Turkey pictures at the Frog pond (err back yard)

[Frogman]

I started hearing turkeys gobble behind the house this afternoon 4/30/09 about 4:00 PM just after we had had a short rain sqaull pass through.  I went out on the porch and hit the box call a couple a times.  Lots of gobbling going on in the woods behind the house.  Sounded like two or three different gobblers.  Then I see these two hens come out of the woods into my back yard . . .





Not long after two gobblers appeared, and the hens immediately took of over the hill closer to him . . .



You can barely see this one,  he was strutting, then I saw a second one . . .



Now there were two hens and two nice long beards.  The toms were really putting on a show strutting and gobbling for at least 20 minutes.  They were behind some trees so I didn't get very good pictures of them.

I had to leave to pick up my wife from work about a quarter til five.   We stopped and had dinner.  Got back home about 6:30 PM and the turkeys were still there.  The toms were closer to the house, and I got some better pictures, but they were no longer strutting . . .





The electronic zoom on my camera has not worked well in the past, but I thought, heres a chance to try it again.  Here are some better pics of the two toms . . .



Well that's one of them, here they are together . . .



That little rain squall got all the critters out,  now there is a deer in the picture . . .



And some of the turkeys in the background . . .



Pretty exciting evening here at the Frog pond.  These turkeys finally went into the woods just before dark.  I'm hoping they roosted not too far from here.  Here in WV we can not turkey hunt after 12:00 noon.  I intend to do a set behind the house early in the morning with my buddy Mike.  Maybe I'll get a chance at one of those toms???  Wish me luck!!! 

I will let you know what transpires tomorrow!


Jim 

[Hawks Feather]

Hey, good luck.

It is interesting in that in Ohio we can hunt from 1/2 hour prior to sunrise till noon.  Then in PA you can't start hunting till noon.  I guess it works out pretty good if you live on the border and can hunt Ohio in the morning and PA in the afternoon.

Get one tomorrow.

Jerry

[HaMeR]

Nice lookin birds Jim. Either one of those should do just fine for your 1st. 

[FinsnFur]

Mannnnnn, your grass is such a brilliant green the deer almost looks translucent

Mice pics by the way. Did you pick one out for the fryer?

[nastygunz]

DAMN GOOD LOOKING LAWN TOO  

[alscalls]

You can hunt till 1 pm in WV Jim....
Nice pics.

[Frogman]

Oops??

Good catch there Al.  I thought it was noon, but just looked it up and you are correct.  We can turkey hunt til 1:00 PM.  Guess I'm kinda new to this turkey hunting thing. 

Thanks!

Jim

[Tikaani]

Hey, whats that green crap the turkeys are standing on?  I am mesmerized, what is that stuff.   Hope you get one in the morning.

Hunt hard, Die tired
John

[KySongDog]

You can use a rifle in WVA so if they show in the morning, you got meat!   

[Frogman]

Guys,

I was down at the edge of the woods behind the house at 6:15 AM  this morning.  It started raining as I headed out the door.  After setting up I did a few yelps on the box call.  No response.  Rain started coming down even harder.  Saw 4 deer out to my left.  I was getting pretty wet.  Gave up after about an hour.  Maybe tomorrow will be better???

Jim

[Hidehunter]

Hey, whats that green crap the turkeys are standing on?  I am mesmerized, what is that stuff.  

Whats them feathery looking critters with the beards?  I sure would like to see one of them 


I only live 133 miles south of you and our trees and grass look nothing like that.

[nastygunz]

Yall keep at em........every year I take a week in the spring time and go north to hunt turkey.....1 year I hunted hard for 9 damn days....cold as hell....rained almost every day......bugs were vicious....hens everywhere...never got a shot at a gobbler.......had to end my vacation...I worked Monday....woke up Tuesday...raining...almost went back to bed....toughed it up and hit the woods...at 0630...I nailed the biggest tom of my life....never was so pumped and thats my best hunt ever for turkey....ya never know when it will all come together..I usually wait in the morning to hear if anyhtings going on...then i call every 15 minutes or so...if i ant getting no action i use the box call and i wail on that mother loud and longgggg....have hauled in birds from a long distance doing that....I like the fields when it rains...up here they seem to like the rain....always see em feeding out in the hay fields and corn fields...I hunt VT with my best buddy from kids and we drive the back dirt roads and stop and blast crow and coyote calls and if we get a gobble we set upon em n call and have had some good luck doing that also.....heres a pic to keep you pumped haha...im packing my gear tonight..headin up tomorrow n hittin em...hopefully sunday on the NH opener

[Frogman]

Tried it again this morning 5/2/09 with my buddy Mike.  Heard some turkeys gobbling before we left the house at 6:00 AM.  We headed down through the meadows in the previous photos and set up on a point in the woods not far from where we had heard one of the birds.  He continued to gobble but sounded farther away now.  About 7:00 AM we didn't hear him anymore.  We moved closer to where we had heard him last and did another stand.  No further response. 

Mike had to go to a funeral at 10:00 AM so we headed back to the house about 8:30 AM.

After Mike left I hit the recliner for a few ZZZZZs.  Gobbling woke me up.  Looked out the window and saw what appeared to be the same two gobblers in the photos above.  They were right behind the house to the right of that old building.  They slowly moved out of sight to my right.  I quickly got dressed and grabbed the .22 magnum and the deke and headed for the building.  Set the deke out bolow the building and got in it and did some calls on the box call.  I continued to hear them gobble for a few minutes but they were clear around the hill and moving away from me.  If they keep coming around here like that and tormenting me I'm going to pop a cap on one of them!!

Jim

[HuntnCarve]

Hawk,

Unfortunately you have your information wrong about Pennsylvania.  We are the same hours as you folks in Ohio.  We can start 1/2 hour before sunrise, but can only hunt gobblers till noon.  We have to be out of the woods by 1:00 PM.  In our Fall season we can hunt from morning till evening. 
I typically see the gobblers after 1Pm as they parade around in the fields!

Dave

[Silencer]

Frog, I'd put a nice recliner in that shed and bring a cooler with yer fav drink and a couple sandwiches, maybe even a book. 
Set yer dekes 20 yds out in front of that door and just kick back for a couple hours enjoying yourself calling every now and then.
 

[Frogman]

The turkeys were back again this morning Sunday 5/3/09.  Unfortunately WV does not have Sunday hunting so I just took pictures.  I started hearing turkeys gobbling at 10:00 AM.  Sounded like they were right behind the house.  The first picture shows the old building behind my house.  Turkeys are visible near the upper right corner of the building . . .



Here are some closer, zoomed shots . . .













They were strutting and gobbling.  I could hear other turkeys way off on the other hillside responding to them.  After a little bit they moved to the other side of the building . . .





Pretty cool huh??  I think the recliner in the building may be the way to go?!?!

Jim

[pitw]

That is pretty cool Eh.  How do you get your computer to add that green color to the pics?   Love the pics and wish you luck.

[Tikaani]

Funny how they showed back up on Sunday, must have a copy of WV hunting regs.  Again, I'm with Barry on this, what is that green crap.

John

[iahntr]

and why do you keep calling your blind,
"that old building"     

Nice pics.
Thanks
Scott

[Hidehunter]

LOL your killing me with the pics...I would have loved to seen one of them Saturday.