ApexerER

I had a 700 Raptor. It was a blast... Now I have a Brute Force, no where near as much fun but a lot more useful. Good luck in your search!

I was super excited to just get a bird yesterday. I would have been thrilled if it was a jake. Today my buddy said no jakes! I said, Idk if I can tell the difference and he said to make sure it has a long beard. I looked at it and said looks long to me...lol and figured if it wasn't long enough I would ask for forgiveness... I literally know nothing about Turkey hunting other than what I have read the last couple weeks. Maybe I should really appreciate these birds (not that I don't) being a double beard and a 12" beard but neither meant more to me. I was just thrilled to get a turkey. Hopefully I didn't set myself up for disappointment in the future. Like you first deer being a giant buck.

That is awesome! My little raised ranch wouldn't have room for that beast!

Thank you everyone, still out of likes. My fifteen year old daughter asked me if turkey hunting is easy...lol I told her I don't think its supposed to be....

Nope, I had no idea but my buddy sure thought it was a big deal. I was kinda disappointed because the 2nd I picked him up I could tell he was lighter than yesterdays. My buddy thought I was full of bologna but I was right. His feet were quite a bit bigger and his fan wasn't as pretty. Not sure if that means he is an older bird.

Thanks guys...still out of likes! Kinda like bow hunting I should have gotten into this year's ago

Lol, if I took someone out I wouldn't have the slightest clue what to tell them. I would love to get my 15 year old daughter out there but she just has no interest at all.

Well 3 days of turkey hunting and I am tagged out. Actually pretty disappointed to be done but I wasn't out there to let one walk. Got set up on the lease this morning on the Oakridge I shot my 8 PT last fall. Heard some gobbling on roost, sat 50 yds from my hunting buddy. Nothing responded once they hit the ground. Decided to try running and gunning but we couldn't buy a gobble. Went too DD for some coffee and a breakfast sandwich and decided we would set up on the big field edge and if nothing else enjoy the beautiful sunshine and maybe catch some zzz. Got set up and put the decoys between us. Heard a gobble and the Tom came right out in the field. It all happened quick. Bang flop at about 30 yds. I'm going to tag along with my one hunting buddy still since there isn't much else to do... 17.5 lbs 12" beard 1 1/4 spurs...

Thank you everyone, all out of likes!

3" TSS

Lol, I faced them away from me. Know idea if it played any roll!

I used salt...is that ok?

I got the fan tacked to a piece of cardboard drying!

Alarm set for 3 and I am up anyway. Might as well get moving so I am not in a rush. Good luck today!

We'll see, tomorrow I am hunting with someone that knows what they are doing. Not as sure they will be as egar to get me a bird now but I am sure it will be fun either way.

Well I took me an extra day but I got my bday present today! Posted this in the live thread..... Oh man...my setup worked but I didn't. Had a hen and a gobbler come out to the field. The hen came straight to the decoys, stopped and froze about 10 feet from them directly in front of the blind. She basically spent the last 45 minutes almost completely frozen in front of me. The gobbler strutted and gobbled 30 yds from me but completely on my right and I was afraid to move with the hen right in front of me. I am trying to be patient because I figured the Tom wouldn't leave the hen. As I am thinking about trying a left hand shot he walks into the woods and out of my life. I decided to see what I could get away with with the hen right in front of me and I easily got turned so I could have made a shot. Guess I really have learned some patience. Maybe to much. Oh well, it was super exciting and I am learning! Well after that I had a snack and was enjoying the morning. Tried some terrible yelps and nothing. All that goes through my head now is don't call to much. Wait a bit and yelp again and get a gobble which is now since I moved behind me (east). I closed this window from someones recommendation on the forum so the sun couldn't get in the blind. ( I think pygmy). I crack the zipper open and look out a little slit and there is a gobbled. I open it a little more and get the range finder on him...94 yds. I decide to get myself as set as possible instead of waiting. I move my chair. Get my shotgun on rhe shooting stick, barrel out small hole and wait. He is coming, slowly but surely. I wait an eternity plus eternity... He seems like he is now well within range. I range him again...54 yds. Ugh, I told myself 50 was going to be my absolute max. I got the vortex venom sited in yesterday and at 40 yds I felt like I could remove a gobblers head. I waited, no need to rush I kept telling myself. I felt like he came another 15 yds but he would not break strut. I had that red dot on the base of his neck forever. Finally he raises his head and I squeeze the trigger, I say squeeze but I pulled it...bang flop...no flapping or anything. I ranged him laying on the ground. 39 yds and my first ever is on the ground. 20.5 lbs according to my bathroom scale, 9.5" double beard and 1" spurs. It was a great day!

Oh man...my setup worked but I didn't. Had a hen and a gobbler come out to the field. The hen came straight to the decoys, stopped and froze about 10 feet from them directly in front of the blind. She basically spent the last 45 minutes almost completely frozen in front of me. The gobbler strutted and gobbled 30 yds from me but completely on my right and I was afraid to move with the hen right in front of me. I am trying to be patient because I figured the Tom wouldn't leave the hen. As I am thinking about trying a left hand shot he walks into the woods and out of my life. I decided to see what I could get away with with the hen right in front of me and I easily got turned so I could have made a shot. Guess I really have learned some patience. Maybe to much. Oh well, it was super exciting and I am learning!

5:29 first gobble...beautiful morning. Good luck everyone!

Got all set up and in the blind about 4:50. Two hen decoys to my left and roughly 20 yds out. Open the blind window in front and on the right. I am expecting the birds to come out of the woods and into the field on my right. Roughly 5:30 I hear gobbling. Of course it is too my left and all the way across the field. Then two more birds sound off, probably all within 300 yrs and all on the opposite side of the field which is a hedge row and then another field. Roughly 6ish I hear gobbling getting closer and I can see the white head over a little rise. I hear yelping too my left behind me, and wonder if it is a hunter on the next property or a hen. Still don't know. The Tom sees my decoys and struts and gobbles around a semi circle never coming closer than 100 yrs. This lasts around 2 hours. I never call. Then he runs out of the field and into the woods I expected the birds to come from about 200 yds away. I wait half an hour or so and do some terrible sounding yelps. I get a gobble behind me so I shut up. Bird comes out of the woods about 75 yds away, heads slowly out toward the center of the field about 100+ yds away and gobbles and struts for a long time. Around 10:15 my chair breaks and I fall on my ass so now I am squatting to see out the windows. Around 11am I decide to make a move and head out the back of the blind and into the woods to cut around and come out closer to the bird. He caught me when I was about half way to where I wanted to get and ran out of the field. I couldn't get him to gobble again and I ran out of time. So other than bringing a new chair, what should I change tomorrow?

My chair just broke and I fell on my @ss.

I've got a Tom back in the field. Not sure if it is the same one as earlier. He is about 200 yds and has been for 45 minutes. He just won't settle for the decoys not coming to him I guess. Hoping he gives up and strolls over 150+ yds

Well I am not really sure what happened. Had that Tom in the field for at least an hour. Never would come closer than about 100-125 yds. Then he just ran out of here like a coyote was chasing him. Wondering if he caught glare of my binos. Oh well, 5 more hours to go. Time for a snack.

Got a tom strutting about 150yds away for 15 minutes now. He sees the decoys for sure. Not sure what to do so I am just watching.