Georgia Turkey Season

Well, the Georgia turkey season for private land opened this morning. Y’all post up your success stories and pics!

Headed down yonder in the morning.
Plan to hunt Monday thru Wednesday. I always buy a 3 day permit.
Looking forward to getting after them river swamp gobblers!!

We have another week or two to wait for the opener they don’t disperse until May in most areas out here. SD and WY have moved their seasons back to the last week in April now out in the Black Hills. It seems the hens are staying with the gobblers well into May in recent years and nesting later in the season making calling a bird harder.

The birds are there they just show little interest when surrounded by hens. A storm will push out a good number of birds in places that you might think lacks bird numbers but has a good but population.

I missed my second opening day ever this year. It’s all good though. I babysit my Granddaughter so my son can take her momma and try and get a turkey. I did get my nails done for troubles though. I thought it was kids type nail polish that just washes off…NOPE! Who gives a 2.5yr old real nail polish???
Hoping they get it done this afternoon or tomorrow otherwise I think she talked about doing Papa’s toes!

I didn't make it out today....maybe not tomorrow either.. Sinus drainage and sore throat has gradually worsened...yesterday was bad. Stayed in bed most of the day. Today, it's better, but snotty nose and frequent cough persists.

I'm just glad the wife had this 1st so she can't hammer on me for giving it to her...lol

BTW....the nails look nice! Pink is your color.....lol

Dang Swamp, I was waiting for your post! Hope you get feeling better.

Yep when I opened this up I was expecting a pic of him and a long beard strapped to the back of that bicycle.We open up next weekend. I went listen yesterday and heard 2 so maybe they'll be around next weekend.

Just changed the oil in the truck to start the war.. KY in 2 weeks..

My son was in the mountains of North Georgia this morning. Only heard one, way off the property he has to hunt. Found very little fresh sign even though he has fairly recent trail cam pics.

...and I've got the ebike ready to roll too.

Got the gun carrier mounted last week.



But, I think it'll be difficult to pull off with the way I'm coughing.

Got to feeling a little better this afternoon so I needed to see if my Turkey 870 would ride OK on the ebike.....it did.

Are you gonna strap Clay onto the back of that thing or make him walk?

I just point him in a direction and he goes and kills gobblers. No ebike needed...lol

Hope you guys have a great hunt. Expecting pictures!

Easter morning backyard bird today. Me and the girls were in the back yard playing yesterday evening when I heard him gobble next door. Asked my neighbor for permission to hunt his little wood lot and had him killed by 8 this morning. Lots of gobbling and strutting, but it almost didn’t happen. He skirted me and wanted to stay about 80 yards out. Finally broke and came in on a string

Congrats S94!

I made it out of bed this morning. Got to my listening post. At least 4 different gobblers sounding off. Went to the closes one. Got situated about 100 yds out. Calling commenced and all 4 of them began moving closer. Close 1 in a creek bottom where I was, 1 across a clearcut, and 2 coming down a logging road together.

After an hour or more, the 1 in creek bottom went south to neighbors property...gobbling his head off (I should've moved on him b4 he left)...might have been able to get his attention. He gobbled a lot....100+ times.

One in clearcut approached to within 200 yds...never saw him...he may have had hens with him as he didn't want to gobble much...maybe 15 times.

The 2 together down the logging road from me approached to within 250 yds but turned and went back and out into another clearcut...probably following hens. I never laid eyes on them either, but could have as they were in the long straight road for several min. Those 2 gobbled about 50 or 60 times together.

About 9AM, I couldn't fight the urge to cough any longer. Things had been quiet for several minutes and out it came uncontrollable. Coughing up that mess.....dang!

I heard all 4 gobblers gobble 3 or 4 more times each after my cough, but decided to ease out amd try again tommorrow. I'll have a bottle of water with me tommorrw.

Got to listening spot earlier. Still dealing with snot drainage and coughing....uugghh!!!

Stood out in clover plot until good light....heard no gobbling...NONE. four in this are yesterday morning & lots of gobbling....that's turkeys for ya.

Said to myself...I said Self you don't need to be standing out in the middle of this opening. So, I sat down about 5 yds inside the edge. I called 3 or 4 short, soft 3 note yelps and layed call down.

I got out my phone and was browsing Tman and then read a couple Sportsman's Devotionals. After about 15 or 20 minutes, I caught movement and a gobbler came trotting by out in the food plot about 15 yds away.

In a very quick motion, my aim was true. The TSS 7 & 9 mix blew thru thick briers and rolled him up.

I feel like I did nothing to deserve this bird. I'm blessed.

Excellent hunt Swamp Wolf! I feel the same way about being blessed.

I went and listened briefly this morning. I have a friend I am trying to get on his first bird. He hunts out of a wheelchair so we are limited on mobility. Im looking for the right bird in the right spot. Didnt find him this morning, but did hear one a ways off we might be able to get on if I can get permission from the neighboring landowner to approach from the backside.

Nice birds gentlemen.

Opens in VA on the 13th. Can't wait. Birds have been banging right good for the last several weeks.

Seems like opening week always corresponds with the farmers having just sprayed all of the fields just a week prior in preparation for planting. Makes the clover plots and such that much better.

Good luck to everyone for the upcoming season.

ClayCreech got a fine specimen of a southern Ga gobbler this morning. 11.5" beard.

We were hunting seperate tracts about 8 miles apart...same river bottom.

The old turkey men were wise when they said yelp three times and shut up.

Great pics gents, I am jealous. A couple more weeks of waiting here

Outstanding work gentlemen! Congrats to all.
I went yesterday morning but didn’t take a gun. Mainly went to listen. Our birds are acting funny, gobbling, but want nothing to do with our calling. They have their harems and ain’t taking applications for another companion, lol. They’re acting like it’s still real early, even though I watched a hen leave the group, assuming she was going to her nest.
I think it’ll be another week or two before they get right. By right I mean strutting straight in to the call and trying to beat another gobbler to you. It’s also means those hens get real vocal and want to argue with you. I want the full theatrical production before I pull the trigger, lol!

Way to go SW. I like the bike pic. Our opens this Saturday and there's a possibility I am going to Ky.in 3 weeks.

Congrats Swampwolf! Persistence pays off, hats off to ya going after them with a bad cold.

Few more weeks here, I’m excited. Seeing plenty of birds , they just gotta cooperate

Im working from home today and stepped outside to check on our new batch of meat birds. Heard a hen in the field next to us and then started hearing gobbles back towards where I killed the other one. Went inside to get my wife and girls in case they wanted to hear the gobbles. He probably gobbled a half dozen times while I was out there. I threw a few calls out so he may head this way, but he'll be safe from me this go around.

Congrats fellas.

You Old Farts can jump in a truck next month and head north. Like WAY north.

ClayCreech smoked his 2nd gobbler this morning...a fine double-bearded specimen!!!

Clay didn’t waste any time! Great looking bird too! Congrats!!

Rain all day tomorrow…….I really wanted to close the deal today. I just buy a 3 day tag.
Missouri’s youth season starts Saturday and I’ve got a grandson chomping at the bit to go. Need to get home and get some scouting done.
Love hunting down here in South Georgia. Love chasing them in these river bottom swamps. Not many pines, live oaks, and Spanish moss in Missouri!
Not many gators and cottonmouths either lol
1022 miles to home tomorrow!

Safe travels man and again, Way to git’r done!!!

Well my son got his bird yesterday afternoon. He said he’d walked and called about everywhere birds “should be” but hadn’t seen or heard a thing. The last text I got said he was heading back to the creek where he heard a bird a Sunday evening. He said he was about to cross the creek from North to South and put his pot call away and decided to hit the trumpet. He said immediately 2 birds gobbled at him from the North about 300yds out. He said by the time he jumped in cover and hit the trumpet again he could see them running his way. The birds would run, stop and strut, then gobble and take off again. He said he doesn’t know how they heard the trumpet in that wind but they didn’t stop again until they were almost too close, lol. From the time of his last text until I got a FaceTime call, was 12 minutes.
It’s amazing how you can go from an hour or two of zero, to a few minutes of maximum adrenaline.

Nice bird! It does happen QUICKLY sometimes.

WB,
Just got back home from sighting in the thermal on the AR 223. Went quick and easy...out to 100yds. Had to heat up a small screw head on target backstop to have a small aim point.

I'm just about familiar with the buttons and control features....been working them aroumd the yard past couple nights.

Gonna head upstate in a day or 2 to kill my 2nd gobbler and powder burn some hogs.

Well done

I figured this picture would be coming! Well done, Clay

SWEET!!! Learn where that record button is and don’t forget to press it, lol! I shot I don’t know how many hogs and critters before I started remembering to hit the record button! I’d get caught up in sneaking in and just forget about it. Now I just turn it on and edit the videos after loading them to my phone.
Can’t wait to watch some videos and read some stories!!

Looks like Georgia is the place to be!

I have been seeing a few birds around. We have had some very warm weather in the past couple weeks and the birds have been on the move. Back down in the 30's today and for the next few days, youth season this Saturday.

Crazy enough, I have a hen laying eggs in my front field right now. I have seen her the last few days when I get home from work in the same spot, only see her head sticking up

Sure enough, after closer inspection she is already coming to drop an egg each day. I knew they were already breeding hens, but for this ole girl to be dropping eggs she had to have been bred in early March.

She isn't incubating yet, I hope this cold weather doesn't kill the eggs she has already laid

I have seen poults on opening day here before.

Down here at the Florida line breeding starts in February.

Well, took my next to the youngest son this evening and we covered a lot of ground and finally struck a bird. We were right next to a drain so I set him about 10yds away and I was off to his right and slightly behind him.
The bird hit the first yelp after finding our hides and I knew it was coming.
Whenever anyone hunts with me, I make them use my gun unless I know for a fact they have patterned their gun and loads.
I’ll take the blame on this bird only because I didn’t range anything after telling him where to sit. This bird came in strutting and gobbling and stayed anywhere from 45yds initially to 35yds. I videoed and throughout the video I saying shoot him, kill him, shoot, shoot the bird!!!
The wind was howling, but to his direction, lol!! We watched this bird for probably 15-20mins until a hen crossed the wet drain between and and went straight to that gobbler!
After the bird moved off, I eased where my son was and asked how close he wanted them because for burnt pines that’s about as good as it gets.
He swore that bird was 60-70yds until I handed his my rangefinder, lol. But, I’d rather him not take the shot because he thought it was too far, rather than trying to stretch one out and possibly wounding a bird. No matter the outcome, it was a GREAT hunt!! We got the full show in HD and stereo!!
We’ll give it another go tomorrow morning.

Sometimes they look a lot further for me too than they actually are. I like the 25 yard shots where I have no doubt. Sounds like a fun hunt nonetheless. I went and listened at a spot near the house this morning. Heard one way off. Got back home and made an owl screech and one gobbled in the field next to my garage. Gonna take a buddy in the morning and see if we can find one near the house. Public land opens this weekend, but all the local to me stuff is quota only this week. I’ll try to fill my tag after the quota hunts are done.

Gonna head to Montana for my first out of state turkey trip in May so maybe I’ll get to scratch something off the bucket list

Closed the 2024 season out this morning.

Set up on a gobbling bird at dawn....but he had other plans. Moved on him twice, but no go....must have had hens as he didn't want to play once he got on the ground.

I moved about 1/4 mile away to some fresh dusting sign at a sandy road intersection. Set up and called about 4 or 5 times in about 10 mins. No gobbling. I had been there about an hour sitting quietly when a gobbler sounded off up on the open pine ridge to my left about 100 yds away. I immediately yelped softly and he cut me off. Two longbeards came in....I killed the strutter at 38 steps.

I'm truly blessed!!!!




Also got to witness a cool moonrise and found a few artifacts.

Nice work Swamp!

Congrats Swamp! They were quite vocal this morning on the SW part of our property.
We went back to where we encountered the bird yesterday and “he” was roosted nearby. We heard him, one to our North and another East.
Cover is sparse where we hunt this year due to the burns. We alternate every year, this year it was outside the feed trails and the drains/bottoms due to logging last year and the fact we didn’t burn at all in this area last year. That leaves just the inside of the feed trails.
We moved on the closest bird and ended up in having to set up in the burn. If this bird gobbled once he gobbled over 100 times. We were downhill so to speak. I had my son in some brush that didn’t burn completely and I stayed close to the drain to call. We worked this bird and moved up 3 times. We finally saw him at 70yds and this joker jumps up on an old stump trying to see that hen and would gobble from it.
We just needed another 30yds or so when this joker jumps down and takes off running to our right! I’m thinking what the heck??? I could see Zac and he didn’t move, I know he didn’t see me…then I see the reason! Jakes!!
I love seeing jakes because they become gobbling 2yr olds next season.
But, jakes are like a gang of unruly teenagers. 4 jakes will run off a single gobbler every time! Of course the jakes coming in strutting and the two closest get to within 5yds of Zac! After about 15min of them hanging around and the gobbler back gobbling to our West, I stood up to run them off so we could get back to hunting!
We crossed the drain back to the North to work our way around where we’d heard the bird only to hear him to the far SW corner.
By the time we got there everything shut up so we decided to just sit and listen. After 15-20min we decided to take the long way back to the truck and do some calling along the way. In the process we walked back up on the jakes and they had a couple hens with them. We knew the gobblers would be around but may not be gobbling because of the jakes.
We’d gone about 125yds or so and I hit the call and one answered in the bottom. We hit him again with the crow call and got set up. This time we had the cover and he was in the open. Once we got set up and had him going I realized he was gonna be stubborn. I had Zac move up to where he could see the bottom but not quite all the way down. Meanwhile, I backed up 20yds, then 50yds, and eventually almost 100yds behind him. Each move backwards I could tell he was moving closer. That final move brought him up the hill and in range!

And my son missed!! I mean not even cut a feather.
Zac said instead of just popping up straight in front of him and him shooting, this joker flanked us and then would strut and gobble, strut a few steps and gobble. My son said he got to 35yds and he was shaking so bad the bird saw him and putted twice and set his wings. He took 3 steps back the way he’d come and stopped and my son shot. He said he knew at the shot that the red dot was nowhere close to the bird.
He felt horrible and at one point told me he thought he was gonna puke. Of course, that just spurred me to rag on him even more!! I didn’t get upset. I just laughed and told him if I didn't get all shook up when trying to hold that dot steady on a gobbling strutting bird, I’d just sell all my guns and turkey calls.
We have a month and a half of turkey season, there’ll be other chances and I’m sure throughout life, other misses!

Where you headed in Montana. I hunted the West side last year. Hit me up if you’re in that area and I’ll drop you some pins.

Love this thread!!!!!!

Our season opens on the 15th

Can’t wait!

WB,
Great story of this morning's hunt. Gobbler misses make me wanna puke too, and I've had a few.

Nice work Turkey Freaks.

Now dangit. Car pool and head North.
Need some thinning out of those pests around here.

Appreciate the invite! But, you are a LOOONNGG WAAAYY from here.

Yep, but your Old and have Time...

That's true!

I’m loving that old school 870 you have there. Wish I woulda bought one back in the day. Congrats on two nice longbeards. CJ

Thanks! And now Mossy Oak has brought back that camo pattern..

WB, I think we’ll be near hisham, Montana. Kind of southeast central. I tried to convince my buddies to just hunt public land, but they have a friend who has access to a good bit of private land so I guess that’s where we’ll go. The guys I’m going with don’t take turkey hunting as seriously as I do so I think they are looking for as close to a sure thing as possible.

Bucksnbears, that offer is awful tempting to me!

Great second bird Swampwolf. You’ve had an excellent season.

I tried to take my buddy near the house this morning. I heard a couple gobble in the vicinity yesterday, but it was dead silent this morning. Sounds like we’ll be butchering cows the next several weekends so I’ll have to try to make the most of some before work hunts on the wmas when they open up.

Picked this base up on the way back in this morning...

Good deal to all. Those GA turkeys seem to have a lot more black/darker wing feathers than ours,?

They certainly do.
These turkeys all come from the same river watershed. That watershed runs way south into Florida.
No doubt, these turkeys have some Osceola blood.
I’ve killed a lot of eastern gobblers, and those turkeys have a look all their own.

Lots of BLM land that allows hunting, and when I was there I didn’t run into a single person. OnX shows it all and I contacted their local DNR for that area and talked with them about local populations.
Good luck out there! Can’t wait to see pics and read the stories. If you get near the Saint Regis area hit me up.

Congratulations

Well Sunday afternoon had us in the game again, but no shot at a turkey. We walked the bottom in hopes that we’d strike one early. Donated a pint of blood each to mosquitoes and headed to higher ground. We were making a loop back to a drain between to burn areas and saw 4 jakes. Proceeded a little farther and saw a lone hen. About 1830 or so we got a gobble way back in the bottom off a crow call. We advanced through cover and hit him again and no response. So now we’re stuck. We set up about 5-10yds back in the cover from the burn and waited. About 20 minutes later with no other gobbles I hit him with the glass call. He answered and was within 150yds or a little closer. We were now stuck in place.
There’s a road in front of us and it falls off the other side to the bottom. Our dilemma is the bottom got burned this year. We can’t advance for lack of cover and to be honest, I HATE setting up against a tree in a burn. I just feel like I stand out and if that joker doesn’t see a hen, he ain’t coming anyways.
I tried to deploy the old back up and call while I left Zac in place. It worked sorta, but he never would come to the top. The most Zac got to see was the top of the fan.
The gobbler finally moved West to his roosting spot and we backed on out with a game plan for next weekend. And part of that game plan involves 2 Thermacells each, lol!!! This is one of the wettest Springs I can remember in a long long time. I haven’t had to use a Thermacell the last three seasons, but this year is making up for it!!

Well, the DIL got her bird this morning! I took off Friday and scouted and saw 3 gobblers strutting in a field in one of the burns. I dropped pins to my son and told him that’s where I’d be in the morning. He actually listened, lol.
They set up before daylight and said there were two birds to the East of the field and one slightly North. The two East flew down and went East across the drain, and the one North pitched down North. After a little calling once it hit the deck, ole boy gave them a couple of gobbles and shut up. They thought he was coming, but never showed or made another sound.
My son said they were about to leave and head to the other side of the drain and told Kayla he was gonna stand and call because that bird had pitched over a little hill. He said he didn’t know if just standing did it or not, but that bird answered and he sat back down. Two minutes later the bird was strutting in the field. He died there as well.



She said the shed was a paid actor…

Outstanding!^^^^^^

Was back in the woods this morning building a new deerstand.

Was sitting on a log taking a smoke break.
15_18 of them varmints came down a deer trail and walked by bout 20 yards. Right by my truck with the radio blasting.

4 mature Tom's.

Didn't have my .22 with.

Good for her WB.. Nice Bird..Good on you for scouting and putting them spot on.
SwampWolf I see that Tss is still laying em out. I agree it does kill them deader..Lol.
I bought a box of #9 Thursday morning and tried one out on a long beard Friday morning.

Congrats!

Post pics!

We’ve been shooting TSS before it became a public commodity. Started buying from Apex when our shot ran out and we couldn’t get anymore. Apex 1 5/8oz loads are the only ones that give me the pattern I want. I tried I don’t know how many other manufacturers loads I tested before finding them too, lol. It’s the only shot you can see a “mist” at impact. Absolutely deadly stuff!!

Well, my one son is just jinxed.
We went Friday evening and nothing talking. Finally heard one after walking out and almost to the truck. I pulled up OnX and got a direction and location with the compass mode.

Saturday morning had us set up waiting. We heard at least 5 different gobblers and picked the closest. Now remember nothing the evening before and now birds sounding off everywhere. We get set up and I hear a gobbler and hens. I’m thinking if we can get the hens to fly to us we are set!!
Well, our bird all of a sudden isn’t very vocal despite birds all around just hammering! The first bird flys down and I’m thinking that’s a manly looking hen. The second and third birds fly down and I’m like no way…jakes!!! The fourth bird hits the deck and breaks in strut. Another jake with about a 4” beard.
I still hear the hens so I’m thinking, ok, the gobbler didn’t gobble much because of the jakes. I let the jakes work off and the hens fly down across the creek. I hit them hard wanting to get a response from the gobbler I was guessing is still in the tree.
Instead I hear “the gobble” from my left and here comes this strutting jake and his 3 brothers. I give them a minute or two and stand up to run them off. I’m telling you, that Jake sounded like an adult bird!

We move off and put in about 4miles to find one of the other birds, but had no luck. We saw birds and they’d strut when I’d call, but keep moving the direction they’d travel. None would gobble.
We went back Saturday evening hearing nothing and cut it short and went fishing for the last hour.

Sunday morning had us in a different area along a creek where we saw gobblers crossing from a burn on ours side to a clearcut on the other side.
I’ll make this short and just say my son had two opportunities at two different gobblers, but being inexperienced, he never got a shot off…one as close as 15yds!!!

We plan to try tomorrow morning because the owners come in Wednesday through Sunday so no hunting while they’re here, except for my night hunting. Really really hope we can pull it off!!

Sounds like yall are chasing plenty of birds. I have learned 90% of my turkey hunting through messing up opportunities. He will be a regular old killer in no time.

I went to a local wma yesterday for a couple hours. Heard several birds about 300 yards across a slough. Think I might put some waders on and see if I can drag one out of there in the morning.

Liking the hunt stories WB! It'll happen soon.

Sportsman94,
I've messed up a bunch of killable gobblers over the years. You're correct...that's how we learn.

Birds are acting real funny this year. Gobbling on the roost and VERY little if any after flydown. Not a lot of evening gobbling. Last year an hour before roost time they were all gobbling fools. About the only thing producing gobbles is a crow call. I have yet to have one even hit the owl hooter. I can’t figure out if they’re already done or not yet started.
Saw this strutter from several hundred yards away in this spot Sunday morning. Put a camera up and he showed back up this morning. Hoping he’s around the same area in the morning.

You know this I'm sure, but usually minimal gobbling after flydown means gobbler has hens around him. My guess is we are right in the middle of turkey reproduction.....right on schedule.

That’s the thing…we’re seeing them by themselves early…0900 and after but they won’t respond. Also seeing lone hens early, “hoping” they’re heading to nest.
It’s either that or we have a lot of crazy alphabet turkeys!!

I ended my Georgia season this morning on a nice public land bird before work. Went back where I had the birds across the slough the other day. Had waders and decided I wasn’t gonna let the slough stop me this time. I didnt want to get all the way down to the water in the dark because I knew turkeys used the high ground on my side of the slough often as well. Sure nuff I’m slipping down the hill and hear one gobble at 6:20. He hit it twice and was done for the morning. Then another fired up, and another, and another. Think I ended up hearing 5-7 birds, but to be honest, I lost track. I was only in the game for one of the gobbling birds, distance wise, anyways. I kept easing up until I was about 200 - 250 from him. . I’d have liked to get closer, but I was on the top of a little point and didn’t want to push my luck dropping down into the open swamp with him. He was on the next point over. Waited for it to get a little lighter then made some soft calls. He started double gobbling and tripping over himself. I thought, here we go. He kept gobbling, but never moved. Probably gobbled like that for 20 minutes and then they started getting fewer and farther between. I decided to loop around and get on the point he was on. By the time I made it, he was already walking the edge of the swamp away. I made a bigger loop to try to get in front of him. At this time another turkey started gobbling about 350-400 yards away so I decided I needed to try to get in between them. I set up in between the last place I heard this bird gobble and where the further one gobbled and let out some calls. The closer one cut me off and had made it past where I was. I could see further up on the hill where he was and knew I’d be too exposed so set up next to a big oak with some palmettos around. Let out a few more calls and he gobbled again closer. Shut up time. I’m pretty impatient so after several minutes of no gobbling, no walking in the leaves, and no other sign (I don’t think I am capable of hearing drumming), I decided to do some soft purring and clucking. He answered and I knew he was within 100. I could hear him moving; but couldn’t see him for awhile, then saw that white headed bopping around. I have a terrible time judging distance on turkey, but I thought he was in range when I first saw him. Decided to hang tight and see what he would do. He went behind a big log that was blown down and I knew he had a potential to leave if I gave him too long to pick apart my setup. He periscoped that head up over that log and I let him have it at 30 yards.

Fantastic! Great hunt story!

This is how ya do it^^^^^

And on public land too!!!!

Congrats S94!

Great hunt and write up!! I’ve got another week or so before my public opens.

Guess it was just a good morning all around!
With the owners coming to town tomorrow, I told my son it’s either today or wait a week or so. I took off half a day and he drove straight from work after he got off this morning.
We went to the spot the camera showed one strutting. We only heard one gobble early this morning and that was it.
I gave a call after we settled under a big oak and didn’t call again for a good 30-45min. When I did, my son said he heard one behind us in the burn. I never heard it, but as he was scanning behind us I saw movement about 150yds down the pine strip in front of us. Optics revealed two gobblers coming from the direction we’d heard a gobble earlier this morning.
Guess I don’t need to tell the rest of the story, the video covers it, lol.








Bird weighed 18.6# It had 1 1/8”spurs and Double bearded…9.5” and a 4”! You can hear him breathing heavy in the video!! Only took 8 hunts, but we finally got it done!!

Great job Zac! Must have been a bad morning to be a Georgia turkey.

It was, lol! It was a beautiful morning too. Just cool enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay and a light breeze. A fine day!

That must have been because your mosquitoes came up my way. Somehow between first and second set up my thermacell fell off my vest. I had no idea, but the buzz of their wings started getting louder and louder. At one point, I was questioning if any turkey on earth was worth dealing with those devils

I hunted yesterday am but all gobbling was where I don't have permission. Yesterday evening I set out decoys to hunt this am, but clock didn't go off. I get up and check game camera pic and had a big gobbler strutting for my decoys, so, just shot myself in the foot. I hope he'll remember the decoys and be back in the am.

Congrats WB on SUCCESS!!!

Congratulations to all

Good job sticking with them. 8 hunts isn't a bad thing. Just makes it better when it all comes together

8 hunts where there should’ve been a dead bird on 6 of them really tries one patience, lol!!!

This is the same spot Zac killed his turkey. We were wondering if his was the strutter that likes to hit that spot…guess it wasn’t because these pics came in this morning.

That rascal likes that spot!!!

I think it’s because he can be seen from quite a distance from multiple directions. The next pic after was a hen coming in and no more pics, lol. We first spotted him from that burn in the background from the tree line (creek).

Was out putting in some sets earlier on tracks I found way off the beaten path and on the way out spotted these guys. I was driving and just turned the truck off and started videoing. Along with these two there was one to my right up a hill in a burn.
And this doesn’t count the six others I saw up at the front of the property.

Does putting out decoys the evening before common there? I always thought that the birds would ignore them in the morning if they inspected them in the evening. I always fumble around in the dark of predawn.

I’d imagine putting a decoy out here and leaving it overnight would have them messed up from predators. I’m almost tempted to try it and put a camera on it just to see what happens.

Nice birds seeing a lot of Tom’s this year.

Well the manager just called and asked when I was gonna kill a turkey. I told him I thought the rules were three gobblers off the property and I’d given mine up for Zac (my son) and he said “Nah, Zac got “his” bird, now you need to get yours. You do too much work out here to not take a bird and we appreciate it.”
Looks like I’ll hopefully have one more bird to post this coming weekend.

Ok, so I decided to go try and kill me one this morning.
I was hearing birds already walking in and was able to set up fairly close to a gobbler on the roost .



I gave a few soft calls to let him know where I was and waited. Ole boy flew down and never made another peep. He eventually showed up, but was looking instead of giving me a show. He crossed the creek and was followed by a jake. The gobbler went West as did the jake. But there was still a possibility I’d get what I came for because two birds were still gobbling across the creek in the clearcut.

I moved from my initial set up and let out a few calls to make sure the birds, still a couple hundred yards away, heard me. It didn’t take long and I see a strutter slowly heading my direction, or so I thought.

What I didn’t see was 2 hens he was making a beeline for. I gave a couple soft calls and saw a hens head raise and look my direction as he gobbled. With that gobble he had fulfilled his obligation of “the game” now I just need him to come into range.

My setup wasn’t bad, but there’s only so much hiding in a burn. I felt confident had it just been a gobbler, but now I have 2 hens that are heading straight for me with him strutting behind about 50 yards. As the hen flew across the creek all I could do is tilt my head down hoping the brim of the hat was enough to cover what part of my face the mask didn’t. Apparently it worked cause she went straight to her feeding.

One down and one to go. This next hen gets to the edge and decides to work her way along the bank instead of flying across. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing except ole boy wasn’t gonna come any closer if she did that. I cut my eyes to the right and could see that hen and worked on off so I gave another SOFT call and turned the hen around and knew I’d either really screwed up or sealed the deal. She turned around and the gobbler broke strut and started in!

Now my only dilemma is trying to shoot him and not hit her, lol. The entire time I’m waiting for separation I’m thinking. “Are you kidding me!!!” It finally happened as he stopped to strut again. She kept moving and as soon as I got a few yards between them I gave a little cluck and he raised his head and died right there.

This turkey season was great for us all. I’m gonna attempt a WMA a few times next week but don’t have high hopes. Public land numbers are horrible, but we will see. I really just want to scout some because they’re going to open it up for coyotes as soon as turkey season ends.

Great story WB. Congrats on the gobbler.

You should write for a hunting magazine...

I agree great story

Hey guys that have way more knowledge than I…when you see turkeys in grass/weeds and it appears they’re plucking the ends off the grass/weeds or either pecking something off them, what is it? My mind first thinks of ticks, but that’s a heap of ticks if that was it. Then I thought dew maybe, but there’s plenty of water everywhere. Then again it could be just the tips they’re eating.
Any ideas?

Fairly confident they’re picking seed heads. Been involved with 4 kills this year and each bird was full of weed or grass seed. Seen a few beetles and lady bugs. I haven’t really noticed birds ‘bugging’ yet because our temps have still been relatively cool for this time of year. In the 80s next week. If we get a grasshopper hatch, every unsprayed green field should be hot.

If you’re seeing seeds on the end of what they’re picking Wanna Be, that would be my best guess.

Our time in Montana comes to an end tomorrow. Sure was a fun hunt

Outfreakingstanding man!! You’re killing me, I was supposed to be out there last week and this week! Awesome looking bird too! What part of the state…not specific.

Central/south east area. You didn’t miss much weather wise. We got here Friday night. Saturday was beautiful. I called in 5 toms to gun range. Was a banner day for me. Sunday was ok weather wise and we killed 4 birds. You could tell the weather was starting to change. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday have just been brutal. Rain most every day and bunches of wind. Got some snow last night. Pretty much everyone in our group had a chance at least, and most of us have a bird to bring home

I'm jealous S94!!!

Congrats on a great trip!

Nice! I didn’t realize Montana was a 2 bird State until my son told me! I shot may one and left. Called in 4, lol!

60 years old, and my first year turkey hunting. It was a good day, last Friday. I should have looked at the camera!