Hyped for Turkey Season!

[werne1nm]

Good Luck! 1000 acres of private property sounds like a LOT of land and a LOT of turkeys. Just like deer hunting, if you did your preseason scouting and also locate some roosted birds the evening before, you should call a bird in, and just like deer hunting, when one or more strutting birds come in it's like buck fever that first time. Post up picks if successful.

I haven't done a whole lot of scouting. I set up some cameras on a few wooded area's he's got and got a few on camera a month ago. This weekends plan is to get into that wooded lot way early and listen for anything flying down. set up a decoy on the edge of that wooded lot and try calling them in as well.

The day we set up cameras my buddy was messing around with the box call. On the walk back to the car we spotted a Jake checking out w/e we were doing. So they're out there for sure.

I feel not many people hunt turkeys out there so they're not too pressured. hopefully more curious than cautious out there.

Will update either way if successful or unsuccessful! Every weekend I plan on being out there till I get one. Should be fun!

[gman]

I’ve never used cameras to locate birds but that could give you a clue of where a flock might be. First day out in a new area pay attention to where you hear gobblers then if you’re not successful be out there in the evening close to dusk, take a bared owl call and walk around, those birds WILL give up their location on the roost. Now that you’ve found the roosting location you need to guess which way they’re going to fly down and travel in the morning, set up 100 yards or so away in the morning before sunrise, don’t be afraid to give a few bared owl calls to pinpoint them again.

Now your fun begins, some soft yelps will get them worked up in the roost and if they’re not with hens yet and you’re convincing, they won’t be able to resist a hen looking for love.

[werne1nm]

https://imgur.com/a/OBYClm4


I got one yesterday out at the farm!

Started the day off at 5am in the woods I thought they would be.

I heard some gobblers over the road about 300-400 yards away but nothing in my woods.

I sat there till around 7am and moved around to a better position in there but still nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing.

I walked around to check my cameras. Spooked about 20 deer out of the woods and moved to a different location on the farm.

Now I know that this spot is where its at. Theres a field edge backed up to a creek and lowlands with some hardwoods in the back of the property. I saw a Jake and two hens but they got around 60-70 yards and wasn't close enough to take a shot. They were also silent. Every bird I saw was silent. They hardly gobbled at my calls and if they did they were 200-300 yards away. When those passed I was about to call it a day. I walked to the other field edge and spotted a group in a small wooded lot that wasn't my guys land. I backed out of there and drove up to the property to look for some groundhogs almost calling it.

You know that part of the day hunting saying to yourself "why am I out here? I'm just wasting my time". I was in that part of the day in my head.

Around 11ish AM I moved back over to the field edge and creek. I spotted a group of two toms and a hen. One Tom was strutting and the other tom was just there. Hen was eating but they were following her around. I immediately dropped to the ground and crawled prone for around 100 yards to the closest big tree. I set up there and called behind the tree but they weren't interested in what I had to say. Feeling a bit defeated as they were walking the opposite direction I crawled to the edge of the hedge where the farmer drives between the fields. This is a spot earlier in the day I saw the Jake and two hens walk past. I set up a decoy in the middle of the open space so it can be seen by both fields and both field edges in the back there.

All these birds I saw were silent. I think I saw the Jake and two hens again. I saw a silent lone hen. I saw a couple silent birds

BUT

Those group of two toms and hen popped out to my right.

I was set up in a group of trees at the edge. I can see to my left and right but can't see in front... which wasn't a huge deal as there was nothing but that driveway between field there.

That group popped up to the right side of me. I grabbed my shotgun and told myself NOT to do anything. No calling. Nothing... I believe since I did nothing I didn't mess it up LOL. That hen started walking my way this time! Those Toms were following about 10-15 yards away circling her. Only one tom was strutting. No spit and drumming. just puffing up.

They were circling her and she kept coming my way. They were circling more right of her and they were about to go behind a tree behind me. I shot the bird at the very last moment about 40-50 yards out. dropped it as the other tom was just stunned. The hen ran off. The other tom stood around for a few second as I got up and celebrated silently to myself and even stayed as I started walking up toward them.

That was that. My first hunt. I messed up and should have just stayed in that field. I was caught out of position and I think just by luck they popped back out and maybe me doing NOTHING was just the right thing to do there.

All in all. 100% hooked. I wish we could harvest more than one. Time to focus on setting that woods up for deer. Making a scrap. Watching the bucks and getting ready for November.

Thanks for reading!

[michiganlouie]

Congrats on your first bird!

[werne1nm]

Congrats on your first bird!

Thanks! I most likely did a lot wrong. I moved too much. I called too much. But the last chance I did NOTHING which was probably the only right thing I did!

[gman]

Way to go!

[michiganlouie]

Thanks! I most likely did a lot wrong. I moved too much. I called too much. But the last chance I did NOTHING which was probably the only right thing I did!

You'll learn more as you keep hunting. Every hunting trip is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and how to react to the situation.

[werne1nm]

No turkey this weekend with my buddy. Saw a few. gobbling on the roost. heard a couple shots over on other properties. No gobbling worth anything. Going back out this weekend for him. We'll see!