The turkey bug..

I'm a turkey fanatic and have been fortunate enough to chase them over half the country in the last several years. I appreciate all the little things that go along with it and especially when fortunate enough to take one that's out of the norm. I've taken my slam multiple times, some double beards, some doubles with one shot, smoke phase nearly white, bearded hen Eastern and Merriam, and a longbeard with no indication of ever having a spur on either leg. I've taken a pile with beards over 11" but none at 12". I have video of a flock on one honey hole which has 56 birds, 26 of those are gobblers. You can only imagine what that must sound like at daybreak before fly down. My ultimate goal is to get one with 3 or more beards. Maybe finish my bearded hen slam???? This is just over 30 years of living the dream.

For the record, my wife has only gone a few times. Her first Eastern was a mega 11" and 7" double beard with 1 1/2" spurs and her first Osceola had a 12" beard. Go figure! Feel free to list any of your accomplishments over the years of playing this game. Anyone else have it that bad?

i have it that bad but have not taken any other than easterns. have a few double beards and 1 triple beard. 2 eastern bearded hens and have passed over 20 others. several beards 12 or bigger but none 13. 2 birds with double spurs on both legs and 1 bird with double on 1 leg. for me i just cant get passed 1.5" spurs and i only have 1 set that big. 24lb is as big as i have taken with most in the 18-20.

Shot a pile of turkeys in my time.I enjoy both spring and fall turkey hunting.

Well, I have been a dyed in the wool duck hunter my whole life. In 1983, when they first opened a Turkey season here in Wisconsin, I could not for the life of me understand why someone would want to hunt them. Finally, after hearing about what it was like to hunt them, I applied and got drawn for a tag for the 1988 season. It was in an area way south of me, near Yellowstone Lake Park. It was the first year that Zone was opened. I had a bad car accident the previous Fall and had back issues so could not do a lot of scouting.

Went down there with a mattress in the back of my van, scouted a little, and camped. I talked to a guy in the concession stand who told me there was some private land nearby, the owner left the gate open, and did not care if anyone hunted there. I found the spot, scouted a little, and the next morning I was walking up a fencerow in the dark, carrying my decoy and gear. About halfway up a Gobbler sounded off very close. I kind of tucked myself back up against a stump after placing my decoy and started calling. He was double gobbling in the tree and then I heard him fly down but by his gobbles I could tell he was moving away from me up along the fenceline to the ridge. I kept on calling and he kept on getting further away, and then seemed to be getting closer. Come to find out he had been on the other side of the fence and walked to the top and was heading back to me, double-gobbling the whole way. Finally he stepped out in range and I nailed him. I was so pumped walking out I said right out loud "My God, is this a sport!!!!!!"

Took him to a check station and found out I had killed a 28.4 lb. bird with a 12.5" beard and 1.25" spurs. Been hooked ever since. Have come close to such a bird a few times but I doubt I will ever match or beat my first one. Still am a dyed in the wool duck hunter but I get more excited about killing a Turkey than I do a deer these days.

Moosetrot

It's all good.I love to hunt ducks,geese,deer,turkeys,grouse,pheasent,bear,moose,woodcock,elk,and caribou.

I killed a bunch of them In VT. I was 8-9 when my dad took me to watch them release Turkey to introduce them into the state. I hunted Vermont’s first ever turkey season when I was 12. I had no idea what I was doing I had a small Lynch box call and I stroked it a few times and a gobbler started gobbling just over the bank from me. I sat down against a tree had my single shot savage 12ga with #6 2 3/4” upland game load. The gobbler came over the hill strutting at 15 yards. I cocked the hammer when I saw his fan sticking up over the hill. Shot him while he was in full strut. I have called for youths and other hunters for the last 25 years and not shot one myself until this year and I tagged out in four days of hunting. Taking the wife out tomorrow morning hopefully she will get one.

Good luck to your wife and you

Thank You Bruce

I have killed a few over the years. Never hunted FL so no Osceola but several of each of the others.

Best spur was an Eastern with 1 5/8" on one leg but the tip broke off the other on and only 1 5/16" . Got that one certified and in the NWTF book. Got an Eastern this year with a matched pair of sharp 1 1/2" hooks and would be my best scoring typical bird but I did not get a certified weight and the two witnesses required to get it certified due to the virus.

Best single beard was 12 1/2" A couple of doubles but do not remember the specs on those. My son got one with 5 beards. One was decent but the other 4 were small and short.

Heaviest bird was 26 lbs., appeared to be a corn fed hybrid in north east NE. Killed him in corn stubble.

Have also killed one with no sign of a spur on one leg. The other leg was normal.

I am really missing my midwest hunts this year because of the virus. NE and KS quit selling permits to non residents and I had not got mine yet. I would be out there hunting now if I could get permits.

I encourage everyone to go for the grand slam. I call it the poor man's safari because you can do all (or most) of it without an outfitter and on public land. It can be a rewarding trip that won't break the bank, especially if you split travel/lodging with a few friends. My old turkey hunting partner (uncle) and I were planning another trip to the Black Hills just a few weeks ago while sharing Easter dinner at my mom's. He now lays in a local hospital on life support and it looks as though cancer will suddenly derail those plans. Everything can change in an instant. Don't put important things off for another day for another day may never come.

I get a big kick out of calling for others I often need to make a 3rd trip to shoot a bird for myself most years as working the bird is my thrill, the ultimate game of chess. It tests everything about you when you understand (or think you do) how it will play out sometime you win most of the time you lose. I always say some tactics never work until they do. LOL

You can do everything right and get nothing then you can screw it up 10 different ways and score a bird. Alone gobbler plowing a rut coming to you is fun but a smart bird or henned up gobbler you never forget them.

Worked that first bird from the bottom figured he would come down if I set up below him we went back and forth for a hour (pretty sure he had a hen up there) he was often 50 yards away but would not clear the younger trees. After a while he crossed the top of the ridge and was gone. Now I was out there before sunup located that bird and set up like it should be and nothing.

The one I did get yesterday I was out scouting the roads for birds and had the window half down I heard a gobble but never seen the bird in a clear cut so I drove down a quarter mile and parked. This time I head straight up the hill then cut over thinking I’d be on the same level now I got him I figure. I set up and call and he hammers back, he’s at the bottom this time. Again he would respond but not come up several levels to the top.

After about 30 minutes I start to butt slide down to the bottom (100 yards) he’s still interested but not coming up to me. At one point I see him fanning near the bottom then he goes under a ledge so I scoot down 2 levels so he’s on the bottom and I’m on level 3 within 50-60 yards but can’t see him yet with that ledge. I set up under a spruce limb make a few cuts and out he pops looking for that sexy hen. LOL

Nice.Some times you have to go outside the box.