Surf and Turf Posted April 26, 2021 Report Share Posted April 26, 2021 Boy it was chilly this morning! Arrived at my spot at 5:30am after 1/2 km walk. After a weekend of yard work and standing for 12 hours on Saturday smoking a brisket I didn't feel like sitting on the ground, so I set up my pop up blind just off a field in some mixed grass and brush. I had to do some quick trimming and brushing in of the blind then set out my decoys. I got myself situated in the blind planting myself in my chair, arranged my backpack and calls, then pulled out my coffee travel mug, damn, it's empty, emptied into my backpack! Argghh. I had decided to take it easy on the calling this time out, going with the less is more approach, so the plan was to first wait for a gobble and then make a few seductive hen calls, not desperate, maybe play a bit hard to get. So around 6:30 I hear a gobble on the property to the east of me, so I do a set of yelps then shut up for 15 minutes, I do another set of yelps and receive a gobble in reply, wait another 10 minutes and let out a few clucks, gobble in response. The gobbles sound closer, then farther away, then closer again, then nothing, normally I'd start to get desperate and start hammering away on the call, but just played it cool, with a few yelps now and again. To my east my sight was partially obscured by some brush but I saw something slowly moving in the field, here comes a turkey, then another, and another behind that, my heart is pumping, I shoulder my gun, and four hens walk into my decoy spread, as hard as squinted I couldn't make out beards or any colour on their heads, darn! So I wait and wait for the Toms after 15 minutes or so I get impatient and throw caution to the wind and do a few soft yelps, and hear two separate gobbles from the direction that the hens came from. A couple minutes later, I see movement in the field behind the same bush, here the come two big Tom's heading right for my Jake decoy, now the adrenaline is going again. I have my gun up and am sizing them up trying to figure out which one I should take, they are both big birds, so take a bead the one giving me the clearest shot. Bang, down he goes, his buddy stands there watching him flop around then decides to kick him when he's down and gives him a whooping while the hens stand around watching. His buddy stayed at his side pecking him and periodically jumping on him for a good 20 minutes until he finally thought he had enough and finally left to catch up with his hens. Hoping to to get back out one evening this week with my son, so he can harvest his first turkey. IMG_0453.mov smerchly, Davidp16, Darryl L and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
genec Posted April 26, 2021 Report Share Posted April 26, 2021 Glad to see you got a bird! I went out this morning, but didn’t see any - just heard a couple of very faint gobbles off in the distance. After 2 hours I moved to another part of the farm and set up inside the bush, tried calling for an hour, but nothing. Will try again Wednesday morning where I heard the gobbles. gunner-2 and Surf and Turf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl L Posted April 26, 2021 Report Share Posted April 26, 2021 Congratulations ! Surf and Turf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler0420 Posted April 26, 2021 Report Share Posted April 26, 2021 Nice bird. Must be such a rush when you see them coming. Surf and Turf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 27, 2021 Report Share Posted April 27, 2021 Wow ! Beauty !! Congrats !!! I have to say the wild turkey is the best eating bird out there . I have had pheasant , grouse , duck , pigeon and woodcokkadoodles , but turkey is tops ! Surf.....how do you plan on cooking it ? ......and buy yourself a thermos ! gunner-2 and Surf and Turf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surf and Turf Posted April 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2021 11 hours ago, smerchly said: Wow ! Beauty !! Congrats !!! I have to say the wild turkey is the best eating bird out there . I have had pheasant , grouse , duck , pigeon and woodcokkadoodles , but turkey is tops ! Surf.....how do you plan on cooking it ? ......and buy yourself a thermos ! Thanks, yes they are tasty for sure. I'm going to either smoke it on offset smoker or deep fry it. I haven't smoke one yet so if the weather and time permits that is the plan. And yes my wife said the same thing about the thermos lol. smerchly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishingking Posted April 28, 2021 Report Share Posted April 28, 2021 Nice bird! Congrats! ..my opening morning we only saw one hen for 3 hours heard no gobbles either...went out for 5 pm last night and had 3 hens come check out our decoys and could barely see a large tom lurking back in the woods a bit but wouldnt gobble or come out ...we were150 yrds across the corner of a field from him ......at least we know hes there and where the hens are there will be toms and jakes so we will try again thursday evening and friday morning....i may let out one call friday morning before the birds come off the roost and remain silent for at least 2 hours with a jake and hen out for decoys...good luck guys! Surf and Turf and gunner-2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted April 28, 2021 Report Share Posted April 28, 2021 Congrats on your bird Surf and Turf i'm playing cat and mouse with 2 toms this week there a challenge they don't get big for being dumb. Nice tom you got good job Surf and Turf 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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