Finally got a bird

[Seth]

It wasn't what I was hoping to kill but at least I have some turkey breast to eat now and I can say I didnt get skunked this year. The gobblers just haven't cooperated for me this year and this jake was the first good shot a legal gave me so I took him. Still got a week of season to go so hopefully a longbeard will give me a shot before it ends.

[BilletHead]

Well done Seth. Let me tell you I take the first legal by bird I can. They just turned out to be big this year by pure luck.,

Billethead

[Seth]

The past couple years were really good to me so I was due for a tougher year. Last year, I only made two sits and bagged two longbeards. I know quite a few others having a tough time this year as well so I don't feel too bad. Hopefully some of these henned up toms breed the hens and start coming to calls. The third week has been pretty good to us most of the time.

[JohnP]

Congrats Seth. Having the same issue trying to fill my 2nd tag. All hened up. Gobblin good just can't pull em off the hens.

[Johnsfolly]

Nice Job Seth! I've been hearing about the hens finally getting a bit thin, which should make the gobblers more receptive to calling. Good luck this week.

[Seth]

Thanks and good luck to the rest of you still out chasing thunder chickens.

[Kayser]

Hunting the last three days, have not heard a gobble. Considering a change in location next hunt.

[slider]

Killed my second bird Satuarday, I hunted Friday and only heard 1 bird after he hit to ground nothing. No gobbles at all Saturday just happened to be in the right spot when 3 Jakes came by.

[Seth]

I tagged out with another jake this morning from the same farm. The other day a tom stayed just over the ridge gobbling his butt off all morning before the jake I killed came in. Dad said he does that everyday so I snuck in there to where I thought he was roosting well before daylight this morning. It was almost six before I heard him gobble and he was right behind me. I shimmied around the tree to face his direction. A few minutes later he gobbled again and pitched down right in front of me about 40 yards away. My terrible luck continued though and he landed behind the only little patch of brush in this whole section of woods and never offered a shot before moving away. As this was happening, some jakes were roosted close by directly over my right shoulder. They pitched down and were feeding their way towards the gobbler. After a few minutes, I saw some black blobs in the corner of my right eye about 10 yards away. They were so close that I figured they would bust me any moment, but they didn't and kept feeding past me. Once the rear bird go about 20 yards past me, I swung the gun to the right to try and get a shot. Two in the back spotted me and started moving quickly and putting, but the front two birds didn't. They just stretched their necks out to see what had the other two all wound up so I picked one out and fed him some lead shot to the face at 35 yards.

I must have angered some turkey gods between last season and this one because I just could not get a shot on a long beard this year. There were four of them that I had in range and they were always behind brush where I couldn't get a shot. I've had that happen plenty of times in the past, but NEVER four freakin times! Nothing wanted to work in worth a darn this year either. We didn't kill a single bird on a decoy set. We had to get in the woods and get after them. Oh well, I hunted hard, learned more about these silly birds, had a lot of fun and I still get to eat several meals of fried wild turkey breast between now and next year.

[Johnsfolly]

Congrats on your second bird, Seth!