What a great opening hunt!

[jbarron]

Well, I went down to my little piece of heaven and expectations were pretty low for the opener. I got to my favorite place to owl hoot, let her rip, and nothing. I'm thinking well that figures...

I decide to head down to a small plot where I'd seen some fresh sign a couple of weeks ago. Set up about 20 yards off the field and hear a hen on the roost. Then I start hearing a gobbler several hundred yards away near another plot. I move that way without flushing anything and setup.

He's gobbling real good. But when he flies down he goes the opposite way up towards the planted pines (that almost never happens). I hear a couple of hens fly down. The turkey is gobbling good and answers me but will not come to me. He stays in the pines gobbling like crazy for some time. After he moves off, I move up to where he just left and setup.

I pull out my dads old box call and start cutting. The hens have a conniption and come in trying to find me. After they finally move off, I yelp and he answers me. About 15 minutes later, I catch him slipping through looking for me. He new exactly where the call had come from but I was hid well. I take the shot at about 40 yards. It's been a long time since I've heard a bird gobble any better than this one did today.

 

[Jalfa]

Good work. That's a huge merit for day one. This is my first year and not quite sure what I am doing. Thanks for sharing

 

[antharper]

Heck yeah , congrats ! Nothing like them that don’t mind gobbling

 

[Jalfa]

Curious what's your post kill process. Field dress then pluck?

 

[chrislibby88]

Curious what's your post kill process. Field dress then pluck?

I never dress mine in the field. Either clean them on the tailgate, or take them home and do it if I’m not super far. You can pluck them, but most don’t. The skin on a wild turkey is not like a domestic bird, and stays very tough unless you braise it for hours.

 

[Jalfa]

Right that's what I have read. Gotta put them to boil for a while right. Is it warm water or boiling. Figure boiling water would cook them

 

[Big7]

Good time right there. EXCELLENT job staying with him, especially when you wasn't expecting a good result and it paid off !!!

I don't have private land access. First season in my life. EVER.

Got a spot in mind for public land turkey on the 9th.

 

[Jalfa]

Check the dnr wma website they have an interactive map with the areas with most harvest per sq mile. Should help you get most probability

 

[Permitchaser]

Well, I went down to my little piece of heaven and expectations were pretty low for the opener. I got to my favorite place to owl hoot, let her rip, and nothing. I'm thinking well that figures...

I decide to head down to a small plot where I'd seen some fresh sign a couple of weeks ago. Set up about 20 yards off the field and hear a hen on the roost. Then I start hearing a gobbler several hundred yards away near another plot. I move that way without flushing anything and setup.

He's gobbling real good. But when he flies down he goes the opposite way up towards the planted pines (that almost never happens). I hear a couple of hens fly down. The turkey is gobbling good and answers me but will not come to me. He stays in the pines gobbling like crazy for some time. After he moves off, I move up to where he just left and setup.

I pull out my dads old box call and start cutting. The hens have a conniption and come in trying to find me. After they finally move off, I yelp and he answers me. About 15 minutes later, I catch him slipping through looking for me. He new exactly where the call had come from but I was hid well. I take the shot at about 40 yards. It's been a long time since I've heard a bird gobble any better than this one did today.

View attachment 1144027

that's what I'm talking about
Congrats

 

[jbarron]

Good time right there. EXCELLENT job staying with him, especially when you wasn't expecting a good result and it paid off !!!

I don't have private land access. First season in my life. EVER.

Got a spot in mind for public land turkey on the 9th.

I'm in my sixty's and so very thankful the Lord let me make another opening day hunt. And fortunate to still be hunting the same property that I grew up hunting.

As a teenager, we would deer hunt in the morning, quail hunt mid day with dad's dogs, deer hunt in the evening, and finish it off coon hunting with my grandfathers dogs. Good memories!

 

[BASS1FUN]

Congrats

 

[wooly]

Congrats to you! Good hunt!

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

Man that’s a great hunt. You let the birds tell you what you needed to do. And it’s extra special that you used your dads old box call. I think a box call is like a fiddle…..the older they are the sweeter the sound. Congratulations on a good hunt and a fine bird.