Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

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jslorenz3
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Joined: October 2nd, 2012, 3:53 pm
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Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by jslorenz3 »

It's that time of year again! Spring gobbler season! This was my first turkey hunting experience. I had been looking forward to this weekend for months and literally counting down the days, practicing my slate call. I hunted both mornings this weekend with two buddies, Hudson and Harrison and we had a lot of action.

Saturday morning, we heard a lot of turkeys talking early in the morning before they flew down off of the roosts. I was set up with Hudson at an intersection of two roads, about 150 yards from a roosting site that we know in a swamp. We heard a lot of calling, but never were able to call one in to our decoys. Harrison was set up in another spot on the front field in his ground blind that we made Friday night. He called a nice gobbler in to about 80 yards, but never could get him to come within range. He painfully watched it strut around out of range for five minutes before it gave up on the decoy that wasn't impressed by his show of affection. That was all of the action for Saturday but had us fired up about Sunday morning.

Sunday morning comes, and Hudson and I headed back out, with plans to sit in the blind where Harrison had seen the gobbler. Right as day broke, the turkeys started talking and we heard some gobbling in different areas from around us. About ten minutes later, we hear what we think is a hen coming in on the road that runs behind the field. It never occurred to me that this turkey I was hearing may walk in on us until Hudson reminds me to be still if we see it. Wow! A turkey might be coming in on us! At that moment I turn to my right and see a red head walking up the road right into our field. It could not have been more than 15 yards from us. He checked out the area for a while, coming as close a seven or eight yards from our blind. We decided to let him walk, and he moved on. After I recovered my nerves and my breath, we sat until 9:30 without hearing another gobble. The turkeys had gone silent. Hudson asked if I wanted to slip back to a different field. We take off out of the blind quietly for the other field. We cross the oak hammock quietly and start up the trail to the back field. As we get closer, I see four jakes on the field, to the left of where the trail lets out. I decide that I am going to take one, and start a belly crawl up the trail so as not to be seen. As I get to where I can shoot cleanly, the group splits in half and two turkeys line up perfectly, one in front of the other. I squeeze of a 12 gauge round of No.6 shot and two birds fall to the ground dead. My first turkeys! Both at the same time! Hudson and I jump up and high five, both shocked at how the last ten minutes played out and the success of the stalk. All in all, these are my first two turkeys, and I am very proud of them. After cleaning them, I prepared the tail feathers and beards for curing to mount in a few weeks.

I definitely now understand the addiction to Spring gobbler season. Here are pictures:


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Scalp 'em Noles!
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by onefishtwofish »

Nice. It would be kind if bittersweet for me to be done on the first weekend, but you gotta make hay when the sun is shining. At least now you have more time for spring flats fishing. If course, it is just as fun to go and call for someone else.

Welcome to the must frustrating and fun sport out there. I had one at 75 yards on Saturday morning and he would just not come out to where I was. I was in between him and a hen, but he had two more with him and he gobbled his head off, would just not finish. Both fun and frustrating to be that close and still not have him take a truck ride. Hunted private on Sunday and did not hear a peep.
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jslorenz3
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by jslorenz3 »

It is bittersweet to be done on the first weekend, but I still plan on calling for others. With the flats fishing heating up though, I may not have time!
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by onefishtwofish »

I made my mind up a long time ago to kill the first legal birds that I wished to take, even if it were the first weekend. I have never finished that early, but I have killed my second with 2 weeks to go a couple of times. One year, I killed one on opening day and one on the final day! But I have also not killed a second bird more than a few times, so I take them when I can get them. Calling is more fun than shooting anyways. Anyone can squeeze the trigger. Getting them in to the trigger is the accomplishment. I have been more proud of a few birds that I called for someone else anyways.
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Danibeth
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by Danibeth »

Congratulations on your first two turkeys! My first two turkeys came about four or five years apart
jslorenz3
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Joined: October 2nd, 2012, 3:53 pm
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by jslorenz3 »

Thanks Danibeth!
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by onefishtwofish »

I just want my first for the year! Got invited to hunt GA, but dang that is expensive.

Hunting tomorrow before work and I discovered a Tom on an out of way location on public land. Hope he is still alive on Wednesday and gobbling.
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Nambleman
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Re: Spring Gobbler 3/21-3/22

Post by Nambleman »

Hot dang! A double hookup lol. Congrats on the nice birds man!
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