Turkey Hunting Stories

[Grizzly Johnson]

I didn't want to "hijack" Bvoss' thread about favorite hunts, so I started this one.

I have my favorites as posted in Bvoss' thread. But I like reading stories and like sharing too. I don't know if I have mastered the skills of turkey hunting or I just happen to be in the right place at the right time. But to me, a bird on my back is a good feeling either way!!

This is one of my stories posted last spring, Please share any of yours if you want..... I like reading them, helps tide me over till season.



I normally don't hunt in afternoons just because I have most of my luck in early to mid morning. Well I was off work today and decided to just get out and go since there are only two weekends left for me..... as windy as it was, I wasn't really expecting to see or hear anything.

Got there at around noon, set up in a burnt off area along a trail intersection. Sat and called for a few hours every so often. A coyote came by but wanted no part of it after winding me. I got tired and decided to go look around and see if the fields were grown up or had been burnt off also. Driving about a mile down the road I come to the first field. It has been burnt a while back but has bushes and sage grass still sticking up. I catch a glimpse of something and determine it is atleast 2 turkeys.

I look at the situation and decide to try to circle them and get ahead since they seem to be heading from one woods corner to the next one across the field..... I keep thinking to myself they will probably come back to the closer one. Well I get in front of them so I hope..... they aren't anywhere to be seen..... had they passed me already? I belly crawl into the field and peek over the hill in the middle..... there in the sage grass I spot the two birds feeding about 100 yards away...... I yelp and they look..... two toms..... one starts to strut but doesn't seem to want to play. Second problem, they have begun to feed back to the first woods corner...... dang it...

Well I back track and ease back into the woods where they are heading. I am walking along trying to be quick but quiet. All of a sudden I look up and there 40 yards in front of me are 3 hens scratching in the leaves. How they didn't bust me I will never know. I took a knee and waited. I hoped they would draw the two toms into the woods with them..... After about 20 minutes they started moving away to my left. I pondered moving with them to keep them in sight just in case the toms joined them farther down the tree line. I was just about to move when I caught movement to my right. Both toms had eased into the woods not 35 yards away. I eased my gun up and toward them..... the first bird saw something and started to back track himself. The second bird wasn't sure what was going on.... I picked out a shooting lane and when he stepped forward into it, ole faithful roared and another bird was on the ground.

20lbs, 10.5" beard (half of the thickness was gone due to beard rot) 1.25" spur & 1.375" spur

 

[knightrider]

my first ever turkey hunt at catoosa
my uncle and i got out of the truck and walked up this little path to a huge oak tree where he usually stands and listens for gobblers to fire off.we had been standing there about 2 minutes when two hens fly out of the tree we are standing at. we looked at each other and he said well i guess this spot is done. while we were listening to the crows a tom sounded off about 3 trees over from where we are at, so we just froze and started looking for him. when i spotted the bird he was about 20 yards from us, he had his head hung down looking for a place to put his feet. when the bird flew straight down he landed under a little roll in the hill so i sat down and my uncle remained standing. i maid just a few clucks and he sounded off. i raised my gun as i could hear him spitting and drumming behind the bank at no more than 15 yards.he strutted right around the bank and i gave him a dose of hevi #6 at 15 yards. so in 15 minutes of leaving the truck i had my first catoosa bird, why he did not fly out with the others i will never know, but that was my quickest hunt ever.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Here are a few more from last spring and one from 2 years ago, working that bird was like playing a chess match. As on now, he was the hardest and longest I have worked to get a shot on.


Well I'm not sure where to start..... I took a trip to Chapel Hill to share a hunt with Big B of the Woodpile Boys... it all began on Friday morning when Big B and I located some birds. We moved on them and busted a hen off the roost.... we thought it was over, but the gobbler was still there gobbling.... Big B yelped and got him fired up on the limb. The tom finally flew down in the pasture with a hen, then suddenly another tom flew down with them. The cows almost messed it up for us as they started running the birds off.... the hen got separated from the toms and the same cow started the toms back our way. Big B gave me the go and I dropped the strutter at 45 yards..... almost got a double but the second tom took flight just as Big B was getting a bead on him.

25 lbs, 10.25" beard, 7/8" spurs.....

You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get that dang bird!!

He was tore up from daylight, had 6-7 jakes with him, 3 hens (one of which was a bearded hen), matter of fact it was the same bearded hen & tom I was onto Thursday but was on private property and wouldn't work with me to get onto the property I had permission to hunt. I watched those birds from daylight until 9:00 when I shot. He gobbled if that bearded hen got too far away, he gobbled at crows cawing, he gobbled at the cows bauling, and he gobbled when some geese flew over!!! His gobbling was his down fall, as it helped me get around and keep a general location on him. I circled around (through a swamp about shin deep, briars, cottonmouths.... He crossed under a fence where I wasn't expecting and went into a very small field that had a trail running beside it. I had to back track some, I bumped his hen and she putted but with some yelps and excited cuts she settled back down and he went back to gobbling. He had one jake with him then when the trail and field came into a "Y" I snuck in behind him since he was out walking me. I was sneaking behind him and that jake.... the jake was getting very nervous and was about to take the tom with him. I was down to the last morning, my feet were soaking wet, I was hot and sweaty from sneaking and by dang I wasn't going home empty handed unless I shot and missed because of range again. Well I got on him waiting for him to cross out of some thick stuff into an opening and when he did.... me squatting waiting for a shot.... fired and he went down, I layed the gun down and sprinted toward him.... I felt something running down my face and my brow & nose was bleeding. I guess squatted, I wasn't braced well enough for the shot and the scope kicked back and popped me above my right eye.... but I toted him out.... dang near passing out from exhaustion and lack of oxygen.... but I got rid of my "0"... Thanks to you fellows (TnTrapper & DBLAARCHERY) for trying to get me connected this spring with two GREAT birds....I just didn't have my "A" game going and it cost me twice.... Good times & great new friends.... heres to you guys^^^^

It was about 19-20 lbs, 9.5" beard & 7/8" spurs.....

 

[knightrider]

i hunted a public land bird for two weeks straight 3 seasona ago. he always roosted on one of three points coming off the main ridge. no matter which point he was on when i began tree calling he always flew down to the opposite point and would gobble and strut waiting for me to come to him,this happened 8 different mornings[he was to smart]. on the 9th morning i went in and never made a call just set up on the point he was on the previous morning.as light began to break he sounded off and i said nothing.he gobbled his head off for thirty minutes,i really think he was waiting on me to call so he new where to go as there was no other hens calling.i heard him fly down about 75 yards ahead of me,i still never made a sound. after about 15 minutes he gobbled one last time and i gave him a soft purr,he immediatly gave me a double gobble and i got ready.i could see him abouty fifty yards out struting and looking, as the wind gave my struting tom decoy a spin he came in on a run and the rest is history. i played with bird longer than any i have delt with guess im just a slow learner, i all i had to do was hush and be more patient. he was 24lb with 11 in beard and 1.25 spur

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I love it when things come together. I try to learn form every experience with a tom...... or in the woods after an exchange.

Thanks for sharing. I also like learning from other people experiences also.

Keep those stories coming!!

 

[spitndrum]

Catoosa Evening hunt on the Peavine Side on 4-13-07 (Friday the 13th) I had killed a jake as a 1st bird earlier that season and wanted to hit the woods with a good friend of mine who is a turkey killin son of a gun. We parked the truck and he said if these dogs are barking in this hollow we will kill one, I thought he was crazy. Got into the back wooods of Catoosa and coming up the hollow was the sounds of dogs barking in the distance we wasn't far from the WMA line or seemed like it anyways. Set up on a flat and just listened-nothing! All the sudden he said I hear em walking??? I was like BS O yas man I hear em!!! Sure enough birds was over the crest but never came up for a shot-while listening a while longer ole longbeard fires off about 400 yards away and the race was on to get into postion to kill him before someone else hears him on a WMA or he gets with a stupid hen! Finally got down to the creek and I told him stop stop this is close enough he said man we got another 60 yards to go which was un heard of for a guy that had only killed a jake in a ambush situation, Geez we are fixin to bust this bird outa here and we will be screwed???? Got to a old log laying down on the bed of leaves he said get behind it and shot to that opening and I better not see you breath BE STILL, I was like ok. Jon goes into soft yelps and he fires off only about 75 yards from us and then I hear him coming down the hill towards us. I ease up slowly just a head movement to see the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life he was in full strut a heart shapped beard and obviously THE MAN he gobbled once more in our face at 15 yards until I snapped back into reality and said-HEY YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM NOW? He struts into the opening I had the Mossberg 835 in and notices no hen waiting for him and comes outa strut starts putting, but at 8 steps it was already over for this ole boy Jon said kill him and I let one go and shot him right in the waddles where I aim and he hit the dirt!

19 1/4lbs
10 1/4beard
7/8spurs

 

[spitndrum]

4-20-07 I had went to Jackson Co with my best friend yet another turkey killin son of a gun, we started out by having some gobbling the butts off on the roost and got set up and they didnt want to play the game-typical late season gobblers. Got a text on my phone and Jon had killed on and said they were ready we just had to find the right one to play the game with? Easy for him to say? We stayed and climbed a few hill sides stopping and listening ever 200 yards or so-finally we peaked the top of a massive hill in Jackson co for those that have hunted that area you know what I'm talking about :grin: Got to the top and decided to take a breather. Just sitting there listening and enjoying a morning in the woods with a good friend it was around 9 am about quiting time for us regularly. Heard a bird fire off that was to me still a rookie unheard of trying to get on it was a faint gobble over 5-600 yards away easy. My buddy said if he gobbles again we are going to kill him-I was thinking there is no way when we get there he will be gone and we have done nothing but got excersize. Sure enough he gobbles again and my buddy gets up straps him vest on with attitude and says lets go so you can shoot this one in the pecker! Got to the area where we thought he was and he gobbled yet again to give us kinda a pin point. Soft yelps, ANSWERS Ok what do we do we started around this horseshoe looking ridge top and once we got to the saddle thinking we are closing the distance on this boy, soft yelps-ANSWER right were we was standing OMG he is coming and fast sit down and dont move a muscle. I got set up in a crappy spot but it was all I had this bird was coming I heard him blow the woods down once more as he was coming up the saddle right in my lap only 60 yards below me, he finally tops the hill and I say there he is I'm gonna kill him. He blows into strut drumming and spitting in our face at 30 yards my buddy says wait let me film it so my finger comes off the trigger and his moves toward the record button. Big Bird seen the minimal movement and the gig was up started putting and running off I yelled I have to do it pull up outa crouch on a tree swing towards the bird fire as he is going back down the hill squeeze one off and he hits the ground. Running up on him my buddy says you aint gonna beleive the hooks on this bird. The ole warrior had bit the dust and we figured he was atleast 5 years old. My biggest bird to date and last bird to kill big monkey on my back but his final resting spot was on the wall!

20 1/4lbs
10 1/4beard
1 3/8spurs

 

[knightrider]

man im ready for a thunder chicken chasin spring

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Good stories Brandon..... beautiful birds man.

Keep those stories going.....

 

[knightrider]

spring of 03
i got to my favorite spot an hour before light, and the birds were alredy talking. i got setup to within a hundred yards of where there was 3 toms gobbling there heads off at everything that made a noise and i thought to myself boy this is gonna be easy. hadnt heard a hen yet and the toms were lonely. as it got time for fly down i made a few calls and then realized why i hadnt heard a hen, i was sitting in the middle of them.after i ran all the hens off the toms flew right down to them of course. i kept after this one flock of birds until 11 o clock and they still hadnt split up or even acted interested in me. well i decided to leave i stopped by the local general store and got me a coke and a cake, the old man that ran the place asked if i had killed a bird this morning and i told him my story, the old man responded with well why are you standing here if they are over there. when i got in the truck i thought well he maybe right so back i went. i set up off the end of the point the last place i had seen them, let out a couple calls and bam two toms double gobbled back not 75 yards up the ridge. i made on more call and they gobbled evry step of the way to my decoys. when the biggest bird got off top of my jake decoy i let him have it at 15 yards. i stopped back by the store and thanked the old man for telling me not to give up.
he was 23lb 10.5 beard and 1 in spur

 

[spitndrum]

Good stories Brandon..... beautiful birds man.

Keep those stories going.....

Thats my only 2 birds
Only killed 3 total one was a jake not much of a story I just snuck up on it and shot it at 8 yards ambush situation!

 

[knightrider]

nice pics guys, i wish had pics of all my kills

 

[spitndrum]

See Below for the STUFF!

 

[spitndrum]

"The Team TLBB Tennessee Triple"

4-13-08

Rut-N-Strut
make em' strut
coondawg

They was all killed on the same set BOOM BOOM BOOM!

 

[encore06]

I've only killed one Tom. He came in quietly to our set-up and I busted him at 30 yards. 19lbs, 10in beard, and 1 1/8 spurs. I've yet to witness a strutting tom. This may be my year.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

Stay after them...... that's when you make things happen.


This story didn't end with a bird over my shoulder, but it was a hard lesson learned, even when I knew better.

This hunt started on a Friday morning with Baxter83 & I hunting a property with limited access. We started out working a bird in a tree after daylight. He gobbled a couple times and then went quiet. For a couple of hours all was silent. Then he started gobbling his head off again. We worked around on him, gave a few yelps, he answered, and all went quiet. No movement, no gobbles, nothing..... We decided to move some more and for the next hour he was a ghost. The he gobbled a few times a couple hundred yards away. We moved again but all was quiet the rest of the morning.

I scouted for the next day and Baxter went home. I asked him if he was coming back the next morning, but he would rather go fishing than to be in the woods on the last weekend of turkey season.

Next morning before daylight I had eased to the creek bed quiet as possible. Daylight started to break and I found a tree where the roots formed a recliner size chair to sit in. Soon after I wondered if the turkey from the day before would even roost close to the same area as the day before or not. As the sun started to peak through the trees, a gobble rang out above me.... Oh no, I had gotten under him and didn't even know it!! The a second gobbler sounded off to my left. How sweet this was for me. Those two were gobbling back and forth at each other and I was getting tore up!!

Then to my dismay, a third gobbler, the gobbler from the morning before, announced his presence in the same tree as before on my right!!! I thought to myself, how could a fellow be this lucky and what an awesome thing to witness and be apart of..... too bad Baxter had laid out on me and I had to witness this all by myself.

I yelped ever-so-lightly and got a response from all three birds!! The sound of flapping wings took my breath away. It was the bird above me flying down across the creek just behind me. Then the second bird flew down just to my left. I could see him glide through the saplings then heard the leaves rustle when he touched down. The third bird to my right was still gobbling in his tree, just as the morning before.

I could see the bird to my left working toward an open spot in the saplings, a strut zone I suspected. I let out a few yelps to let him know I was still there. He perked up and then the bird that flew across the creek came back across and landed about 30 yards from me. Thinking of the shot, I repositioned to be on him when he gave me a clear shot. He came through the brush and I could see he was a jake that had just learned to gobble, his little 4" beard was poking straight out from his chest.

I looked back to the bird on the left and he was coming right at me. Dang it, I need to move to get ready. The tom turned to the left and went behind a tree. I thought he was hidden behind the tree and was taking advantage of it to move. I swung to my left and he must have seen something because he turned around and backtracked the way he came. He was going away with his head up at a steady walk. I guess I could have shot, he was still well within range, but I hated to take a chance and scare the other big tom still in the tree. The bird went back to his strut zone then out of sight.

The other ole tom went silent so I got up to move around and try to get ahead of him should he take the same route as the day before. I made the move, but his gobbling told me he was ahead of me still. I tried to work around him but didn't want to spook him. Finally he went his way and I just settled for a walk to the truck.

As I was leaving, I saw a different bird working the side of an old RR ROW. I went and parked, threw my gear on, and went to see if I could get on him. I eased to where I saw him but he had already moved into the thick brush and woods off to the side. I found a little rise in the woods, sat down, and started calling. I called with no answer. Eventually I got bored and decided to move. I made a large circle trying to get a gobble from him with no luck. As I got to the end of a little lane that lead to the tracks close to where I started..... guess what, he flushed up 20 yards from where I had been sitting when I first started working on him!!! He flew out of there and I was left shaking my head, remembering what I had heard and read so many other turkey hunters say about being patient and sitting just a little longer. My lack of patience cost me a bird for sure. But I had an awesome morning in the turkey woods and I will never forget it!!