Turkey Success 2008

[caelkhnter]

So my buddy and I were out for Friday's opener. We were hunting near Williams and it ws very windy Friday making calling impossible. Lots of water so finding a tank with significant sign was not fruitful. Saturday morning nothing called before sun up so we could not set up to call anything off its roost. However shortly after first light we got a tom calling in a deep canyon. We got set up and before you knew it 2 toms were calling. About 15 minutes later I had my bird. We then took off after the other tom, and sure enough he did not go far and began responding to our call. 15 minutes later my buddy has his bird. First time we have ever shot 2 birds within 15 minutes after shooting one of the 2 calling toms. Pretty exciting!

 

[inelligentvernonboy]

you got any photographs of them birds?

I sure would like to see one, I haven't had much luck and am always looking for tips. What kind a call u usin?

 

[caelkhnter]

VernonBoy
I will try to send some pics tonight after I get on the home computer. As far as type of call, we do it real simple. Just any box call, nothin fancy, a few soft calls and sit and wait.

 

[redrabbit]

Jim,
The wind has been brutal here. Glad you were able to hear a reply and get a gobbler (or two!) to come in. The last few seasons have had the birds going in the opposite direction from my calling or being unresponsive.

Doug~RR

 

[caelkhnter]

Doug, the wind was really something on Friday. Saturday morning it let up until about 8:30 a.m. and then started getting strong. I got the first tom at 7:00 and Mark got the second one by 7:15. We did not hear any calls until we got out on the edge of this deep canyon. It did not take long after hearing the toms before they wee on us, so they were close to begin with. With even the reduced wind we had Saturday morning I am sure if the birds had been across the canyon we would not have heard them. Had we not got them early Saturday morning I don't think we would have had any luck with the way the wind picked up! Hey did you see Mark's picture and Ram on the cover of the May 2008 Huntin Fool?

 

[caelkhnter]

Well here they are:

 

[caelkhnter]

Here is the other one:

 

[azarcher]

Hey Man,
How do we know that one or the other of you are'nt holding up the other guys bird. Don't you have a picture of the both of you?
Just thought I'd jump on it before some one else did.....

 

[caelkhnter]

Okay what a bunch of doubters!!!

 

[azarcher]

Nice Pic, those are some big birds.

 

[WARBIRDUM]

Good job on those two big Toms.

 

[DonMartin]

Good job on those birds. What length beards did they have?

I was up there south of Williams on Monday a.m. with a buddy and got one to sound off on the roost with the coyote call, but he never showed up or came to the pond and decoys my buddy had set up.

We packed up his trailer and called it good when the wind started blowing 30 mph..

My lady friend and I have two tags for the Navajo Army Depot and we haven't even gone one time this spring!

With the winds we have been seeing up in the north land and the high cost of fuel, I hardly think it is worth $250 for a turkey!

I went to southern Utah and had a great hunt in March, but when I did the math, I had $546.00 in that big gobbler....

I could buy a heck of a lot of turkey at Safeway for that kind of money..or a lot of boat gas to chase stripers at Lake Mead.

Oh well, might try it this weekend IF the wind isn't going to be bad and IF the National Guard aren't training which means half the base is shut down.. We'll see..

Again great Merriam's guys...

Don Martin
Arizona Wildlife Outfitters

 

[caelkhnter]

Hello Don
Thanks for the good words. The beards were just average, about 9 1/2 inches each. I think we just got lucky that the wind died down early opening Saturday morning. By 7:30 it was picking up again, and by 10:30 it was howling. I think if we did not get that break form the wind it would have been a bust. Thanks again Jim