Post your Turkey tales - opening weekend
- Thread starter DanSanDiego
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going to try a different approach instead of heading out early ill be trying an afternoon hunt, packing my bags and my little friend, left her head out so she can breathe
Pretty brave Steve hiking on public with a wing your back and head sticking up. You should put a Kevlar plate in that pack lol.
I had a tom come in this afternoon, but I let him walk for 2 reasons....
1 - It was 5:30 pm when he committed towards me. He was in full strut out of shooting range for a good 20 minutes. He put on quite a show! I think during my calling, I actually grabbed the attention of two hens who were coming my way. He was locked in on one of them, and she finally bounced out into some thick stuff. That's when he kept walking towards me. I looked at my watch to confirm that I had to let him walk. As he passed by, I noticed....
2 - I don't even think he had what I could even call a beard. It was so small, I had to question if I could legally harvest it some other day. But what I'm more confused about is that his fan was fully matured. All fan feathers were the same length, and with a fairly large spread.
I asked a friend's dad who kills turkeys every year limiting out, and he said there is the possibility of beard rot.
What do you guys think? Can this turkey be harvested legally?
1 - It was 5:30 pm when he committed towards me. He was in full strut out of shooting range for a good 20 minutes. He put on quite a show! I think during my calling, I actually grabbed the attention of two hens who were coming my way. He was locked in on one of them, and she finally bounced out into some thick stuff. That's when he kept walking towards me. I looked at my watch to confirm that I had to let him walk. As he passed by, I noticed....
2 - I don't even think he had what I could even call a beard. It was so small, I had to question if I could legally harvest it some other day. But what I'm more confused about is that his fan was fully matured. All fan feathers were the same length, and with a fairly large spread.
I asked a friend's dad who kills turkeys every year limiting out, and he said there is the possibility of beard rot.
What do you guys think? Can this turkey be harvested legally?
we called for two hours they just wouldnt budge, returned gobbles but no movement, i keep running into bones, turkey numbers look way down Pamo valley usually has good numbers i counted only around ten
No luck for us in Browns Cove. Heard gobbles early with the full moon. Saw a ton of deer. At about 830 the guy in Corral shot and saw him walk out with his Tom. After that there was not a gobble to be heard. 
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i believe the beard must be visible extending beyond the breast feathers
Saturday I call 2 jakes and 1 beard from 400 yds to 80 yds they never come closer than that, they gobbling 40 min in same position. Today was low in the morning and better on afternoon, but not luck for me.
Went out sunday with kids, turned into family time more than hunting. Would and will do it all over even if i never see a bird. Video to large but here are some pictures. My daughter was calling on the slate and I was using mouth call. This caused the little one in the back to laugh a lot then chain reaction between the 2.
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Saturday was very slow despite seeing a bunch of gobblers on my best private prop reserved for Stefanie & Jacob....One jake commited and they don't shoot jakes....Sunday was totally different....We had few gobblers early, but a hen landed right in front of us on flydown....Soon a gobbler flew down, but landed 80 yds to our left....Instead of him coming to her, she went to him....And they were gone....Hour or more goes by when Jacob spots 3 longs coming....But instead of coming to the calls and decoys. They turn right and into the no shoot zone....Another 30 minutes go by and another long joins the party with about 4 jakes....It's a gobblefest....Then the lest dominant birds start peeling out and the 3 longs head our way....But instead of coming to the decoys, they skirt them at about 49 yds....Stefanie has never shot that far, not even close, but Jacob thought it was now or never....A double tap boom, boom and we have a flopper....Unfortunately, I was about 20 yds behind them and they couldn't hear me say...."You better get down there"....Wehen we got to where we last saw him....He wasn't there....An hour of looking, and he was never found....Lesson learned....If it's still moving and you lose sight of him....Get there ASAP!
Today was better....Had a bird come in from a 1/2 mile away only to stop short of the decoys and would not come closer....Never got a good look at him, but could've been a big jake that didn't want to take on a DSD jake decoy....Moved to a different location for the afternoon and at 3:00 pm, we decided to leave, but before we did I hit the box a few 100 yds away near the truck....Faint gobble heard....Hit the box again and heard it again....We hustle down a gully and set up with NO decoy....Another few minutes go by and the next gobble is closer & stronger....One more call (switched to slate) and he was only 70 yds, but not visible yet....Then Mike see's the and he puts up 3 fingers (I'm behind him calling)....Once I see them (2 jakes & a long), I can tell they're looking for the hen....They're still 55 yds away and getting nervous....They start to leave and I soft yelp them....The long turns back around and walks to about 45 yds....The problem was for Mike was one of the jakes is right next to him....They then turns to leave again....When I see this, I give a louder yeip....He stops and looks back....Big mistake....KAPOW!....And down he goes....I also tell Mike to run down there and stop on his head....lol
20-8 lbs, 9 3/4" beard, and 1" spurs....Super fun hunt.
Few pix of the week-end.
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Today was better....Had a bird come in from a 1/2 mile away only to stop short of the decoys and would not come closer....Never got a good look at him, but could've been a big jake that didn't want to take on a DSD jake decoy....Moved to a different location for the afternoon and at 3:00 pm, we decided to leave, but before we did I hit the box a few 100 yds away near the truck....Faint gobble heard....Hit the box again and heard it again....We hustle down a gully and set up with NO decoy....Another few minutes go by and the next gobble is closer & stronger....One more call (switched to slate) and he was only 70 yds, but not visible yet....Then Mike see's the and he puts up 3 fingers (I'm behind him calling)....Once I see them (2 jakes & a long), I can tell they're looking for the hen....They're still 55 yds away and getting nervous....They start to leave and I soft yelp them....The long turns back around and walks to about 45 yds....The problem was for Mike was one of the jakes is right next to him....They then turns to leave again....When I see this, I give a louder yeip....He stops and looks back....Big mistake....KAPOW!....And down he goes....I also tell Mike to run down there and stop on his head....lol
20-8 lbs, 9 3/4" beard, and 1" spurs....Super fun hunt.
Few pix of the week-end.
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
Steve, I'm going to introduce a bit of criticism here, 49 yard's and a double tap ? IMO that's a hail Mary . When the bird numbers were up where I live and opportunities were plentiful I always told the folks that I allowed to hunt to not take the shot unless you are sure you can stone them dead on the spot (thirty yards or less) and if you didn't have the shot let them go because more than likely the will come back through in awhile and you will have another chance. IMO bad choice on Jacob's part and probably blew the rest of the birds out of there. Don't mean to be harsh but I have had the opportunity to live where I have been able to interact and watch these birds for years on a daily basis and have come to understand them better than most even though I don't hunt them personally. I have guided my step sons and many others to birds and have been graced with being able to learn how they behave on a regular basis. As you said you were on private property and he should have refrained in my opinion. Public land is more competitive but I believe the same rules should apply. I offer this opinion not to chastise anyone but to help others learn and get better at doing it the right way and not losing animals to a bad shot.
Fred,
With all due respect, but I have to disagree with part of opinion this time....The number of birds has little to do with how you hunt turkeys or the shot you take.... And losing or missing a gobbler (or any other game for that matter) happens to everyone that hunts a lot.
The boom boom was, you take the 1st bird and I'll take the 2nd....Very common scenario in turkey hunting....49 yds for Stefanie was too far. She has never attempted a shot over 28 yds and I'm normally sitting with her....That part I agree with you, but the excitement of the moment....She shot....Pretty sure that won't happen again.
For Jacob, I don't think so with him shooting 3 1/2" Hevi-Shot 6's....You said yourself, you basically don't hunt them....Guys that do on a regular basis know that 49 yds is on the bubble, but with the new shells required (& turkey chokes), it's way way more than makeable and many times that's THE shot....Mike's shot yesterday was at 49.5 yds....Stone killed it with 3" Hevi-Shot Blend (5,6,7's).....Federal TSS does their testing at 50 yds and it's very impressive....By the way, this is the 1st bird Jacob has EVER not recovered, when shot at.
ps....Saw the 3 gobblers today and they are very alive and well on the same ranch.
With all due respect, but I have to disagree with part of opinion this time....The number of birds has little to do with how you hunt turkeys or the shot you take.... And losing or missing a gobbler (or any other game for that matter) happens to everyone that hunts a lot.
The boom boom was, you take the 1st bird and I'll take the 2nd....Very common scenario in turkey hunting....49 yds for Stefanie was too far. She has never attempted a shot over 28 yds and I'm normally sitting with her....That part I agree with you, but the excitement of the moment....She shot....Pretty sure that won't happen again.
For Jacob, I don't think so with him shooting 3 1/2" Hevi-Shot 6's....You said yourself, you basically don't hunt them....Guys that do on a regular basis know that 49 yds is on the bubble, but with the new shells required (& turkey chokes), it's way way more than makeable and many times that's THE shot....Mike's shot yesterday was at 49.5 yds....Stone killed it with 3" Hevi-Shot Blend (5,6,7's).....Federal TSS does their testing at 50 yds and it's very impressive....By the way, this is the 1st bird Jacob has EVER not recovered, when shot at.
ps....Saw the 3 gobblers today and they are very alive and well on the same ranch.
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
Steve I respect your knowledge and experience but I hope Jacob learned a lesson and doesn't repeat that scenario, I'm a student of ballistics and #6's at fifty is pushing it no matter the material used to make the load or the choke used. The key to killing a turkey is to penetrate the cranium and neck violently, body shots do no good other than to soak up the pellets and make for a slow death. Why would someone shoot at something that is "on the bubble" and hope that it works out ? Sorry Steve I respect you, your field experience and your opinions but Jacob should have never taken that shot. I don't hunt them because I'm a fur guy but I've been around and know what works and doesn't. I hunted geese for many years after the lead laws came into effect and have experience with hybrid shot. While I wasn't there Mikes shot in my opinion was luck. Fifty yards is just too far a certain kill with a shotgun even with the best loads.
Fred,
We'll just have to agree to disagree after patterning the new super shells.
ps....Do you feel shooting a rifle at 500+ yards is unethical.....A bow at over 50 yds?.....I do and guys do it all the time successfully.
We'll just have to agree to disagree after patterning the new super shells.
ps....Do you feel shooting a rifle at 500+ yards is unethical.....A bow at over 50 yds?.....I do and guys do it all the time successfully.
If the round had been patterned at 50 yards and the pattern proved acceptable -- there's no reason you should not take advantage of that range while hunting. Still, as any hunter knows, misses/bad shots still happen even when practiced.
Just to give real world data for the curious. Here is a pattern of 2.25oz of hevi-shot #7's at 50 yrds. Balllistically they are equivalent to lead #5's. I have patterned this round at 50, and I consider this the edge of the effective range of that load (for a guaranteed kill with a well placed shot)-- and there's a dead turkey to prove it. That being said, You'd be surprised how fast a shotgun pattern breaks down -- so I can't stress enough patterning rounds at extended ranges if you are going to attempt those shots. A good pattern at 40 yards does not mean you should attempt 50 yards shots unless you actually test it. This same round has over 300 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards -- so in just 10 yards I loose 50% of my kill shots.
Just to give real world data for the curious. Here is a pattern of 2.25oz of hevi-shot #7's at 50 yrds. Balllistically they are equivalent to lead #5's. I have patterned this round at 50, and I consider this the edge of the effective range of that load (for a guaranteed kill with a well placed shot)-- and there's a dead turkey to prove it. That being said, You'd be surprised how fast a shotgun pattern breaks down -- so I can't stress enough patterning rounds at extended ranges if you are going to attempt those shots. A good pattern at 40 yards does not mean you should attempt 50 yards shots unless you actually test it. This same round has over 300 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards -- so in just 10 yards I loose 50% of my kill shots.
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
Steve, With all due respect to you and your personal experience (in my opinion you are one if the most knowledgeable folks on this is site) I get where you are coming from. At this point in my life I would not attempt a five hundred yard shot even though I have been shooting and reloading centerfire rifles since 1974 as I have not practiced it enough to be been interested in doing so . Skill level and experience is where that comes from. As I said before I hope Jacob learned a lesson because he failed and the coyotes are eating good tonight. I've made similar mistakes before and just want to help others not do the same.