First strutters of the year

[BowEd]

The first pair of strutters were by this morning.Heard them gobbling earlier.It's a very fuzzy pic I know but my camera is'nt too good I guess zooming in.Rather chilly out.Around 5 above F. outside this morning.The turkeys are around 70 to 80 yards from the house.I'l be trying to get a shot at these sometime in April with a self bow and dogwood.

Guess it's kind of a fore going feeling that spring is just around the corner when I see this.

[osage outlaw]

I had a few worked up on my camera.  The one on the left has a thick beard.  I'm not much of a turkey hunter.  I might try to see if I can get one this year.  I heard one gobbling in mid December not far from the house.

[BowEd]

Nice trail camera pics.I've head them gobble even in november too,but usually it is'nt until closer to spring that they start staging in plain site around here.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Clint If you had some bbq or teriyaki turkey jerky made you would want to kill one every spring. Its the only way I eat them anymore. They are nothing like domestics as far as eating quality. Ill try to get one before Marshall so I can bring jerky with me.

[osage outlaw]

Sounds good Pearly.  I'll give it a try.   I have killed 2.  One was a bearded hen that made the mistake of walking through the yard during turkey season.  The other one was killed with a work truck at the plant on Christmas day.  I cut the breast out and made shake and bake tenders for the guys at work.  Fresh turkey was a nice holiday lunch. 

[BowEd]

Here's the difference in cameras.Robin took some pics with her camera.Same zoomed in close up at the same distance as my camera took.Seems if I zoom my camera in and it is'nt real steady when I click it it's fuzzy.These were about half of those there.All of them seem to be either long beards or jakes.Seems they were having a prayer meeting.Around here you can never figure a turkey most times.They'll stay in a certain area a while then move on.That's the time I've got to set up on them early in the morning from their roost.I've shot plenty of them with a shotgun but not a self bow yet.A few right by my house.
Personally I'll eat a wild turkey's breast before a tame or store bought one as far as taste goes.At least the ones here.Their legs are a different story...lol.

[chamookman]

No Pic, but a Couple of Days ago had winds blowing 15 - 25 with Gusts to near 40 and snow squalls and I saw Three Toms stuttin' like CRAZY. Silly Birds  ! Bob

[BowEd]

Yes that's for sure.While hunting them I've come to the conclusion that they are a crazy most times frustrating bird to get with a self bow for me.A tough get.A very wary bird most times but when in strut can be dumber than a post.A bit like bucks in rut to a degree.In the last pic Robin and me watched as this group of a dozen or so Toms chased this one single long beard around till he had to leave the area.Making quite a bit of clucks and chirps doing so.Could be he was a stranger to the group maybe.Good entertainment.
Testosterone levels must be rising and pecking orders are being established I imagine as these males mature and the springtime comes here.I've only been hunting turkeys here for a good dozen years or so.Compared to other animals not as much mostly because they were not that plentiful where I used to live.Getting to know their habits helps for hunting them.I'm sure there are all kinds of books out there about this.I prefer to observe and try first hand.Some seasoned turkey hunters are masters at it knowing all of the tricks.Creating the right situation.I'm sure a bit of luck is associated with it too.
The not so mature jakes still hang with the hens as a hatch group yet.From what I see it's when the hens seperate themselves into small groups and get broody to lay and set eggs that the Tom's do the same routine with a single mature Tom or two with satellite jakes.While doing this these turkeys cover a heck of a lot of ground doing so seeking each other for breeding adding to their unpredictability.A lot of action to come yet the way I see it.

[JW_Halverson]

Ed, try crockpotting the legs low and slow, then pick off the meat for making a stew.

Calling and hunting turkeys is a three dimensional chess game, that's for sure. Except for most of the game, you can't see the details of the other players moves. Hardest of all is knowing WHEN to second guess yourself, because you will often get left second guessing yourself for long stretches of time.  There is never a "this always works" plan. Anyone that tells you that is fulla feathers.

Other times it's more like a game of poker. You get dealt a crap hand often enough, that's for sure.  But more than once I have had a bad hand dealt and won the pot against ol' Tom with a bluff!  And on the other side of the coin, I have been holding all eights and aces and went down like Hickok without firing a shot.

Maybe that is the reason why I don't do crossword puzzles, sodoku, play cards or board games.  I get my fill of problem solving and strategy getting hoodwinked by a bird with a brain the size and shape of a shelled pecan.

Nice to see these pics of these birds getting salty!  It's about the only thing pulling me through this winter slump.  I can't wait for Turkey Camp!

[BowEd]

From what I've seen it's a chess game along with patience and reverse phsycology.Calling the right long beard in loaded with enough testosterone running through him and in the fighting mood means everything as he's gobbling to attract the hens in reverse back at ya.Making him think with decoys and calls I've got a lowly jake or sub standard long beard in front of me playing up to the hen decoys.Stalking one is an option too as long as I've got enough room and a big crowd of extra eyes are'nt with him.Pretty hard to do on 25 to 30 acres of woods here.Turkeys can range a fair ways so larger tracts of land are needed.Reasons I hunt this way is that in this state hunting on owned land a person can hunt a lot cheaper on the fees.
My turkey meat is usually always done in the crock pot.Being that we have a lot of hickory nuts here the meat does have a nice nutty taste to it.If anyone has ever eaten hickory nut meat before it is delicious too but time consuming to retrieve.A 3 to 4 year old eastern long beard here will get into the 20's poundage wise but jakes taste good too.

[Pappy]

Nice pictures, I hunt them a little but usually just ambush them. I know the old time Turkey hunters hate that but that's what I do. I know my farm and if I know where they roost I pretty much know where they will head at fly down so I just wait them out. Hardly ever use a call. And yes Jake's are fair game to me, the only bad thing about a Jake in my book  is they breast are smaller and they have 1 less primary wing feather. 
 Pappy

[BowEd]

Yes it's as much work hunting turkeys as one wants to make that's for sure.I'd prefer getting lucky and the only way that happens is if preperation and opportunity cross paths.....lol.