Morning turkey hunt

[redneck2]

Took my best friends son turkey hunting this morning on our family farm. Got there about 5:45, and got set up. Decoys out, we are in the fence row at the side of the woods

Ten minutes later this bird gobbles right behind us, maybe 50 yards away. I hit the call very gently as it gets light. We watch the bird fly down. He comes directly to us. Shot him at 6 yards. 6:48 a.m. Season was over 30 minutes in

 

[FL-NC]

Nice bird and very efficient. I had to work harder for mine.

 

[redneck2]

I hunted for five years before I got my first bird.

I’ve taken him on our farm three times. First year he got one at 7:12 am, second year 8:30, today 6:48 a.m. All opening day

 

[Duster340]

Nice! Congrats on a great bird.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

That's a fine bird. My congratulations to you both.

 

[Speedo66]

He sounds like good luck, I'd take him every time I went hunting.

 

[LoonWulf]

Nice bird! Congrats!

 

[Patocazador]

I hunted for five years before I got my first bird.

You did it the right way. I got one the 1st time I went and on public land. Since it was so easy that time, I still can't get worked up about turkeys. Just the opposite with deer.

Nice bird.

 

[eastbank]

thats a very nice bird you bagged, our season starts tomorrow morning and i,m going to what i call a honey hole, over the years it produces some nice birds.

 

[Armored farmer]

Congrats , that's a nice bird!

In 2002 ,I had been getting landowner turkey permits for a few years but hadn't tried hunting yet. My neighbor came to my house one evening and told me there were big gobblers roosting on my property. We went hunting together the next morning and I tagged the biggest bird i have ever killed on my very first hunt.
On day two of this season, my neighbor and I doubled on these two toms. 20 years later!

 

[redneck2]

You did it the right way. I got one the 1st time I went and on public land. Since it was so easy that time, I still can't get worked up about turkeys. Just the opposite with deer

I’m just the opposite. To me deer are no challenge compared to turkeys.

One thing that is blatantly obvious is the difference between public and private land, at least around here. Public land is scarce and nimrods go out and scout a couple weeks before and right up to season. The birds are spooked and call shy.

Over the past thirty years there have been three record book bucks taken out if that 20 acre patch of woods. I missed another one about ten years ago or it would be four

 

[nick22]

I caught up with this Tom around 7 am last Monday. The woods was littered with Turkeys and there was plenty of gobbling. After flydown the Toms must have quickly bred the hens because 6 of them left the woods and came past my setup a jake and hen decoy. 1 of the hens had maybe a 3" beard as they fed past me at less than 10 yards I was focusing on controlling my breathing. so the end of my gun barrel didn't move too much. I could hear the tom's gobbling and moving back and forth in the woods. I could see little bits of them as well. After some convincing with the calls the bird in the picture came out first and made the adjustment with my Benelli. As I was getting ready to shoot him at least 3 or 4 other long beards followed him. I contemplated looking them over to see if one of the others was bigger but realized I would probably just screw the whole thing up they were all less than 15 yards away. I pulled the trigger on that Tom and I saw the red wad from the load of 3.5" #5's bounce off his head he was well anchored and all the live turkeys gobbled and seemed to be considering putting the spurs to there friend. after a few minutes they all left an awesome morning to be in the woods.

 

[Armored farmer]

Great hunt @nick22
My friends and my sons have often doubled when the other Tom's or Jake's come in to put the spurs to a downed gobbler. It's as if the say 'ah wise guy, huh?' and try to flog him.
Turkey hunting as a team has its advantages.