Spring Turkey Season - Jason

So far, Mike and James both have taken toms out at The Land, so I didn't really know what to expect for my season.  With the baseball season winding down and lots of things going on at home, it was hard for me to put in a lot of time in the field.  I was able to get out for a few hours after practice on Thursday afternoon.  I was in the blind by 5:30.  I decided to sit by the wood pile where I sealed the deal last year and where both birds were shot already this year.  Around 6:45, I spotted six turkeys about 100 yards to the west.  Through the binoculars I counted three hens, 2 toms and a jake.  While the turkeys never made their way towards my location, I was confident that they roosted on the wood line by where the field road enters the woods.  The next morning (Friday), I decide to sit in the same location, hoping the turkeys were still in the area.  Sure enough, around 5:45 am the same birds appeared in the field and this time there were coming my way.  Unfortunately, they never made their way close enough and passed me at about 80 yards and made their way into the woods above the houses.  I decided to hurry to the north side of the property to potentially cut them off, however after sitting in the far north field for 2 hours I never saw a bird.  Feeling a little defeated, I made my way back to my original location to scout a spot for Saturday morning.  I decided to set up above the houses where the turkeys entered the woods earlier.  Hoping they would do the same thing on Saturday morning and walk right towards me.  I was in the blind well before sunlight hoping that my plan would pay off.  At one point, right after sunrise, I could hear 8 different toms gobbling on the roost.  I had two pretty close behind me and could hear three other toms gobbling from the usual roosting spot.  Unfortunately I never saw a bird.  The two toms behind me went to the north and I never saw a bird come from the "usual" spot.  That put an end to my spring turkey season.  Pretty good spring turkey season overall for the ECO boys with two toms taken at The Land.  Until next time.....Jason

Fifth Season (E) - May 12th through 16th
Weather:  Seasonally warm (mid 50's)  but  very windy  
 

Spring Turkey Hunted (4th Season)

A book about Ireland and kettle corn popcorn........that's how you get it done turkey hunting. I took the day off of work on Friday the 7th of May and woke up to a thunderstorm at 4am. I thought to myself, "Nah.....I'm not going to hunt in this weather". I waited until the rain stopped and out to the blind I went at about 10:45. I was set up in the south east corner of the cornfield on the top of the ridge, above the houses. The first half hour it was quiet in the woods. A few gobbles came from over by Hwy CC, but nothing close. Then at about 11:45 I heard a hen respond to my calls. So I had to put my book about the history of Ireland down as well as the popcorn I was munching on so that I could tend to the important business of the day, bagging Tom Turkey! As I mimicked her calls, Henrietta became very agitated and very vocal. Within minutes she came into view from the west and behind her followed another hen and a tom in full strut. The two hens hung around my decoy while tom turkey strutted out of gun range. Finally, after some putting and purring (or at least attempted) from my mouth call he began to move closer. But then out of nowhere, he begins to walk directly away from me. It was decision time. He was near the end of gun range and I thought that if he turns around I better take the shot. He turned, I shot, and down he went. The hens didn't know what to think. They stayed put but yelped and yelped in panic. Once I finally got the zipper down on the blind and came running out they scattered into the woods. I got me a Tom Turkey! It has been a few years and I was definitely due for one.

Tom's Stats:

23lbs

10 1/4 inch beard

1 inch spurs