Spring Turkey!

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 2:14 pm

Don't know how many of you are fans of the Gobbler, but the spring season is just around the corner for us in Oregon. Chalking up the box calls, running the mouth calls through the dishwasher (a bit grimy

) and cleaning the bore on the old Winchester 1200.

Been stalking these guys next to a tree farm I've been helping out at on the weekends. Got permission, so hopefully they'll stay close over the coming month.

Bigsur009 · Post by **Bigsur009** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:38 pm

Good luck! That's a nice group of toms. Since moving to VA from the South, it looks like I'll miss my first "other bird" season in quite a few years as they're virtually nonexistant here in the tidewater. Shoot one for me!

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:03 am

I can't wait!
I got draw for the first MN season this year and then I have my late IA hunt and hopefully i can make my WI hunt but well see with dog training.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 1:29 pm

Bigsur009 wrote:Good luck! That's a nice group of toms. Since moving to VA from the South, it looks like I'll miss my first "other bird" season in quite a few years as they're virtually nonexistant here in the tidewater. Shoot one for me!

I just shed a tear for you. Definitely my favorite way to stay busy between upland/deer season.
Does your state do a lottery because of low numbers? If not, never say never! Here's a link I bumped into that has links to VA Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries stats on harvest and population records.
http://www.vaturkey.com/

Cheers!

P.S. DjLoder, you sound like your going to be a busy guy this spring. Gobble gobble!

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:13 pm

Yeah it's going to some fun this spring, the only problem is that i got an 8mo pup and this is some tough time to miss for his learning and training. Hopefully i get done kind of quick (never know with turkeys) so i can get back to work with him.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:01 pm

What are your field plans: decoys, calls, shotgun, and load?
I'm always reading stuff from members of the NWTF forum and it sounds like they dedicate their lives and salary to turkey hunting. I have been eyeballing one of those Charles Daley Field specials in AP Real Tree

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:25 am

I must say I’m not as nuts as some of those guys but i do like to turkey hunt, but that’s going to change as I will be in the woods and field more with my pup.

Now that being said I upgraded all my turkey gear last winter, besides the gun I have a super nova for that because hopefully its only one shot so I don’t see the need for an expensive semi-auto yet. Since I also just bought a SXS a couple of days ago and girlfriend would kill me if I got another gun.

I also love the new hevi shot for loads it dropped my bird last year from 45 yards.

For a spread there are alot of options but I like to have them hunt me most of the time so I don’t use them all that often especially late in the season.

Bigsur009 · Post by **Bigsur009** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:40 am

There are apparently plenty of turkeys in Virginia, just none around the VA Beach area. I'd gladly travel further west to hunt them, but public land turkey hunting scares me to death and more importantly, my work doesn't permit me much travel time these days.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:44 am

Very nice. I too am a fan of the hevishot, but I usually shoot 2 3/4 and end up with this federal stuff I found a while back, Magshok w/flight control. Tried it out and it patterned extremely tight, and also kicks like a sunovagun!
Drove by a few half dozen jakes a week ago and my dog went nuts when she saw her first turkey. There's a tag in southern Oregon that you can hunt with dogs on...could you imagine a turkey-pointer?
I haven't yet drawn funds for a deke, mostly because I've been looking at Dave's: http://www.davesmithdecoys.com/shop/ind ... oductId=31
Still a bit out of my range

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:54 am

Bigsur009 wrote:There are apparently plenty of turkeys in Virginia, just none around the VA Beach area. I'd gladly travel further west to hunt them, but public land turkey hunting scares me to death and more importantly, my work doesn't permit me much travel time these days.

Yeah you definitely don't want some random hillbilly shooting up your decoy...or you. Well, good things will come when upland season kicks off.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:43 am

I think that’s what my whole set of 6 dekes cost times 2. Those are some nice looking dekes i think they would do the trick.

I wish i had a pic or my Dad's Frenchy pointing a flock of turkeys while taking her for a run, she had no clue what they were but it was a pretty point, I brought my pup over to where I hunt some but to no luck, i think they were already roasting.

So do you hunt Merriam’s or are there some Easterns in Oregon.

Bigsur009
Too bad you can’t travel or you would just have to go knock on some doors.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:01 pm

Rio's mostly. The Merriam's didn't fair as well during the introduction period, but there are still some up in the cascades and on the east side. Yeah Dave's deke's are ex-pen-sive! But his rep around Oregon is solid and some of the local pro's swear by them.
Around here it is mostly dumb luck anyhow. It seems like if they're there, they're there. If they're not, then on to the next site. However, it would be nice to have something to bring them in the right area instead of on the other side of the tree I'm leaning against :roll:

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:34 pm

I hate to be a spoiler but where I live in Oklahoma no one really turkey hunts and the last time I went about 6 years ago, a buddy and I stepped out of the truck into a newly planted wheat field of about 300 turkeys who just stood there and looked at us and we shot one each after stepping over a hotwire and walking 20 yards into the field. There was not much sport to it. The year before that when I went with a friend over by Buffalo, Oklahoma where we crawled about 100 yards on our bellies out into a terraced field of about 200 birds gave a chirp on the mouth call and a group of Jakes came running over a terrace and we shot one each. All total I have turkey hunted twice for a grand total of about 1 hour and gotten 2 birds. I am sure if I were to go somewhere where it was more challenging I might have more fun.

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:05 am

I am sure if I were to go somewhere where it was more challenging I might have more fun.

They were talking about wild turkeys not the white ones you were shooting, lol

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:40 am

this was from a couple years ago did not get pictures last year

and not sure i will be able to hunt this year...my Knee is fubar and long story short but it is going to have to have surgery done not sure how extensive yet

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:00 am

and not sure i will be able to hunt this year...my Knee is fubar and long story short but it is going to have to have surgery done not sure how extensive yet

sorry to hear about your knee but good thing about turkey is ya can call them to you instead of having to walk to look for them. Hope ya get well soon, best wishes.

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:53 am

Haha Vikings.

They are all wild Rios around where I live. They just are not scared of people around here because like I stated no one hunts them on private land. They may be wild down on the public land wildlife management areas but we have two areas for the entire county and they get hunted to the point of being dangerous. I avoid them like the plague during deer and turkey season.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:27 pm

K9, nice looking tom! I always have a ton of respect for a bowhunter that can take down a bearded chicken. Good luck with the surgery.

Just one more month (and a week) and its ON in Oregon

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:45 pm

My first year trying to skewer one was frustrating to say the least skim off the back shaved tail feathers had one I finally whacked it flew searched and searched no luck I finally in complete. Frustration to bob there was a reason man made modern weapons went back out last day with shot gun and shot a double both turkeys had evidence of my accosting them one with a hole through both breats the other with a slice up the back leg
Then the following year I tried again and man trying to get pulled back is hard first couple tries I got busted then as they say third times a charm this guy went 30 feet yeah I was totally stoked
Specially after all the frustrations from the year before

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 7:58 pm

Specially after all the frustrations from the year before

you should start hunting the white turkeys like tommy boy, lol jk just messing with ya tommyboy

vzkennels · Post by **vzkennels** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:03 pm

Arlette is that an Ohio bird ? Any Turkey killed with a bow is a TROPHY you have my respect!!

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:40 pm

This one was in texas

My chanced in ohio have been busts. As in texas it is much harder when you have a flock of them come in as there is always a head up ready to bust you

I keep trtying though

I have to redo my tree stand in ohio where they come down the road to their roosting area
But that won't be this year ;(
Won't even get to hunt for morels either crutches make things very difficult

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:23 pm

Won't even get to hunt for morels either crutches make things very difficult

look at the bright side, on crutches you should get stronger physically for shouldering a shotgun, i mean its pretty similar and while your knee heals ya can know your not alone, wish ya the best.

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:44 pm

Yeah but will it improve my aim. Hahahahaha

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:45 pm

Yeah but will it improve my aim. Hahahahaha

doubt it depends on your dna on dominant eye and depth perception, im an ok shot yet i hate my left eye is dominant and im right handed that makes things tough. i can go back and forth but not easily, to make my right eye dominant i need to close my left eye about 50% its not a good thing but fortunately i have dealt with it and am an above average shot at least. but i do know i'll never be an awesome shot cuz of it.

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:22 am

I was born blind in my right eye and am right handed so I shoot left handed but have been doing it since I was old enough to shoot. Doctors and the government tell me my depth perception has been affected but I could never tell the difference. It's just the way I have always seen.

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 12:42 pm

I was born blind in my right eye and am right handed so I shoot left handed but have been doing it since I was old enough to shoot. Doctors and the government tell me my depth perception has been affected but I could never tell the difference. It's just the way I have always seen.

wow, ok your worse off then me. I wouldnt be a very good shot at all if i had to shoot left handed and i admire you for going out of your way to do things that are very difficult.

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:44 pm

Thanks vikings it took me a couple of times getting hit in the mouth with a shotgun butt to catch on that looking over the gun with my left eye on a right handed stance was not a good idea. I started shooting that way at a young age though. I am trying to teach my wife to shoot correctly now. She is left eye dominant but still uses a right handed stance and looks over the stock but she does decent with it.

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:07 pm

Thanks vikings it took me a couple of times getting hit in the mouth with a shotgun butt to catch on that looking over the gun with my left eye on a right handed stance was not a good idea. I started shooting that way at a young age though. I am trying to teach my wife to shoot correctly now. She is left eye dominant but still uses a right handed stance and looks over the stock but she does decent with it.

your more then welcome and good luck teaching a woman to shoot as I had zero luck ever doing that, lol

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:26 pm

alright, how's the scouting going out there?

in the midst of pursuing some good roost trees I'm finding lots of good places for this fall's elk season

bowhunter1221975 · Post by **bowhunter1221975** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:36 pm

yes its almost time to hunt the woods for some gobble gobble here in MO and KS GOD I LOVE WERE I LIVE if it just didnt snow

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:27 pm

Took a walk through the woods and Emma kicked up 5 jakes (biggest quail she's ever seen

). Getting excited, only a week and a half more to go.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:43 am

Can Wednesday come any quicker!
Took a look at my spot this weekend and saw a nice tom strutting but the hen could care less, so I’m hoping the decoys will work well on Wednesday.

bowhunter1221975 · Post by **bowhunter1221975** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:09 am

i took my oldest bot out sat and heard sevral birds but the farmers dog kept coming in to my calls dang lab seen 3 birds but they would not get any were neer the feild we were in must not have liked the dog decoy lol

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:06 am

I too am waiting on the 11th. Was getting discouraged because those turkeys I posted at the top are turning out to be real yard-birds. I haven't tried calling them down, but the whole time I've been working on the tree farm below we haven't seen a lick of sign.
Thankfully I dumbly stumbled onto my backup spot on Saturday while walking the dog. Not the kind of place I would have looked for turkeys at all, but it was clearly a preening and rock-eating spot for later in the afternoon. Bird tar all up and down the road in the middle of this 6 year old reprod.
I've got the bug so bad I've been using my 2.5 reed old hen mouth call in the car while driving. I'm still not any good with it at the roof of my mouth, but have figured a way to get some yelps by keeping it at the edge of my lips. Needless to say at a stop light some gal looked over at me with these yellow-fangs sticking out of my mouth while making weird noises. Gobble gobble gobble!!!

bwjohn · Post by **bwjohn** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:28 pm

Season does not open here until May1, so still waiting. But heard a couple of gobbles today and my dog pointed a Turkey on our run. He actually almost caught it, I think he clipped a few feathers. Didn't intend to run into the birds.

Brandon

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:34 pm

Went out this morning to private x-mas tree farm, but someone dropped the hammer on a tom/jake from the flock closer to their roost.
Figured that flock will be mourning the loss for a day or two, so I'm going to take a nap and check out my second spot that looks like more of an afternoon preening or rock-eating spot. Probably won't be as talkative to the box-call, but maybe I can sneak up on 'em

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:39 pm

I got lucky this morning. 9 3/4" beard, about 22 lbs. Not the biggest bird but my first adult Tom.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:42 pm

NICELY DONE!!!
That's a great looking tom! Any good story behind that one?
I got skunked this afternoon

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 6:16 am

I didn't have to wait long as the hens came flying in from a few clucks, not long after three toms strutted their way into the field. They did come over to me when two jakes came in from the opposite way. That's when I had to wait for a good shot to open up when the toms finally broke up, one made a huge mistake. I shot him in the upper portion of the head and it was lights out. Not the biggest bird but it is my first adult tom. Iowa's up next.

I never had the first season before and the birds where all grouped together still so it was cool to see about 15 birds. They weren’t really vocal of interested in the decoys i think this weekend they will be more vocal.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:26 pm

djloder wrote:Not the biggest bird but it is my first adult tom.

Maybe not but that's a fine looking fan. Having the same problem with the talkers over here in Oregon. I spent almost two hours patiently yelping in a spot yesterday, and almost gave up. Finally a hen yelped back with what could be described as "yeah I heard you...shut up!" I think she'd been in the clear cut the whole time. No toms or jakes spotted yet, I must have upset the turkey gods.

djloder · Post by **djloder** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:28 am

Well I'm off to Iowa tonight, to hopefully bag a big globbler!

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:08 am

Best of luck!

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:22 am

Couple Utah turkeys taken last week! Good luck!

rizz1 · Post by **rizz1** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:32 pm

g

awesome pic.... our season ends friday

Two more days

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:00 pm

rizz1 wrote:g

awesome pic.... our season ends friday Two more days

Get em!!!

rizz1 · Post by **rizz1** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:16 pm

called a bird into 28 steps and the guy i was calling for missed

thats the 5th miss this year for people........last day tomorrow

rizz1 · Post by **rizz1** » Fri May 01, 2009 6:14 pm

After all the misses this year I got to be the shooter today!!! Awesome morning with (jakemaster) he did a fine job calling the bird into 32 steps.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Fri May 01, 2009 10:13 pm

That looks like a winner to me!

Enjoy every bite!

wabrown2 · Post by **wabrown2** » Tue May 12, 2009 8:06 pm

Nice pics! I will be hitting the woods this weekend.