Turkey: second day out and BBD

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:08 pm

Well since the weather was either WINDY or cloudy and call all this week I finally hit the woods today again. Temps were perfect(upper 30's AM and mid 60's afternoon). Anyway, I setup on the biord that gave me the slip last saturday. Well, of coarse he had a new tree that was exactly on the other end of the field from where I had setup. I still sat and waited untill 7am to make sure nothing else was nearby. Anyway, after hearing 3-4 birds in the same direction I moved my setup and entered the woods. I set the decoy up in a slight clearing and moved up the road and off to the side so anything would have to come by me to get to the decoy. I hit the call and WHAM, he was about 100yards off across a bottom. I waited about 1min and called again. Wham 75 yards and closing. Then I started to here the THUMP of him drumming. Then I could see him 40 yards off and he held up. Since I only use slate calls I couldnt call since I had my gun ready. He held up and drummed for a good 15mins looking for the hen. He couldnt see the decoy from his spit so that didnt help. Then he started to head back off. I put the gun down and called once more. That was all it took. He came right back and started closing the gap. 20 yards and closing..... I had the gun ready and went to pull the trigger. Then he saw the decoy and bolted right to it and I missed!!!!!!! He was 7 yards and I fired again and THUMP he hit the ground LOL. I think I took my eye off the sights since he was so close that I missed him stone cold on the first shot. Needless to say I was one of the few that got a lucky second shot. Either way it was a perfect morning and I got to see the whole routine. Gobbling, drumming, struting, and finally a BBD(big bird down). He weighed a lil over 23 pounds. 11inch beard and 1 1/4th inch spurs. Not the biggest, but a very decnt bird. Now I can sit back and play with them the rest of the season.

here are a few shots but if you have seen one, you have seen them all

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:12 pm

Congrats. nice kill
Looks like you have a fine jake as a hunting buddy.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:14 pm

oh yeah... he ready now(only 2). my lil girl who's 6 was in school so she couldnt get in a picture. But she loves to deer hunt already. Turkey hunting is to early for her to get up LOL

I better enjoy it while I can cause soon they will be doing the shooting

DrDan · Post by **DrDan** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:51 pm

What sound did you use to get the Tom to come in? Yelp, Lost Hen, Purr?
Also are you just using one decoy?

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:43 pm

Congrats on a very nice bird and a safe hunt.

Tar Heel · Post by **Tar Heel** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:23 pm

Congrats, nice bird, great story.

Tar Heel

Doe Master · Post by **Doe Master** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:22 am

Congrats crazyfarmer on a mighty fine bird .Hope to get one like that to come in this year plan on videoing .Two years ago had the almost with my father filming but as you said yours hungup so did mine .They lost interest and left afterwards I found out that there was a puddle between us .Thanks for the story felt like I was there.
The loudest sound you don`t want to hear turkey hunting. CLICK!!!

Normous · Post by **Normous** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:30 am

Nice one

Congrats

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:33 pm

Congratulations!!!!!!!!
Looks like a real nice bird.

R.J. · Post by **R.J.** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:01 pm

Sweeeeet ! ... Nice Tom , congrat's !

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:22 pm

DrDan wrote:What sound did you use to get the Tom to come in? Yelp, Lost Hen, Purr?
Also are you just using one decoy?

I use 2 different slate calls.. ones a MAD call and the others the primos freak. But I use the strikers they send with the call in the other call which gives them a awesome sound. Sounds like 2-3 different hens.

Oh and yes I only use 1 hen decoy. I hunt alone normally and dont have the time to setup a whole flock. I just use that one so when he gets close enough he can see that and I dont have to call.

but anyway, luck struck today also. I took my dad hunting this morning and we had 2 that roasted right behind us about 100yards off. We setup on a field edge and placed the decoy about 25 yards out in front of us. Since they werent far off it was no need to call just yet so I let them gobble back and forth to each other. Then as woods got brighter I heard a hen start yelping on the other side of the bottom. So I hit my call for the first time. Out of nowhere about 7-8 different hens started yelping and putting. You know, the rapid putting where they want to fight. The did that for atleast 10mins straight! I putted back and made them even more angry LOL. By this time the gobbling had stopped so I knew they had hit the ground. I stopped calling and finally the hens settled down also. When the silence had begun I hit the call softly and the doubled gobbled about 75 yards off. In a matter of seconds you could here the drumming. The first bird popped out about 15 yards away and my dad took a crack at him and dropped him dead. When he shot the 2nd took flight and landed right beside the decoy(25yards out) not knowing what had happened!!! I drilled him since I believe in Va you can only kill 1 per day and my dad couldnt shoot again. Both birds had 11inch breads. Mine had 1.5inch spurs which were huge(stud of the 2). Mine netted 22 pounds while his had 1 1/4th inch spurs and weighed 19 7/8ths pounds. Either way, it was a nice morning and I couldnt ask for a better outcome. Now I only have 1 tag left so im on big boy mode now. I'm gonna try and get me dad a few more shots but I think he's happy with this one. My father doesnt like pics so he just took the pic of me with the 2 birds which I didnt mind at all.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:24 pm

Doe Master wrote:Congrats crazyfarmer on a mighty fine bird .Hope to get one like that to come in this year plan on videoing .Two years ago had the almost with my father filming but as you said yours hungup so did mine .They lost interest and left afterwards I found out that there was a puddle between us .Thanks for the story felt like I was there.
The loudest sound you don`t want to hear turkey hunting. CLICK!!!

I tried to vid one year but the camera always ended up getting in the way. I may give it a shot now since I dont want to tag out just yet. It seems turkey hunting is all about luck also. Some years you can tag out while others you cant get a bird within 100 yards

DrDan · Post by **DrDan** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:58 pm

Thanks Crazy

Nice freaking birds! Our season doesn't open until Monday morning so I'm chafing at the bit. Did you head shoot them birds? Range? What were you using for ammo and what choke were yah using. You don't have to give away your secrets if you don't want. I'll figure it out. I been working with chokes and ammo for the last several days and my best was 21 #6 pellets in a 2 1/2" circle at 35 yards. That was with an old Remington HeviShot choke in an 870 Express and shooting that new Winchester Supreme Elite long range shell. Damn they are expensive but they do a tighter pattern than HeviShot and I was a HeviShot devotee before I tried this stuff. I still like the T HeviShot for coyotes though.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 9:43 pm

I stuck with the copper plated lead shot. I use a weird combo since I have 2 shells that shoot very well. I use a remington 11-87 SP with a 28inch barrel(had 21inch but it didnt pattern well). I tested about 6 different choke and I came down to the kicks .655 and the tru glo xtreme .665 choke tubes. Both shot about the same with +- 2 pellets difference at 25 yards. I went with the tru glo since it was only 19bucks! But mine loves the winchestor HV 3inch 4's and the federal flight control 4's.

My dad had a plain jane full choke and he had about 5-6 pellets in the head of his bird at 15 yards. Mine had atleast 10-15 in just the head around his eyes so i'd say it works well. Oh and that was with the Fed's this time. I usually shoot the federal as my kill shot and I have 2 winchestors loaded for backup since I like their speed if its a miss. I havent patterned beyond 25 yards since my shots are normally 5-25 yards LOL(usually 15 max). Its no secrets since the same choke combo on the same gun of someone else's wont shoot the same. You can take 2 of the same chokes and test them in the same gun and they shoot different. I spent about 100bucks in shells alone.. A good 150 on chokes(sold them on ebay to get my money back).

I reccomend the tru glo xtreme. Walmart sells it and its only 19bucks. The undertaker was another that did decent in my testing for under 20bucks. Dont let those high dollar ones make you think they must be better. Normally your stock super full or a cheap choke will shoot just as good or better. The tru glo xtreme is also made for heavy shot so it says on the box. I just cant spend 30bucks on 10 shells at once

DrDan · Post by **DrDan** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:12 pm

Yah I know exactly what you mean about $30 for 10 shells! I also heard that Federal makes a nickle plated shot that patterns well. I'm new to turkey hunting so I'm doing lots of listening and playing around trying to get a nice tight pattern. I talked to a friend tonight who has killed 125 gobblers in his lifetime and he uses 7 1/2 shot 3" regular lead and he claims he nails em clear out to 50 yards with that combo. I guess it all boils down to playing around until you get a combination that works in your gun.

I'll add the trueglow to my collection the next time I go out to Wally World.

Thanks for the help