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Two for two, all tagged out

alloutdoors

By alloutdoors,
in Turkey Hunting

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alloutdoors Newbie

alloutdoors

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Two days in and my season is done. Opening day a buddy and I set up on the edge of a field near where some birds have been flying down from the roost. Shortly after it got light the birds started pitching into the field but they landed just out of range and began slowly moving in the opposite direction from us. Three hens and a gobbler split off from the larger group and headed for parts unknown, but the rest of the birds spend the next couple of hours just wandering around the field they had flown down into. There is a small hill in the field so they were coming in and out of sight during that time. When they worked their way to the lowest corner of the field I took the opportunity to reposition on them, while my buddy stayed put since part of the flock seemed to be making a big circle and we thought they might come all the way back around.

I got up to the high point along the hedgerow and could see two gobblers and three hens in the low corner. I got settled in and gave a few calls trying to get the hens fired up but had little effect. Probably 10 minutes passed and I noticed a flash of movement behind the turkeys, only to realize it was a coyote trying to blitz them. The birds saw him coming and scattered. They put about 70 yards between themselves and the coyote and then settled back down a bit, with the coyote still standing in the field corner. Now the two gobblers seemed very much inclined to come check out the calling they had heard earlier, probably figuring it was safer there than over with the coyote. At 30 yards the lead gobbler met a swarm of HW 7's and went down in a heap.

It was still relatively early so we headed for another farm to try and get my buddy a bird, and saw a gobbler with hens in the neighbors field when we got there. Now some background, I've asked that neighbor several times for permission on their property, but was politely declined each time. They had trouble in the past with slob hunters and trespassers and didn't want to deal with it anymore. I stopped asking several years ago.

We slipped in on the property I do have permission on and got up close to the line to try and draw the gobbler across. Long story short, the gobbler ended up working all the way to the fence but stopped about 5 feet from crossing it. He was easily within range, but his life was saved by a single strand of electric fence. The birds worked off into the woods and we followed on our side of the line, but although he answered us from time to time he wasn't about to leave his harem. Where it got interesting was when we walked back out to my vehicle. The neighbor came riding up on his ATV and apparently had seen the entire thing go down with the gobbler hanging up by the fence. He was so impressed that we didn't shoot that he gave permission to come back and go for the bird on his side of the line!

I wasn't going to pass up and offer like that, so this morning found me setting up a couple decoys in the field near where I've seen the birds fly down dozens of times over the past several years. As it got light I could see the gobbler and five of his hens roosted right on the field edge. Once his hens started to talk a bit I sent them a few clucks and purrs and then sat back to see how things would unfold. Eventually the hens began pitching down right in front of me. The gobbler was the last one to fly down and I had to wait for him to get clear of his hens, but once he did I ended my morning and season with a shot at 20 yards.

The coyote gobbler. 20lbs 9oz, 1" spurs, 8 1/2" beard.
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Gobbler number two. 20lbs 13oz, 1" and 1 1/8" spurs, 9 1/2" beard.
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turkeyfeathers Veteran

turkeyfeathers

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Well done. Both nice birds I concur , I tipped one over opening day last year and then skipped 2.5 weeks. Like the variety of how the woods change. But now you get to sleep in and we're still getting up at the butt crack of dawn to get our first bird : )

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alloutdoors Newbie

alloutdoors

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congrats! nice birds. I would hate to be you. I make sure I don't fill both tags to quick. if I did I might have to go fishing.

 

No worries, I have plenty of guys to call for, I'm far from done. I get just as much fun calling one up for someone else, pulling the trigger is the easy part.

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alloutdoors Newbie

alloutdoors

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Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   went out this morning but never even heard a bird today....I hope the wife well be ok with me hunting on Mothers Day.........LOL

 

I killed one a few years ago on Mothers Day. I had spent the previous two days zeroing in on his roost, I knew one more morning would do it. I told my wife I was going to go kill the turkey and be back before she woke up to make her breakfast in bed. I got my bird and she woke up to French toast, everyone was happy!

 

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