WNY Bowhunter

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He got a headache at 5:45. Awesome hunt!!!

He's on the ground...got a hen fired up...he's fired up going crazy!!! Lets get it done!!

He's gobbling now. Bring it on big boy!

I brought a fan with me just in case I have to crawl out after him...hopefully I don't need to.

So, I'm back after the "youth season" gobbler that I posted about on the 15th. The weather is much more reasonable today. I watched him strutting out here with three hens last night until 8:45. Got the blind and dekes set up in a planted cornfield. Last time I hunted here the hens all pitched down into the field. We'll see what happens...

Congrats Reeltime...you are a real turkey killer, I look forward to your posts every spring!!!

Thanks. I may pick up a couple of capes over the summer and mount a couple more practice heads before season...

Here area a few that I mounted over the winter...

Honestly, I have found that taking pics of mounts is kinda tough to get the proportions correct, especially the nose in the front on position...

Had the gobbler pop out about 45 minutes ago. He picked around for a couple of minutes. I called at him since I couldn't see the hens. He started my way but couldn't see the dekes because they was a knoll between them. My calling fired up a hen on the hillside and he went up to her. Got in a pissing match with here...she was within range but I couldn't see her. Don't know how much longer I am going to sit here holding the blind down with a piece of rope...

Nothing has come out yet. Go figure. Trying to keep the blind staked down the best I can. Think I'll give him another hour to show.

He's gobbled a few times now right above me. Come on down big boy...

Set up on the gobbler that my buddy and I went after opening day. He went up last night at 8:10 with 4 hens. I'm not gonna touch a call...he's been coming out here in the morning for two months now. Hope the blind in the open field and dekes do the trick.

The season stated off slow but has been picking up. I roosted a lonesome looking longbeard saturday evening. Got set up the following morning in the area where I figured he might be roosting. Around 5:30 a bird gobbled deeper in the woods than I figured he'd be. He gobbled a few more times and I thought about moving in on him but I wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything closer. Sure enough...has a gobble rip out only 50 yds away! I got turned around on the tree and pointed in his direction. A few soft calls and he flew down and was on his way!!! Soon I see a snowball head coming and he was puffing into a little strut. Two jakes came following him...I got the gun up and was ready to blast him but to my dismay he ended up being a jake too. DAMN!!! They passed by at 15 yds and headed towards the other gobbler. I had to leave for work shortly but I got up to where the other bird was and called...he hammered back. I picked out a tree and called again...he was coming!!! All of a sudden I see several birds running around chasing each other...the lead one was headed right for me. I could see a beard swinging but he was in a hurry to get rid of the jakes on his tail. I putted and stopped him several times but before I could get the bead settled on he would be on his way again. Finally, he was about to circle and get past me so I cutt real hard...he froze in his tracks...two more steps and he was gone. I guess I ended up rushing the shot and missed... Today, my wife and I went back to see if he was still around. Sure enough, he started gobbling early at 5:00 not far from where I had missed on sunday. We moved in and got set up about 100 yds from him. He hammered on the roost for the next 35 minutes but flew down into the woods across the field. He gobbled decent on the ground but wouldn't advance. I was playing with him and another bird gobbled behind us less than 60 yds away...I got the wife turned around and ready. Ended up being those three stinking jakes again. Later in the morning my dad and I went to hit up some winery property near Keuka Lake where he'd heard a couple gobblers this morning. We ended up splitting up. It was 11:35 when I finally got a response. I got set up and another bird gobbled across the gulley. I got turned around and next thing you know I heard a cluck and a red headed turkey starts walking away. I called and he turned around...ended up being three more jakes that had flown across the deep ravine to get to me. They came in and actually layed down on some logs 20 yds away and started napping!!! There were more turkeys across the gulley but they never showed. I literally had to chase the three little short bearded punks away so I could leave. I left empty handed but it was a cool encounter. Hope to get on a willing longbeard tomorrow...

Nice!!! I had some roosted too...my hunt didn't end quite as well though.

Nice!!!

Had a hen come out...stood there for a minute and went back in the woods. Seems she didn't like something. Possibly the sound of the rain hitting the roof of the blind? The rain is getting heavier now...

Set up in a blind on a fitted cornfield...what a muddy mess. We watched a longbeard and 4 hens go to roost last night around 8:00. He gobbled a few times on the roost but has been quiet the past half hour. Just had a hen leave the roost a few minutes ago. They have been in this field every morning. Guess we have to be patient and do some light calling.

I watched one go to roost tonight. I won't be behind the gun in the morning though, but will be running the call trying to get him killed for a buddy. Got to keep up landowner relations. Good luck!

I've already heard several people calling the day off due to rain. I just agree with them and keep my mouth shut...the less hunters in the woods tomorrow the more unpressured birds to play with!!!

NIce mounts...DJ does a great job. He tans my capes for me.

I've got one of those bags...had it since I started turkey hunting when I was 13 back in '95. Hardly ever used it. I just wish that we had the turkey numbers we did back then.

Thought I'd give a little recap of yesterday's hunt... Ethan and I got got to our ambush spot around 5:10 after a nightmarish half mile walk through a soggy plowed cornfield. I popped a groundblind up and we waited to hear our first gobble. From the trailcam pics and several years of hunting this spot (we've killed 3 opening morning youth birds here by 6:30 three years running), I knew the two longbeards that we were after should be roosting close. I was just hoping that they would be talkative in the crappy weather. About 5:45 I hit the crowcall and nothing. A few minutes later I scratched out a few soft yelps and...GOBBBLEEEE...GOBBBLEEEE...there they were only 75 yds above us!!! Over the next 35-40 minutes they gobbled ridiculously at everything. We sat there impatiently waiting for flydown...finally around 6:25 they hit the ground. I thought it would be another done deal in a minute or two. WRONG!!! They stayed strutting and gobbling about 80 yds above us around a bend in the logging road for the next half hour but won't come down to meet us. After not hearing a gobble for 20 minutes or so, I snuck out of the blind and walked up the trail calling, but was greeted with silence. I had a feeling they had hens the entire time. The back of the farm is always good too so we left our blind/dekes and went to doing a little running and gunning. Finally, we got to where I thought we should get into some action and BINGO...a gobble rips on the hillside below us only 75-80 yds away. We quickly set up and I went to work on the Halloran slate and one gobbler turned into three!!! A few minutes into my calling, a hen starts yelping below...I call to her and her she comes up the hill looking for the new hen. She went past us calling the whole time and I thought the boys would be right behind her. Wrong again...she went on up the woods and they stayed put. I tried everything that I could thing off to get them to advance...soft calling, loud calling, fighting purrs and even gobbled at them. They would answer everything but weren't budging. With a squirmy 13 year old sitting next to me, I knew that playing the silent game and trying to wait them out was not an option. I decided to back up the train a ways and descend down the hill to their level and try a new set up. Once we were got down to the bottom I called and they responded from the same spot. We quickly closed the distance and setup again. The next gobble was closer and I knew they were coming. Soon, we heard something walking just over the hill and a longbeard pops up at 45 yds and just stands there surveying the area. I was worried that we would be busted. Soon, another longbeard showed up behind him and they both proceeded to work around below us. As they went behind some trees I got Ethan moved around and situated to shoot. The original bird slowly closed the distance to 35 yds and then started to turn around. It was pushing the range of his Mossy 500 20 gauge but it now or never....I gave him the go ahead. He shoots and the gobbler soaks up a load of 3" Mag Blends but doesn't go down...after a follow up shot the young hunter had his first ever turkey: a nice 20 lb two year old with a 9.5" beard. To say he was excited was an understatement. What a great start to the season!!! His pants right after shooting his bird... After a LONG walk back to the truck...(I forgot to stock my vest with ziploc gallon bags...lol) Come on sunday!!!

Congrats! I had an awesome hunt this morning too. Thought we had the deal closed first thing...moved on to a different group of birds...killed one at 9:30.