Off Topic Turkey Hunt

[Teacherpreacher]

Off topic. Turkey down. Late hunt yesterday. Got in woods at 9:00am. Beautiful day. Heard him gobble at 10:45. Worked him until 11:30. Shot him in the beak.  24 lbs. 11 " beard. Great to get out. NO VIRUS!
Teach

[bigr]

Can't eat the beak anyway. Nice bird.

[hounds]

Nice Job........Makes me rethink sleeping in.  I don't go unless I get up at Oh Dark thirty......waiting til 9 d**n....still teaching!!!!

[Spooled85]

Nice job ! Must have been in the air birds everywhere and gobblin like crazy ! I ended up with one as well and my 10 year old step son missed one at 20 ft . Now he is hooked and won't stop asking to go again lol






Mine was 20 lbs 1 inch spurs and 10 beard

[Teacherpreacher]

Good show ! Keep that ten year old in the woods . Tell him I missed one at ten yards a few years ago as he was sneaking past my hide. Killed him on second shot running down a corn row at about 20 yards. First shot that went past his head was probably the size of a softball. Great that you are starting him young. Life time of memories!!!
Teach

[Spooled85]

It happens to the best of us that's part of the sport . Wouldn't trade it for nothing ! Ya I've learned first hand that a kid that is involved in the out doors is less likely to get them selves involved with the wrong crowd . I don't know where i would have ended up if my grandfather hadn't Ben taking me out since is was old enough to walk . So I hope it has the same effect on my kids

[Teacherpreacher]

Hounds,
I use to always hunt at day light, and I've shot a couple right off the roost. But most of the time, the hens go the opposite way with old Tom in tow. Then about 9:30 or so, he's done with the romance and starts looking for some action. How many times around 9:30- noon have you heard them start to gobble again. Those are the ones that want to die!
Plus at 4:30am up here in NW Indiana it is dang cold and I'm old don'tcha know! I've shot a good number of birds from 9-noon.
Teach

[hounds]

I used to hunt all day for em, on private land, now I'm relegated to public land, but its still nice to be out in the woods.  I've been hearing a couple early morning, but haven't seen a thing.

[redjones]

Nice birds guys,Teacher who did the stuffers, they seem to get the job done.


       Greg

[Teacherpreacher]

Those are regular decoys with "Turkey Skins" wrapped around them. I used fan and beard off of other birds I've killed for the Jake, I painted head. They still sell them because I bought new ones last year. About $40. They are real turkey skins with real feathers with liner sewn on underside with Velcro strips to attach around decoy. I staple here and there for extra attachment. I'll PM you as to where I purchased them.
Teach

[hounds]

Teach what kind of a call do you use?

[Hexagenia51]

Had to hunt hard for 8 days straight before getting a bird in range. My friend killed his Tom April 29Wed. afternoon 27 lbs and 10 1/4" beard. I killed mine the next morning April 30. Mine was 25 lbs and 11 1/4" beard. Probably my personal best! Birds talked on the roost but zipped their lips when they hit the ground. These came in silent to our Avian Zink Deeks(hens) but in eight days of hunting we only had two birds gobble back to our calls and didn't have any work for us. Toughest season in awhile! I guess we earned these trophies! Here's a couple pictures. It was fun but tiring, guess I'm getting old. Hex

[Teacherpreacher]

Hex,
Big Boys!!! Hunting 8 days in a row is a killer!!! I can't do it any more, even if I go to bed at 8:00pm!!! 4-5 of my buddies have all shot birds 24-25 lbs this year! Everyone I talked to has been dealing with henned up birds. Weather hasn't helped for sure. I refuse to hunt in rain anymore unless it"s just a light drizzle. Use to hunt Hoosier Nat'l Forrest around Paoli and French Lick but doubt if I could handle those hills anymore? This flat land up here suits this old 81 year old just fine!!!
Congrats Hex!
Teach

[Teacherpreacher]

Hounds,
I use all three calls. Mouth, Pot (Glass and Aluminum) and Box call. I usually wait 10-15 minutes between series. But I do "peep" VERY softly a lot with aluminum. I had a hen behind me last year that was very content and peeped non- stop as she was feeding for 15-20 minutes. She never stopped! Ever so soft! Those gobblers can hear that, for sure!

Here's what I've learned over the years. Turkeys are UNPREDICTABLE !!! You can read all the articles, listen to all the experts, watch all the videos! Turkeys are UNPREDICTABLE !!!! Sometime they follow the script. Usually they don't. You can be the greatest caller in the world, but often, usually,  it doesn't matter!
My theory --- "You just need to find a Tom that has his guy thingy in his hand and wants to die!!" Beyond that, "They are UNPREDICTABLE" !!!
But that's why I love to chase them! I'd hunt them every week if I could!!!
Best of luck!!!
Teach

[hounds]

I know I enjoy hunting Turkeys regardless of the outcome too.  Thanks Teach, I got pulled for a Hunt at Reynolds Creek from the 3rd to the 5th, hoping it works out here soon.  Been other places between the rain drops with no luck.