SpringThunder
Member
Come one and come all! Lets all reminisce of the days we long for. Beautiful calm crisp mornings watching the sun rise over the tops of the ridge waiting to hear that tall timbered Gabriel let loose!
This Spring had a wild turn of events on me. A car accident ended my season early this spring. Still made it here and there and back around a time or two though.
All the trips were a success regardless of if I had a bird toted over my shoulder or not. Ended up with 4 this spring that I got to the squeeze on and a couple more called in for friends. A couple more if you consider telling a man where he needs to go and he gets it done.
Started off on the literal last minute mad dash to Florida Public Lands. A buddy called me the day before I left and informed me of the changes coming to turkey hunting Florida next year. Seemed to be now or never so now it was. The first couple days of season everywhere are critical and I didn't have a quota tag. That meant I was out of the game till the Quota hunts ended and it was general tags after that. Anyone and everyone at that point. Well I fooled with some birds for a week all over the place. Didn't end up squeezing a shot off. called in lots of Jakes. An Osceola would complete my grand slam so I wasn't about to take a jake. Its a grand slam not a minor... well next year I'll take a jake and keep hunting for a longbeard after that. I didn't have anyone belly crawl in between myself and turkeys I was hunting this year so that was a big plus. I should be at 10 birds now in Florida if it wasn't for other folks inserting themselves into the ballpark and stealing home. It was tough on a lot of the guys in camp. Some went in and waxed them like normal too. Typical Florida Public land. Good food in camp. Good people in camp. A longbeard would have been the icing on the cake.
It was Tennessee after Florida. way to much down time in between. Should have just taken off the entire time and hunted here and there working my way home.
I struck gold back to back in Tennessee. You can't harvest your two birds from the same chunk of public land the first week or two of season in Tennessee so I was beating asphalt pretty good there those three days of hunting. Not going to name drop any places but we do have message boxes here... I had rolled into my first location with just enough time to roost birds the first night I was down there. The Following morning I was up bright and early and got my ears on A LOT of dirt. Nascar has nothing on turkey season. This was the day before season opened. once they shut up I finally found out where camping is hunky dorey and set up shop. I cooked some burgers and went back out to do a little foot work in some spots. everywhere was tore up with sign so figured I was alright just about anywhere. That night I was unable to roost any birds in the areas I was intending to hunt that next morning which was the opening morning. NWTF. Now what the fudge.... I picked a spot to get to first thing that morning. I got to the trail head and had it to myself or so I thought. Everyone and their brothers out on the section 8 hunt club. ended up being 5 trucks where I was and not enough ground to feel safe. I cut my losses early and high trailed it to my backup spot. worked a long way down the list till I got to a letter without a truck. I heard a bird gobbling way back in when i was getting suited up. another truck whipped in there. they were dead set on getting in there so I said have at it and went one ridge down from them since I knew where the bird was. They spooked him and probably never knew he was there. I seen all the birds flush and 30 minutes later they came walking through yelping on their boxcall...
Met a man who hunts turkeys hard and it turns out we have mutual turkey hunting compadres. Turkey hunting really is a small world although its blowing up or at least the public lands are. I went in to roost a bird off a trailhead and stumbled upon an e bike way back in there so i went further. we met up on the hike out. neither of us heard anything. turns out the birds we were hoping to hear he had almost plucked one that morning but someone spooked the birds off the limb that morning. I knew the birds were in the area but just not being vocal. That next morning I waited by the truck in a spot nowhere near any other vehicles and just listened. Well they piped off and I had to triangulate them so I wouldn't end up going down the wrong ridge right off the rip. closed the distance and the game was on. they were over a lip darn near straight down in the drainage. I inched over the edge crawling and some hens picked me out and flushed. located two gobblers at 45 yards. I squeezed one off and they all flushed and none fell. I figured with how deep we are down in the hollow they'll probably stay down seeing the army up top. I hung out with them. Went maybe 600 yards the way they flushed. They had took wing and left the county essentially. I got to a small drain where it hit the main drain I was in. across the drain at 20 yards looked to be a perfect spot to call a bird up to for a shot. I camped out and eventually heard a bird KeeKeeing. I proceeded to do the same. Wasn't long and he got right to where I wanted him and there was 2! That bird went down hard. 12 gauge TSS at 20 yards where my pattern is maybe 10 inces in diameter.
Met up with my new pal before I cut out. cooked burgers while letting that bird "cool down." I got him processed and told my pal goodbye and good luck.
I got to the new area that evening and couldn't get anything to let one rip. cedar thickets... Not my desired habitat but it was all that was offered. I located camp and ended up just sleeping in the front seat of the truck. Windows down and generators cranking from the other campers. Was a beautiful night other than the generators. That morning everyone left camp and hightailed it way out of there. One car came and parked at the trail head right there. I had a route planned out to hoot from and howl from. No dice for that 3 mile stretch. I got to some ag land and heard a couple hammering way out about a mile and a half. I got geared up and started the trek watching out for rattlers. There were two hens I guess out in the field. I looped around them and spooked them back the way I came. I believe those gobblers thought I was them because when I got set up after setting the stage it wasn't long till they were at 30 yards. I told my pal the night before if he gets a bird the next morning to text me hope you have fun hunting that cedar thicket. I let the birds get to 20 yards and picked the bigger bearded bird to take. he went down and I just sat there for the next 30 minutes watching this other Tom work off. About that time my buddy shoots the text. I called him and he was extatic. he then asked why did I call if I was still hunting. Told him I got that cedar thicket bird 30 minutes ago and he couldn't believe it. I made a mark on him I suppose because he invited me to North Dakota for a cast and blast that year and I already had the tags so why not?!
This Spring had a wild turn of events on me. A car accident ended my season early this spring. Still made it here and there and back around a time or two though.
All the trips were a success regardless of if I had a bird toted over my shoulder or not. Ended up with 4 this spring that I got to the squeeze on and a couple more called in for friends. A couple more if you consider telling a man where he needs to go and he gets it done.
Started off on the literal last minute mad dash to Florida Public Lands. A buddy called me the day before I left and informed me of the changes coming to turkey hunting Florida next year. Seemed to be now or never so now it was. The first couple days of season everywhere are critical and I didn't have a quota tag. That meant I was out of the game till the Quota hunts ended and it was general tags after that. Anyone and everyone at that point. Well I fooled with some birds for a week all over the place. Didn't end up squeezing a shot off. called in lots of Jakes. An Osceola would complete my grand slam so I wasn't about to take a jake. Its a grand slam not a minor... well next year I'll take a jake and keep hunting for a longbeard after that. I didn't have anyone belly crawl in between myself and turkeys I was hunting this year so that was a big plus. I should be at 10 birds now in Florida if it wasn't for other folks inserting themselves into the ballpark and stealing home. It was tough on a lot of the guys in camp. Some went in and waxed them like normal too. Typical Florida Public land. Good food in camp. Good people in camp. A longbeard would have been the icing on the cake.
It was Tennessee after Florida. way to much down time in between. Should have just taken off the entire time and hunted here and there working my way home.
I struck gold back to back in Tennessee. You can't harvest your two birds from the same chunk of public land the first week or two of season in Tennessee so I was beating asphalt pretty good there those three days of hunting. Not going to name drop any places but we do have message boxes here... I had rolled into my first location with just enough time to roost birds the first night I was down there. The Following morning I was up bright and early and got my ears on A LOT of dirt. Nascar has nothing on turkey season. This was the day before season opened. once they shut up I finally found out where camping is hunky dorey and set up shop. I cooked some burgers and went back out to do a little foot work in some spots. everywhere was tore up with sign so figured I was alright just about anywhere. That night I was unable to roost any birds in the areas I was intending to hunt that next morning which was the opening morning. NWTF. Now what the fudge.... I picked a spot to get to first thing that morning. I got to the trail head and had it to myself or so I thought. Everyone and their brothers out on the section 8 hunt club. ended up being 5 trucks where I was and not enough ground to feel safe. I cut my losses early and high trailed it to my backup spot. worked a long way down the list till I got to a letter without a truck. I heard a bird gobbling way back in when i was getting suited up. another truck whipped in there. they were dead set on getting in there so I said have at it and went one ridge down from them since I knew where the bird was. They spooked him and probably never knew he was there. I seen all the birds flush and 30 minutes later they came walking through yelping on their boxcall...
Met a man who hunts turkeys hard and it turns out we have mutual turkey hunting compadres. Turkey hunting really is a small world although its blowing up or at least the public lands are. I went in to roost a bird off a trailhead and stumbled upon an e bike way back in there so i went further. we met up on the hike out. neither of us heard anything. turns out the birds we were hoping to hear he had almost plucked one that morning but someone spooked the birds off the limb that morning. I knew the birds were in the area but just not being vocal. That next morning I waited by the truck in a spot nowhere near any other vehicles and just listened. Well they piped off and I had to triangulate them so I wouldn't end up going down the wrong ridge right off the rip. closed the distance and the game was on. they were over a lip darn near straight down in the drainage. I inched over the edge crawling and some hens picked me out and flushed. located two gobblers at 45 yards. I squeezed one off and they all flushed and none fell. I figured with how deep we are down in the hollow they'll probably stay down seeing the army up top. I hung out with them. Went maybe 600 yards the way they flushed. They had took wing and left the county essentially. I got to a small drain where it hit the main drain I was in. across the drain at 20 yards looked to be a perfect spot to call a bird up to for a shot. I camped out and eventually heard a bird KeeKeeing. I proceeded to do the same. Wasn't long and he got right to where I wanted him and there was 2! That bird went down hard. 12 gauge TSS at 20 yards where my pattern is maybe 10 inces in diameter.
Met up with my new pal before I cut out. cooked burgers while letting that bird "cool down." I got him processed and told my pal goodbye and good luck.
I got to the new area that evening and couldn't get anything to let one rip. cedar thickets... Not my desired habitat but it was all that was offered. I located camp and ended up just sleeping in the front seat of the truck. Windows down and generators cranking from the other campers. Was a beautiful night other than the generators. That morning everyone left camp and hightailed it way out of there. One car came and parked at the trail head right there. I had a route planned out to hoot from and howl from. No dice for that 3 mile stretch. I got to some ag land and heard a couple hammering way out about a mile and a half. I got geared up and started the trek watching out for rattlers. There were two hens I guess out in the field. I looped around them and spooked them back the way I came. I believe those gobblers thought I was them because when I got set up after setting the stage it wasn't long till they were at 30 yards. I told my pal the night before if he gets a bird the next morning to text me hope you have fun hunting that cedar thicket. I let the birds get to 20 yards and picked the bigger bearded bird to take. he went down and I just sat there for the next 30 minutes watching this other Tom work off. About that time my buddy shoots the text. I called him and he was extatic. he then asked why did I call if I was still hunting. Told him I got that cedar thicket bird 30 minutes ago and he couldn't believe it. I made a mark on him I suppose because he invited me to North Dakota for a cast and blast that year and I already had the tags so why not?!
