Turkey talk

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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

I went Wednesday on public and never heard a word. Still have not heard a gobble yet! The places I am hunting have plenty of gobbler tracks, so I have just been unlucky on the gobbling. They sure don't need to gobble to be killed, it is just so much more fun.

Nice work guys. I killed one opening day last year and felt like I was playing with house money the rest of the season-which was only 11 days for me. But I have enough folks to call for, that I hunted just as hard, just without a gun.
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

Wow. What a hard hard season. I had a special opportunity hunt and that is the only time I have heard any gobbling and was oh so close both days, but did not seal the deal. I have been a lot and been to spots that the birds were literally gobbling the day before and heard nothing. I am seeing tracks, seeing hens, have called more than a few hens up to me, twice have watched them peck the stew out of the DSD Leading hen decoy (ignoring the other). I am where there are birds and every day I go, NADA. I know I do not need to hear one to kill one, but it can get discouraging. have not given up and still have a place to hunt in GA, so if FL does not happen, I may have to buy a license. I ain't no quitter.
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by bbb »

I killed one in GA 2 weeks ago. After hearing nothing that morning, i Walked up on a power line around 8:10 and just stood there looking around. About 10 minutes later one gobbled and 15 minutes later he was flopping at my feet.

I've killed 6 birds in my 3 years of hunting them and have yet to kill one before 8am. Always seems like I'm finding a lonesome tom between 8am and 10 am
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

I would call it an awesome day to be done by 10am here lately.

Had one at 40 yards with my daughter on Sunday am. Her gun is perfect for 30, but 40 is pushing it, and he stayed with some brush between him and her. I could have killed him easily, but was hoping he would present her with a shot. he did not. Oh well, that has been my season.
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rocket
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by rocket »

Spring came way too early this year and I think it has the birds quiet.
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

I agree, mostly. I have had two talkative days out of the whole season, but my nephews have been on gobbling birds multiple times this year. I know I have been in ear shot of plenty of birds this year, but when I am there, they are quiet.
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RCS
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by RCS »

Opening weekend, I heard at least 4 birds on the roost, but they were henned up as soon as their feet touched the ground. Didn't get to hunt them again until this past Thursday--didn't hear a peep on the roost, but starting around 7:30 I had birds losing their minds in all directions. When I finally put a bird on the ground at 6:45PM, he was the 8th gobbler I'd had in range. Had 3 young birds in front of me at 8:15, and after finally deciding to take the biggest bird, misjudged distance and whiffed-a first, but probably won't be the last time it happens. At 9:30, I yelped loud walking through some burned pines and 3 more birds cut me off less than 100yds away. At 9:45, I had them at 40 yards, but the bird I wanted stayed in full strut with all of his vitals behind a pine, and a smaller, closer bird picked me out and they bolted without giving me a shot. The bird I killed came in silently with another young gobbler. I've never had a better, unluckily day in the turkey woods.

Friday morning, the woods were silent. I hunted a few other parts of the property heard/saw two more birds all weekend, and they were henned up and uncooperative.
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

Woods were quiet this morning again, but as the season is almost done I was gonna stick it out. At 9:45 I heard a gobble. I called to him and he did not answer right away and circled me. I called a few times with the mouth call and that seemed to fire him up. He came in full strut. I even clucked at him to get him to go out of strut but he had love on his mind. But the last thing to go through his mind was some Federal HW#7 at 35 yards. Image


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Re: Turkey talk

Post by bbb »

Good job. Just about the time your ready to give up and sell all your stuff, the turkey gods give you one. I have not been in the woods the last 2 weeks and can maybe go Sunday morning. Luckily I still have GA to hunt into May.
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by silverking »

Way to stick with it, Doc. Nice bird.

Saw this story on USA Today yesterday about the potential new TN record.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 100598024/

Would love to join y'all out in the flat woods, but it's just not worth the battle it would cause on the home front. I'll stick to torturing fish instead. :wink:
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onefishtwofish
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

Thanks y'all. A buddy of mine introduced me to it and said "You don't want to start turkey hunting, it is highly addicting". Man was he right. He called one in for me on our first hunt, straight off the limb to the gun. Hunt was done in 20 minutes. He warned me not to expect that too often!

If I kill a bird early, I am usually more into fishing, but this year tried me. Between building farm tables for family and turkey hunting, I have not seen the salt in a while.
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bbb
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by bbb »

onefishtwofish wrote:Thanks y'all. A buddy of mine introduced me to it and said "You don't want to start turkey hunting, it is highly addicting". Man was he right. He called one in for me on our first hunt, straight off the limb to the gun. Hunt was done in 20 minutes. He warned me not to expect that too often!

If I kill a bird early, I am usually more into fishing, but this year tried me. Between building farm tables for family and turkey hunting, I have not seen the salt in a while.
That was me last year. Heard birds every morning but could not seal the deal til early May in GA. Did not saltwater fish last spring at all.
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by MudDucker »

Heard 5 gobbling at daybreak. Right at shooting time, when flew into the decoy, stretched his neck, exposed his beard and died. A nice double bearded bird. First I've killed in 35 years. Swore off turkeys due to my last trip to Payne's Prairie when I was at UF 35 or so years ago and felt like I lost 2 pints of blood each morning till I killed that sucker. Had two more fly in just out of range and walk off. :-D
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bbb
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by bbb »

Heard 1 bird in Fla this morning and he only gobbled once....that I could confirm. Sat in the area til 9 but wasnt very confident in doing so.
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Re: Turkey talk

Post by onefishtwofish »

Hunted Georgia on Wednesday. Lots of birds. Lots of gobbles. Had set up on a little field and 2 birds were hammering right in front of us. Called them to about 100 yards, but could not see them over the rise in the field. I know they saw the dekes. They lost interest and wandered off. After a pretty long wait I eased up and saw them at a couple hundred yards - there were 3 jakes, so we would not have shot anyways. had other birds gobbling around us, but this is a quail plantation and it is impossible to move. Would be like trying to move on a golf course. Could never get in front of the ones that gobbled a few times on the ground, by trying to use the terrain, just could not get ahead of them.

Time to start thinking about fishing!
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