Live from the field 2020

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Jdw
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby Jdw » Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:20 pm

This is a little late.

Sunday morning my son and I slipped into a roosting area above a big creek. The way it lays out the birds can pitch across the creek into a cut corn field so the options are limited on the property we can hunt.
We got in early and set up close.
When we sat down I could see hens 40 yds away sleeping on the limb.
When it started getting light 4 toms were within gun range one was at eye level 30 yards in front of me.
He flew down and strutted and drummed at 10 yards before he followed the hens across the creek.
I had my son set up on the wrong side of the tree so he had no shot. It was exciting and we saw an albino hen, she was as white as a cotton ball.

After that we snuck out and checked a couple other areas we encountered 3 jakes but we were moving and even though they were gobbling when they left I think they saw something they didn’t like.

We went home ate lunch then met up with a buddy and his dad.

We stopped to look for morels and I did some light calling while we looked. After 15-20 minutes a Tom gobbled across the hollow from us.
We crossed the hollow and went up a ditch to get up to the same level they were on.
When I called they responded and had already moved towards where we had been mushroom hunting.

It was the same birds I spent 3 1/2 hours on the day before but they were a bit more cooperative and I had them called in in about 15 minutes. The problem was they circled behind the boys. My son passed one again and his buddy couldn’t see it.
The birds hung up right over the break of the hill and gobbled like crazy but I couldn’t convince them to have another look. I called, moved, scratched the leaves for about an hour and they wouldn’t quite come into sight.
Finely I told them to crawl forward and the toms spooked.

My son found a shed in a rose bush next to where he sat.

After that we walked slowly and called and after a while my friend spotted a Tom 60 yds ahead of us through the woods.
It walked out of sight so we glassed the area and I did some light calling but nothing showed 15 minutes went by so we kept the hill between us and the place where the turkey was. When we looked over the hill the turkey was still near where we saw him last about 20 yards from us.
My son shot him.

He appeared to have been shot by someone else and had a broken wing which is why we were able to get so close and get a shot.
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Jdw
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby Jdw » Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:22 pm

I went with my brother in law yesterday and we couldn’t start until 8:00.
Other than some distant gobbling it was a slow morning.
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muddy
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby muddy » Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:56 pm

Riding out a pop up squall... heading to blind in 20-30...
http://www.iowawhitetail.com
Leading the way for habitat and management information

"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby jkelley1487 » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:18 am

2020 Spring Turkey.jpg


Indiana's turkey season opened today. I was out scouting yesterday afternoon and bumped a gobbler. I went back this morning in the general area and he was gobbling close by on the roost. I set up on the field edge and did a few light yelps. He responded each time so I stopped calling. He was probably 100 yards away or so (I am just guessing by how close the gobbles sounded).

15 minutes went by and I never heard another thing once he flew down. I figured he had hens with him so I just decided to sit for a minute. I had a jake decoy over a hen decoy out. I did a few purrs and about 30 seconds later the tom came out in the field and went straight to the decoys. He kicked the jake decoy over and pounced on top. I took the shot when his head cleared my decoy and that was all she wrote.

My season was over in 30 minutes (we only get 1 bird here) which is bittersweet. That's how turkey season seems to go sometimes, either you get it done early or it's a complete grind. Check out that beast of a turkey hunting dog (it's my wife's dog. It makes my ego feel better to point that out).
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greenhorndave
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:26 am

Double post somehow
Last edited by greenhorndave on Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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greenhorndave
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:30 am

Sweet! Congrats! :clap:

I had a similar experience on opening day.... minus the important part about the tom coming unglued from his hens. (I wasn’t using decoys as I didn't think I could set them up without getting busted the way the roost/field/cover laid out... but that was probably the secret sauce I needed in hindsight)

Then it became the grind like you referenced. :lol:
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
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BigHunt
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby BigHunt » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:57 am

I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season
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Jackson Marsh
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:20 am

BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season



Good luck :dance:
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greenhorndave
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:46 am

BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season

My next opportunity is Season 5. Still possible to get it done then?
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts
mipubbucks24
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:36 am

BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season


How does Wisconsin’s tags work, can you buy tags for each season or is it a regional thing?
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BigHunt
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby BigHunt » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:19 pm

greenhorndave wrote:
BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season

My next opportunity is Season 5. Still possible to get it done then?

one of my favorite seasons ;)

good luck
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BigHunt
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby BigHunt » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:22 pm

mipubbucks24 wrote:
BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season


How does Wisconsin’s tags work, can you buy tags for each season or is it a regional thing?

we have to apply for a certain zone and time period. after all the applied tags are filled they sell the remaining left over tags in a online lottery that goes quickly.
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greenhorndave
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Apr 23, 2020 12:32 pm

BigHunt wrote:
greenhorndave wrote:
BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season

My next opportunity is Season 5. Still possible to get it done then?

one of my favorite seasons ;)

good luck

Good deal, thanks. Got one for Z3
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
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mipubbucks24
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Thu Apr 23, 2020 3:11 pm

BigHunt wrote:
mipubbucks24 wrote:
BigHunt wrote:I took Richard out this past weekend. he came close a few times but he never did get a shot off!! looking forward to 3rd,4th,5th and 6th season


How does Wisconsin’s tags work, can you buy tags for each season or is it a regional thing?

we have to apply for a certain zone and time period. after all the applied tags are filled they sell the remaining left over tags in a online lottery that goes quickly.


So how many turkeys can you kill per year, is it how ever many of the lottery tags you can snag?
Jdw
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Re: Live from the field 2020

Unread postby Jdw » Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:28 am

I roosted some birds last night and eased in on 2 toms and a couple hens this morning.

They started gobbling at 5:55am which is earlier than usual.

I watched them in the tree and watched them fly down.

They put on a good show but didn’t offer a shot I was comfortable with.

Fun hunt though.


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