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Spur Collectors 2017

9K views 151 replies 12 participants last post by  timbrhuntr 
#1 ·
#116 ·
Just got back from my buddies farm in Michigan. Hunted hard mon to friday. Monday and tuesday never heard a gobble where there are usual 6 or 7. Wed finally had a tom answer and come in he was at 80 yards strutting and inching closer when the idiot from the next farm decided to do his usual slow drive by on his atv. the bird heard him coming and folded up his wings and walked off. A few minutes later idiot drove down the same trail real slow looking around to see if he could see anyone hunting Ahole ! On thursday I put out a decoy in a small field and hard two toms coming in hard gobbling all the way. They entered the field and immediately began to putt at the decoys and walked back into the woods gobbling. I decided to make a circle and try and get in fornt of them but they headed to the next farm and I couldn't turn them. As I was walking back to get my decoy I thought I could hear something thumping plastic. Oh no I slowly headed to the field and yup could see that my decoy had been knocked over dang it no turkeys in sight but something had beat up on the jake decoy. Today I could only hunt the am. At around 830 I finally had a tom answering and coming in across a field. Well I am started to think I am jinxed as a manure truck pulled in and stopped near my truck. Guess what they began to spread manure in the field and old tommy headed for the hills ! Well thats it for this week skunked. I can't hunt for a week but will be back after them hopefully with better luck in a week.
 
#120 ·
Good luck out there this weekend roo.
Ya had some bad luck didn't even mention I had to walk to back field to pick up my decoys I left and I usually slip in slow in case a bird is in the field. Well I wasn't even thinking about it as I didn't see a single bird in that field all week. So I tromped up into the field only to see a Tom in full strut facing at away at 50 yards and a hen looking at me she took off flying and so did Tommy a few seconds later. I noticed that most of the toms were vocal on the roost but shut up after fly down. All day I was seeing toms with hens so I think in a week or so it might get good as the hens have got to be going to sit soon. I hope.
 
#134 · (Edited)
This was a tough year even though it was supposed to be a better year than last year when I had a torn meniscus but it turned out to be tougher. I hunted a whole week of henned up birds that went from roost gobbling to right to the next property where they hung out all day. I was thinking i had jinxed myself earlier and qdmaman was gonna get to hang the dreaded SKUNK on me ! I was able to go back last week but it seemed to be the same senario all over. However on Tuesday I was talking to a neighbor and she said a couple birds were hanging around the back of her farm and I was free to go and try to get one . She told me where there was a secluded back field. i checked it in google and it looked like a good spot and not too hard to access. Wrong ! I got up early and headed across the road and threw the first two fields towards the secluded field. Rather than go all the way around the way the tractor acesses it i decided to cut across a small strip of woods. Well in the dark and struggling threw the woods I suddenly dropped into a 3 foot swamp and was soaked and muddy. I was also turned around and cursing. But I stumbled on and finally came out to the field as it was getting light. I put out a couple decoys and settled in to wait. Well 6 came and not a gobble. Finally at about noon I decided to pack up and head to another field. I hit the woods and was about to enter the next field when I crossed a big female snapping turtle headed to lay her eggs and knew right then my luck would change.

As I eased up the acess path to the next field I decided to crawl and just take a look. Dang good thing I did.

This guy was struting around for a couple hens in the field. I decided to drop back into the woods leave my gear and head around to the other side and try to get near the field edge. I worked around and as I got near to about 35 yards from the field I heard the phffft varoom and froze. There he was about 50 yards out in the field and heading on a line that would lead him past me. I knew I had to get closer to get a shot with the 20 gauge. Everytime he turned and fanned out I crawled closer. Finally I was 10 yards inside the woods but he had moved out and was now angling away. Just my luck but it hard changed right ?? Well it had I saw a hen at 5 yards coming my way and not sure how she didn't bust me. As she got past I gave a light yelp and the tom turned to look. He then puffed up and began to tail that hen. He struted all the way to about 35 yards in front of me so I putted and when he looked up I dropped him. He was 21 lbs 8 oz, 10.5" beard , 1 1/8" and 7/8 inch spurs.

At first i was waiting to post my success so as not to put too much extra pressure on roo (kinda dumb i know) but I know he can handle it so now its your turn roo and good luck !
 
#140 ·
Well still unknown if roo got one or not so we don't know our final score or placing not that it really matters in the whole scheme of things, but anyway since the contest is done hunting wise I just wanted to say thanks for letting this dumb canuck play on your contest team this is the only contest I ever have any interest in being in. However I am not sure if I will have a spot to hunt next year so I am going to give up my spot so that you can recruit another team member. I don't want to just be on a team if I don't think I will be able to contribute hunting wise. Have a good summer and a great fall season. Good luck next year I will definitely follow from the sidelines and cheer for the Spur Collectors !!
 
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