JFT Turkey Tour 2018

[miket]

The afternoon bird was killed at the first place I had setup this morning. The sun starts to break through and it’s warming up nicely, but still pretty windy. Not hearing any gobbles on the way out, I decide to stick it out in a popup, call, and try to bring one to me instead of potentially spooking a bird working towards me silently. I call sporadically for about 45 minutes with no response and just as I’m contemplating moving to another spot, a hen answers my yelps. I give it a couple of minutes and call again, and she answers even closer. I know she’s working towards me, so I work the slate call until she’s right on top of me. Turns out she wasn’t just a single hen. A group of about a dozen move in front of me and feed and I can hear the spitting and drumming of a gobbler trailing the group. It seems like forever until he finally appears. He keeps some brush between me and him for what seemed like ages before he finally clears. In my haste to make the shot, I didn’t get much of him on the first shot. The hens scatter, he looks a little disoriented, but still on his feet moving slowly. I pump another shell in and fire a follow up shot that finishes the job and I’m pumped about punching two tags so early in the season.

1st bird weighed 20 pounds with 8 1/4 beard and spurs just short of an inch.

2nd bird weighed 21 pounds with a 9.5 inch beard and spurs just over an inch.

[Smart]

2 more gobblers came cruisin through with zero interest

I have hens out and PoPo has the breeding pair.

Dang I would have thought prostaff would have one a piece.[emoji13][emoji23]

[MASTERS]

Hunting has been tough. Have passed younger birds every hunt because there have been some magnums on camera. Made a mid day stand just after noon when we went to pull cards and this double bearded jake put on too good of a show to pass, and took a facefull of 12 gauge tungsten super shot @ 18 yards. Have two more sits to try for one of the longbeards frequenting the oak hammocks near the black water....

[MASTERS]

Beautiful country that's fore sure. The timber and water acts like an amphitheater for turkey vocalization in the mornings. Never heard anything like it.....

[miket]

Awesome, congrats!! Here they just dont seem to have any interest in me. They will shock gobble sometimes from something in the distance, but ignoring my calls......

[2coolforschool]

Couldn’t buy a gobble today. Just managed to bring in three hens. Oh well. I’ll probably just do some fishing tomorrow. Will be hunting a buddy’s place in Menard county next Saturday. Place is loaded with birds. Can’t wait!

[rattler7696]

Hunting has been tough. Have passed younger birds every hunt because there have been some magnums on camera. Made a mid day stand just after noon when we went to pull cards and this double bearded jake put on too good of a show to pass, and took a facefull of 12 gauge tungsten super shot @ 18 yards. Have two more sits to try for one of the longbeards frequenting the oak hammocks near the black water....

Awesome Dustin! Congrats on your first Osceola. Pressure is off and now you can wait it out for Big Daddy! I here those birds have huge spurs. Good luck and keep us posted!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[MASTERS]

JFT Turkey Tour 2018







Thank dear lord baby Jesus for thermocells! Even the mosquitoes have big hooks on them down here....had a hen cruise by about 10 min before sunset headed to roost to bad she wasn't dragging ol' tommy longbeard with her!

[ClayW]

Didn’t have any service yesterday evening....different place, same story. Had 9 gobblers within 80 yards but zero within 15.

Dad and I are heading to a new spot this morning for a quick sit before church. Should be able to hunt til about 9:30 or so.

I’ll update after fly down.

[ClayW]

Lots of talkin this mornin

Prolly 10-15 gobblers sounding off in all directions...we just need one to cooperate

[ClayW]

Not a peep since flydown.

[ClayW]

Would have been the perfect day to sleep in

[ClayW]

Unusually quiet this morning

Almost time to get out.

[miket]

Unusually quiet this morning

Almost time to get out.

Thats what happened to me yesterday. Just dead. Maybe next weekend.

[Smart]

Thats what happened to me yesterday. Just dead. Maybe next weekend.

Hope it changes from the 20-30 mph winds predicted [emoji33][emoji853]