wstrntines
Very Active Member
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So here's the way it all went down I'll try to keep it short. Opening weekend was a bust. Horrible weather and no birds talking. I went back out monday April 10 and it was a warm day still no birds.
Saw plenty of elk though on the way home. No hunting Tuesday. Wednesday April 12 was warm and we finally found what we were looking for. So I saw some shed bulls and a rag that was still packing on an oak hill. I was in the pines and decided I might go look for their sheds. The elk moved along once they spotted me. And I started my way up the hill. When I got to where I last saw the elk I heard a gobble where I just came from and found a spot in a clearing to set up. I started calling and he was on his way it took him about 5 minutes to get up to me. He was drumming and all fanned out and I was stoked because I have never called in a turkey let alone hunted one in the early season. He came in close and didn't offer a shot I felt comfortable taking. So he circled around and went above then flew over me back down to head to roost.
20 minutes later this nice tom was on his way. He gobbled 2 times then shut up. So like elk hunting I went to him. Well he looped around me and went to where I was a few minutes earlier and started gobbling. It was getting late so I backed out and new where I wanted to be the next time.
No Hunting Thursday.
Friday was a bust nice weather nasty oak and not a peep.
Saturday April 15 I woke up and it was windy real bad. So I waited until 11:00 to head up for the afternoon and evening hunt. We got set up in the spot about 2:30 called for a few min. nothing. 4:00 pm I was gonna nap and just layed down and I heard something I thought a bird was flying. Well it was a cow and calf herd of elk they came into 10 yds of the blind we made out of deadfallen oak.
After I walked across the flat to try to call into the next canyon still nothing so I went back to the blind with my wife. At 5:30 pm I began to call and my wife said call again I heard something. So I hit the box call and a gobbler answered. I then hit the gobble tube and he was getting closer. I hit the box call twice more and now I could see him. So I put the call down and he was fanned up strutting around. He started to make his way to the decoy which he couldn't see yet. He stopped turned and was walking to the right. Finally he stretched his like a giraffe and was looking around. So I put the bead on him figured he was 30 yds. shot and he tipped right over. I'm pretty sure it was the same bird as pictured above I was 100 yds from where I videoed him that night in the same flat he went up. This was a great hunt the video camera died before the kill shot but oh well. My wife finally was with me when I punched a tag. I can honestly say I'm addicted to turkey hunting now it is so much fun and if you love hunting elk in the rut it is very similar and you can use alot of the same type of tactics that you use on elk.
Hope you enjoyed the story and pics I'll have the video up on youtube.
Field photo
Close up and the Calls
Here's a look at the spurs
Another look at the bird
The Blind we made
Saw plenty of elk though on the way home. No hunting Tuesday. Wednesday April 12 was warm and we finally found what we were looking for. So I saw some shed bulls and a rag that was still packing on an oak hill. I was in the pines and decided I might go look for their sheds. The elk moved along once they spotted me. And I started my way up the hill. When I got to where I last saw the elk I heard a gobble where I just came from and found a spot in a clearing to set up. I started calling and he was on his way it took him about 5 minutes to get up to me. He was drumming and all fanned out and I was stoked because I have never called in a turkey let alone hunted one in the early season. He came in close and didn't offer a shot I felt comfortable taking. So he circled around and went above then flew over me back down to head to roost.
20 minutes later this nice tom was on his way. He gobbled 2 times then shut up. So like elk hunting I went to him. Well he looped around me and went to where I was a few minutes earlier and started gobbling. It was getting late so I backed out and new where I wanted to be the next time.
No Hunting Thursday.
Friday was a bust nice weather nasty oak and not a peep.
Saturday April 15 I woke up and it was windy real bad. So I waited until 11:00 to head up for the afternoon and evening hunt. We got set up in the spot about 2:30 called for a few min. nothing. 4:00 pm I was gonna nap and just layed down and I heard something I thought a bird was flying. Well it was a cow and calf herd of elk they came into 10 yds of the blind we made out of deadfallen oak.
After I walked across the flat to try to call into the next canyon still nothing so I went back to the blind with my wife. At 5:30 pm I began to call and my wife said call again I heard something. So I hit the box call and a gobbler answered. I then hit the gobble tube and he was getting closer. I hit the box call twice more and now I could see him. So I put the call down and he was fanned up strutting around. He started to make his way to the decoy which he couldn't see yet. He stopped turned and was walking to the right. Finally he stretched his like a giraffe and was looking around. So I put the bead on him figured he was 30 yds. shot and he tipped right over. I'm pretty sure it was the same bird as pictured above I was 100 yds from where I videoed him that night in the same flat he went up. This was a great hunt the video camera died before the kill shot but oh well. My wife finally was with me when I punched a tag. I can honestly say I'm addicted to turkey hunting now it is so much fun and if you love hunting elk in the rut it is very similar and you can use alot of the same type of tactics that you use on elk.
Hope you enjoyed the story and pics I'll have the video up on youtube.
Field photo
Close up and the Calls
Here's a look at the spurs
Another look at the bird
The Blind we made
