Close, But He Got Away

To me the wild turkey is one of the most fascinating game bird ever hunted.  Their eyesight is phenominal, and you find them in flocks or hunting and pecking all by themselves.  I am always amazed when you see them on the interstate right next to the traffic scratching and pecking away digging up seeds.  Watching them scratch and peck through the same field they were in two days ago always amazes me.  They are constantly moving and scratching up seeds and other morsels to eat.  If you stop your vehicle, the parameters change immediately and off they go running or flying to the timber. 

Eleven year old Chloe with her 32 pound beauty.  Shot with a 20 guage, and look at her smile.

Harvesting a big tom in a group of several smaller ones is always interesting.  Sometimes they hang around, but not too close.  I have seen this several times.  After I  shot a big boy, the smaller ones got confused and didn't seem to know which way to run.  Also, when I stepped out of a blind, they stopped and looked back, then acted very confused about which way to go.  It was as if they just lost their leader, and leaderless there was no one to make a decision. 

Ten year old Taylor with a 25 pounder and a 10.5 inch beard.  She also plunked this dandy with a 20 guage.  The smile tells it all.

The fields in Iowa where I hunt are usually a challenge, but not much of one.  That is because the birds are very plentiful, and if I am not having luck in Nebraska, I can always hunt Iowa.  This year has not been a good season for me, but it is called hunting, not shooting.  I am not investing a lot of time going to different spots on the farm, but I cut my time short and only spend a few hours on the days I hunt.  The first problem with my Iowa hunting, is the hunter.  The problem with my hunting in Nebraska is that I like to socialize with the landowners.  The older you get, the more quality time you like to spend with people you have known over the years.  If I don't get a shot, so what.  Enjoyment of family, the outdoors and good company is what life is all about.

There are only two more days left in the Iowa season.   Therefore I was up early to head to a field bordered by timber on three sides.  During the walk, the toms were gobbling and the hens were yelping as they came off the roost.  It was dark and finding a place to hide was not easy as the scrub and fallen timber along the edge of the field blocked good spots. 

After I set the decoys up and pushed back into the scrub, I was not happy with my position.  I was just too exposed to the front.  Hind sight is always better than foresight. After looking back, I would do things differently on the next trip.

I began to call and the answer came back really strong.  Waiting about fifteen minutes, I called again.  Hopefully this was the "come up and see me sometime" call they were hearing.  Then they gobbled loudly.  There was not one, but two big boys. 

Out of the woods they came.  The call was dropped to the ground, and the boys were running toward the decoys.  It appeared that "Pretty Boy" was about to have a fight on his hands.  I liked that and have seen a decoy being attacked several times.  My hands were placed on the gun lying across my lap.  It is this kind of  shot I hate to make.  I needed to swing the barrell from left to right and at the same time pull the stock into my shoulder.  It was either move very quickly or start slowly moving right away. 

Carry-Lite Pretty Boy Turkey Decoy Set



Click on the link above or the picture.  I use this set, and on this outing the toms came running to do battle.



The two boys pulled up about 40 yards short of the decoys and one began to fan himself out and strut.  With three and one half inch shells, a touch is really possible. However, as I started to move the gun up to my shoulder, down went their fans and off they ran like two scalded dogs.  Something was not right, and I blame myself for possibly being too exposed.  Second, the gun should have been in my shoulder by the time they started to strut.  That was another mistake.  Third, my position should have been back farther in the woods and more upstream from the decoys.  That would have shortened the distance.  After all these years it is never quite right every the time.

Behind me is dense timber. Looking to the north is the tree line where the toms came storming out looking for a fight.  If they would have come a little closer, I would have gotten one.

The temperature was going to be in the upper 90s for mid May.  Another location was checked out, but no action took place.  So far for this turkey season in two states, not one shot has been fired.  I need to consult with friends about their experiences.

I should probably consult with Chloe or Taylor as they have had the best luck of anyone I have talked to this year. 

My wife and I really have enjoyed the pictures of the two girls.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank



 

 Click on the link to access the Home Page for great buys.
Text, text

Day One of the Great Nebraska Turkey Hunt



This is day one for me because the weather shut me down on the opening.  Then it was time for interviews and to scout the terrain.  Then more rotten weather came with snow, sleet and freezing rain.  Along the interstate near wooded areas, there were toms out strutting around their harem of hens.  I still don't know if the cold weather has shut down the breeding process.  There have been some really nice days, with some single hens out pecking away.  That is a sign of a bred hen.  Nebraska still has thirty days left in the season.

I decided to go to Fort Calhoun and the farm on the hills overlooking the Missouri River bottoms.  This piece of ground has been a regular meat market for turkey and deer, but with the commercial hunting operation nearby, it has gotten a little tougher to harvest some dinner.  The timber on the upper part of the ridges has been holding turkey in the early morning where they have roosted overnight.  There are still birds around.

Down to my favorite spot along the fence line, I set up the Pretty Boy-Pretty Girl combination.  Good luck has always followed me with this decoy set up.  There I waited for the first light to appear and illuminate the hills.  A few hens appeared with some fly down cackles deep in the woods, but not the traffic seen in the past.  Still some toms gobbled away and moved toward my position.  

My favorite spot on the south end of the farm.

Using a slate call, a pattern of clucks and purrs was made followed by some additional calls.  The toms gobbled back, but did not come to my hiding place.  Looking down to the south, a nice big tom followed about six hens along the fence line and up to a fallen tree.  There the big boy did his dance, but they were just not interested.  It happens all the time whether you are a turkey or not. 

The big tom and his ladies moved up the fence line and then headed south at the end of the tree line.  I am going back to that location before day break to see if the pattern is still there

I was way out of range and my calling did not produce any kind of traffic.  I sat there till the sun was up and my bottom was exceptionally sore.  I got up with a creak and a groan as the lift to my feet was painful.  However, after a few steps the decoys were gathered up and relocated to spot number two.

This spot is in the woods among some oak trees that shed a lot of acorns.  At this location you always see deer and there is always plenty of turkey sign on the ground.

My back is against a really big oak tree and I am facing straight west.  You can see the two decoys in front of me.  The ground slopes to my left gradually, and is a steep drop off to my right.  To my right is where the big tom was coming from.  He must have caught a look and did not like what he saw.

I put out the decoys, then hunkered down on the ground for a 3o minute wait to allow the forest to settle down after my intrusion.  Soon the birds began to sing again, and the squirrels began to chatter and make noise.  Giving a couple of calls on the slate, there was no return answer.  Still this has always been a good spot, and patience was called for.  

Bam! a gobble was heard.  He was close down the steep embakment.  Hunkered down in front of a tree, I was confident that nothing could see me.  Birds and squirrels came very close and deer walked by within 20 feet of me.  Facing straight west, the turkey was coming up on my right.   My gun was lying across my lap with the barrell pointed to my left.  If he came all the way up, I would have to swing to my right and this might be an awkward shot.  

A charlie horse was starting to form in my leg and a sense of relaxation was forced by my mind onto my body.  It has worked in the past.  He gobbled a couple more times, and he was given in return some clucks and purrs.  Then the slate call was allowed to rest on my leg as I slowly moved my hands to the gun, and waited, and waited, and waited.  Then it all got quiet.  He did not like something because he never finished.  He never broke the top of the hill where he could have been turned into fresh meat.  It is called hunting, and that was great excitement on my first day out.  

I waited a little longer.  Nothing happened and no sounds were heard so I moved into the valley below.  In the past the birds in this location had traveled between wooded areas lingering in the open valley, and then moved back into the timber.

My gun is laying against the tree where I will be hiding.  This is the third spot for the day.

A good spot was located with the decoys out.  This time my hiding place was against another tree, but I was surrounded by dense high foilage of some sort.  Barely able to see over the top, my location was invisible except for the top my my head.  Deer moved by within twenty feet of me.  The birds and squirrels settled into their routines after about 20 minutes.  

The sun was well up, but my location was in the shadows.  The decoys were well illuminated and should have been very visible to a big tasty tom.  This was the good news, but the bad news was nothing appeared.  By early afternoon, the hunt was given up.  

Tomorrow is another day.  Who said that line? 

Great Savings at Bass Pro Right Now.  Click on the Banner for More Information.

 
Click on the link and visit Outdoors with Hank for great buys.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank Text

Scouting the Farms or The Prelude to the Great Turkey Hunt

The weather broke and it turned really nice.  As I write this post, there is a change coming consisting of rain and possibly some snow.  It is definitely evident that Chloe and Taylor had no problem with the weather.  This just goes to show you the difference between the young hunters and a worn out old hunter like myself.  Sometimes it is just better to sit by the fire and remember the great hunts you have had.



10 year old Taylor with her nice be Turkey

11 year old Chloe with her nice big harvest. 



The best part of the two pictures is the smile on each of these two successful turkey hunters.

The first farm I checked on was in Iowa.  This was an easy drill as it has been hunted for years and the patterns are well known.  Since it was close to home, a quick trip over to check things out showed the patterns as they have been last year and the year before that.  What I saw was smaller toms and not any really big boys.  A lot of jakes were with the hens and the birds were fairly flocked up.  With a pasture and an open field I should fill my Iowa tag.  

This pasture will be strongly hunted.

North of Fort Calhoun, Nebraska is spot # 2.  Here I have hunted for a number of years and the farm is always a hot spot except for last year.  A commercial hunting operation leased land next to the farm I hunt, and my hunting went downhill fast.  I think they bait them, but it is only conjecture on my part.  I am just irritated because the hunting is not as good as it used to be.  Still the landowner and I have become good friends.  We both look forward during the hunting season to sitting down and visiting about whatever we can come up with.  The good news is that we solve all the problems of the world. The bad news is that nobody listens to us.  That is the way with old men.

My favorite spot.  To the left is the leased commercial area.  The birds come off the roost to the open pasture to breed, fight, and otherwise just act like turkeys in the spring.  Notice the doe looking at me.



My favorite valley on this farm.  Hills and valleys packed with timber and lots of oak trees make this timber an excellent place for game.  Game signs are always around the big oak trees shedding the acorns.



The third spot is north of Tekamah, Nebraska.  I hunt with the owner of this farm in the fall on the Missouri River bottoms for ducks and geese.  This farm is located well back into the hills and in the past has been a literal meat market.  The midge disease took out the bucks and there just doesn't seem to be the doe population I have seen in the past.  Whenever mother nature thins a population of game, she is not kind, but downright cruel.

 Last summer the turkeys hit the road and disappeared from the farm.  The feeling was the severe heat had something to do with it, but there is no evidence of carcasses lying around.  For some unknown reason they moved on.  Last year, I would see a minimum of a hundred turkeys in the distance whenever I hunted the farm. 

The owner has recently seen a flock of 65 birds of mixed sexes moving back into his timber.  Hopefully they will return.

Anyway, I will hunt the farm and see if I can come up with some luck.  It is called hunting not shooting.



Click on the link to shop for great buys at Bass Pro.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck, Hank

text

Day Two Of The Great Nebraska Turkey Hunt

I was up at 5 AM and on the road to Tekamah, NE.  The weather could not have been more beautiful.  It takes a good 60 minutes to get to the Big Chicken and have a really big breakfast.  The plan was to be in a good spot by 8 AM and hunt all day over the entire farm.  It was hard to believe the birds left, but the landowner spends a lot of time on this farm and knows their habits.

On the farm by 7:30, I headed to the hill where I shot the big bird last year about this time of year.  From the woods to the north, the birds would come down the hill to the lake to get water.  The pasture is lined with cedars and other timber and forms almost a runway.  The plan was to put the decoys three fourths of the way down the hill and push myself back into the timber lining the hill.  It was a perfect place to hide.  I draped the decoy bags on limbs of branches up hill from my spot.

The decoy spread with Pretty Boy looking away from the hens.  I  turned him so that he showed a little more interest. 

After waiting about twenty minutes, I took the slate call and gave a couple of good yelps. Then I clucked away for a few minutes.  After that I quit calling.  If Mr. Tom was there he would hear the hen and his heart should have begun beating faster. 

I put the leaf suit on and I can hardly find myself.

This is where a good book comes in handy.  I opened up my Kindle and began reading as I was enjoying the cool Nebraska morning.  With just a light breeze out of the south the decoys had just the right amount of movement. 

Thirty minutes went by.  I hit the call again just to remind a love lost tom that a hen was available and he should come and introduce himself.  I started reading again and slowly drifted off into a really sound sleep.  It can't get much better than that. 

After three hours, it was obvious that there were no turkeys on this farm.  I picked up my gear and started to head for home.  On the way out, I met with the landowner.  He indicated that he had seen a big flock move back onto the farm.  He told me to stay in touch as he is out on the place working almost daily and will keep track of what he sees.  This just the start and there is more hunting to go.  Turkeys are excellent eating.

 

 

Click on the link above and check out the home page for great buys.  

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.   Hank

Post 05/26/2013

The Turkey Excitement Continues to Build

The weather finally broke, and some hunters were able to get out and harvest some really nice big toms.  The picture below was sent to me of a very successful hunter.  Ten year old Taylor nailed a really nice big bird.  10.5 inch beard and weighing 25 pounds 2 ounces make this the second largest tom I have seen harvested this year.  The best part of the picture is the smile on Taylor.  How can it get any better when you are ten years old.



Congratulations to Taylor.

If any of you know of a young person that has had some success, send a picture and a brief description of the hunter and we will post it for the world to enjoy.

Bushnell Trophy Cam HD Compact Game Camera

Click on the link or the picture to price and buy from Bass Pro

I took particular notice about the size of the gun Chloe and Taylor both shoot.  Both girls shoot 20 Guage shot guns, and then I compare it to mine which is a semi-automatic and shoots 3.5 inch shells.  That makes me feel guilty as if I am doing an overkill. 

Avian-X LCD Strutter Turkey Decoy


Click on the link or the picture to price and buy from Bass Pro.



The two girls just shot two really nice birds, and I have not been out to even take a poke at a jake.  That will soon change with the weather changing.  I intend to get my scouting done on the farms I hunt and be ready to hit it hard. 

 RedHead Turkey Decoy - Semi-Feeding Relaxed Jake

Click on the link to price and buy from Bass Pro.  I really feel it is important to have a couple of Jakes in your decoy mix.  It is competition for the toms.

After visiting with the two landowners in Nebraska, both were not optomistic this year.  The farm north of Fort Calhoun has a commercial hunting operation bordering it and the landowner had not seen the turkey traffic he has seen in the past.  The farm north of Tekamah lost their birds last summer with the drought.  They did not die, they just moved off the ground and went somewhere else.  The owner just recently saw 65 birds of mixed sex moving back onto the farm.  Who knows why the enormous flock just  left even though this place was a meat market. 

Primos Dirty B Injured Turkey Decoy

This makes and interesting decoy to the mix.  Click on the link to price and buy from Bass Pro.

I find it is always a good idea to review the bird, how they live, and their habits.  For this information I turn to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  The following information below is from the department website and makes for informative reading of the bird you are trying to harvest.

Populations

Because of their dependence on variable mast production for food in areas where large tracts provide typical turkey habitat, good populations normally average about 10 turkeys per square mile of forest over much of eastern turkey range. In agricultural states like Iowa, the presence of abundant food contributes to densities at least twice this great, and may reach 40-60 turkeys per square mile in the best habitats.

Turkeys breed only in the spring. Hens join harems attached to a dominant gobbler, but may breed with any available male. Nests are poorly formed bowls completely on the ground and contain 6-18 eggs (average 11 per clutch). Hens of all ages attempt to nest, but yearling hens are seldom successful and 80% of the poults will be produced by 2 year old or older hens. Nests have been found in most habitat types from dense forest, brush, grown up pastures, fence lines, to alfalfa fields.

 Hens incubate 28 days before the eggs hatch. Typically 30-60% of hens will attempt renesting after losing a clutch to cold, wet weather or predators, with about 40-60% of the adult hens will eventually hatch a clutch. Hens do all the brood rearing, and life is precarious for newly hatched poults with over half dieing in the first 4 weeks. Of the poults surviving to fall, 35% of the young hens will be lost to predators, primarily coyotes. Few young or adult turkeys are lost during the winter in most of Iowa, but starvation may occur where deep snows for a prolonged period keep flocks from moving to food sources.

 Spring is a major mortality period for both sexes, and many hens are lost to predators after winter flocks break up and breeding activities begin, and toms fall prey primarily to hunters. Annual survival rates average 57% for females and 35% for males. 


Bass Pro has it all.  The best products at the lowest possible price.
Click on the banner and shop for your hunting and fishing needs.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank
Text