catman529
Well-Known Member
My first turkey season...
Well how do I put it all together now... Bear with me, it's gonna be a long post.
First, another big thanks to everyone here who offered advice since I joined, whether little or big, that helped me know what to do in the field. I'd have been nearly clueless without it. Youtube videos and Google searches helped big time, but still, the advice here was invaluable.
Second, I have learned quite a bit about turkey hunting that only experience could teach, as I expected. And I'm sure that learning will happen every season and never stop.
And thanks Knightrider for sending the choke for my gun, and TurkeyBurd for giving me a place to practice shooting with it. And I'm afraid I forgot who traded calls with me... must have deleted the messages from my box, but thanks to you too. You all are awesome.
Now to get to the season... let's see....
Pre-season: Scouted once, found roosting birds along a tree line, decided they'd still be there during season, and that was about it.
Here's a pic I posted here before the season from my scouting trip.
Start the season:
Total of 9 hunts for the season. School and gas prices restricted how many times I went out.
All my hunts were in one spot on Yanahli WMA, in Maury County.
Opening morning, I set up within 100-200 yards of roosting birds, across a field from them. I had 2 hens fly down at sunrise and land less than 5 yards in front of me and walk off to the left. A little more calling and a short while later, I had a jake come in just as close but he got edgy and left and my gun was not ready. Encountered 2 more jakes but also got busted.
On my 3rd hunt of the season, the second Saturday, I had not much luck hunting, till around 10am, when I walked back in the direction of where I parked, to another field where I suspected I might have heard something. As the field came into view through the woods, I saw a strutter. Made my way very carefully to the edge of the field, set up under a cedar tree with a lot of cover and not much window to shoot through. There were at least 3 strutting toms, a couple jakes, and some hens. I did a few cluck and purrs, waited. Shortly after, a hen started walking, then running, straight toward me. 2 jakes followed... they all stopped within 5 or 6 yards, and I dropped a jake cold in front of me. My first bird ever and sure tasted good.
Throughout the season, I had many encounters with birds, heard lots of gobbling (especially on the roost) and was very close to birds multiple times.
On Easter morning, I had a longbeard in the field coming toward me, when a hen came out and distracted him. 3 hens ended up walking around with him, for the next 2-3 hours. Finally, the tom walked by at about 30 yards, but because of the grass I could not tell if it was the tom or not...but then I saw the beard, and he was headed away, and I took a shot.... he flew, I took another shot, nothing. If I had just said "hey" then maybe he would have stopped for a second and put his head up.
On every hunt except the last two, I heard gobbling and saw at least a legal bird. I saw turkeys on every hunt, but saw the fewest on the last two hunts which were only hens. Found a nest too. The hunting pressure seemed to have driven many of the birds away, at least in my opinion.
I was busted many times, especially when walking. Bumped a longbeard one morning right after he flew down only 60-ish yards to my right. I was mad... but got to learn the hard way. I've learned that if there's a bird, go against your will and move so slowly you can hardly stand it. If I don't see any, but I might be walking up on some, don't just pop into a field or around a corner to look. I got busted a lot that way too. Impatience while moving was my biggest enemy. I was plenty patient sitting under a tree till my butt was sore but walking, I tend to walk and walk.
And the calls I carried in the field.....
I used a homemade, double reed, bamboo tube call and Raspy Old Hen mouth call on the first hunt or two, but after that I only used the tube call and carried the mouth call as backup. Killed the jake, my first turkey, using my tube call... Rewarding feeling.
Here is my bird... proud of it, all inch of its beard and bump-spurs.... actually it was the hunt and the meat that made it a trophy to me.
See the tube call on my gun... it's falling apart now but I'll save it.. and carve up a new and more sturdy call to last me through the upcoming seasons.
It was sad last night as I took the camo tape off my gun. Fall season will be soon enough, and then spring season, but there's nothing like the first time.
Now for some final words...
It has been a successful season to me, not just because of the bird I shot or the ones I called, but also because of the whole experience and everything I learned while in the woods. I love watching the forest wake up... nothing like the outdoors.
And I knew it would happen, but I still can't believe how fast the season went by. I remember when the countdown thread was counting days in the 70s. Then 30s... then 10s... then season opened, now it's closed. I won't forget that little baby jake (14.2 pounds) running up to my muzzle.
Now to get my mind off of the fact that turkey season is closed now....
It's time to bust some squirrels! Spring squirrel season is on, and the ones in the backyard have NOT forgotten that a window opening means danger. :grin: Air rifle is cleaned and sighted in dead on, shotgun is set up with a mod. choke for squirrels on the WMA.
And also it's time get out on the water as often as possible and FISH and fish and keep fishing. The fishing has already been great this year. Got me several catfish, bass, crappie, bream, common and grass carp, even a gar and turtles so far, and that's just the start. I will be fishing tomorrow... weather permitting. I've been fishing for 7 1/2 years, but slacked off the past couple years, and this year I am getting back into it and making up for the time when I didn't fish much.
No fish is a trash fish... they're all fun to catch.
Well how do I put it all together now... Bear with me, it's gonna be a long post.
First, another big thanks to everyone here who offered advice since I joined, whether little or big, that helped me know what to do in the field. I'd have been nearly clueless without it. Youtube videos and Google searches helped big time, but still, the advice here was invaluable.
Second, I have learned quite a bit about turkey hunting that only experience could teach, as I expected. And I'm sure that learning will happen every season and never stop.
And thanks Knightrider for sending the choke for my gun, and TurkeyBurd for giving me a place to practice shooting with it. And I'm afraid I forgot who traded calls with me... must have deleted the messages from my box, but thanks to you too. You all are awesome.
Now to get to the season... let's see....
Pre-season: Scouted once, found roosting birds along a tree line, decided they'd still be there during season, and that was about it.
Here's a pic I posted here before the season from my scouting trip.
Start the season:
Total of 9 hunts for the season. School and gas prices restricted how many times I went out.
All my hunts were in one spot on Yanahli WMA, in Maury County.
Opening morning, I set up within 100-200 yards of roosting birds, across a field from them. I had 2 hens fly down at sunrise and land less than 5 yards in front of me and walk off to the left. A little more calling and a short while later, I had a jake come in just as close but he got edgy and left and my gun was not ready. Encountered 2 more jakes but also got busted.
On my 3rd hunt of the season, the second Saturday, I had not much luck hunting, till around 10am, when I walked back in the direction of where I parked, to another field where I suspected I might have heard something. As the field came into view through the woods, I saw a strutter. Made my way very carefully to the edge of the field, set up under a cedar tree with a lot of cover and not much window to shoot through. There were at least 3 strutting toms, a couple jakes, and some hens. I did a few cluck and purrs, waited. Shortly after, a hen started walking, then running, straight toward me. 2 jakes followed... they all stopped within 5 or 6 yards, and I dropped a jake cold in front of me. My first bird ever and sure tasted good.
Throughout the season, I had many encounters with birds, heard lots of gobbling (especially on the roost) and was very close to birds multiple times.
On Easter morning, I had a longbeard in the field coming toward me, when a hen came out and distracted him. 3 hens ended up walking around with him, for the next 2-3 hours. Finally, the tom walked by at about 30 yards, but because of the grass I could not tell if it was the tom or not...but then I saw the beard, and he was headed away, and I took a shot.... he flew, I took another shot, nothing. If I had just said "hey" then maybe he would have stopped for a second and put his head up.
On every hunt except the last two, I heard gobbling and saw at least a legal bird. I saw turkeys on every hunt, but saw the fewest on the last two hunts which were only hens. Found a nest too. The hunting pressure seemed to have driven many of the birds away, at least in my opinion.
I was busted many times, especially when walking. Bumped a longbeard one morning right after he flew down only 60-ish yards to my right. I was mad... but got to learn the hard way. I've learned that if there's a bird, go against your will and move so slowly you can hardly stand it. If I don't see any, but I might be walking up on some, don't just pop into a field or around a corner to look. I got busted a lot that way too. Impatience while moving was my biggest enemy. I was plenty patient sitting under a tree till my butt was sore but walking, I tend to walk and walk.
And the calls I carried in the field.....
I used a homemade, double reed, bamboo tube call and Raspy Old Hen mouth call on the first hunt or two, but after that I only used the tube call and carried the mouth call as backup. Killed the jake, my first turkey, using my tube call... Rewarding feeling.
Here is my bird... proud of it, all inch of its beard and bump-spurs.... actually it was the hunt and the meat that made it a trophy to me.
See the tube call on my gun... it's falling apart now but I'll save it.. and carve up a new and more sturdy call to last me through the upcoming seasons.
It was sad last night as I took the camo tape off my gun. Fall season will be soon enough, and then spring season, but there's nothing like the first time.
Now for some final words...
It has been a successful season to me, not just because of the bird I shot or the ones I called, but also because of the whole experience and everything I learned while in the woods. I love watching the forest wake up... nothing like the outdoors.
And I knew it would happen, but I still can't believe how fast the season went by. I remember when the countdown thread was counting days in the 70s. Then 30s... then 10s... then season opened, now it's closed. I won't forget that little baby jake (14.2 pounds) running up to my muzzle.
Now to get my mind off of the fact that turkey season is closed now....
It's time to bust some squirrels! Spring squirrel season is on, and the ones in the backyard have NOT forgotten that a window opening means danger. :grin: Air rifle is cleaned and sighted in dead on, shotgun is set up with a mod. choke for squirrels on the WMA.
And also it's time get out on the water as often as possible and FISH and fish and keep fishing. The fishing has already been great this year. Got me several catfish, bass, crappie, bream, common and grass carp, even a gar and turtles so far, and that's just the start. I will be fishing tomorrow... weather permitting. I've been fishing for 7 1/2 years, but slacked off the past couple years, and this year I am getting back into it and making up for the time when I didn't fish much.
No fish is a trash fish... they're all fun to catch.
