Because the wheat is so tall on the farm this year, the only place suitable to hunt is the cow pasture. I have hunted the pasture a couple of times this year with no luck and decided to give it another try this morning.
I saw a hen fly down early, and a few minutes later four jakes came into the pasture and joined her. I yelped at them and thought they might come up and put a whoopin on my gobbler decoy, but they circled wide and never got closer than a hundred yards. As they crossed the field several more turkeys showed up and before long there were eight or nine jakes and several hens within sight. I watched them for ten or fifteen minutes when a couple of toms started gobbling on the other side of the pasture.
They eventually came into sight a couple hundred yards away and joined the rest of the group. I called at them several times, but they didn't seem too interested. Eventually I gobbled at them and that got their attention. So, I did it again a couple of times and threw in some yelps, and they broke away and headed toward my decoys.
When they got within about fifty yards, they started gobbling and strutting. I got my gun up on the shooting stick and waited. They strutted right up to my tom decoy, but I couldn't shoot until they separated from each other and my decoy. A minute or so later they did and I took the shot. Down he went, and my spring turkey season is over.
The tom is laying between the decoys. His partner (on the left) didn't know what to think and hung around for a couple minutes:
(https://i.imgur.com/tMB39Ab.jpg)
Looking back to the blind:
(https://i.imgur.com/iE92xXc.jpg)
The Encore .410 with Federal TSS number 9's did the trick. I have shot a few fall turkeys with it, but this is the first mature spring gobbler:
(https://i.imgur.com/Qnp5xe5.jpg)
Hero shot:
(https://i.imgur.com/8Uvh51X.jpg)
Pat
Congrats Pat! How far was the shot?
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Quote from: riverboss on April 23, 2019, 02:34:39 PM
Congrats Pat! How far was the shot?
About eighteen or nineteen yards..
Pat
That awesome! 410 contender gets it done.
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Dang! :yoyo:
Really great Pat :yoyo:. Gotta enjoy 410's in any configuration.
Well at least you got out a couple of times to enjoy yourself. Now you will just have to start calling for others.
Thanks for the good pics and good read. You are an awesome turkey hunter. I was surprised at the size of shot you used but that merely shows my ignorance of the whole subject.
Am curious how many kinds of firearms, bows, rocks :biggrin: etc. you have used to kill turkeys?
Since your season is over is it fishing time?
Quote from: Okanagan on April 24, 2019, 08:48:26 AM
Thanks for the good pics and good read. You are an awesome turkey hunter. I was surprised at the size of shot you used but that merely shows my ignorance of the whole subject.
Am curious how many kinds of firearms, bows, rocks :biggrin: etc. you have used to kill turkeys?
Clyde,
I've taken eleven turkeys with my crossbow, five with the Encore .410 handgun, two with the Encore 12 gauge., and over twenty with the old Mossberg 835. I missed a couple of times with my compound bow several years ago and haven't tried again since I got the crossbow. I may have to break it out again sometime. :biggrin:
Pat
Quote from: JohnP on April 24, 2019, 10:56:01 AM
Since your season is over is it fishing time?
John,
It is just about that time. My wife told me I needed to get out and clean up the boat and I don't want to argue with her. :biggrin:
Pat
My wife told me I needed to get out and clean up the boat.
NEVER argue with your wife when she gives you a directive like this.
Great end to very good season Pat!! :yoyo: :yoyo:
Congrats, Pat!
I nailed one opening day but the woods were silent for the next 5 trips to the farm. So I put the turkey gear back in the closet.
Now that's pretty sweet to whack one with a .410 handgun! I'm hearin' those TSS #7s & 9s are the berries.