a coyote chasing a deer across an open field and i said crap - hunts over. at 6:40 i saw 2 does come out of the woods and start feeding in front of me which was always a cool thing to watch. I then started blind calling on the slate once every 5 min and at 7:00 am, i saw 2 hens come out of the woods 60 yards out in front and she was yelping kinda loud. so I started yelping louder and kept cutting her off and could tell she was eye-balling my hen decoy and getting mad. everytime she yelped, i yelped louder. it actually worked and she started working her way toward me. i then hit the call again and heard a loud thunderous gooble not 40 yards in front of me. First off it scared the crap out of me and i jumped and almost hit my head on top of the blind. how they didn;t here me being startled, i'll never know, lol. i then started cutting and he goobled again but this time i saw him walking at me fanning and spinning every 5 feet. I then said holy crap its gonna happen so i frantically threw my calls on the ground in the blind and shouldered my 12 gauge. once the tom got to within 25 yards - i picked an opening in the thick brush and let my browning bark and to my suprise - I HIT HIM AND HE DROPPED!! I zipped open the blind so fast the zippers where hot and when I jumped out of the blind i tripped and fell because the blind wasn't open enough . I ran so fast through the thick brush, i caught a stick in the neck which drew blood but i didn't care. (note to self - fastest point from point A to point B is not always a straight line, lol)

    once i got there and placed my foot over it - i started shaking and could hardly talk I was so excited.

    i quickly unloaded, tagged the bird, through my gun over my left shoulder and the turkey over my right and started walking out of the woods and felt on cloud 9.

    32 lbs
    11" beard
    1" spurs

    ** Taken with a 12 ga. Browning BPS loaded with 3" Winchester Double Mag # 5 shot. **

    Only my 2nd all time bird and bigger than my last !!






  7. #7
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    That is one hell of a tom, congrats

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by miked
    That is one hell of a tom, congrats
    thank you.

    Being fairly new to turkey hunting (only 3 years), i really wasn't thinking at the time "this was about as big as they come (weight wise etc...)". Now here it is one week later and as its plucked and in the freezer, i'm kicking myself for probably not getting a full body mount done

    oh well - gives me an excuse (to give the wife, lol) to hit the spring woods next year and try and shoot another over 30 lbs


  9. #9
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    Don't forget there is also a fall season. You can take either a hen or a tom during that hunt.

    I rarely see them around to much in the fall. I usually pick up a tag in case I see one while bowhunting. Not sure where they go , but they are not in the same places they are in the spring.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by miked
    Don't forget there is also a fall season. You can take either a hen or a tom during that hunt.

    I rarely see them around to much in the fall. I usually pick up a tag in case I see one while bowhunting. Not sure where they go , but they are not in the same places they are in the spring.
    I do the same thing every fall and have yet to see one in shooting distance. Although I still see them. They do not respond to calls and are often wandering around alone. (Except the younger ones who still walk through the woods like semi retarded ducklings in a row.)

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