Team #19 Team Turkey Takedown

[PsEbUcKmAsTeR17]

Hey guys your team is full and ready to sign in.

Team #19 Team Turkey Takedown

Mule Skinner
Split Toe
Bwilson
chevyjam2001
vandestd
Travis15

Good luck hunting, just dont forget to sign in on the team sign in thead or forget to read the rules and sign in the Attention Everyone thread.

This is your team BS'ing thread.

Have fun and hunt safe.

-Psebuckmaster17-

[Split Toe]

Gentlemen,

My hunt starts April 21 and I will be hunting in Ingham County. I am fortunate enough to have not only my own 20 acres to hunt but also private land, extending from Ingham, Eaton, Calhoun and Jackson. I am going to start behind my house. My weapon of choice will be a Winchester Model 12, my favorite gun, no choke but holds one hell of a pattern. I have been watching a group of 4 long beards, one jake and seven hens that use my clover food plot every morning. One hen is so grey she looks white. This clover plot is only about 50 yards off of my yard, so I watch them while I drink my coffee. "JUST LIVIN' THE DREAM". Good luck everyone and be safe. Keep in touch with the progress of your hunt.

Craig

[Split Toe]

Did I mention one of those tom's behind my house must have a 11 inch beard (thick) and 1 1/2 spurs. BIG BOY!!!:p

[Bwilson]

Greetings fellas,

I as well will be hunting ingam county meridian township area and start april 21. I am hunting a 10 acre parcle 6 acres of it is clover and alfalfa rest is wooded. has a pond that the birds drink and dust in the sand around the pond. I have seen about 40 birds 7 toms about 10 jakes and rest hens. The birds are still roosting together by noon they are in groups of 5-10.

I am planning on using a parker buck hunter XP bow out of a pop up.

I will let you all know as i did in the thread before. My wife is 37 weeks pregnant. I may not be able to get much time in the woods. I have done alot of scouting and have learned the patterns of these birds so i am very hopeful. I may be the weak link so to speak since my time in the woods may become limited.

[vandestd]

Team Members,

I will be hunting the ZZ hunt starting May 5, mostly in Ottawa county on private land. But if not having any luck will make a trip north to Manistee County later in the month. So far havent seen any huge birds mostly small jakes, and lots of hens. Still havent decided what killing device to use the bow or the gun.

Steve

[Split Toe]

Bwilson,

Do you know, boy or girl? My daughter is almost three and is a outdoor freak like her dad. But you have to plan these things a little better, my daughter was born July 28, no interuption with any hunting, that is the way to do it. Is this your first? If so there is only one thing that compares to hunting and that is family especially children. Rough at first I found out but what a blast!!! Good luck to you and your wife, my family will remember your family in our prayers.

[chevyjam2001]

I will be hunting private land in the thumb. I am hunting the zz hunt starting on May 5th as well. I am also going to be taking my 2 boys out on their first turkey hunt as well. Lots of birds in the area so I am looking forward to a good season.

[Bwilson]

Bwilson,

Do you know, boy or girl? My daughter is almost three and is a outdoor freak like her dad. But you have to plan these things a little better, my daughter was born July 28, no interuption with any hunting, that is the way to do it. Is this your first? If so there is only one thing that compares to hunting and that is family especially children. Rough at first I found out but what a blast!!! Good luck to you and your wife, my family will remember your family in our prayers.


My 19month old daughter is first week of september. so she doesnt have any problems for the hunting season only fishing. But she is already crazy about fish.She has one of them plastic poles with magnets and metal in the plastic fish heads. She loves that thing. so I picked up a ice fishing pole for her to use so its nice and flimsy so she will feel every little jerk in the pole. cant wait to let her hook into a bluegill or somthing. I am begining to think that im more excited about her fishing and hunting then i am about myself getting out.

[Mule Skinner]

Sorry for the late check in fellas. Its 5:45 AM and me and my 9 year old son are headed for the Turkey woods. We will be out in Waterloo on some Private land that produced for me last year. I'll check in later.


Good luck everyone !

[Split Toe]

Fellas,

Had a great hunt this morning before work. Was only able to hunt for one hour and fourty five min. It was foggy and silent, then the birds cut loose. There must of been 10 different gobblers in my small woods. Called in two hens and one tom. The woods was alive with turkeys. The tom came in behind me in full strut, he was only about 10 yards from me but no shot. I could not swing my gun in that direction because of the brush. He was nice, about an 8 inch beard and 3/4 in spurs. He held up about 20 yards from my decoys and would not come into a shooting lane. Held up in some brush in full strut. I would have taken him if only........ What a great hunt though, I am pumped about getting back out on Thursday. I have to work untill then. Good luck everyone!!!!:D

[Bwilson]

Well I spent the evening out in the woods and didnt even hear a gobbler... thinking my area is amorning location only.

[Split Toe]

Anyone had luck as of yet. I can not get to the woods untill Thursday. Get em Team Turkey Takedown

[vandestd]

No luck yet, can't I can't hunt until May 5 but I may have to go call for a buddy this weekend just to get out.

[Split Toe]

So I had to take my daughter into day care before going to work this morning and I of course did not have enough time to go out this morning. I roll out of bed, go to the kitchen grab a cup of coffee and go to the living room to look out back. I stand in front of the window and my jaw hit the floor. Not 1, not 3, not 5, not 7, but 9 long beards (all shooters) 7 hens and two jakes are about 50 yards from my yard in my clover field putting on a show.:dizzy: I was bummed out because I can not get out untill tomorrow morning, and now I have to think about that scene all day.:help: Talk about excited!!! Get em' Team Turkey Takedown!!!! We need to get up on the score board!!!

[stinky reinke]

What's your address again???

[Bwilson]

Well i have been getting out last couple days in the AM before work. I found a new roost and they seem to be going about 20 yards feeding and hanging out. By time they get doing thier thing and i get a chance to call them over to me its time to pack up and head into work. So hoping ill have some luck tomorrow. This weekend i should be able to get more time in to call them into me long as my wife doesnt go into labor. Good luck guys.

[Split Toe]

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_3129.JPG
http://www.michigan-Sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_3132.JPG
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_3136.JPG
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_3137.JPG

23#, 11 1/4 inch beard and both spurs 1 inch.
I was in the woods about 5:30 am on Thursday, April 24. I set up as close to the roost as I thought I could, about 150 yards. around 6:15 AM the woods was alive with gobblers, there must have been at least twelve and they were in every direction. What a great morning to listen. I saw two toms come off the roost and I started some soft clucks and purrs. Those boys went wild along with every one else in the woods. They talked to me for about 10 minutes and then they shut right up. I could not understand what happened they were all fired up then nothing. I gave them about 10 more minutes and starting doing some more soft purrs and those two toms gobbled and they were about 50 yards behind me. I put down the slate and picked up the Winchester Model 12. They both came in full strut and held up about 35 yards from my deeks in the brush. Then a hen came up from behind the toms and one tom looked like he was going to run her off and she lead this guy right to me. It was a 25 yard shot and the Winchester Model 12 and Winchester Double X Turkey Load did the rest. I wanted my bird but it was over to fast. The best thing about it, this was my first bird behind our house, we have been there 3 years now. What a great hunt!! Get em Team Turkey Takedown!!!!:one_eye: I believe that is 40 points if my math is right.

[chevyjam2001]

Congrats on a fine looking bird.

[Bwilson]

Congrats Split!!

I had a rough weekend. I pulled my bow out of the car to find that my cable on my bow had started to unravle. So I took it in got them to replace it. Went home and tried shooting it. I couldnt hit a paper plat two times in a row from 15 yards. Called to find out they were closed and couldnt get my bow back in. Next day Sunday morning i was at the door waiting for them to open. Got in there and a diffrent tech looked at it. The first guy put a pre stretched cable on that was an inch to long. So He fixed it and got me paper tuned. Went home sighted in I am hitting pocans from 30 yards now.

Back to the woods for an evening hunt. Walked back and kicked 4 hens away from my pop up. figured id try to put deeks up and call. Nothing from 3pm till 9pm not another hen no gobbles bearly could hear the hens in the brush.

So i went out this morning before work and had a gobble about 50 yards away roosted. He was a talker. had him going for good 15 min before he flew down. then i heard more wings flapping then it was like a pluck bomb. must og had 10 hens inbetween me and that gobbler he wouldnt come over and take a gander at my deeks he wasnt moving. I tried to get him to move for over an hour. Then i had to head into work. So this has been one hell of a first week of turkey hunting. I hear four turkeys everyday but most of them are on no hunting areas. going to go out tonight and hope i can catch one roaming through to his roost. saying my wife doesnt go into labor.

[vandestd]

Congrats! Sounds like an amazing hunt a very nice bird.

[Split Toe]

Just checking to see if anyone has been seeing anything. Now I have to live through your hunts. I can not hunt untill October--that suck's!!!:sad:

[Bwilson]

I told my boss last night that i would be callign in sick so i could go turkey hunting. Well i set my alarm to go out this morning and well I woke up at 7am not 5am like i had planned. I got up cussing up a storm my wife wasnt so pleased.

So I got out there about 7:30 and couldnt hear a thing. Not a gablle around. I was so annoyed by 9am hit i had no idea where the birds were or headed. I had my blind set up about 70 yards from thier roost. Well i was thinking about getting up and move around looking for the birds. Then I heard a gobble not very loud or long but a gobble. so i Cut a couple times o try to get a location out of him. Boom he was behind me. I am no where near able to shoot out behind me. I let him roam for a few to try to get him to come around. Then a gobbler started going off out from in front of me. these boys started going nuts at each other. The one behind me finally came around to the side of me about 20 yards away. I couldnt get a open shot with my bow. he was in some tall grass and all i could see was the base of his neck and head. I was wishing i had a gun. He was a nice bird would guess about a 8-9inch beard. couldnt get him to come to my deek he was intrested in the other tom. They went out of sight and i tried for another hour half to get them to come back to me. no luck I heard hens with the other tom so Im assuming they followed the hens to food.

Im going out tomorrow morning maybe tonight depending on mood of the wife. going to try to find a sitter for my daughter and offer to pay for the wife to go out with a friend to a movie. we will see what happens long as she doesnt go into labor ill be able to keep getting in the woods this weekend.

[Split Toe]

Sounds like a fun hunt anyway. Get out there tomorow and I bet you get a shot at one of those tom's. Good luck and I hope your wife will let you go.:one_eye:

[Mule Skinner]

First of all, Congrats Split toe on the nice Tom !

Sorry about the late update with me, I'm bad about getting on hear to write anything. Well my Season ended yesterday with a tag still in my pocket. I could only make it out about 5 times ,all morning hunts thru Noon or so. I had action on every outing and took 2 boys out for there first sit in the pop-up after Turkey's . Lots of gobbling and the stiff upper lip of an over populated amount of hens. I managed to pull 3 different Jake's into the dekes but let them walk for another day. We did have one strutter on opening morning around 10:30 put on a nice display for us but he held his position out to about 60 yards and wouldn't close the deal. All in all, I had a great time out there and am looking forward to next year .

Good luck to those who are out there now.

[Split Toe]

It sounds like you had some good hunts. There is always next year mule skinner. To bad though we could of used some points.:one_eye:

[Bwilson]

Well I ended my season yesterday aswell with a a tag in my pocket. I had one shot my first few times out at a jake with prolly a 3 inch beard. So he was a small guy so i let him walk in hopes of getting out for more and a shot at a mature bird. Well last day out and cassity from team #1 came out and did some calling with me and had a good hunt. Had a hen leave the roost and landed right next to out dekes. was very cool to watch. Didnt have any toms or jakes come in. We think a tresspasser wrecked our hunt by walking 400 yards pushing the birds away from us. We could hear the persons box call and was rather poor at it i might add. Constanly using locator calls just trying really hard to get a gobble. I think all they did was scare them away with thier tromping through the woods while callings with anythign and everything. So we ended our hunt. I went back out at 7pm and there was 8 birds 2 strutting. I couldnt call them close to me by the house. So i tried going to the other side by the two track and tried crawling down it. they busted me. so i went back to the car got my blind and went to the back of the property where casscity and i were in the morning. seen hens again no toms. my night closed and i walked out with my head down.

[casscityalum]

hey it was a fun hunt also..Never had birds land from the roost right in front of me like that!! Great hunt and had a good time though u didnt get a bird. Keep tryin and I know Dsconnell and me and Hawk will work hard to get you a bird next year....Just remember its ure first year turkey hunting..You'll get one soon enough..Thats hunting. Ill see you sometime later!

[Bwilson]

hey it was a fun hunt also..Never had birds land from the roost right in front of me like that!! Great hunt and had a good time though u didnt get a bird. Keep tryin and I know Dsconnell and me and Hawk will work hard to get you a bird next year....Just remember its ure first year turkey hunting..You'll get one soon enough..Thats hunting. Ill see you sometime later!


Ahhh no doubt it was a great two weeks of hunting. Was alot of fun getting in the woods with somone instead of a solo hunt. I did get to see and do alot of things people dont get to do every season. Trying to stalk a group of birds your first season out is a real challenge and to get with in 40 yards i thought was pretty good.

[Split Toe]

Now That's Hunting!!!!

[Split Toe]

Men of team #19,

Maybe I did not make myself clear. I am done hunting now and the only way I can do so is through you. Is anyone hunting? If so have you seen anything? I have to work this weekend but next weekend I am going out to call for my dad. Not that he needs the calling done for him (I am there to learn from him) he has been turkey hunting since before I was born. But man I need to get out in the woods. About a month away from putting in garden and food plots in a couple of weeks. I am bored with mowing the lawn already. Help me out, tell me what you know!!!:dizzy:

[vandestd]

Well my season started on monday, and I haven't even made it out yet due to truck being in the body shop. But tomorrow moring I will be out in the woods.

[chevyjam2001]

I am hoping to make it out sometime this weekend as well. Just got to get my sugar beets planted first.

[koz bow]

Hey Chevy - did not know that you were a big turkey guy as well. Great to hear!

Good luck this weekend. Whack a biggun!

Koz

[chevyjam2001]

I dunno why I've got to be a big turkey:lol:

[koz bow]

:shhh:sshhh don't tell anyone, you are one of them!!!!!

No wonder you are putting in all those foodplots, to take care of your own.

Sugar beets for turkey, I don't think so.

Enjoy the morning - koz

[chevyjam2001]

Nope beets are for the deer. The turkeys get the corn, soys, sunflowers and sorghum.

[Bwilson]

I went out this morning to take a walk with the family. While on our walk i heard a jake gobble. Of course i didnt have my calls on me to toy with this jake. This walk was at a public park where there is no hunting. But i thought id take a try at calling with just my mouth. to my suprise he gobble back and came hauling butt to us. We kept going down the trail walking and could hear him still gobbling about 80 yards out looking in a field for us. so i called again. All of a sudden i hear a ooot oot oot from the ground next to me. It was my 20 month old daughter. She put her hand to her mouth like daddy did and was going oot oot oot getting louder with each oot. I busted up laughing as did my wife. was the cutest thing. The whole rest of the walk she would stop look into the fields and put her hand to her mouth and ooot ooot ooot oot. She would even stay stil and wait to hear a gobble.

We kept with our walk and heard a very close gobble. with if 30 yards. we walked the 30 yards down the trail and i looked into the brush and could see three birds hanging tight. I called as did my daughter they didnt move. So i looked to my wife and said watch this. I held my hands to my mouth and did a crow like call. Boom all three bird gobbled. they were with in 10 yards of use. I could of killed one with a rock lol. It was three jakes after they gobble they started moving to the field. i called they puffed and gobbled. once they puffed i had showed my wife that the tail feathers were longer in the center then the rest.

As we headed out the park has a building with a feeder near it. We went into the building and sat for a few to give the pregant wife a break. there was a door open and I heard a gobble. I went to the door and called. He responded while i was calling. waited about 10 min and called again again responded in middle of call. But this time he was just on the other side of the tree line. 25-30 yards out. I ran inside told my wife to get our daughter to the window. I went back to the door called again and he came running from the trees. It was so cool to watch him run full tilt. Once he got to the feeder he stopped puffed up and did his dance. We watched this tom for good 20 min before he left. his beard dragged the ground and his feather at the base of his neck was grey.

Today was a great day. I have to say learning more about hunting a new game to me has been a great experiance. Just today has made learning about turkey hunting well worth it. I have even got my daughter intrested. Im going to try to video tape her doing it later today and maybe myself to see what yall think of my calling with out a call.

[vandestd]

Finally made it out on Saturday morning, what a nice day! Got a little bit of a late start, but made it out just before sunrise and set up. On the walk to where we were setting up in the woods heard a few gobbles and then nothing. About 8:00 we decided to move closer to the field. We just got set up and 2 hens came out of the woods followed by 3 toms about 80 yards away. They spent about 30 minutes in the field when the 2 hens walked back in the woods all 3 toms followed. Didn't see anything else the rest of the day.