Indiana Turkey

[oldhoyt]

I'm planning on hunting in Michigan for their 5/5 - 5/31 season, so figured I'd try Indiana at least a few times. Opening AM was slow, with no birds near my spot. Saturday AM was different. As it got light enough for birds to start gobbling I heard a gobble quite a ways away, just like opening AM. Figured I'd be out of luck again, but just then a bird gobbled within 150 yds from the field behind me. I stood up to see if he was on the ground already, and then finally saw him still roosted in a tree, in a small thicket in the midle of the field. Thinking about it, he had a great spot to call to and see hens as they approached. He gobbled a few more times over the next 10 minutes, and I could hear a few hens clucking from the woods to my right after each gobble, but they were still roosted. I saw the Tom pitch out of his tree and land near the edge of the woods. I took that opportunity to move forward, to try to get between the hens and the Tom. I was able to get about 30 yds closer. I got my back against a tree at the edge of the field with giant ragweed canes making a decent screen in fron of me. I made a few clucks of my own and then a series of yelps. This fired up the hens and I just did whatever they did, only louder. After a few minutes I saw the Tom walking about 75 yds away. He was slowly making his way toward me but he was in no hurry. I decided to shoot if he got within 40 yds because I was also hearing hens on the ground, and I didn't want them to get his attention. He finally moved so that I could shoot through an opening in the ragweed and I pulled the trigger. He rolled at the shot and I ran toward him ready to shoot again if needed. On the way to the bird I thought, "boy, this was further than I thought it was". Finally got to him and had to stand on his neck for a few minutes. The shot was closer to 50 than 40, and I'm lucky to have gotten him with my standard full choked Mossberg 500. He weighed 24 lbs, had a 9 inch beard, but spurs only around 3/4". No complaints though, it was an awesome and unique hunt.

[Woody Williams]

Way to get it done!

My congratulations !

Talking back to hens is FUN!

[Deleted]

Congrats!

[oldhoyt]

Thanks. Here's a bad photo from my phone.

[schall53]

I will be up in Michigan myself for the same season you will be there. We hunt around Jones, Mi. They really got proud of their turkey license this year didn't they... $166.00 to hunt a Michigan bird!!!

[oldhoyt]

Yeah, but I actually like the new system. You buy a base license, then buy tags. Base non-resident costs 150, then the turkey tag and 2 deer tags I plan to buy (1 regular and one OTC antlerless)for a grand total of just over 200 I think. Last year I paid about 70 for tutkey and 276 for deer. This year will almost 150 cheaper in the end.

Have you hunted this season before? If so, how responsive have birds been? I remember killing one in Indiana on May 5 a few years ago, and he came right in.

[Genesis 27:3]

Kudos!

[cwagener]

Congratulations!

[deadeer]

Congrats to your success!

Jay

[schall53]

Oldhoyt, we have hunted it for the last 6 years on this date and have never had a problem with them coming to the calls. However the farm we hunt on is a combination beef and grain crops farm with oak woods and swamps, perfect habitat with lots of birds. It also gets hunted very little before we get there. Last year the two of us hunted opposite side of the farm, I shot mine at 7:10 and my buddy shot his 5 minutes later. It is cheaper for the license if you hunt other critters up there but if like us you only hunt turkey, the cost is almost triple of last years. Good luck and keep an eye out for those morels.

[oldhoyt]

Thanks for the info. Yes, I'll have an eye out for morels. I've actally only ever found one, and it was a big yellow in my lawn of all places. Would like to find some though. Good luck to you as well.

[Sasquatch]

Good job!

[goosepondmonster]

Congrats on the bird.

[oldhoyt]

[img src="i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r743/oldhoyt/MichiganSpring4_zpsbb44bd30.jpg" src="" alt=" "]Managed to get one in Michigan this AM.

He was in a stubble field with a hen at 6:30. I called aggressively and the hen came at a trot. I let her pass and in a few minutes the Tom was in range. The Mossberg 500 with Win. 3" #6 did the job just fine at 30 yds or so.

[schall53]

Nice bird, I used to hunt the earlier draw season up there but I think I like the late season better. It lets you hunt when the other seasons are closed also less pressure.

[oldhoyt]

My concern was that it would be "too late", but I consistently saw Toms with hens, so they were still breeding. Also, a much longer season for the money.

[oldhoyt]

May 21, 2014 8:53:50 GMT -5 schall53 said:

Nice bird, I used to hunt the earlier draw season up there but I think I like the late season better. It lets you hunt when the other seasons are closed also less pressure.

Did you get a bird in Michigan? Or, at least some morels?

[schall53]

I got my Michigan bird during the first hour of opening day. I love hunting Michigan, only problem it was over too quick. However no morels, darn!



Michigan

5-5-2014
23.5 lbs.
9.5 inch beard
3/4 inch spurs
32 yards

[oldhoyt]

Awesome. Mine had a 9-10" beard with 1 3/16" spurs (just measured the other day). I didn't weigh it, but I could tell it was lighter than my Indiana bird which weighed 24 lbs, but that bird had spurs less than 3/4". I have no real idea why a seemingly younger bird would weigh so much more than an older one, except perhaps if they are like deer and lose wieght through the breeding season? Michigan bird was shot 3 weeks later than Indiana.

I'm definitely going to stay with the late season. More time to hunt Indiana, and from what I could tell birds were still doing their thing into mid-May.

[schall53]

1 3/16, that is an old old boss bird, I can believe he ran off a lot of weight by that time in the season. I am like you, plan on staying with the late season, seems to be more of a relaxed atmosphere.