[hunter Joe]

Just wondering if anyone else was getting fired-up over the upcoming spring turkey season? In Wisconsin turkey season starts around the middle of April and goes for six weeks. That is six, five day periods. I drew the second period this year that starts on April 22nd, my wifes birthday. Thank God for grandchildren, she doesn't have time to miss me, if she even notices that I'm gone.

Last year on the first morning I knocked down a Tom. He was doing that turkey break dance, and being the safe hunter that I am, I nonchalantly stood up, loaded another round, put the safety on, check my watch, looked up and he ran away. I took off after him and eventually kicked him off a roost in a tree, never to be seen again. That was that.

I've been hunting long beards since 1993 and every year is an adventure. I enjoy calling for other people as much as hunting turkeys myself. I'm looking forward to hearing some good stories in the upcoming future and maybe some pictures. Shoot Straight, Stay Safe, Hunter Joe

 

[divinginn]

It starts here in Georgia in a few weeks,need to break out the turkey calls and get some practice in.

 

[R-BOLT]

I await with baited breath. In Kansas the youth season starts April 1st. Have a young gent that wants me to help him get his first gobbler. Should be a blast, his dad has been training him on handling a shotgun the last few weekends. I will call for him and his dad will film the hunts.
Us old guys in my unit can get two over the counter tags starting April 8th. Have been very sucessful the last few years on some hunting property a buddy and I own. Should be able to fill our tags with some nice old Toms. We just breast them out and fry up nuggets come the first weekend of pheasant hunting in the fall. Four Toms along with most of a seasons worth of roosters will feed a group of 15 or so for the weekend.
Next week heading to Texas for a little boar and javelina hunting. Might be my last trip down to this ranch, hope to get a large javelina for a nice mount. Will get a chance to try out the new 7mm-08 Ruger rifle.
I to would like to here others gobbler tales this year.

 

[hunter Joe]

R-Bolt, a few years ago we had a game feed to raise money for the MD Assoc. One of the guys deep fried some of those turkey nuggets and I must admit, it don't get any better than that.

I read somewhere that your not a true father until you take somebodies else's kid hunting. I hope he enjoys it as much as you do. Shoot Straight, Stay Safe.

 

[skullcrusher]

Here in Ohio it starts mid-April and runs for 4 weeks. We can only hunt from 1/2 hr before sunrise 'till noon. We can take 2 toms. I have friends come in from Cleveland, Cinci and Virginia. My favorite time of the hunting season. We hunt in the am and fish after lunch. I got 2 last year, one was double-bearded. We take turns calling for each other. Always an adventure, I love it.

I've had the nuggets, but my favorite is smoked breast. The key is to have some water in a pan, so the breast does not dry out. The rest, we make soup. The dark meat gets very tender when slow cooked in a soup. Wild turkey soup served over wild rice is pretty damn good.

BTW, Hunter Joe, you are killing me with the J Love av. I've always had a thing for her.

 

[R-BOLT]

Filled my tags this afternoon. Have not got my young hunter his bird yet, with poor weather, passing of my dad (cancer), and the young mans missed shots. Just has not come together for him. Today I split my turkey gear up with his dad, and took off on my own for my first turkey hunt of the season. Had high winds all afternoon, but was set up in a ground blind. As I was working my way to the blind heard an hen and Tom calling to each other close. I sat down in some heavy ceder cover and worked the slate call. The turkeys did not answer or come. After awhile I thought maybe I had scared them off getting set up. Worked my way to the blind, open up the shooting windows and got my decoys out. Looked around at the brush and took out the decoys to set up. Dang if I did not scare away a big Tom as I cleared the blind. My fault I should have called and waited befor leaving the blind, he was under ten yards away. I had jumped back in a scratched the idea of using decoys thinking there was more birds close by. About a hour and a half later saw two jakes and a Tom just out of gun range, they could not hear my call in the wind. Another hour and a half past sall a small tom in gun range and let him pass. One half hour later half a dozen hens headed towards me at close range. Got the Benelli SBEII ready with my 3.5" 5 shot turkey loads. Sure enough I saw three Toms following them. I took aim at the number two Tom and fired,instantly I got on the number three bird and fired. The 3.5" 12 gauge shells knocked my 235 lbs. off the bucket I was sitting on. Picked my self up ASAP and saw my two Toms laid out on the ground. Number four Tom was running up a near hill, he was the largest by far. The larger of the two I shot had a 9.5" beard spurs just starting to get a hook, the smaller one had a 7.5" beard and just about the same size spurs. Looks like we will be eating good at our next fall opening weekend pheasant hunt, we like to serve our spring turkeys that weekend. Would have liked to extend my turkey hunt, but very busy at work and home at the present, nice to fill my tags this year in one afternoon. The freezer is getting pretty full with this years game, time to stop shooting and start the BBQ up !!

 

[skullcrusher]

Way to go, R-Bolt. I'm kinda glad the season does not start here in Ohio intil 4/20. The weather has been bad, and the gobblers I heard earlier this month have not been talking at all since it got cold and rainy. We can only hunt 'till noon, so we fish all afternoon before the beer comes out.

I'm hoping to have a fun hunt like you had.

 

[spittinfire]

Turkey season started April 11th here in NC. Since that was Easter weekend and my sister/brother in law were in from out of town hunting was quickly ruled out by Mrs. Spittinfire. My dad and I are planning to go either this weekend or next. I'll definately be spending some time in the woods in the near future.

 

[hunter Joe]

The youth hunt was last weekend and the regular season starts today in Wisconsin. 4-15-2009. A few of the guys said the kids were successful and they also heard a lot of gobbling. I leave next Tuesday to hunt the second period. Good luck and be safe. Hunter Joe

 

[R-BOLT]

Shoot straight & good luck gents!

 

[R-BOLT]

OK - A week has gone by, anyone drop a good Tom or Jake? Have been suprised here how few birds have been taken in this area. The son of my hunting property partner did get a hit with a string and pointed stick, but the bird flew away with a mortal wound. Unfortunately he was unable to find it in the brush and CRP grass. We have a couple of dogs with great noses, If I had known what was going on, probably could have found his bird. Was a day later befor I knew he had lost one. If you have a turkey story, please share!

 

[spittinfire]

I haven't even gotten into the woods yet!! It's killing me! My wife has this funny thing about eating 3 times a day and my new job doesn't pay as well so I've been doing odd jobs on weekends which kills my hunting time.

hey R-bolt, you into the Guzzis huh? What got you into them?

 

[R-BOLT]

I live in a small south central town (pop. about 4200) in Kansas. The owner Frank Wedge of the world wide Moto Guzzi club M.G.N.O.C. happens to live here also. He has a membership of about 3500, puts out a monthly newsletter, good web site, and many states have a annual rally. Anyway I had been seeing him on his bike and other bikers in town started picking up Guzzis. I was bikeless at that time, so he and a working buddy helped me find a nice machine. Have rode the bigger share of the US and mid part of Canada also. Got the itch a few years ago and had installed high performance cam, flowed the heads, home grown roller rocker kit, lighten push rods, carb mods, lowered rear end gearing (shaft drive), and exhaust upgrades. For a 1100 twin rolls pretty quick. Have the 1995 Cali 1100, a bored and stroked 1967 V700 going thru a restro right now, 1976 1000 parts bike, and a 2003 DR650 Suzook thumper. The guzzi crowd is a small knit community and very loyal to their brand. I have had a lot of fun with it all.

 

[spittinfire]

I worked for a dealership that sold Guzzis for a little while, they were cool but new out of the box I couldn't see the price.
Sounds like you got a nice bie there, I'd love to see some pics. Ever dyno it?

 

[hunter Joe]

Well turkey season was very successful, although, I did not harvest a bird.

Wednesday April 22nd. started out picture perfect, 35 degrees, light breeze, and sunny. I had a tom walk into another hunter right off the roost about 200 yards away. I was chucklingly at this guy's yellpin and then ka-bang, I guess the laugh was on me.

I set-up facing west (I hunt a natural, no blind) and about five minutes after that guy shot his tom I had two strutters come in over my left shoulder. These two dudes gobbled for 45 minutes and hung-up about 60 yds out. They never spotted the dikes and wouldn't come any closer.

I had another tom hung-up a 11:00 and never got a look at him.

So at 6:00PM that same day I'm set-up facing south-east and had two nice toms come in behind me. I rolled on my right side and had the bigger one at 45 yds, they never came any closer. My neighbor shot that turkey Thursday morning and it weighed 25 lbs. It would have been a tough old bird and I was looking for something smaller anyway. Right.

The rest of the week the weather turned ugly, wind, rain, 85 degrees on Friday, more rain, higher winds. I got a lot of work done on the cabin and spent some quality time alone in the woods. What more could a man ask for?

Looking forward to the fall. It won't be long now.

 

[skullcrusher]

The first week was rough here in ol SE Ohio. It was rainy and cold and very windy 'til wednesday afternoon. By thursday 10:30 am, it was getting near 85°. Fri, sat were no better, climbing to near 90° by 11pm.

Lots of ground was covered, and nary a sound. I think someone glued their lips together. Very few shots heard, none taken but it is very nice to get into the woods!

I have until mid May to get 2 birds, so I believe things are gonna be good later in the season.

 

[skullcrusher]

I went to the corner store the other morn, and there was a guy checking in a very nice gobbler. 11" beard, almost 1-1/2" spurs and just a little over 25#.

My hunting monkey is all over my back. I'm gonna get out tomorrow.

 

[hunter Joe]

Skull, shoot straight and for God's sake, be safe. Save me a drumstick.

 

[R-BOLT]

That was a big gobbler! The 9 year old I was trying to help, did score the other night. He and his dad went out did a good set up and call, very exciting for him. He got a nice Tom with a nine inch beard. Hey spittenfire I have not dynoed the goose, would like to, but to cheap to do it.
I have used all my turkey tags, nothing left to hunt in Kansas other than varmits now - what a bummer waiting until next fall!!!

 

[skullcrusher]

Skull, shoot straight and for God's sake, be safe. Save me a drumstick.

Thanks, brother. Sorry, but in my house the drumsticks make a great soup!