Nebraska Merriam's - Semi Live

Joe2Kool

Joe2Kool

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I posted our Semi Live Nebraska Merriam's hunt last year and enjoyed doing it, and got positive responses. So, I'll give it a shot again this year! Trucks are packed and ready to go. Pulling out at 6 am Friday morning!

Cast of characters this year includes:
Joe2Kool. AKA The Rain Man. Likes to hunt in the rain. Kills more when it is raining than when it's not. Started turkey hunting just before the turn of the century. Took 7 years to get his first!

LWA. AKA Ole Goat. Several years ago, killed an antelope with no teeth. So the picture of "Two Old Goats" earned him his nickname. Started turkey hunting about the time gunpowder was invented. Has killed a few turkeys, but not a Merriams.

TNFallGuy. AKA Fall Guy. Multiple unintended dismounts from the ATV earned him his nickname. Got hooked on turkeys by J2K about 15 years ago.

Mark. AKA Mark. Started hunting turkeys last year. Hasn't earned his nickname yet.

First stop, Lincoln Nebraska!
 
Relatively uneventful travel day yesterday, which is what you want!! Much better than last year’s blizzard. Hopefully post some roost pics tonight!
 
Just got back from Neb. Gobblers were responding well to calling this last week. Good luck!
 
Pretty good morning, but got off on the wrong foot. To make a long story short, Ole Goat’s gun broke. Wouldn’t load a shell. After disassembly and 10 minutes fiddling in the dark, I told him he could keep fiddling with his gun, or he could take mine and go shoot a turkey. He chose the latter.

Gobbler hit the ground first, where I had considered sitting, so obviously I overthunk the setup. ??
Anyway, they were within about 80 yards. Aftet they disappeared over the knoll, OG went on a stalk. About 75 yards was as close as he could get.

Birds were headed away and I said I could shoot that bird but I needed my gun. But, I wasn’t able to get around them in time.

Fall Guy and Rookie had a good morning also. They had 4-5 gobblers around them but couldn’t close the deal either.

Got OG’s gun working. Lunch was wild turkey white chili with a salad. Naptime and back at it later.
 
OG puts on a stalk.

IMG_2228.jpeg
 
Not sure how the bird got away from us this morning. 3 of us had him surrounded, each about 75 yards from him!
OG had the roosted hens come within 15 ft of the blind we set up, but no gobblers in the bunch.
Venison fajitas for lunch and a good nap.
Now we’re
Back at it for an evening roost and the strutter is exactly where he was yesterday this time.
And Mark has earned his nickname. Spotter. Because he’s spotting birds all the time!
 
Tomorrow is the day for some dead birds!
Strutter with 6 hens in same place as this morning. Fall Guy and Spotter are going after him.

One LB roosted in same place as yesterday. About 150 yards from Ole Goats blind.

And 10 jakes with one LB roosted. I’m headed after them. And yes, I’ll shoot a jake! Preferably the LB, but jakes taste good too!!
 
Well, the gobbler at OG’s blind this morning never gobbled, but a jake gave him a shot. Guess it was his lucky day as he ran away unscathed.

The 10 jakes and 1 gobbler turned out to be 10 jakes and 2 jennies. They hit the ground about 150 yards away and slowly fed towards me. At 28 yards the Remington TKM did the trick!

FG and Spotter set up on the (likely) same bird as yesterday morning. Yesterday we setup north, south, and west. Today was just N and S. He went west, of course!

The 10 jakes thst were now 9 reassembled and fed towards FG and S. They were actually headed to their calling until a coyote broke up the party.

Spotter is in a blind where the party has been happening. OG in his blind. FG and I are glassing for birds to roost.
 
Turkey hunting with 30 mph winds isn’t easy ??. But we knew the general area of a roosted gobbler, only one from yesterday. Spotter setup on the east, in FG’s new blind, thst had been blown into the barbed wire fence. So much for the newness!!
OG went North into the canyon. FG setup on the east. And I was high to the south. Somehow, he made it out without being spotted.

Afterwards, OG walked creek bottoms. FG and Sp got in one in a canyon but couldn’t close the deal. And I glassed from our yet to be named high perch.

Then someone found the switch on the wind and turned it off. But they set the thermostat to 80 degrees!!

Lunch and a nap and we’re back at it. Cloudy and NO wind.

Oh, and Spotter named this elusive bird Pretty Boy. This makes the 3rd day someone has been on him!
 
Yesterday evening, OG waited out the weather threat and hunted the creek bottom behind the cabin. Called in the jake you see above. Pretty pic!

The other 3 of us went to some of our usual glassing points. Not much luck but waiting after sunset, we heard Pretty Boy gobble from the roost. Not exactly sure where he was, this morning Fall Guy and Spotter set up well north. And I went well south. At fly down, I saw him and his hens headed north. I said “guys, the only advice I can give you is patience.” Not something you usually hear from Rain Man!

To make a long story short, PB got within 15 yards of Spotter, directly in line with the sun. A hen started putting, PB had second thoughts, and Spotter missed. Ugh.

Lunch was Polish sausage, spaghetti, and a salad. No pic tonite.
 
Since it is the last evening, we’re setup more for shooting turkeys than glassing them.

I’m quite confident this will be the last thing PB sees!! ??

IMG_2269.jpeg
 
Oh well. PB was a no show. And nothing roosted Thursday night. Kinda kicking myself for not going to glass the nearby WMA.

Friday morning, we just went to 4 spots to listen. One sounded off between Fall Guy and Spotter. Probably gobbled A hundred times, giving them enough time to close the distance. After he hit the ground, they saw him a few times before he gave them the slip. Calling off the hunt, we headed back to pack for the trip home.

Talking to the rancher afterwards, we learned the ranch had been hunted more than previous years. And the neighboring property had been leased to outfitters who had several clients there as well.

So, great time with friends and family, great food and two birds. Ole Goat got his first Merriams. Spotter had his first experience with gobblers up close, and actually got a shot.

At the end of the day, a very successful hunt!
 

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