2 Toms in 2 days on public

[JJWI]

I always like the later seasons for Turkey. As I stated in another post, my oldest birds come from this time period. The first bird I shot after work yesterday. I seen him strutting on a logging road in a public area when leaving the rifle range with my kids last Saturday. My son and I scouted this 200 acre piece of public area. I set up on him on a ridge over looking a small feeder creek. Started out with some excited cuts on the slate, and used the slate and mouth call to sound like a couple of hens. He gobbled about 5 minutes later and I just gave him some purrs and clucks on the slate. Came up the ridge and started to get alert when he got within 35 yards. He was in some thicker stuff, but I managed to get him. Nice 2 year old bird. I know it was the same bird that we seen on Saturday, because I noticed he had a broken tail feather in his fan. My son was excited that he helped scout the area. 22 lbs, 9 inch beard, 7/8" spurs.


This bird I shot this morning in a different public area. I scouted this area a couple of weeks ago and the road to this area was closed off due to water. I felt that this area wouldn't of been hit as hard, with the access not so easy. I got out there and found the road was opened, but water still covered the end of it. Getting through the ditch was interesting with the water past the knee. But I weaseled my way through and walked to were I need to get. I got to the section, and crow called. I could hear a jake caulking in response, and I knew they were just over the ridge on the other side. When a jake caulks like that, it usually is a response to a strutting tom. I quietly backed out, and went 300 yards West of the point the birds were, made my way through the tags and buck brush. Glassed a head of me and slipped in to position. I did my same dual calling, and got the jakes caulking, a hen to fire back and a gobble. I really got after that hen, and went quiet. Within a couple of minutes I seen a turkey coming my way. 5 jakes, 4 hens and a tom. I had one hen that was really looking for me and she got within 30 yards. The tom was chasing off the jakes, and the hens started to leave and he was 70 yards out, I clucked a couple of times and that got that hen going. He came by us and I shot him at 30 yards. 24 lbs, 11 inch beard, 1 5/16" spurs



The things that I noticed that helps you be successful in these later seasons is getting off the fields. With the green up of the foliage and the bugs coming out, these birds are more in the creek bottoms and woods than the fields. Plus they have had weeks were they have came in to a hen yelping on a field edge and gotten spooked or shot at. I don't use decoys at all, and I need to use terrain features to my benefit. Like setting up on a knoll, were the tom will be in range when he steps up to see the other side. Or setting up on the edge of mature hardwoods and tags brushy areas. The birds have to get closer to see in that brush to locate that hen. These are somethings that have worked for me over the years to tag a tom.

[Edcyclopedia]

Sweet x2!

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[BigHunt]

[Jackson Marsh]

Outstanding! Couple of darn nice turkey's

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[RED OAK]

Nice work!

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[dan]

[Terry]

Awesome!

[JJWI]

Seen a nice tom feeding mid day in a field by a public area yesterday. I got set up and tried to call him in. 15 minutes later I heard what sounded like a muffled gun shot. Didn't think much of it and continued calling for about 40 minutes. Didn't hear anything or any sign he was coming, so I left and was figuring how I could try him the next morning. Drove back home past that field and seen something in the road. There layed Mr. Tom dead on the road! His wings were laying 20 feet away and I checked his spurs. They were an inch long and busted off.

[DEERSLAYER]

Nice work on the 2 for 2.

[yungbuck]

Awesome birds...but many can say they have shot 2 public birds in a season let alone a day!

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[Bigdaddy-yoyo]

[SaddleMaster]

Good job and good advise. What do you think happened to Mr. Tom in the road?

[Mario]

[oldrank]

Good job !!!!

[hunter_mike]

The things that I noticed that helps you be successful in these later seasons is getting off the fields. With the green up of the foliage and the bugs coming out, these birds are more in the creek bottoms and woods than the fields. Plus they have had weeks were they have came in to a hen yelping on a field edge and gotten spooked or shot at. I don't use decoys at all, and I need to use terrain features to my benefit. Like setting up on a knoll, were the tom will be in range when he steps up to see the other side. Or setting up on the edge of mature hardwoods and tags brushy areas. The birds have to get closer to see in that brush to locate that hen. These are somethings that have worked for me over the years to tag a tom.

This for sure helped me on my tom, they came through a finger of brush that jutted out into a field and did not want to be out in the open. Congrats on getting it done!