Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Shooting and Hunting => Topic started by: Cacatch on March 15, 2011, 12:40:21 pm
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Just a little over a month away for Indiana 2011 Spring Wild Turkey Season and I cannot WAIT!! The first year I ever went turkey hunting in my life was last year, but couldn't get the job done. I had some success in locating them but could not get any to come in shooting range. Hopefully this year will be different. Last year I took a 62" Black Locust self bow that pulled about 45lbs at 27" and some cane arrows. This year I am working on a slightly shorter Black Locust bow with a higher poundage. Gonna try to get closer with a shorter bow and take the tasty buzzard's head off with either a flint point or a hammered spoon trade point, haven't decided yet. Anyway, in the excitement of the coming season I am curious what gear you guys that hunt turkeys use, especially those that have taken one with primitive gear. I hope to have my new turkey bow done and post pics this weekend, anyone else care to show off what you have got 'em or are gonna get 'em with? ;D
Cacatch
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I've only turkey hunted once in my life and that was 30 years ago. I'll give it a try this year.I bought a pop-up blind not long ago so I thought I'd give that a go. I will use my deer hunting set up,60" osage static recurve, bendy handle bow, cane or sourwood shootarrows with stone or trade points. I have a hen and jake decoy so I'll be using them also.
Yesterday I saw a gobbler in full strut in an open field. He was with 3 or 4 other turkeys. Our season is still a ways off(not sure exactly when) so I want to try to pattern our resident flock, set the blind up in plenry of time for it to become part of the surroundings and give it a shot.
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Wow Pat, except for the bow, your plan sounds almost exactly like mine. I plan on setting up a blind as well and using the decoys that I recently bought. I don't know if I will do a pop-up blind or sheet blinds though. What size is your pop-up? I'd like to get one and use it, but I'm afraid that at the moment of draw, a bow limb would hit something and I'd miss or spook the turkey or both. All I've ever seen were 6'X6' blinds and I'm afraid it would be too small.
CP
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I got mine on sale from Cabelas($65). It is 66" tall and 68" square. If I wasn't so poor I would have opted for one a bit bigger. I deer hunted from one my friend owns this past season but never saw a deer. His is bigger and I had no problem shooting out of his. I need to set mine up in ther yard and start practicing from it. I have been shooting a little from a folding chair I plan to use and that is no problem. I'll let you know how it works from the blind. I think if you practice enough from the blind and think about your shot before you attempt it you should be OK .
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I do my turkey hunting in the local food mart frozen department. >:D
I find it much easier to stalk them and I can get a better shot.
Bevan R
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Bevan, A friend of mine had the same opinion of duck hunting after his first hunt years ago. He borrowed a gun and was cought hunting on posted land with an unplugged gun. :o
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Bevan, A friend of mine had the same opinion of duck hunting after his first hunt years ago. He borrowed a gun and was cough hunting on posted land with an unplugged gun. :o
OUCH. That would hurt. A guy I know got home one time from goose hunting and cleaned his gun. Then went out for some ducks that afternoon and grabbed his turkey gun. (unplugged). got a mallard and was stopped by the local GW. when that 3rd shell went into the mag, it cost him some serious change for that duck.
Just never got excited about turkey hunting. My spring season involves carp. That is what I get pumped up about. Go figure.
Bevan R
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Wow Pat, that is a good deal for a blind. Do let me know how your practice shots go. I'd like to get one but like I said, just afraid it would hinder my shot. I'll let you try it out for me ;)
CP
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My season started this morning but was not able to go...will be in woods on Friday morning before sunrise using:
66" vine maple Strunk selfbow (killamook spirit)....he made for me out of a piece of vine maple I got just before 9-11...that sat in my house until this summer. Sent it to him Summer of 2010....and this is her maiden hunt. Shooting 30.5 inch sitka spruce arrows with ribtek 160 heads on the pointy end. using a DoubleBull blind this year...have had it about 5 years but first time using for turkey.
Also using a custom pot call made by guy here in SC..... http://www.springallurecustomcalls.com/gallery/index.php?sfpg=Kio0KioqZTdhMWE4NjU5NDgxYTJiMDE5ODU2NTJkYmE5M2IzYWE mine is the one with embedded arrow in bottom in first column.
Wish me luck...and best of same to all of you this year.
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Thanks, Brock. Sounds like you got it all set and ready to go. And looks like you have a top quality call to pull 'em in with. How much did that set ya back? Best of luck to ya. :)
CP
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That one with shipping here in state was about $60...I did not think it was bad for totally custom work and sounds great. I may have him do one in slate for me as well....
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Our season starts April 9. I've got a heck of a place to hunt this year, and a major plus is dad gets to scout it almost every day. Unfortunately, my gear this year will probably be limited to an 870. Maybe by next year I'll have the confidence to face one with a stick and string.
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I have shot more than a few with shotgun....told a friend i was using my bow this year....he thought I meant compound and said, "yeah with 80% let off you can hold it on him forever until he clears the decoy or a hen..." I told him it was a selfbow with 0% letoff, no sights, nothing.... he about crapped. Even if I never get one, I think I am his hero for trying.
Me....I would rather get one this year. LOL
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I got my first Osceola with a bow a couple of years ago. Shot it at ten yds with a sinew backed osage bow#60, bamboo arrow and coral point. Shot it out of a pop-up blind with decoys set up real close to the blind. It flew 20 yards and walked around for a couple of minutes before it fell over. Didn't know what hit him.
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How do you set your hen and jake in relation to the blind?
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I have gone after turkeys for the last year with traditional tackle. Right now I am shooting a Bezaleel Bow Works cougar recurve 55# @ 28. I have found that hunting turkeys is always better with a ground blind tent. I just picked up a new Barronet Blind which is 80 inches tall. It was reasonably priced at $150.
Last year on opening day I watched as four big toms strutted around in a corn field with three hens for about two hours. Finally I was able to call a two year old tom away from the ladies with my Jake Mobile decoy with a real jake fan. A single hen out in front of him was all that was needed to bring this boy in hot. I grabbed my recurve and waited with a white knuckle grip. I was shaking so bad as he came in. He strutted right up to my decoy and started to jump and spurred it only ten yards away from my blind. I concentrated on the spot I wanted my arrow to hit. Drawing my arrow back I released and... SWOOSH!!! My arrow blew right through the feathers on the back of the bird. He jumped and walked off putting. Didn't connect that day but that was a successful hunt in my eyes.
On another note... if you have a black backed blind.... where black shirt and black face paint.... you will be invisible to the game. Justin (New Hampshire)
This year I hope to go with my own osage self bow... enough with the lam bows
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I'm looking forward to season too...but my season is 1 month after my knee replacement which is this Friday.
I have my blind set up just 60 yards from my shop and hope I can make it to it to hunt in a month. Turkeys seem to travel through, past the blind this time of year!!
I set a Pretty Boy decoy just maybe 3-5 yards in front of blind with a hen off to the side ( as in picture)
I also tie a string onto the tom decoy so I can add some movement to make a tom feel like coming in for a fight!!
I have used to same short osage for the past couple years as it needs to be short to be able to shoot from blind.
Good luck all!!
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Awesome Lowell !! That's how you do it. I may have to borrow your string idea. What size blind is that? And how long is that Osage bow? Looks pretty short, like maybe 48 or 50". Nice looking turkey, hope you do it again this year!
CP
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Thanks Cacatch,
The bow is 53" NTN
Not sure of the blind size . It's just a cheapy Ameristep Doghouse which is not the largest available but just bought another on sale for $49.
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Awesome, heck yeah. Did you have to practice a lot shooting out of the window to get used to it?
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I didn't practice out the window much.. didn't seem to give me trouble. I sit on an extra pad or 2 to get me a little higher so I can shoot out more easily out the window. I do open it all the way so I have room to shoot through it. I don't shoot through the screen.
I wear dark or black closes and the turkeys don't seem to every get spooked by my movements. And I only have the front window open and just "peak holes " out the other windows.
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Right on. How long in anticipation did you have it up? I know you need to have it out a while so the turkeys get used to it.
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man i cant believe it took me this long to find this thread ;D
i would post pics of my turkey gear
however the server probably doesnt have enough memory
i have thousands of $$ worth of gear
i take my buzzard chasing very very serious
i have been known to take two weeks of vacation to chase them for the 2 week bow season
blinds are awesome,99% of my hunting is done from a blind,i have 2 i set(double bull matrix, and the double bull dark horse) up and leave sit and a portable net blind
one i want to get rid of so i can get a new one
dont let the window mesh worry you any
shoot thru mesh is very nice,not to mention it keeps ya hid and allows for alot of movement on your part
i got busted this last spring in my blind with tthe mesh up,tom was looking dead in on me(im in all black)
had my bow in hand and didnt dare try and draw
but i do recomend praciticing your shot from in the blind,both window mesh up and down
plus put your gear in there like you would if your hunting,it will show how much romm you have to work with in a hunting situation
ive tried many differant blinds,and trust me.you get what you pay for
what might work for hunting deer with a gun may not work as well for turkeys,especially with a bow
not to mention turkeys realy dont care for blinds that flap or reflect light
a dark interior is a must and always dress to match the interior of the blind
you wear camo in the woods,black in the blind ;)
heck im working on another black bow for me to hunt with from mine this year
pat as far a decoys go
put them where you want to shoot the tom
if ypu want to shoot him at 20 yds,put them there
if you want to shoot him at 5 yds,put them there
i like to face the hen away from,as ol tom is gonna wanna climb up her from behind and give a nice spine shot
the jake,if i am using one, i either face towards me or 90* to the side
tom is gonna want to come face to face with the jake,so this way you either get a broadside shot(not my fav) or another spine shot
i too like the movement on decoys.last year i kept one staked right next to the blind
i would reach out under the blind and move it
the wife thought it was cool as owl poop to see the tom react like he did
dont over call when turkey hunting,you got to call like a turkey(not that you have to sound exactly like one but it does help)
well enough of my ramblings,but you started it when you talked turkey ;D
if i was helpfull,im glad
if you have had enough of my ramblings just say so
i could talk turkeys hunting with anyone for days on end ;D
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I usually put the blind out for a couple weeks in advance but have also put the blind out the morning of the hunt and killed a turkey. I don't want the blind in the farmers field if I think there is a chance he is going to start working the ground!!
I'm with you sailordad....I like them turkeys!!!
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Thanks for the decoy info Lowel and Tim. I'll be setting my blind out soon and it is at least a month before our season.
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Heck no Sailordad, I'll take as much rambling as you'd like to give. That's what this thread is for, those of us who get perhaps unreasonably excited around turkey season and it's all we can think about. When turkey season is in I even find myself not thinking about making another bow. Turkey's are quickly becomming my favorite animal to hunt and I haven't even killed one yet, or even got a shot!
You say you are wanting to get rid of a "net blind"? What is that exactly? All mesh?
CP
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Pat, I had the hen decoy facing the blind and the two Jake decoys facing the back of the hen. All three of them were set about ten feet from the blind. I knew that seven gobblers had been coming in and beating up and running the jakes off in this flock for a few days. They did that morning also and then made a Bee line for the two decoys when I clucked.
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cacatch, i want to get rid of my dark horse
a net blind is just a quick set blind
its just camo netting on four telescopic stakes
it takes about 10 seconds to set up
and youj ust sit behind it
its maybe waist tall at most
i use this when i am out scouting and need quick cover
i know season is getting close here
i had my first turkey hutning dream of the season last night
i get so stoked for chasing buzzards
i dream of hunting them every year(actuall dreams at night)
this will go on right up untill i start hunting,maybe once ow twice a week
i have noticed the winter flocks are breaking up
havent seen ol' tom chasing around the hens yet,or heard a gobble
but its comiing,oh ya its coming '
wont be long now
them ol' boys are gonn be so horned up and stupid
well stupid for the first week of the season,they educate real fast around here
the easterns up here are a tuff ol' bird to fool for more than 2-3 weekd in the season
then they get the jitters bad
i do mostly bowhunting them.we have a lottery system.
but we can buy over the counter bow tags if you dont get drawn in the lottery
downside is,bow season is the last two weeks (out of 8 weeks) of regular gun season
so by time i hunt,every fool witha shotgun and a turkey call has been out there educating them
one year by time i got to bow hunt.
the turkeys had it so bad that they would turn and run at the sight of a decoy,a blind,the sound of a call
and i hunt private land
down side is the land owner is realy nice nad lets everyone who asks to hunt
i wouldnt worry about presetting the blind
turkeys dont care,they aint like deer when it comes to blinds
the key is to not let your self be seen inside it
dont silhouette yourself
always,and i cant stressthis enough,always keep all windows and gaps behind you completly closed
if your in a blind you can even get away with talking
if a turkey hears you but cant see you they get curious
the wife and i had them walk up to the blind when we having a normal voice tone conversation
its the sight of you, a predator,that makes them run
if they dont see you,they arent afraid of you
done get me wrong,they aint gonna come running and wait toi get petted
but you have a much better chance if they hear you and not see you
than you do having them see you and not hear you
their eye sight is incredible
its said they can see the blink of a human eye at 100yds
i know for a fact they can see you in a black blind even if your wearing black
i got busted last spring this way
i was in my blind by 4:30 am,sat untill 1:05 pm and hadnt seen or heard a thing
opened the mesh window and climbed out to do some scounting
didnt get 1.5 steps from the blind when i seen two toms coming down the tree line and the were coing fast
they cover about 150 yds in the time it took me to jump thru the window and grab my bow and nock and arrow
i am still in my black cloths
but the black cloths arent the exact same shade of black as the interior of the blind
the boss tom came in to 13 yds,stood straight behind my decoy with just his head poking over it
looked straight in my blind at me for about 30 seconds
i know he seen the differnce in color of blacks and got spooked
one loud "POP]"(why people call it a put i dont know) and he and his little budd were gone like the road runner
and me sitting ther feeling like ol'wiley coyote
well see now here i go rambling again :P
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I love it. There is much for me to learn in your rambles. I didn't realize that about them hearing you but not seeing you. I will keep that it mind. I know they are super spaz about seing movement. Man, they are way too good at that. When they look at you head on, it's like they can see into your soul and read your thoughts. Damn turkeys. But like you said out of season they are dummer than owl poopie. And don't care about anything. I've had to slow down and even stop on the road before to avoid hitting a hen and her chicks.
My 4 year old boy told me yesterday he wants to go turkey hunting "real bad" and I tried to explain to him that season is not in yet, but it breaks his heart. So we will go out tomorrow morning in what will be "hunting" for him, and "scouting" for me. I'm not going to take my bow just in case we call one in, he would expect me to shoot it if I have my bow with me. I'll tell him I'm just there to work the call for him, so that he can shoot the turkey with his 15lb, 30" TTT hickory bow :D He also says he wants to hunt deer at the same time so we'll have to try to take a nice buck with it too.
CP
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Good luck CP ! If you can figure out where the Turkeys want to go and set up in between them it helps alot.
Here was my set up last year, i'll be in the same spot April 20th ! ;D
http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,19323.0.html
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Thanks John, and same to you again this year! VERY respectable kill you had. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to get me a blind.
How long was your ERC bow and did you have any issues shooting it inside the blind?
CP
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CP I think it was 66" not problems in the blind i think the center height 77" plus i shoot sitting down. The blind on the right in the picture is 84" tall. It's nice to have room to stand up and stretch, i'm 6'4"
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heres something else to keep in mind when turkey hunting too
if you have a mixed group of toms/jakes coming in(usually happens in the a.m.)
and the toms chase off the jakes becuase of your calling and or decoy set up.
dont put 100% 0f your attention on the toms
always be alert to the where abouts of them jakes
they may have got run off,but they still will come to the calling and decoy set also
i learned this the hard way
the wife and i were in the blind and the group came in
toms chased the jakes away
we watched the toms coming in to shooting range and forgot about the jakes
just as i drew back i noticed out of the corner of my eye two jakes right next to the blind looking in at us(mesh was down)
as i drew they putted,and every bird in the field was no longer in site
bout pooped my self when they putted
i am serious they were so close if i would have known they were they
i could have grabbed them by the necks :o
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Got another tip, i have luck calling to the Boss Hen, try and mimic her calling, she'll come in looking to chase away her rival and hopfully bring a big Tom in with her ! :)
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Got another tip, i have luck calling to the Boss Hen, try and mimic her calling, she'll come in looking to chase away her rival and hopfully bring a big Tom in with her ! :)
oh so so true ;D
i do this frequent;y when the toms are hened up
this is no joke,ask my wife she was with me
we were sitting on the filed edge of an alfalfa filed(in my blind of course ;D )
we could see turkeys poking their heads up to look over the top of the alfalfa
there were a couple of toms and hens and the boss hen
she was the only one making any noise and the toms were slowly going to her
i started calling to her,i would repeat any noise she made but would do it with ajust a little more vloume and emotion than her
wel this got her wriled up,she would call louder and harder
so i would follow suit and do the same but woulod throw in an extra cluck or two
then she would respond
i was in calling match with her for well over an hour
by this time she wasnt 3 yds away from the front of the blind
she was calling so loud it actually made your ears hurt
by now the toms had given up on her and went off wih another hen
but she stayed by the blind for a good half hour and we just kept hollering at each other
ive also used this technique in preseason scouting and had the whole flock follow the boss hen right to where i was sitting
personally i think calling is the best part of spring turkey hunting
probably why i own so damn many calls :D
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U ever post a pic of that bird, Mullet? That's pretty cool gettin an Osceola like that. They're hard enough with a shotgun.
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Hey, Mullet..I found it...been more than a couple of years tho'....time flies, don't it? Great bird and a cool looking bow. ;)
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Thanks, If it's ten years, ten miles it's a couple to me. ;D
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well mossberg 835 comp n choke winchester 3 1/2 #5s, good slat box and several mouth calls. i cant seem to put down the scatter gun, i have killed em with a bow before, i like that lead. good luck to all on them thunder chickens.
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woodstick, your alot like me
i have a na 835 ulti mag,i shoot 3" #5's(3 1/2's are too much ofr my shoulder ;D )
always have atleast one box,one slate and ablut 3 mouth calls.
i do most my buzzard hutning with bow
but take the moss when i do get lucky enough to get drawn in the lottery
alos have a model 500 20 ga
the wife uses that most of the time
but i have been know to take it whee the brush is supew thick
and they bird is dang near in your lap before you can pull the triger
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I'm using a Stoeger auto 12 or a short single shot 10. When I get a few in the freezer then I switch to a bow.
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I use a 870 and most times don't carry a call. :)
Pappy
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Stoeger over under 12 with two super fulls with rattle can camo no calls I'm too deaf to know if I'm doing it right any way. Let my son do the calling.Ron
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Pappy, do you just set for an ambush or do you make you own vocal calling?
ive been practicing my calling with just my voice
you dont have to be good to get them to respond during season
just gotta make "turkey like" noises ;D
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I usually ambush them,I know them so well on my place ,when I see them I can make a pretty good guess where they are headed, I know this ant how real turkey hunters like to hunt them but all I am really in it for is the meat and feathers and don't have a lot of time this time of year to hunt them. :) :)
Pappy
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i have been covered up with gobblers with 7 inch beards and jakes all season but there are so many hens still running around as soon as they start getting into my setup a hen will come into field and off they go running after her. I dont understand what she has that me and my decoys dont...LOL
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Pappy, i aint got anything against ambush hunting turkeys
i do it when i can,in the fall thats the only way to hunt them as they wont respond to the call
i hunt them for the meat and feathers,but i love calling them in the spring time
ive been hunting the same piece of private land so long i can walk you right to the trees the will roost in
spring roost is differant then the fall roost,but i know where they are on that piece of land
but this spring i plan on finding a differant place to hunt them here
just so i can call them in ;D
brock,the differance between you and the real deal
well the real deal will make an effort to go to the tom,your decoys dont
sometimes all it takes is for a hen to take on stepp in his direction and that is enought to make him comit to her instead of you
when that happens,thats when you need to call to the hen
make the same calls she does,but make it louder and add a little more emotion and thow in one or two extra clucks at the end of it(each time)
she should respond back,just keep doing gthis if she calls back,eventually she will come to chase you off as she wants to be dominant
alos if a tome responds to your calling but leaves with another hen
just sit tight,it make take several hours.but nine out of ten times that tom will come back to check to see if that "other hen" he heard is still there
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I'm hitting them in the morning. ;D ;D ;D
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A bedroll, Selfbow and bobcatquiver full of arrows. Some decoys and a slate. Mocs. And wool clothing. Wont be after them this year, my dad will still be runnin the high country after em though. Good luck all
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60" Osage,dog wood arrows some with trade points some with knaped points. With the 60 inch I can shoot setting flat on the ground. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF GOBBLER HUNTING I'VE NOT NOT USED A GHILLIE. To hunt tukeys you have to be mobile Can't see useing a blind not a set and wait for them to come to you person. Way to many things can happpen to change his direction LAY OF THE LAND,HENS GETTING SPOOKED BY A #OF THINGS. Worst of all listening to him headed the other way while your just setting there waiting.
I killed 12 gobblers with self bows. You can't call them straight up to you like you have a shot gun. I set up where when I call them and they have to go pass me. LOGGING ROAD. COW TRAILS I use bottle necks just like you would deer hunting. I relie TOTALY on my scouting. I never try calling him off the roost with a bow. But I know which way he'll head when the flys down. And have sites set up where I can call him pass me.
It's easest to call him to you if your already in the direction he wants to go.
Mouth calls and my favorite a slate can't getr to loud with a slate, decoys, foam seats being able to set comfortable when you need to is a must at least for me. I don't take any locater calls. I owl if I need to with my voise but i've did my scouting and use'lly don't need to. I he dosn't gobble I know he's not there. I hunt farm land by later in the morning then there in the fields. Plus I like them to start up on their own. I use'lly take something to knap when I'm waiting and listening those late morning. Just something I like to do.
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Right on guys, and to those of you lucky enough to live in a state where the buzzard hunt has already opened, did ya get one yet? Ours don't open here til the 27th and it is pure torture for me. So, it helps to talk about it in the meantime. Anybody have any luck yet? ;D
CP
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our season opend last wendesday
our weather has been miserable too ;D
rainy cold windy
you know the stuff most folks wont hunt in
i didnt even bother putting in for the lottery this year
i will just buy a bow tag for the last two weeks of our regular season]
lots of guys have been complaining "the weather is ruining my turkey hunt"
fair weahter hunters
i keep telling them that the turkeys dont care what the weather is like
they just want to breed
ya they may not be as vocal,but they still want to breed
this is when knowing the flock,the terrain and their daily habits pay off
i can be just as mobile with my blind as i can be with out it
it only takes me about 15 seconds to drop my pack and get the blind completly set up
when it comes down to leaving,i take my time and it only takes about 2 mins then
i go slow packing up to move locations.i have had toms bust me while packing up before
so now i pull one stake,look around,fold one side and look around etc etc untill im all packed up
one time i had just gotten my blind put back into my pack and a tom came out
never even noticed my sitting next to my pack(im in all camo outside of my blind)
i used my pack as rest and laid there prone untill had a shot