Finally connected with a bird

[Native Hunter]

This year I had been on a couple of hunts and wasn't calling in anything but jakes, but I finally connected with a pretty nice one this morning. At one spot I had called in 11 jakes and at another one 8 jakes. Also had a coyote to come in and mess me up this morning, but it never got within shotgun range. After that, I moved to another spot and found this bird.

He weighed 23.1 lbs. We are allowed 2 spring birds. I may go back out later in the week if there is another good opportunity to go, but really just satisfied with one bird and a beautiful morning in the woods. Today I saw 12 turkeys, 11 deer, one coyote and one groundhog.....

This was the first bunch of jakes I called in. There were 3 more not in the picture.

 

[E_308]

Looks to me like you are overpopulated with jakes! I bought the new Hank Shaw cook book at a presentation in KC a couple of weeks ago. A few recipes I have my eye on are ones he said work really well with young birds. I haven't shot a jake in years but if one gets too close this weekend I have a use for one! Congrats on the nice bird.

 

[Native Hunter]

Looks to me like you are overpopulated with jakes! I bought the new Hank Shaw cook book at a presentation in KC a couple of weeks ago. A few recipes I have my eye on are ones he said work really well with young birds. I haven't shot a jake in years but if one gets too close this weekend I have a use for one! Congrats on the nice bird.

Thanks and good luck to you.

And, If you use that recipe, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Chainsaw]

Very nice Steve, you did have a banner day for sure. And what a great turkey; congratulations on having such an action filled day. Our season opens May 1; often it is about winding down by then but some years it is still good. I've got the bullets and sights you recommended so I'll be better prepared this year.

 

[Native Hunter]

Very nice Steve, you did have a banner day for sure. And what a great turkey; congratulations on having such an action filled day. Our season opens May 1; often it is about winding down by then but some years it is still good. I've got the bullets and sights you recommended so I'll be better prepared this year.

Thanks Dave. It was a fun time to be out this morning. I forgot to mention that I heard lots of gobbling too, and that always makes it more exciting for me. I was dressed just a little light for the weather and got cold, but was able to sneak down in a thicket for a few minutes and stretch my legs and warm up a little.

It sounds like you are going to be well prepared with the sights and shells. I hope you have a great turkey season season.

 

[weekender21]

Hard to have more fun than that!


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[Buckeye]

Congratulations,nice bird

 

[Gator]

Congrats! I had a good day yesterday as well. Had 5 hens, 7 jakes and 1 Tom come in. I have another bird locked up but I can't hunt him until Saturday. Seen him in the same spot the last 5 morning that I've went listening for him (including this morning). If he repeats in two days, I should have #2 on the year.

 

[dogghr]

Wow nicely done and beautiful bird. If you'd had my overunder you could've busted that yote tho. Congrats.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Nice gobbler. Since you have a full rack of guns and chokes by the dozen, which one did you use? Not the 1902 Remington double by any chance???

 

[Native Hunter]

Congrats! I had a good day yesterday as well. Had 5 hens, 7 jakes and 1 Tom come in. I have another bird locked up but I can't hunt him until Saturday. Seen him in the same spot the last 5 morning that I've went listening for him (including this morning). If he repeats in two days, I should have #2 on the year.

5 mornings in a row at the same spot seems pretty predictable. I wish you luck with him, and if you get in early enough to be undetected, I would say you will have him. Good luck!

Wow nicely done and beautiful bird. If you'd had my overunder you could've busted that yote tho. Congrats.

But...but...but...I can't be shooting those pretty yotes. They are just a part of the ecosystem and very valuable. At least that is what I've been taught by one of my favorite teachers..... That over/under probably wouldn't even shoot if someone else tried to use it. That gun knows who its master is!!!

Nice gobbler. Since you have a full rack of guns and chokes by the dozen, which one did you use? Not the 1902 Remington double by any chance???

No, I was using one of those "chair blinds" this year, and any barrel longer than 23 inches is a logistical nightmare to turn in one of those things. So, I used my 870 with the 23 inch barrel. It's one of my favorites, even if the camo pattern is way out of date...

 

[Triple C]

Nice!!!

 

[Gator]

5 mornings in a row at the same spot seems pretty predictable. I wish you luck with him, and if you get in early enough to be undetected, I would say you will have him. Good luck!
.

Yep, just watched him again this morning fly down. Like you said, I need to be in early.

 

[Mennoniteman]

5 mornings in a row at the same spot seems pretty predictable. I wish you luck with him, and if you get in early enough to be undetected, I would say you will have him. Good luck!



But...but...but...I can't be shooting those pretty yotes. They are just a part of the ecosystem and very valuable. At least that is what I've been taught by one of my favorite teachers..... That over/under probably wouldn't even shoot if someone else tried to use it. That gun knows who its master is!!!




No, I was using one of those "chair blinds" this year, and any barrel longer than 23 inches is a logistical nightmare to turn in one of those things. So, I used my 870 with the 23 inch barrel. It's one of my favorites, even if the camo pattern is way out of date...

Wow, that's even more amazing than getting a bird with the 1902 remington. We all know it's tough to get a bird with an "out of date camo pattern" The birds know what camo is in for the current season.

 

[Native Hunter]

Wow, that's even more amazing than getting a bird with the 1902 remington. We all know it's tough to get a bird with an "out of date camo pattern" The birds know what camo is in for the current season.

Yes, an expired camo is a game changer for sure.

 

[E_308]

My Benelli I bought last fall is in Original Mossy Oak Bottomland! That retro camo is coming back wish I would have kept all mine, a lot even hand holes in it. Probably worth a fortune! I still think on "normal" years that old woodland army surplus camo was some of the best spring turkey camo ever made.

 

[Gator]

Well I got screwed by another hunter. I got in early and had to wait a good half hour before I could begin to see anything. Once it got light out, I noticed the gobbler roosted about 20 yards from me just over my right shoulder. Everything was lined up perfect. I was curious why he wasn't gobbling though. Then I see it. Another hunter pacing back and forth out on the road (this bird is roosted not 50 yards off the blacktop). I start calling more to let the other guy know (which he probably already knew because he was parked right beside my truck). Needless to say, that bird came off roost away from that guy and ran straight across the blacktop and out of my life

I sat tight for quite a while hoping he would circle back around especially once the other guy left. Hindsight, I should of come unglued on the jackass!

 

[Mennoniteman]

Well I got screwed by another hunter. I got in early and had to wait a good half hour before I could begin to see anything. Once it got light out, I noticed the gobbler roosted about 20 yards from me just over my right shoulder. Everything was lined up perfect. I was curious why he wasn't gobbling though. Then I see it. Another hunter pacing back and forth out on the road (this bird is roosted not 50 yards off the blacktop). I start calling more to let the other guy know (which he probably already knew because he was parked right beside my truck). Needless to say, that bird came off roost away from that guy and ran straight across the blacktop and out of my life

I sat tight for quite a while hoping he would circle back around especially once the other guy left. Hindsight, I should of come unglued on the jackass!

Too bad, it would have been an interesting hunt. I've never set up that close to a roosted bird, our eastern birds are not very tolerant of hunters walking that close in the dark.

 

[Native Hunter]

Well I got screwed by another hunter. I got in early and had to wait a good half hour before I could begin to see anything. Once it got light out, I noticed the gobbler roosted about 20 yards from me just over my right shoulder. Everything was lined up perfect. I was curious why he wasn't gobbling though. Then I see it. Another hunter pacing back and forth out on the road (this bird is roosted not 50 yards off the blacktop). I start calling more to let the other guy know (which he probably already knew because he was parked right beside my truck). Needless to say, that bird came off roost away from that guy and ran straight across the blacktop and out of my life

I sat tight for quite a while hoping he would circle back around especially once the other guy left. Hindsight, I should of come unglued on the jackass!

I've had things like that happen a lot of times. People can really mess things up. Hope things go better for you next time.

 

[THE LLC]

This year I had been on a couple of hunts and wasn't calling in anything but jakes, but I finally connected with a pretty nice one this morning. At one spot I had called in 11 jakes and at another one 8 jakes. Also had a coyote to come in and mess me up this morning, but it never got within shotgun range. After that, I moved to another spot and found this bird.

He weighed 23.1 lbs. We are allowed 2 spring birds. I may go back out later in the week if there is another good opportunity to go, but really just satisfied with one bird and a beautiful morning in the woods. Today I saw 12 turkeys, 11 deer, one coyote and one groundhog.....

Nice bird. I'd have hammered those jakes---they're more tender. LOL