Turkey Season 2020

Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:56 pm

Note right up front: I tried to shorten this one, but didn’t want to leave anything out for when I transfer this to my journal, so grab a beer, this will be lengthy.

Yesterday ended a 5 day chase (4 days in a row) of a gobbler Dad and I managed to get under 60 yards 5 different times. 5th time was the charm.

The chase started last Sunday (day after opener), as we set up at daylight on the north side of our property where Dad had flushed 3 gobblers while running the English pointers a few weeks before. Despite hearing several gobblers on the roost, all were off our property and shut up when they hit the ground. We proceeded across the creek on our property to the east boundary and sat and called to no avail. Moved back across the creek and to the south end to a location we call the crossroads, over a slight rise from our little wood duck hole. Sat down and let out a soft yelp on my slate call and immediately had a gobbler answer near the pond dam to our southwest about 200 yards away. 3 roads intersect at the “cross roads” and Dad was in number 1 position with me sitting off to his left facing some thick stuff a turkey would never walk through. Turkey gobbles a few more times and we can tell he’s getting closer. He shuts up, so we figured he was coming. A few minutes later a hen comes jogging over the rise on what we call the “field trial road” and stops 10 yards from us. After a minute or two she eases on by us and heads on to the north. We both figure the gobbler is right behind her. I’m looking to the right scanning the roads hard for his head to pop up so I can alert Dad. Next thing I know I hear a stick break 20 yards in front of me, ya know in that thick stuff a turkey “would never walk through”. I cut my eyes to the left and right off the end of my gun barrel stands a gobbler, who is now 17-18 yards away. My hands are in my lap on the call with my gun propped on my knee. No bueno. He walks to my right towards where I think Dad may have a shot, but begins to angle away from us as he’s getting to the road. Steps out in the road at about 55 yards, walks over the hill, and gobbles several times as he walks away to the south. End scene. Turkeys 1 Hunters 0 for those keeping score at home.

To be continued...
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:44 pm

Day 2 (Wednesday 3/25)

Just had to guess at where the turkeys be roosting based on years past and turned out to be somewhat right. Set up about 200 yards south of our last set up on day 1, adjacent to what we call the back gate field and 3.3 parcel. Heard several gobblers way off of our property on the limb, but none close where we thought they’d be. We called softly a couple times after hearing a turkey fly down to our east. No response. About 730 we were just sitting there scratching our heads when a turkey gobbles 60 yards away, in some thick pines on a four wheeler trail. He gobbled his head off and drummed up and down that trail for the next hour to hour and a half. The trail came out on a firebreak I was looking down about 40 yards away. Would have been perfect. We called the hens away from him and past us but he wouldn’t budge. He finally quit gobbling and I couldn’t hear him drum anymore. Next thing we know he gobbles to our northwest by the duck pond again. I had to go to work so we circled around down in the bottom and left.

Turkeys 2 Hunters 0
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Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:16 pm

Day 3 Thursday 3/26.

Walked in a little later than I like to be getting there, but still plenty dark, to the spot where we thought the gobbler has been crossing our “ridge road” from the thick pines to the east to the hill side by our wood duck pond to the west of the road. Just as we reached our destination, we bumped a turkey from the roost right above us. In hindsight, I’m pretty sure it was a jake. He flew to the south, causing a turkey to gobble 100 yds to the south and the one I assume we’ve been after to gobble in the thick pines. We quickly sat down along the road , me about 10 yards farther south than Dad and waited for daylight as the birds gobbled a few more times. I heard the bird in the thick pines fly down and gobble once on the ground. At about the same time, I hear my dad whisper something behind me. At this point, it’s still almost too dark for me to see the sight on the end of my gun, so I assumed he just said he heard the turkey fly down. So I shift over to be ready when the gobbler walks through the pines and I heard “DONT MOVE! Out front!” While looking to try to see the gobbler in the thick pines, I had missed one that flew down to our south and walked up the road (May have been the same turkey), cutting in left to right 40 yards to my south. When I shifted, he saw the movement, but couldn’t make me out because it was so dark. He didn’t putt or fly, just made a 180 back out to the road. I finally saw him about 15 yards shy of the road and got my gun up for a shot. He stopped in an opening in the big trees at 40 yards in the road, but he had a sweetgum sapling centered up between him and me. Needed him to come down the road four or five more steps, but he never did. He walked into the thick pines. I yelped a little and he stepped back out at 35 yards, giving me a clear shot. It was still pretty dark but right before I squeezed the trigger something in my head said this doesn’t look right, so I raised up and sure enough, I was about to shoot a jake. He’d pulled the ole switcheroo on me. I then see the gobbler’s head bob behind the jake and they both walk down the road to the south, join up with another gobbling turkey, and move on the the southeast, crossing the triangle parcel and off of our property.

Turkeys 3 Hunters 0
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Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:35 pm

Day 4 (Friday 3/27)

Arrived when it was pitch dark to try to sneak in to where the gobbler was headed before he saw me move the day before. Should have just stayed in bed. Heard zero gobbles on the roost or the ground but did hear 6 or 7 turkeys fly down. Only turkey I saw was one fly back UP into a tree at 730 about 150 yards south of us. Weird morning. Back to the house early to get some work done.

Edit: Turkeys 4 Hunters 0
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Rick » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:03 pm

When I was batshit for turkeys, I was fond of pointing out that nothing seasons success like frustration.
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Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:34 pm

Day 5 Saturday March 28

Success finally.

Again arrived when it was still pitch dark and decided to walk the duck pond dam and sneak into a spot about 80 yards south of the previous day’s setup and 10 yards north of day 2’s setup, which would prove to be crucial. Dad facing north and me facing south on the same tree along the ridge road. Heard a couple turkeys way off to our south on the limb. Dad made a few soft yelps on his box call and a turkey responded 100 yards to our east in the thick pines. He flew down and gobbled once more. At about 80 yards. I again could hear him drumming for a short while then it stopped. 30 minutes go by with nothing and by this time, both my legs are numb. Felt like I was on the edge of permanent damage, so I had to reposition. Whew, sweet relief. 10 more minutes go by and I can hear the turkey drumming again. I let my Dad know and he said the turkey was at 35 yards and walking from him to me when I shifted. He said the turkey just stopped, and walked away from us. He didn’t think he saw me because it was so thick but probably heard me. I was pretty mad at myself. At 830 I brought out my box call and yelped fairly loud and raspy. The turkey gobbled to our northwest again near the duck pond. He then proceeded to gobble every 30 seconds for 7 or 8 minutes as he worked his way back to our due north. Dad still wasn’t able to get eyes on him. I yelped once more, no response. 20 minutes go by and I see a turkey out of the corner of my eye in the thick pines at 30 yards. Turns out to be a hen, followed by another. They stepped out in the road at 20 yards and walk down the road to my south. Figured the gobbler would be behind them but he was not. Next thing I know I look down the road 100 yards where the hen had disappeared to and I see a fan then a white head stick up. He comes out of strut and begins to walk down the road toward me. Suddenly he’s joined by 3 other white heads as they walk off the road, through the brush and head for the thick pines. My only shot is a 10’ wide fire lane but by the time they hit it, they’re 60 yards away. I lose sight of them for a minute then see one of them coming down the fire break to me. He gets to 30 yards and I still haven’t seen a beard. I finally determine its a jake, which is the first I’ve seen with a white head. He walks by me at 20 yards and off to my right into the field and out of sight. The next two turkeys follow him, both of which are Jakes as well. The third jake stopped in the road at 10 yards for a minute then walked on to the field as well. Then a hen pops out of the thick pines and follows the Jakes. I’m sure the gobbler will be down the fire break any second. I wait ten minutes, no gobbler but I can hear him drumming in the pines again. Rascal put the double circle move on us. I get my box call again and yelp softly, he gobbles again, but by this time has worked his way to Dad’s side of the tree but is still in the pines. A minute goes by and I hear Dad’s safety click off, followed shortly by the shot. First thing in my head when I jumped up and looked down the road was dang that’s a long way! Got out to him and got my foot on his head and the high fiving and hunt recounting began. Turns out I was right. 51 steps. Dad thought it was between 40 and 45 when he took the shot, but it worked out.

I usually either deep fry turkey or make jerky. I’m thinking of trying at least one breast on the green egg with indirect heat. In a sweet tea and orange juice brine.
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:48 pm

Rick wrote:When I was batshit for turkeys, I was fond of pointing out that nothing seasons success like frustration.


That’s for sure. Dad said something similar, in that he might not have taken that long shot but the turkey had made him so mad by eluding us day after day that he couldn’t pass it up.
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Rick » Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:13 am

Glad it worked out. Hope the grilling does, too, but don't believe I'm skilled enough to pull that off without foil and something for moisture. Never tried. Usually fried the tenders, baked the fillets in foil with butter, apple slices for basting, and made soup with the rest. Not much of a cook, but don't recall any noses turning up.
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Deltaman » Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:20 am

Congrats, you worked hard to make it happen..........just that much sweeter :thumbsup:
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so"
Mark Twain
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Re: Turkey Season 2020

Postby Darren » Mon Mar 30, 2020 9:13 am

Enjoying your tales from the woods, wins and losses. Congrats on getting on the board, and good luck!
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Turkey Season 2020

Postby Duck Engr » Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:23 pm

I appreciate you guys following along.

Rick I’ll definitely have to have a drip pan under the bird with some brine in it to try to keep it moist.

I don’t usually keep the legs, but given the givens with the economy, I figured I might regret it in a few months, so they’re on the stew list. Haven’t found much other use for them.
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