First turkey of the season

shishiinushishiinu
edited March 2011 in Hunting & Working
Went out this morning (0300) to go hunt wild turkeys for the California turkey hunting opener weekend. Went out saturday but I was met with 29 degree weather with snow and drizzle, cold 20 to 30 mph winds. Needless to say it was a horrible opening day. So sunday morning started early and again I was met with drizzle and cold temps but minus the strong winds and snow whic means I have a chance at nabbing a wise old tom.

This time around I took my wife with me as moral support and made it a date day chasing turkeys. Well after walking through the dark woods with only one flash light, we finally made it to the meadow where I have been looking at on google earth. After checking the tree to make sure we weren't sitting on a ant hill, I got the decoys set up and the blind constructed.

Around 6am, the woods blew up with loud gobbles coming from about 8 different wild turkey toms. Once I was able to hear the turkeys fly down from the roost, I began calling. My calls were met with thundering gobbles and also with my wife telling me that hr back and butt hurts from sitting on the ground. Oh and did I mention she's 2 months pregnant?

Soon we get three toms gobbling in front of us and after watching them strut and almost destroy my decoys, I put the bead on the biggest of the bunch and lights out....After 3 shots.

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Comments

  • ShikokuSpiritShikokuSpirit
    That, by far, is a great looking catch...
    ...congrats!

    How many pounds IS that?!
  • shishiinushishiinu
    edited March 2011
    This little guy was 19lbs. My biggest tom was a few ounces short of 25lbs so this guy is the average size for a one to two year old bird. Nice thing is tat the younger birds are better eating so I usually shoot a young jake first to get some fresh turkey breasts on the table. Turkey hunting is some thing reallyeasy to get into also Corina, so when you want to nab one come on down.
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    LOL. Sounds like a great day despite the cold. :-) 19 pounds will make a few meals for sure!
  • jujeejujee
    Nice! that thing is HUGEEEE haha
  • kait0585kait0585
    Very nice bird :) What kind of call did you use for him?
    I am slightly jealous, every time I go out I never see a Turkey. Well unless it is during dear season haha but then I dont see deer either. Sigh maybe I will have better luck in PA then I did in Ohio.

    PS congrats to you and your wife. And that awesome she goes out!
  • kaiyakkaiyak
    nice bird, I am very jealous..our season doesn't open until May
  • shishiinushishiinu
    @Kait: I used a combo of calls but mostly a mouth call and the aluminum faced slate call in the photo. My favorit brand is th Woodhaven brand and the one in the photo is the 2004 national friction call champion call and signed by Mike Pentecost of Woodhaven (sorry got all technical). This is the first time she actualy went out and she has vowed never to go out... She said I'm out of mind for being able to sit under a tre all day just to have a chance to get a turkey.
  • toecaritoecari
    Very nice
  • jujeejujee
    Oh, I forgot to congratulate you and your wife! Now she definitely won't let you get another dog lol :D
  • HeidiHeidi
    Looks like a great turkey! Of course, you could show me any turkey and I'd be impressed because I don't know anything about turkeys, lol.

    Congrats to you and your wife! This is your second child, right? Or do you have more? I think I've only ever heard you talk about one boy.
  • LosechLosech
    Nice! Now I want some turkey...
  • kait0585kait0585
    @shishiinu Hahaha I said the same thing to my husband when I started doing archery. I thought I would never go out hunting because who would want to sit there all day (or get up at 4am on a weekend) to not see anything. :) My first hunting season was last year and I had a blast even though I didnt see a thing. I did try the mouth calls but I am awful at it...I sound like a sick bird. Maybe your wife will try hunting one day...you never know.
  • yiasthojyiasthoj
    Nice turkey Gen!!! Your pictures are pretty cool. I like the background. Looks like it's a nice forest. Hunting with the wife sounds like a lot of fun.
  • SayaSaya
    Nice size Turkey Gen congratulations! =)

  • KevinKevin
    Good lookin' bird. @shishiinu Ever heard of ASAT camo, Gen? I'm pretty impressed with what I've seen of it.
  • shishiinushishiinu
    Never heard of it, is it a new brand that recently came out?
  • sunyatasunyata
    Wow... That is a pretty bird. :)

    And congrats on the upcoming new addition (of the human variety)!
  • KevinKevin
    I don't think it's that new. Check it out at asatcamo.com
    It looks like crap on the rack, but in the field is remarkable. I intend to get some.
  • shishiinushishiinu
    Wow that looks awesome. For me I used different outfits for different game and time of year. For turkey I used the 3D leafy stuff in Mossy Oak Obsession camo, for waterfowl I used the mossy oak duck blind or realtree advatage, and for deer I use the mossy oak brush camo or realtree max1 depending on the terrain. The time I run the dogs I try to wear relly comfortable clothes that I can run in so I wear light old beat uppair of camo pants and Under Armor shirt. Yeah I know I'm a freak of nature, I'm like a girl when it comes to huntig gear. Every thing has to be perfect and matched....
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    Dude. That's not a girl trait. It's not like your matching fooffy accessories to your new dress. It's GEAR! A MAN MUST HAVE MATCHED GEAR. Period.
  • sunyatasunyata
    lol @ dlroberts...

    I totally understand. Matched gear is essential.
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