FinsandFur.net Forums

We’re going to run two categories again, one for the biggest Turkey and one for the best photographed Hero Shot. Plus we are also having a special youth turkey contest for members UNDER 16 years old.

YEP!! Ever since Semp & I had a casual off the cuff conversation about it at the LBL.  :biggrin:

You better believe I am!

This looks like allot of fun. Can you enter more than one pic say your second bird scores higher?  :shrug:

Thanks,
Raven

QuoteCan you enter more than one pic say your second bird scores higher?   :shrug:

Good question!
To avoid confusion: Only one (1) Wild Turkey can be entered per person.


How's this to help keep up interest?

For the biggest turkey contest only...
If you enter early and later kill a bigger bird you will be allowed to edit your first (original) post with the bigger turkey before the end of the contest is declared.  All edits added to the original post after the cut off time will void the entry.

^^^ The contest rules have now been updated  ^^^

Please bear with me here folks, this is my first turkey contest. I'm trying to make it as fun for you all as possible. :wink:



Thanks,  
Chet

Chet can you clarify that a bit more for me as I'm still a mite  :confused:.

Barry,
No problem... The question was asked about posting more than one turkey (entry). That could be a night mare to keep up with. To be as fair as possible, since the winners in this contest (biggest and second biggest) are determined by size only, if someone kills a turkey and enters it early in the contest... then kills a larger one they can edit (update) their original post, removing the smaller turkey and replacing it with the bigger one, that is until the cut off date.

This will hopefully help keep interest in the contest by allowing everyone to update their post through out the contest. Otherwise some members might see a larger bird than theirs posted and not enter.




If anyone has any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Chet 








 

Ah lock dat dare idear  :wink: :eyebrownod:

Since Jim is speaking German.  Ich auch! 

Jerry

 :laf: :nono:

I had to look that one up.
German for "me too!"

 :sleep: Anybody hunting yet???

My season starts Monday.......... :biggrin:   Ohio is open now though......... :innocentwhistle:

Well I hate to be first but here goes. Late saturday we had a bad storm roll through but the forecast said it would be out of here by early sunday morning. I was up at 0 dark thirty and up in my favorite spot all set up with 2 hens a jake with a real full fan. As it got light I heard a gobbler about a mile away and that is all I heard. I was worried the high winds we had maybe blew them in to the next county. I did a fly down cackle and waited but no no response, I then called everty 5 to 7 minutes with a three note where are you call. At around 7:20 I was thinking real hard about a nap and had just closed my eyes when I heard him drumming. I turned and he was 10' off my left shoulder in full strut headed to my decoy. I clucked at him and shot him at 25 yards . He wieghted 21 and half pounds he had one good spur andone broken one. So the first one is in the freezer now I'll put the gun away and get out my recurve. (http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc332/linemansteve/april-10014.jpg)(http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc332/linemansteve/april-10012.jpg)(http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc332/linemansteve/april-10010.jpg)(http://i525.photobucket.com/albums/cc332/linemansteve/april-10006.jpg) The beard was 8 and3/4's so that is only 10 and 3/4 total ?   So lets see the rest of them   Thanks Steve

Nice Tom Steve

My gobbler is on roost right now but I will try and coax him in on Saturday and take his pic :laf:

Right on Steve  :highclap:.  Great looking bird for a fact and big too. :biggrin:

 :thumb2:

Boy, for 21 pounds he looks big :yoyo:
Chet forgot to mention that the first one to post a bird got $500 cash and all expenses paid during 2011 LBL, plus travel expenses. :wink:

nice one steve

WTG Steve!!!!!!!   :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

WOW, Jim thats mighty nice of you and chet Thats way more than I was hoping for. I was hoping maybe to win one of Coulters turkey calls but this is way over the top Thanks Steve

Nice bird Steve!! Congratulations!! I'll be back out this weekend.  :eyebrow:

Finally...A turkey. I thought you southern boys had earlier seasons than us Yanks :confused:

Anyway, way to go Steve! Nice bird too.

Steve

Way To Go Steve !!! Very nice bird. :yoyo: Congrats. :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

WTG!!  Steve!

Jim

I had to miss the first three days of turkey season and things just seem to get worse.  I got to hunt three days last week with no results.   I heard nothing the first day; the second day I heard a couple of gobbles across the creek from my place ( I can’t hunt there) then nothing.  Last Friday I finally got one to answer but again he was on the other side of the creek and wasn’t coming my way.  I heard some hens and figured he wasn’t leaving them for little ‘ol me.  I managed to call up a couple of jakes to about 15 yards and almost took my frustration out on the lead jake.  But then I decided not to drop the hammer and let him walk.

This week I hunted Monday and heard nothing again.  Turkey season sort of sucks if you don’t hear turkeys.   :eyebrownod:  This morning was a whole 'nother story.

I heard some gobbling across the creek early and figured this was going to be a repeat of last Friday.  Then, way off, I heard a faint gobble.  I headed in his direction to see if he was on my ground.  After hustling 500-600 yards, I finally figured out he was on MY side of the dayumed creek and still gobbling his head off!   :yahoo:  That means NO hens! (at least I hoped that’s what it meant).   :laf:

The woods look like a jungle from the ice storm last year with low visibility so I was able to slip within about 70 yards of him.  I couldn’t see him but I knew where he was.  I got set up and started calling.  He gobbled back.  I hit him with a cackle and he tripled gobbled a thundering answer!  I got him now, I thought.  Then I remembered a basic turkey hunting rule. “You ain’t got the gobbler until your foot is on his neck.”   ;yes;

I sat motionless, eyes searching for movement, and then I caught a glimpse of his fan.  He was strutting just over the rise from where I set up.  I could only see bits and pieces of him through the limbs, leaves and brush as he strutted to attract the sweet heart he thought was me.  He wasn’t coming!  :argh:   He was hung up.  Now what I thought.  My heart was pounding and the adrenaline was racing.  Calm down I thought. This may be my only chance this season. Don’t blow it! 

I softly yelped and saw his fan drop.  Up popped his head and he slowly peaked around a tree to look for me.  It was now or never.  I could just barely see his head and neck.  I put the green dot of my scope on his neck and squeezed the trigger.  I only felt a gentle push as the 3 ½ inch Remington HD 4’s did their job.  He went down and I jumped up and raced to him to make sure he stayed down. It was a 45 yard shot.

This was one of the most exciting turkey hunts I’ve had in a long time.  Thanks for following along with me. 

Semp


Beard:  9 inch

Spur:  1 1/16

Spur:  1 1/8

Total:  11 3/16

Weight: 19 pounds


(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p28/aggiecat/General/IMG_0355.jpg)

(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p28/aggiecat/General/IMG_0364.jpg)

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(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p28/aggiecat/General/IMG_0362.jpg)

 :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

WTG! Semp!

Way To Go Semp!!! :congrats: :congrats: Nice bird and great story. :yoyo:

Good looking bird.  Glad that you finaly made it out.  Green dot - did you use the Vortex?

Way to go Semp.  I knew I would read the word thundering if you were to connect and no disappointment there :biggrin:.  Excellent write up and fab pics to boot :yoyo:.  Glad you put meat in the pot.

By golly you get er done Semp!! Conmgratulations my Friend!!  :yoyo: :yoyo:

Great write up and photos.  Made me feel like I was right there with you!  WTG, Semp!  Good shooting!

Jim

Quote from: JohnP on April 28, 2010, 01:37:12 PM
Green dot - did you use the Vortex?

Yep, I mounted the Strike Fire on my Benelli.  I like the green dot instead of the red dot for the woods.  I had to put a cheek pad on the stock to due to the height of the mount.  I ought to find a gun smith and drill and tap the receiver. 


(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p28/aggiecat/General/IMG_0359.jpg)

   :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo: :highclap:

Good job semp

Way to go Semp !! :highclap: :highclap: nice looking bird. It's a real rush isn't it. :highclap: Steve

Now we're talking...great write up Semp and good lookin bird ya got there too. Congratulations!

Our season opens Saturday...but, but, but I will be heading back to Havre De Grace, MD for another decoy show. I haven't missed opening day in a long time, but we're talking ducks man...oh and crab omelettes :eyebrow:

Okay, who's next? :corn: :corn: :corn:

Steve

Congratulations Steve !
Congratulations Semp !
Super job men. Congrats !  :congrats:

:yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

nice long beard semp great hunt story

Looks like im gonna have to buy a call, I sure cant win one! :doh2:

Nice job, it even looks early in the pictures. What time did you have to hit the woods to bag him at 6:50?

Great Job  :yoyo: :yoyo:

That is one nice bird, Hidehunter!  :congrats:

 :highclap: nice gobbler

Quote from: FinsnFur on May 01, 2010, 08:00:49 PM
What time did you have to hit the woods to bag him at 6:50?

Was in the woods before daylight at about 5:40.  I set up on this bird a little after six.  It starts breaking daylight here at about a couple minutes to 6:00am

Great job Denver!   :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo:

Way to go HH...nice bird!

QuoteLooks like im gonna have to buy a call, I sure cant win one!

Don't give up yet JD!!

Steve

:highclap: Way to go, fellers! Those are some really nice birds. :congrats:





Thank you all for sharing your hunts with us and for taking the time to enter our contest.  :thumb2:

(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/TeamDuban/DSCF1224.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/TeamDuban/DSCF1232.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/TeamDuban/DSCF1234.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/TeamDuban/DSCF1235.jpg)
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/TeamDuban/DSCF1236.jpg)

9 inch beard, both spurs 3/4 inch.   Not a huge bird but I worked my tail off for it !!!

 :yoyo: Nice bird, Congrats

Awesome first pic up there Vic  :yoyo:.  Congrats on the bird but do you think a little more story could be forth coming :innocentwhistle:.

 :highclap: :highclap: :highclap: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

WTG Vic!!!!!!!!   :yoyo: :yoyo: :yoyo:

CONGRADULATIONS to both of ya HH & Vic. :highclap: :highclap: :highclap: :highclap: Nice birds. :yoyo: :yoyo:

Way to go Vic...Nice Bird man...Seems like I just said that in another post :confused:

Steve

Nice bird for sure Vic!!  :yoyo: :yoyo:

Nice one, Vic!    :congrats:

  Congrats boys !  Some real nice birds there! :yoyo:  I took a friend along last weekend who warned me he had bad luck.  Told him to  leave it in the truck, guess he didn't.  :doh2:  Got skunked . Back to the timber tomorrow!

I finally got away and got into the turkey woods this spring.  I had some strutters working in front of me yesterday, but couldn't quite seal the deal on them.  I went out late this morning due to all of the rain and wind we had last night.  I finally found where they were after walking around a while.  The wind was blowing good, and they were trying to keep out of the wind.  I set up on them, did some lost hen calls, the hens came by with the toms in tow.  I was watching him for a little bit through the binocs as he was coming near me, and was eyeing his beard and spurs.  I let the arrow fly from my bow, and it landed right where it was supposed to.  He jumped in the air a little, ran 5 yards and layed down for a nap.  One of the largest birds I have taken with either gun or bow.

No hero shot as the bird dove into a mud puddle after the shot.



(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/nemaha/DSC_0601.jpg)

(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/nemaha/DSC_0600.jpg)

(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/nemaha/DSC_0602.jpg)

(http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee46/nemaha/DSC_0603.jpg)



Beard 11 1/8th
sprurs:  1 1/8   1 3/8




Brian

Dang B...that's a heck of bird! Especially with a bow. Nice job! :yoyo:

Steve

 :highclap:

Awesome bird with the arrow.  Wow that is impressive to me :yoyo:.

That's a fine bird Brian!! Congratulations!!  :yoyo: :yoyo:

Brian...... THATS A WHOPPER...... with a stick and string!   :highclap: :highclap: :highclap: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

It dove into a puddle of mud...LOL
So it looked like that thing Barry's got penned up, up there with my name on it? :innocentwhistle:

Nice birds by everyone so far.  :congrats: :congrats:

Congrats to all so far.
That's a real beauty Brian !
Congratulations.  :congrats:

Nice one!  And congrats to everyone!    :congrats:

Congrats to everyone this far  :yoyo: :highclap: :congrats:

nice birds everyone, good job !!

  The birds in Iowa must have formed a union. :confused:   Lots of gobblers but they just wouldn't come in this year.  Tag soup for me!  Congrats again to you boys that scored!

So who's walking with the loot here? :biggrin:

Ladies and gentlemen… The FnF 2010 Biggest Wild Turkey Contest has concluded.
Once again I would like to thank those that donated prizes and all that entered.

With scoring based on total inches of beard and spur lengths…

BigB turned in the largest total score with 13&5/8”

Second largest scoring goes to Hidehunter with 13&1/16”

Guys, please PM me your mailing address.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honorable mention also goes out to:
Silencer: 10& ½”
Lineman Steve: 10&¾”
Semp: 11& 3/16”

Congratulations for getting the bird, gentlemen.  :congrats:

Congrats to everyone who participated  :yoyo: :highclap: :congrats:

Right flipping on  :bowingsmilie:.  Thanks for the pics guys and I'm still trying to calculate where I came in this year :innocentwhistle:.

Congrats to all that got out there and chased some turkeys!!


And a BIG THANK YOU goes to Chet for organizing the event, as well as to Coulter, FOsteology, and bambam for donating prizes!


Brian

Congratulations guys !!

Congratulations to everybody!! And especially the winners. Your prizes are well deserved.  :yoyo: :yoyo:

Quote from: BigB on June 02, 2010, 08:03:15 PM
And a BIG THANK YOU goes to Chet for organizing the event, as well as to Coulter, FOsteology, and bambam for donating priizes!

:highclap: Absolutely!! I hope next year I can remember to keep a sign in the pack so I can play too! There were some great prizes up for grabs this year!

A big thanks goes out to everyone who donated and everybody involved and congrats BigB on the biggest bird this year.

Congratulations to the winners. 

John

Guys, no need to thank me. :nofgr:
The basics were already in place from last years contests... all I did was make a few minor changes, that's all.

Since the turkey contests were a team effort, I feel any and all  :bowingsmilie: :congrats: :highclap: :yoyo: should go to Mr. Jim C., my fellow FnF staffers, the good folks that donated prizes and you.... our FnF Family.


I thank you, my friends!!!  

Chet

Congrats to the winners!   :congrats:    And many thanks to the fine folks at FnF for donating the prizes and to Jim for this great site!!     :highclap:


And to you too, Chet!   :biggrin:

Nice job guys, everyone involved from the hunters to the donators. :congrats:

Was the Turkey Hunting bad this year? The number of entries is way down.

Quote from: FinsnFur on June 02, 2010, 10:08:11 PM

Was the Turkey Hunting bad this year? The number of entire is way down.

It was bad in my little part of the turkey woods.  The ice storm we got back in '09 created a thick jungle in the woods I hunt.  Very difficult to see and move around in.  Plus the birds just weren't there.  It changed their patterns.

I feel very fortunate to get the one I did.  

However, Kentucky as a whole took a record number of birds.  Over 36,000 birds were taken in the Spring of 2010.  We had a great hatch two years ago and saw the effect this year.

Congrats to everybody that entered a bird! Way to go guys :yoyo: I think I hunted a total of 4 hours the entire season :madd: That my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Anyway, BigB I'll be shooting you over a PM later on this evening regarding your new turkey call you have coming.

Congratultions again to everybody.

Steve

Ohio DNR report. I hi-lited the numbers & turkey hunting aint easy.  :nono:

2010 Ohio Spring Turkey Harvest Up For Third Year in a Row
Ashtabula County again leads the harvest

COLUMBUS, OH - Hunters checked 21,909 wild turkeys during Ohio's four-week, statewide spring turkey-hunting season that ended May 16, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

The preliminary total represents nearly a 16 percent increase over last year's preliminary harvest number of 18,936.

Ashtabula County again led the state in the number of turkeys killed with 923. Counties with additional high harvest numbers were: Clermont-664;  Harrison and Tuscarawas-621; Guernsey-618;  Highland-612; Adams-606; Trumbull-588; Monroe-576; and Coshocton-563.

In addition to the turkeys taken during the regular season, young hunters harvested another 2,184 birds during a special hunt for ages 17 and younger held April 17-18.

The Division of Wildlife estimates that more than 70,000 people hunted turkeys during the season. Prior to the start of the spring hunting season, state wildlife biologists estimated the wild turkey population in Ohio to be more than 200,000 birds.

Wild turkeys were nearly extirpated in Ohio before being reintroduced in the mid-1950s by the Division of Wildlife. The first spring turkey-hunting season opened in 1966. Wild turkeys are now present in all 88 counties.

 :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:  Good Job Fellas!!!!!

Jim, I called a few birds in for folks this year But only just........ It seemed this year was all about location. The birds seemed to be a little more bunched up this year an ya had to really work to get em in..... It was a tough year and I hope next year to see more youths....... I usually take at least one youth a year hunting with me but no takers this year..... :shrug:  I hope we dont become a dying breed.......

Good job again to all Involved!   :highclap: :highclap: :highclap:

Heck 31% + success rate ain't to shabby.

Quote from: Coulter on June 03, 2010, 09:05:50 AM
Heck 31% + success rate ain't to shabby.

It is if you're me & you're in the "what's left" or the "losers" %.  :laf: :laf:

I bet the success rate per hunter was less than 31%.   Some of those 21,909 birds killed were by hunters who got two birds. 

YEP!!

Glen I am in the same % as you

You know the LOSER %  :alscalls:

 :laf: :laf:  It's not a very exclusive club either.  :nono: :nono:

The birds for me weren't in their typical spots this year.  And they were tougher to hunt than normal.  I usually see birds in several spots, but all of my typical spots were vacant.  Other guys around me were complaining about low numbers as well.  The winter was pretty tough on things.


Brian

Congrats to the winners and to everyone who bagged a bird this year. ( my daughter and I got skunked   :shrug: :shrug: ). Hidehunter, your knife will be in the mail tomorrow. Hope you like it.  Hey, do you happen to know Charlie and Sam Bever ? I went to college with Sam.

Quote from: Bills Custom Calls on June 03, 2010, 03:16:38 PM
Glen I am in the same % as you

You know the LOSER %  :alscalls:

Hey...... If you were alive......well.....and able to get out.......... You won...........  :wink:

Quote from: bambam on June 03, 2010, 08:03:15 PM
Congrats to the winners and to everyone who bagged a bird this year. ( my daughter and I got skunked   :shrug: :shrug: ). Hidehunter, your knife will be in the mail tomorrow. Hope you like it.  Hey, do you happen to know Charlie and Sam Bever ? I went to college with Sam.

I know some Bever's.  My BIL is Steve Bever and his dad is Warren Bever.  There are some others around though that if I saw them I would recognize them.  Where did you go to college?

WTG guys!!

Jim

congrats guys !!!  wtg !!!  beautiful birds

Congratulations are in order for our top two turkey hunters for 2010.  :congrats:


Brian "BigB" please shoot me a PM with your mailing info. so I can get your Muela knife out to you!

Big Thank You to BamBam, got the knife today and love it :yoyo:  :yoyo:

Quote from: Hidehunter on June 18, 2010, 08:48:37 PM
Big Thank You to BamBam, got the knife today and love it :yoyo:  :yoyo:

  Thanks  Hidehunter, glad you liked it.

  I went to WVU. Sam Bever now lives in Parkersburg but I think his family still lives in Nicholas county.