[dust777man]

Just wanting to know see some stories on some memorable turkey hunts. Doesn't matter whether you got one or not. I'll start with one of my own.

I would have to say one that stands out was the first bird I ever killed. It was late in the season and I had seen several birds, but for one reason or another I could never close the deal. With only a couple of days left in the season I was still hoping for the best. It was one of those mornings you just knew the birds would be gobbling. As it neared daybreak I heard one gobble about 150 yds from me. Not another gobble until it hit the ground. It wouldn't answer a call, but it did shock gobble at a goose. Well several minutes had passed and I was wondering what to do when I heard some walking in the leaves behind me and then this noise that I have never heard. I was up against a huge oak tree and couldn't see a thing. Finally it dawned on me that what I was hearing was a gobbler spitting and drumming. I then heard something else out in front of me. it was the gobblers hens. No wonder it hadn't gobbled much. I was trying to figure out what to do when he broke strut and walked around to follow them, which put him walking in front of me. I already had my gun up so it was just a matter of putting the bead on him. He stopped one time to go back into strut, and I pulled the trigger. At first I thought I had missed because the shot knocked him behind a tree. It wasn't a second though before I saw him and knew I had my first one. It weighed 20lbs. Had a 10 inch beard and 1 inch spurs.

I will post more later.

 

[CHAVEZ CHAVEZ]

3 yr's ago my oldeset boys friend wanted to go turkey hunt'n with us so we took him along . opening day we get out call'n and what have you just enjoying the day doing set ups here and there . birds were'nt really responding that day well that day came to a end with no tom so we went home already pumped up fo the next day .
we get back out the next day doing the same thing no responds nothing , so we head back to the truck for some lunch and a ciesta . we slept for 2 hr's ...
woke up told the boys lets go we got too get back to that canyon , before the birds start move'n . so off we went walk'n a ridge line back to some black timber watching the entire canyon for turkeys tell'n the boys too keep a eye out for them as we were heading to where the turkeys feed and watered before they roosted. well on the right before we got too the spot i spoted 2 toms on the other side work'n there way down too the crick , so we had too hurry too the bottom of the canyon too get a set up i stood back a lil my boy was the closest too the crick , the other boy was with me . started call'n a lil bit got a couple gobbles , called some more responded again , this time closer waited a few called again noth'n then the boy with me said dad there they are
i could'nt see them , right there dad he told me see'em . they were about 15 yrd's from my boy , i nodded my head too my boy not too shoot yet so they would come closer for both of them too take there toms together. well that did'nt work , my son blasted his gun off the other bird did'nt have a clue what was going on , told the other boy shoot'em .... this kid fired 5 shots i reloaded the gun after the 1'rst 3 about 20 yrd shot that kid did'nt even come close too that bird .. we just stood up and started laugh'n because it was so funny ..
that turkey had more time too get away than a cat with nine lives.. we still give him crap about that day he just laughs and says i'll get him next yr . sence this has happened every yr this is one of the most that comes back.

 

[CountryHart]

I've hunted all my life but my most memorable hunt occured the first season i hunted Missouri. I was living in Pea Ridge Ar. and had tagged out in Ark. and wasn't ready to hang it up and bought the out of state tag. A friend had referred me to Flag Spr. ( public ground). I left the house bout noon and got my tag and found a slooosh of fresh sign the first place i went. I eased out the same as i eased in, no need to bump em i figured.
Pitched a small tent and eat hotdawgs an drink beer all nite by the fire. My clock didn't wake me and when i did wake, it was from a rooster crowing. I looked out and it was getting lite in the east.Panic mode now,,,, as i get loaded and headed to my honey hole I realized i had run out of copenhagen. Tough decision, drive 10 miles to Washburn or do without. What the heck, cawfee sounded good anyway. At the store an Older gent ask what i was doing and i explained lookin for snuff an cawfee and he said naw, your huntin. Away i flew back and it's getting lite enuff for flydown. When i stopped my bronco i was already too close. Soon as i stepped out he almost blew my hat off gobblin. Set my cawfee on the hood, snuck around the corner of the loggin road an set up. 2 yelps and i heard him hit the ground, boom thats it. Took my bird right back to the store and gramps is still there. He say's "thought ya was huntin" i told him i did and needed to tag one.I've killed several throughout my life but never had a hunt like that. Sorry, i get to talkin and can't hush. Thank you

 

[Zing]

I'd have to say it was my son's first bird, It was about 8am and he decided he wanted to go turkey hunting. so we decided to try to take one on our property. We have never hunted them on our place, (been waiting for more birds) so off we went. We stopped at the opening of a 26 ac field and made some calls with a mouth call, nothing moved further back hit the box call nothing, went further to the back and made some more calls with a box call. It had been about an hour now and about 15 min since our last call, then it happened a jake gobbled. We set up on it and made some soft calls on a slate it gobbled again and again coming in closer. I realized it was hung up on a fence line we waited then we moved closer to it. called, one gobble then it went quiet my son decided he had enough after about an hour with this bird, he decided he wanted to get something to eat. Sure enough we bumped that bird not 50 yards down the trail. I made 4 soft yelps with a mouth call and then a big mature bird thundered behind us we set up he gobbled at least 50 times we moved closer, my son was getting tired holding the gun up, the bird was still gobbling. I told him to hold in there then the bird showed him self a few soft purs on the slate and the bird came running in at 5 yards the 20 ga did its trick, He killed his first bird a 10" beard and 3/4" spurs. This was his 3rd year hunting.

 

[muzkrat]

my best hunt was with my at the time 15 yr old daughter. my hunting partner and myself carried her out on a early youth day hunt. we chased birds all morning but no luck, decided to go back where we started the morning and as we turned into the farm road there was a flock of birds in the road with a tom in full strut. we backed out grabbed our gear and started to work the birds but neither one of us noticed wich way they went. we took a wild guess and started at a fast pace across a clearcut toward a treeline that followed a drainage ditch. we both figured that was the best route for the birds to take. i set up with my daughter and my partner set up back behind us and started doing some real light calling. i was beginning to think we had misjudged the direction when i heard a bird coming through the brush. the dry leaves were making that tic.tic.tic sound they make at times. i wispered to my daughter to raise her gun and be ready cause they were coming, she told me i do not see him i do not see him.........THERE HE IS......the bird was coming right at us. poped his head up at 10 yrds and raised that head straight up and was looking at us. i told my daughter shoot....shoot....shoot then BAM that bird flipped and i was hoopin and hollering before he hit the ground. it was 11:45 only 15 min hunt time left. my daughter was grinning from ear to ear, very speacial hunt for me and my huntin partner. bird was 20 lbs 1 in hooks 10 1/2 in beard he is mounted on my wall.

 

[dust777man]

Here is another hunt that was hard for me even to believe.

It was late in the season and there was a bird that would roost on one side of the lake or the other. Depending on where he roosted is whether or not I could hunt him. He would always alternate sides of the lake from morning to morning. If he roosted across the lake, he would fly to my side and spend the day there. If he roosted on my side, he would fly across the lake and spend the day on the other side. That one morning he was roosted on the other side, so I knew he would fly to my side. He was gobbling good from the roost and I set up on a little point directly across from him. I just knew I had him when he flew down. So much for what I thought. He did fly to my side, but he flew way to my right and past me which put me in an arkward position. He went up to a road behind me and started gobbling and strutting. I eased around the tree and could see him at times. Finally after about 30 minutes of this he hushed up. I sat there quiet myself for a few more minutes and gave a call which he gobbled too and he was closer. I turned my head to the right and called to make him hopefully come to my right. It worked. I saw him moving to my right and moved my gun as he went behind a tree. I just got my gun in position when he stepped out. He must have caught a little movement cause he got real nervous. I pulled the trigger and that is when everything went downhill. At the shot he went straight up then back and then he started flopping like he was done for. He then popped up and took off to my right which was too thick for a shot. I saw him up on the road and he looked like he was wobbly but was gone when I got there. Of course I was in disbelief that this was happenning. There were feathers everywhere. If someone would have walked up on that spot later, they would have thought a turkey died there with that many feathers lying around. Well I started walking and checking every brush pile that I could find to see if he had gotten in one. NOTHING. Dejected, I went back to the boat and went to the house. This all happenned around 8 that morning and about 12 pm I decided I was going back to look some more. This time I checked better the other way and made some bigger circles. I was making one more circle before I was going to give up when I came up on a road and started down it when I looked to my right and there stood the gobbler with his head tucked down and blood on his head. Of course I was absolutely surprised that he was standing there. I walked on by him a few yards and slowly brought my gun up and finished him off. It was almost 6 hrs after the first shot that I recovered him. I thought to myself that no one is going to believe this. I wasn't sure if I believed it. I guess it pays to never give up looking but I do know I was extremely lucky to get this bird. It was 18 lbs with a 10" beard and 1" spurs. I'll take lucky.

 

[CountryHart]

It makes me weak at my stomach to know i crippled something up and can't find it. Congrats on your persistence.

 

[CatfishMOJO]

my best turkey hunt was this past fall, my 10 son killed his first turkey and it had 3 beards 1 - 6 inch, 1 - 2.5 inch and 1- 2 inch. he has turkey in his blood now and is ready for spring to get here!

Shawn...

 

[nycathunter]

the one i wont forget is one i hunted for three days straight. i couldnt get him to come in within range but on the last day it was pouring rain i knew he was a nice bird . i setup within 100 yrds from his roost at first light i heard him gobbling from the tree. along with his hens tree yelping. this time when he flew down he didnt go with the hens but instead came to me :big_smile: just goes to show never give up ! here is a picture

 

[Wil]

now wheres baker?? i know hes got some great stories! one im thinkin of particularly is the time he belly crawled darn near a mile to get a bird, that guy LOVES turkey hunting!

 

[CHAVEZ CHAVEZ]

nice tom there nycathunter , thanx's for share'n.

 

[QBQ]

Some great stories. My last one always seems to be my most memorable but I'll pick another to share. I chased this gobbler on the first morning and got very close but he would not leave his strut zone and gobbled his head off until he eventually left with some hens. That evening I took one of his buddies so I wanted to get into his strut zone before dawn the next morning and wait him out. The next morning I made a wide loop and was slowly sneaking along the river that borders the property. As I was 100 yards from where I wanted to be, I caught sight of him strutting his stuff on the limb. He was roosted right over the river. The only thing I could do was set up right there and wait him out. As daylight approach I called very little but he knew I was there.About the time he was looking to fly down, two hens that I did not see or hear, cackled and flew down. The gobbler followed. I waited a few minutes but he wanted the real thing. He never made a single gobble nor did any other bird in the area. After I was sure they left (they were heading where I wanted to be) I got up and snuck into the area where he hung up and gobbled the morning before. I got in there quiet about 30 minutes after fly-down and still heard no gobbles. I decided to get aggressive and put out a secret weapon, a half strut jake named Bubba. I set him up in the area the gobbler liked. I knew I was the only person on the property so I pulled out the gobble call. I gobbled twice at the decoy and once again at my tree when he couldn't stand it and broke loose with his first gobble of the day. As he came from about 80 yards down river he started cranking it up as did other gobblers. Finally I saw the hens coming and got ready. He gobbled just inside the pines not fifty yards away and the hens stood there. I positioned my decoy in a bad spot and the hens stood there and fed for awhile then slipped off. Hen calls would not bring them back. I watched the hens and waited until they were out of view and decided to make one more move. I picked up and made a circle and ended up the last place he gobbled. I again set up and tried to get him mad. I hit the gobble call several more times and waited. It did not take long. I first saw the hens running toward me but then the gobbler was in the lead and popped into view just feet from me with his eyes right on Bubba. He never knew what hit him.
Alot of hunters would have left if they didn't hear a gobble in the AM. I knew he really liked that area.


http://www.catfish1.com/gallery/files/1/8/0/0/6/2005-sc-10inch-1.0_spurs.jpg

 

[peglegreb]

Well, it all started about the time we got a season. my first bird was a jake. waid 12lb. I was proud of myself. the best part was I let a jack walk it must have been his brother. and he had a limp so I told my neffu. and we are the only two people to hunt this land. And we both learnd from my Dad.so we let that one go for about 3 years.

and we started two hunt him and low and behold we could not get him in the end of the gun.to make a long story short. I met a guy that told me he had a son in a wheel chair that wanted to kill a gobbler,and me being soft at heart I gave in . so we set it up for the next weekend. when I met them for grits and eggs I had a good filling that we were going to have a great day and when we got to the woods with his son, and rolled him in the woods. He already had his mask and gloves on and gun in his hand I sat him in the road where I knew that hipity hop was spitting and drumming thats what we named him. so I unrolled the blind when I heard something that sounded like wind coming from behind me and turn around and it was him 10 feet from me I was standing up buy the time I started to say shot. he let a 3 1/2 go this bird had a 1' 3/8 spurs. and a 12" breid that was 3" wide.

 

[Luke Clayton]

Luke Clayton here I 've been hunting turkeys for 25 years and had my most exciting hunt this past monday in Palo Pinto county on the holt river ranch. Please read my newspaper column on the hunt here on the BOC or www.catfishradio.com we also have some good 'turkey talk' on this week's radio show here. Take a listen. and... good hunting to you.. After you read my article, you will understand why I often "take the hunt to the turkeys" rather than waiting for them to come to me..

 

[spcmitchell28]

My favorite turkey hunt happened 2 years ago. It was the 2nd week of the season and I had been hunting nonstop since day one, so I was pretty worn down by then. I deceided to go to some public land not to far from my house called Bonanza conservation area. I tried to slip in on a spot located on a hillside that overlooked a corner of a cornfield that I knew gobblers frequently used for a strutting area. But as I was working my way up the hill I stepped on a downed log and it caved in which made a lot of noise and spooked a couple of turkeys that were roosted in the tree right above me:crazy:. I had pretty much given up hope on the spot but deceided to hang around for a couple hours to see if they would try to regropup where I jumped them at. I didnt hear much gobbling that morning except for one gobbler that was a couple hundred yards away and was on the other side of a creek and wouldnt budge. When out of nowhere I heard a bird gobble directly behind me at the top of the hill about 100 yards away. I was facing the other way and was afraid if I turned around he would bust me, so I pulled out a push/pull call and gave a couple of soft yelps. Thats all it took. Within about 30 seconds he gobbled again this time about 20 yards behind me. He then strutted up and began to drum as he started down the hill. He litterally walked within 5 feet of me still drumming and let out another gobble. I was shaking so badly that I was sure he would bust me at any second. But after a minute or so he came out of strut and walked past me. I swung my gun on him and he turned and looked right at me, but it was too late:big_smile:. I shot him from 7 yards, he had a 11 3/4 inch bird with 1 1/4 spurs and weighed 23 lbs. I will never forget that hunt in my life. I dont know if I will ever be able to top it either.

 

[223reload]

Last spring has to be my most memorable. I set up in a heavily wooded area the birds were strutting in that morning ,Set up around 3 pm and waited for them to come to water and mill around before roosting. Just sat there beside a huge elm tree and clucked every once in a while ,after an hour or so a couple hens strolled by then another half hour ,I looked to the road and these two boys were walking under the fence. I clucked twice and here they came gobbling and running full bore,Just got my gun up as they cleared the tree and dusted the bigger at about 15 yds,His partner shuffled a few feet and turned to see what was goin on and I got him at about 20 yds.

 

[bownero]

My most memorable turkey hunt was the first turkey I have ever shot. It was a cold, rainy and windy day. It was lightning too and my friend and I debated about trying it. We figured what the heck and went for it. We got in there where they roosted and when the thunder sounded they gobbled like crazy. At fly down we both called and after 10 minutes or so here came 3 jakes and a couple hens. I wasn't picky about shooting a jake for my first turkey. I singled one at 25 yards and let the arrow fly. Done deal. He went about 20 yards and piled up. I was overjoyed about the success of the hunt considering the conditions we were dealing with. We were both soaking wet, but I couldn't be happier. The jake had a 3" beard and weighed around 17 lbs. Scoring a turkey with a bow is quite the challenge, but if you play your cards right you will be successful too. FUN STUFF!:wink:

 

[Angler4life]

Suprisingly, my most memorable turkey hunt occured this morning, on opening day here in Ohio. I took my friend, Matt on his first turkey hunt. We set up on a gobbler this morning that we put to bed last night. Unfortunately, it came out of the roost and flew the opposite way. So, after a 30 minute wait, I decided that we should head to the other side of the property to see if any birds would respond. I did call in a hen, but no Jakes or toms. At this point, it was nearing 9:00am and it was time to unfold my master plan. I had thought earlier that if I gave the goobler that we had set up on in the morning some time to comingle with the hens, I could call him in later in the morning. I decided to head back to the side of the property that we started on and set up 300 yards caddycorner from our first spot, in the direction that the tom had flown from the roost. Soon after arriving, I began to call with the slate. To my surprise, a couple of turkeys called right back, but they were so close already that I had no time to set out decoys, so we sat down on the edge of a gas line. A hen and a jake arrived and I had a chance to shoot the jake, but I passed on it. I heard more turkeys calling down in the hollow, so I gave my gun to my friend. Matt had decided that if a tom was coming that I should be the one to shoot it. I didn't hear any gobbles in the hollow, so I was hoping that a jake would make its way toward us for Matt to shoot. I continued calling and after 15 minutes, a tom let out a gobble about 60 yards over the ridge. Matt looked back at me in order to express his concern that I didn't have the gun in my hands. I looked at him and said with a wink, "He's all yours, get your gun up." Matt seemed shocked that I was giving this opportunity to him, but I knew it was the right thing to do. Soon enough, the gobbler came over the ridge of the gas line and into the woods at full strut. Talk about shaking; I was afraid that the gobbler was going to spot me because of it. With the tom at 30 yards, Matt pulled the trigger and the turkey rolled. I yelled out in joy as we ran to the trophy. I was ecstatic! A plan couldn't unfold any better. At the check-in station, the turkey weighed in at 25 pounds, had a 10 1/2 inch beard, had one spur that was 1 1/2 inches, and the other spur was chipped, but measured 1 inch. This turkey was a trophy indeed. It was hard for me to pass up an opportuniity to kill a gobbler like this one, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I probably got more satisfaction out of helping Matt harvest this turkey than I would have if I had did it myself. It was a very rewarding experience, and a memory that won't be forgotten by either of us!

 

[CHAVEZ CHAVEZ]

great story ,sounded like a awsome hunt . i thought i was there for a second .:roll_eyes:
congrats too ya and your buddie , i'm sure he will never forget this day .