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Norfolkhunter 7 (22.6%)
Annie Oakley 17 (54.8%)
footedshaft 4 (12.9%)
onmedic 3 (9.7%)
onmedic #2 0 (0%)
Total Votes: 31
Turkey contest finals
Topic Started: Jun 7 2008, 09:54 AM (388 Views)
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NorfolkHunter
Mike(Middletonman) and I had our friends Craig and Chris down for a turkey hunt. Craig has hunted with us in the past killing 3 toms but this would be Chris's first turkey hunting experience.
They flew into Toronto on Thursday so they would be ready for the hunt on opening morning. After scouting our opening day spot a week earlier. Mike and I devised a plan that we felt would be successful.
On opening day Craig and I would be setup along the edge of a known flydown field with our bows. Mike took Chris and setup along a ridge line where we have killed numerous birds in the past.
The morning played out perfectly. With birds sounding off from the roost I had a great feeling that a tag would be filled. One tom flew out into the field and put on a little display. For some reason the tom didn't stick around and exited the field. I then had 4 hens fly down and move into my decoys.
Another tom flew down onto the ridge line. As the gobbles continued to get closer. I knew it was only a matter of time before a shot would be fired. At 6:15am Chris became a succesful turkey hunter for the first time.
Chris explained to Craig and I how exciting the hunt was. With Mike working the slate behind him. The tom came running into 20 yards to strut for the last time.
I had to leave for work and tomorrow was another day. We were going to a spot where there are alot of toms. We all couldn't wait for Saturday morning.
Stats 20lbs. 4oz., 1"spurs and 10 1/2" beard.
Pictures to follow.

All 4 of us were setup in different spots. 3 turkeyless hunters overlooking the same large field with different vantage points. Chris was setup along a strut zone hoping to ambush an unexpecting tom.
There were gobbles all around us but not one tom pitched out into our field. After a couple of calls I could hear a tom making his way to our field. When he stepped into the field I knew it was game on. He was gobbling up a storm and was accompanied by two hens. The tom was moving towards Craig'ss setup so I put the call down and waited patiently.
I knew where Craig was but because of the terrain. I couldn't see the tom or Craigs setup. As the tom continued to gobble I was thinking he must be right on top of Craig. I was waiting for a cheer of success.
This carried on for at least 15 minutes when I caught movement from Craig direction. Then hens were moving back to where they had originally came. With the tom 40 yards in pursuit. He was still gobbling and putting on a great display. I was curious as to why Craig didn't get a shot with his Bowtech.
The hens started to leave the field and I was sure he would follow. I picked up my slate call and started to do some aggressive cuts and yelps. Everytime I would call he would gobble. This went on for a minute or two when all of a sudden the tom turned and started heading in my direction. I knew he was committed so I reached for my Matthews and got ready.
He was moving in pretty quickly. Not wanting to get busted I came to full draw and waited for him to strut into my shooting lanes. I might have been a little hasty in drawing my bow as the tom worked his way in. I had been drawn for sometime and was starting to get shaky when the strutter entered my first shooting window.
I figured him to be at 20 yards so I placed my 20 yard pin on him and tracked his movement. My best shot was through the window he was in. With the tom still in strut I clicked off the realease and watched my arrow hit the dirt directly under his body. I couldn't believe it. Turkey fever had set in and I rushed the shot(misjudged the yardage too). The tom took a little hop not knowing what had happened and started to walk directly away. I quickly reached for another arrow. Without any hesitation I came to draw, making a quick yardage judgement. I placed my 40 yard pin on the centre of his back and sent the arrow on its way. I watched as the arrow flew true and pinning the bird down at 40 yards.
I couldn't believe what had just happened. My first tom with my compound bow. I was pumped. Mike was able to watch the whole thing through his binoculars.
With everyone gathered after the successful hunt. I asked Craig why he wasn't able to shoot. He was shooting Gobble Guillotines and didn't feel comfortable on shooting the yardage with that kind of broadhead. He figured the bird wasn't close enough for an ethical kill. Upon further review the bird was in as close as 23 yards. Craig will be hearing about this for a few years but he does recieves an assist for passing on the longbeard and allowing me to score!!
Stats 21lbs. 12oz. 1 1/8" spurs and 10 3/8" beard.
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Saturday evening we put three toms to bed. On a property that I have hunted deer on for many years but never turkeys. I know the farm very well and I had a pretty good idea where the birds would roost.
Sunday Chris and I would be in one blind and Craig in the other. I was the caller for Chris while Craig would try and redeem himself from the previous morning.
The three toms were deeper into the woods than I had expected. They were gobbling 100 yards behind Chris and my setup. With a few soft tree yelps the toms pitched down and headed our way.
They were gobbling, spitting and drumming maybe 30-40 yards behind the blind. This went on for 30 minutes when finally a hen moved into our decoys. Convincing the toms to have a look. We had thought there were only two toms behind us but when they came in there were three. Strutting the whole time they moved in. Not wanting to get busted Chris sat still hoping for a chance to draw his bow. A shot just never materialized and the birds slowly moved out of Chris's field of view. I was able to watch them at 25-30 yards for another 5 minutes. If I would have carried my bow I would have had a shot. It just wasn't meant to be. We weren't successful in bringing the birds back into the decoys and they moved off. Craig never saw them but they were gobbling all around him.
We packed it in at 10:30am and decided to meet back at my house for an afternoon hunt. We had planned at meeting at 2 or 3pm but they never rolled in until 5pm. Seemed like they had took an extended nap.
I had a good afternoon place in mind so off we went. I was going to call and Craig and Chris with guns in had would be the shooters. 100 yards into the woods we hit a nice little opening. With a few cutts and some yelps my calls were cut off with a gobble. I told them to get down and made a few more calls. Another gobble told me the tom was on his way. By 5:25pm the tom was 10 yards from the end of Chris's barrel. A few calls stretched out the birds neck and the hunt was over. The hunt lasted no more than 15 minutes and Chris was tagged out.
Stats 20lbs. 4oz. 15/16" spurs and 10" breard.
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I had to work the rest of the time the East Coasters were down. Craig did miss a tom on Tuesday. Now its Mikes turn for a bird.
Its always great to share the woods with good friends!

Devin

Annie Oakley
woohoo I got my son on the bus at 8:20 yesterday and was sitting at my blind by 8:35. With my decoys out in front of me I started calling. After about 15 min. I could hear a Tom way off in the distance, he sounded like he was getting closer but then I realized there were about 3 or 4 Toms gobbling. A hen came up out of the gully behind me and joined my decoys I thought :allright: a live decoy. I could see a Tom not in full strut heading towards me from the other side of the field. As he got closer 3 more Toms in full strut popped out of the gully way ahead of me. The Tom that wasn't in full strut was by now about 40 yrds away from me and the hen seemed to be slowly heading towards the other Toms, they were about 60 yrds. away. I didn't want to chance the Tom that wasn't in full strut go with her so I lined him up and down he went. :shoot:

Here are a few pics.

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footedshaft
If you are a turkey. LOL
Here are a few pics of the "testing" my boy and i did last Sunday morning.
As you can see it rips a heck of a hole in the mesh BUT the end result was more than worth it.

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This was an amazing hunt as its the first turkey hunt my boy and i have experienced together.
He was my decoy guy the whole time the birds were coming in. He worked the decoy string and made my bobbin head decoy look great!
The stats on the bird for those interested are, 25 lbs 12 oz, 11 3/4" beard and matching 1 9/16" spurs.
Bill

Onmedic
Well, i went out this morning thinking it may be my last chance at filling my tag for this seson due to work, academic commitments and a new baby boy on the way in June or end of May i think. So, even a jake would fill the bill at this point.
I setup on a plowed field edge. I have been hunting green fields but nothing has been coming out in them until the afternoon. I've been seeing birds in the morning in plowed cornfields and heading to dusting areas.
I was in a similiar spot the morning before but the birds flew down, didn't even look at my decoys and headed to where some distant gobbling was going on.
This time i was setting up right where they were flying down. They had no choice but to look at my setup.
It was quite light out when i heard my first gobble and it was way way off, not a noise from where they were roosted the previous morning. I was getting worried that they hadn't roosted there. I started second guessing where i had setup and maybe i should start slowly heading towards the gobbling. I had to get aggressive and make my own luck.
I tried a crow call and they gobbled immediately, 3 birds at least. Before i moved i tried a soft yelp....... Gobble ........Gobble, right off my left shoulder. I was staying put!!!!
Now are these birds just going to take right off and head to the other gobblers? I wasn't going to let that happen. I did a few more soft calls and then cut myself off with a jake gobbler, they all lit up again. I gave a couple fly down calls, waited for them to stop gobbling , then i gobbled with some real agressive cutting after that, then i gobbled everytime they did. To my surprise some hens starting cutting, real loud, real agressive. The contest was on. I tried to out do them, they were now coming hard. I figured the toms would be in tow.
While peering over my shoulder i caught some movement out infront of me near my decoys. 3 jakes were approching fast, but so were the hens and still spitting mad. I had to quite calling. two hens arrived with jakes and were getting real close to the decoys. The setup was going to be blown any second when the decoys don't respond.
More movement approaching the decoys, two more birds coming in. One was running, another jake, and one just walking fast, he'd do a half strut, walk, half strut walk. he didn't have a big beard but also didn't have a real predominant step in his fan, granted he wasn't at full strut, then he started gobbling. Was he a 2 year old with not a great beard or just a dominant big jake?
The hens were right at the decoys, a slight breeze gave my bob n head jake some movement which was perfect timing. The other hens were real close i could hear them walking, too close to look and see if a mature tom was with them, i couldn't wait any longer, two of the jakes turned and started to leave. I gave one cluck, his head came up, i lined up the fire sights on my Super X2 and squeezed the trigger (yes, shotgun, long story) He did a back flip, birds scattered everywhere. The hens behind me started screaming out the alarm putt, i leaned forward out into the field and saw two more birds running back into the woods, i swear i could see the big beards swinging as they ran about 30 yards away.
I counted 9 birds. I have no idea where they all came from? I've haven't seen anymore then 3 birds together.
When i got up to my turkey it was clear to see that he was just a good sized jake. His fan does not have the real dominant jake tail that the other birds do around here, and by not going to full strut i couldn't tell. It didn't matter. My tag was filled. The hunt was absolutely awesome and what a lesson i learned in calling, i wish i would have had it on tape. This was the best turkey hunt i've had and it was a jake.
On the way home i drove by another spot that i have and saw two very large toms in full strut on a fence line, no hens to be seen. I know where i'm going with bow if i can get out again.
My turkey had a 5" beard, and weighed exactly 16lbs.
As i write this, i found out that our OB doc has now taken my wife Gail off work until she delivers. woohoo . She feels fine, but is also a paramedic, and there just isn't any type of work that she can do at this point. Soooo. I'm off to get another tag. I will be out hunting hard with the bow Saturday and Sunday, and my dad has agreed to be the camera man.
What an awesome morning..

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Onmedic #2
Well here he is, once again not a monster but good in the freezer. I went out this morning knowing that bad weather was coming in for Sunday and probably my last day out for the season.
I was hunting out of my ground max blind and using the shotgun, yes shotgun, got my rest on lastnight, just not enough time to shoot a bit to make sure everything was working so i took my winchester.
At 05:55 the bird that i had been watching the past few days started my way through a cut cornfield and he had a friend. They came to about 40 yards from my setup. Too much underbrush and stuff in the way. I just couldn't coax them into my decoys. I had my video camera with me so i decided to move it out a side window and film the action that i was anticipating. When i went to reach for my camera, there was already a turkey at my deocys. He jumped up and let my hen have it, yup the hen, not the jake. he knocked it over. The other two birds started walking away, i tried calling but couldn't change their minds. I was busted. I turned back to this guy. He actually stomped on my jake. He realized the bird wasn't real and started out of there. I made a 25 yard shot, back of head walking away, he dropped and flopped.
This is a weird looking bird. 2 years old i figure. He still has a bit of a step in his fan but has barred feathers, all the way to the tips, definatley not a juvenile based on his wings. His beard was 7.5" on the nose and he had3/4" spurs. Like i said not a menoster at all, but a nice bird anyways. :allright:
I really got to get some pics in the field. This backyard stuff is killing me. I moved over a bit from the last one, bench is in the background now.
Oh almost forgot, he weighed 18.4lbs

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condescending twat
Someone who looks down on other people and is beyond arrogant
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come on people start voting :wOOT:
condescending twat
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