Opening day 2018

[snagged in outlet 3]

15 hours ago, Gavin said:

Their locked up in a thicket somewhere. Have not seen the Old Warson CC flock since it got cold, but they were strutting all over the big yards in Ladue & Frontenac when it was warm last week. 

Been seeing birds on the way to work very morning for two weeks at least.  First it was just toms and then full blown flocks for the past week or so.  Friday there had top be 75 birds in that field.  Today 2 toms in full strut but nothing else.

[Ketchup]

Nice going BH.  Even with the conditions this morning, its good to see you succeed. I will be at it mid week.  

[Johnsfolly]

4 hours ago, BilletHead said:

        Yes people it was a cold opener,

A little windy also. No real scouting this season. Just knowing what I have learned hunting in BilletHeadVille for many, many moons. Where they typically roost, fly down and feed. Really fortunate to have lived in one place and be able to do this. First off I bought one of these and think it may of helped. I know it could be dicey using it to some of you here. i would never try on public ground. I am not a crawler and with a bad shoulder  sneaking is pretty much out of the picture,

  Set up behind the house. As I set down I could pick out four hens silhouetted in the trees. Put the decoy in front out of me. I was told to keep it within arms length in case I needed to grab it. I did not and it was maybe five yards from me. I heard two toms, one close and the other pretty far off. Hens talking and even seen one picking buds or small leaves off the tree she was in. Soon the close tom pitched out. Not to the place I wanted in the field cut but straight down to the ground under his tree in the really thick timber. I mean thick with multiflora rose. The most nasty timber I have ever been in. All the other hens followed except for two that pitched in front of me. Soon they went into the timber with all the others. He gobbled a bit more and seemed to fade farther and farther away. Hummm I thought. After a long wait or so it seemed long to me I heard another gobble and decided to move where I was in the timber where i could watch a pretty clean fence line. I grabbed the decoy, made the move to a more comfortable tree to put my back to. This time I put the decoy right in front of me. Had not been there for five minutes and I seen a head bobbing up and down a Tom head I turned the decoy towards the coming bird and got behind it. Then he seen it and instantly went into a full strut. This was my cue and I lowered the gun and that was that. Bang your dead. Hens I had no idea were there went berserk going everywhere. That was just how thick it is in there,

   Nice pair of spurs too, Hung the scales and weighed him,   Longest beard fibers going slightly over 10.5 inches long and spurs 1.25,

      By far the toughest turkey i have ever skinned. That or I am getting weaker, That or I am old, maybe a combination of both .   

BilletHead

Congrats buddy! Benefit from years of experience. You'll never guesss where I am..... An airport! No turkey for me until maybe the last week of the season. Living vicariously from fellow OAFers!

[JohnP]

Congrats on a stud of a bird Marty.  Think I'm going to be fighting cows again where I hunt as the farmers went and opened all hates where we normally see Turkey's. 

[tho1mas]

BH - you are really good or really lucky. CONGRATS>

[BilletHead]

39 minutes ago, JohnP said:

Congrats on a stud of a bird Marty.  Think I'm going to be fighting cows again where I hunt as the farmers went and opened all hates where we normally see Turkey's. 

        Thanks John. Cows were on the other side of the field for me yesterday. Those bovine will come to turkey decoys much better than a turkey will. The ultimate oxymoron when hunting in turkey season.

 

28 minutes ago, tho1mas said:

BH - you are really good or really lucky. CONGRATS>

     Tho1mas, I have been lucky more times than good. We really got things stirred up this morning for Mrs. BilletHead's hunt behind the house. She understands but i feel like crap about it. It is hunting and not killing right?

  BilletHead 

[Seth]

The woods were fairly dead this morning. Heard one bird gobble a lot to the SW and one a long ways off to the north. Neither was anywhere close to the ground I was hunting. I heard some yelping towards the middle of the property that sounded "jake"ish. I wish I could have hunted longer as I think the activity will get better as the morning goes on.

[Ketchup]

Its early still. Im excited for thursday when i have a few hours to go play with them. 

[Quillback]

The BH strikes again!  Congrats on getting a bird.

[fishinwrench]

On 4/17/2018 at 8:05 AM, tho1mas said:

BH - you are really good or really lucky. CONGRATS>

He's just one of "those guys".   I know a handful of them.  One once said "I'm gonna go bowhunt a bobcat".   I was like, yeah good luck with that, dude 

4 days later he had already killed 2 

There are hunters....and then there are guys like Marty.   I think they have a special gland that causes the smell of their farts to bring in wildlife.