You've all seen those turkey hunts where the little kids and Ladies go out and shoot a great big ole gobbler, well my opening weekend didn't go anything like that. Opening morning was quite beautiful with the newish moon rising just before the sun, you could see the dark side of the moon. Might make a good song title, anyway I was deep in a lush swamp 30 minutes before first light. I figured I would start there and listen for some gobbling birds. Well right where I was within 60 yards, in the top of some big ole cyprees trees, at least 2 maybe 3 birds lite up with screaming gobbles. I had just moved with my back up against a tree, cocked around so my shotgun was pointed toward the gobbling birds. Hens were all around cuttin and purring, calling to the gobblers. After a short while the gobblers started sailing out of the trees in the direction of the real hens. One , two, three birds sailed  away from me but the last one came my way. He started strutting and would turn his back to me so I raised my gun and shot, CAPOW! echoed through the swamp. The bird immediatley flew directly away from me and lite on a tree limb about 100 yards out. Where he started strutting on that limb,guess I didn't hurt him, and after a while off he went. I figured the hunt was all over for that spot so I got up to move when another gobbler flew down from the same group of cypress trees. He was headed right at me, even though I had just pulled the trigger of a twelve gauge shotgun. He lite in among the cypress knees and I only got a glimpse of him at about 50 yards. Finally he made his way to this old logging road and came out just past where the bird I shot at was earlier, like 5-10 minutes earlier. I didn't even shoot, the next day was even worse, I missed a big bird 3 time at 33 yards, 33 clear yards. It was a long 2.5 mile walk back to the truck, with a lot of cussing and spittin and head shaking. I hate Turkey hunting, they bamboozle me more times than not, but the woods were absoluley beautiful. 

Spring has sprung

the flowers have rhis

I wonder where

all the birdies is  (Odgen Nash)

Monday morning was a little different, I rekindled my love for turkey hunting, but that's another story.

Double your lead!

"The problems we face today exist because the People who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for their living."

i called in an 11" beard 1 1/16" spur gobbler for my buddy in sunday morning...  his first gobbler around 23lbs  i was stoked.. keep after it man don't listen to what other hunters say about the mating being over beacuse of the warm winter  these birds are really in the swing of mating right now i heard 15 different gobblers on saturday morning .

I taught you everything i know and you still don't know nothin.

Lead????????????How do you lead Standing Still???????????????????

I thought they were airborne---!

"The problems we face today exist because the People who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for their living."

They had flown down to the forest floor, which consisted of cypress knees and fallen tree trunks. They have good camo.

How does wild turkey (the meat) taste compared to a store bought turkey?  I am not a huge fan of hunting because I have yet to find an wild animal that I love to eat and apparently hunting cows is illegal and hunting chickens just sounds plane stupid.  I do love turkey, curious if its gamey like hogs are. 

Me and the gang ate some last night, I fileted it,dipped it egg and flour after slicing into strips(breast)seasoning too, then frying it just like fish.That is the least gamey way I have found to cook it. There is a gameyness to wild turkey but the younger they are the better, but of course you want a mature gobbler in your hunt. Then the legs and thighs go into the crock pot with egg noodles,seasoning but the taste does have a gamey twang, store bought is by far better tasting but far less satisfying, and you get to bore the heck out of everyone eating it with the dreadful details of your hunt.

Now that's a deal I can't pass up. You are in. PM me and I'll tell you when I'm going back. probably Monday after surfing all weekend. I can't wait to get even with those waddle heads.

i hunt outside of lake city florida it is a private lease of 12000 acres and one of a few left in the state where you can still use dogs to hunt for deer. 

I taught you everything i know and you still don't know nothin.

Me and wildturkey went back to the ranch on Monday afternoon, He could only hunt til mid day the next day. We got in the woods around 5ish and saw a little sign(poop) so we knew at least a hen had been thru there within a couple of days, we split up, he went north about 100 yards, I stayed where I was and waited. First a red shouldered hawk got between us and started sqauking,Then an owl(barred) sounded off to my south. I was hopeing WT heard it but about then my owls mate answered from in between so I knew he was hearing the owl then. That started a gobbler talking but he was a quarter mile to our west. WT waited til dark to come back to where I was but in the mean time a bird had flown up to roost to my south,where we had come from so we had to detour west to avoid spooking him on our way out, but there was also another bird gobbling to our south west. I told WT we were surrounded.  Good way to end that days hunt.

Next morning I put Wild T where I thought he would see some birds, I went to where I had seen birds the previous week. We both heard several birds, I had a doe walk to with in 5 yards of me, she had comb marks on her wet fur from walking thru the shrubbery,she and her yearling left and I heard one gobble to my west so I moved. I was looking toward the gobbling and a hen snuck up on me from behind and started putting, ending my hunt. I walked back to hear what WT had seen and although neither of us got one it was a pretty good hunt.

WT left in I set up on some dusts I had found on my way back to the truck when the phone rang. I had set out a decoy and was cussing whom ever was calling, fumbling for the damn phone. It was Scotty P telling me there was gonna be waves on Thursday. I thanked him in a wisper and hung up turned toward my decoy and 3 hens were standing with the decoy like they were old friends. Sure enough from down the road, here he comes. A big Black bird walking my way. He turned so I could see his profile but I couldn't see a beard, I figured he was a Jake plus he crossed the fence but still was headed my way. He got to with in 20 yards and didn't like my camo, that's when I saw his beard, thick as a paint brush plastered against his chest, we made eye contact and he left, but I know where he lives and I'll be back.

keep after him, you will get him eventually. after turkey hunting for many years i have discovered that sitting in one spot makes all the difference, i have walked to within 40 yards of gobblers and sat only to have them move right back to where i was. if you know where he is roosting get to the nearest clear spot and sit before sunrise. when you hear the first birds start singing wait about 5 minutes and then begin very quiet slow calling, putting works best early in the day. good luck

I taught you everything i know and you still don't know nothin.