2024 Indiana Turkey - long read, my apologies
Apr 30, 2024 10:40:23 GMT -5
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Woody Williams, duff, and 8 more like this
Post by tjshunter13 on Apr 30, 2024 10:40:23 GMT -5
To everyone who has been successful this year, congrats!! And to everyone who is still struggling through it, hopefully this will help you to keep at it!
So I set a goal to take this years turkey with my deceased uncles Charles Daly 12 gauge 3.5 inch gun this year. After striking out two weeks in a row in Kentucky, I was feeling pretty down in the dumps. I know we have all been humbled as turkey hunters before, but this year felt like I was just always making the wrong decision.
Coming into the Indiana season, I was really hoping to get this monkey off my back. Started out at this farm on Indianas opening day and had two Tom’s strutting at probably 80 yards but they wouldn’t come any closer. I tried getting aggressive with the calling, but the hens took them back into the woods and they gobbled going away. They apparently were not liking the aggressive stuff. And again, I made the wrong decision. 0 for 1!
Moved to a different farm on Thursday and didn’t have any luck. Birds were gobbling on the opposite side of the farm and on a neighbor so we decided to make a move and get closer, hoping to call them across to us. Make our move and they shut up. Now I am 0 for 2 and thinking well I guess my luck doesnt change whether it is Kentucky or Indiana.
So I came back with a buddy on Friday to the farm I had hunted on opening day. We made a few moves on birds in the morning and ended up back in the blind about 10 am or so. Had hens in the field right where the blind was, so busted them off and debated leaving and going elsewhere. Now I am thinking here we go again, 0 for 3.
Well, we decided to stay put and within 20 minutes we could see a couple strutters at the end of this field that is probably 300-400 yards long. We are at the west end on the edge of a small pocket of timber, birds at the east end of the field, the neighbors woods is to the south, and to the north is a small creek bottom.
Decided right then and there that I was only going to give them soft and subtle feeding calls and maybe a few clucks and yelps. Birds started strutting towards us and would angle our way a little bit and then angle towards the south woods a little bit. After they got a little closer, we realized there was actually four male birds and three hens. They did this getting closer and then angling to the south woods for about 15-20 mins and then the hens walked into the south woods at about 80 yards away.
I thought for sure it was over again. Feeling pretty frustrated now and thinking well, now I am 0 for 4. Maybe we should just go shoot a butterball and call it a day.
Of course, those highs and lows of turkey season are always just a few moments away from one another. After about 5-10 minutes, my buddy looks back out and the biggest bird of the group is back on the edge of the field and looking our way. I start in with the soft stuff again and he starts heading our way, strutting and gobbling.
They are only a 20 - 30 lbs bird but when they come at you like that, they feel like kings with the power to make your heart beat out of your chest. This big ole king of spring gets to 40 and I am now shaking with excitement.
I start to get the gun up and the bird angles slightly to my right and goes into the edge of the woods but is still making his way closer to us. He angles up the hill a little bit and around some brush on the edge of the field.
My heart is literally about to explode and I am wondering how in the world is he not hearing this. The whole time this is all going on, as if I am not under enough pressure, my buddy is recording this. So I am either going to harvest this bird and look like I somewhat know what I am doing on this day or give my buddy’s a lifetime of ribbing and video proof that I am a bumbling idiot.
The bird takes a couple steps behind a tree and I get the Charles Daly up and click the safety off. It’s now or never and I know he has to hear my heart now that he is at about 30-35 yards. He comes out behind the tree and I do some soft yelps on the mouth call. He stops and raises that bright, beautiful red head up and comes out of strut. I tell myself aim small, miss small. Slow steady squeeze and the gun barks. The bird falls over. I am not much for waiting, so I am immediately out the blind and running over to him.
There lays one of my best birds to date and harvested with my uncles 12 gauge. To the good lord above - t
hank you again for another wonderful Indiana season and for the chance to harvest one of your most magnificent creatures on this earth. I look forward to the next one.
To my uncle, to my dad, and to my grandpa up in heaven - this one’s for you all and I thank you for taking me along all those years. I hope you got to enjoy watching this show and I can’t wait until we can chase longbeards together again
Stats: 10.5 inch beard - 1 inch and 5/16 spurs
TAGGED OUT & headed back to Kentucky for one last go round
So I set a goal to take this years turkey with my deceased uncles Charles Daly 12 gauge 3.5 inch gun this year. After striking out two weeks in a row in Kentucky, I was feeling pretty down in the dumps. I know we have all been humbled as turkey hunters before, but this year felt like I was just always making the wrong decision.
Coming into the Indiana season, I was really hoping to get this monkey off my back. Started out at this farm on Indianas opening day and had two Tom’s strutting at probably 80 yards but they wouldn’t come any closer. I tried getting aggressive with the calling, but the hens took them back into the woods and they gobbled going away. They apparently were not liking the aggressive stuff. And again, I made the wrong decision. 0 for 1!
Moved to a different farm on Thursday and didn’t have any luck. Birds were gobbling on the opposite side of the farm and on a neighbor so we decided to make a move and get closer, hoping to call them across to us. Make our move and they shut up. Now I am 0 for 2 and thinking well I guess my luck doesnt change whether it is Kentucky or Indiana.
So I came back with a buddy on Friday to the farm I had hunted on opening day. We made a few moves on birds in the morning and ended up back in the blind about 10 am or so. Had hens in the field right where the blind was, so busted them off and debated leaving and going elsewhere. Now I am thinking here we go again, 0 for 3.
Well, we decided to stay put and within 20 minutes we could see a couple strutters at the end of this field that is probably 300-400 yards long. We are at the west end on the edge of a small pocket of timber, birds at the east end of the field, the neighbors woods is to the south, and to the north is a small creek bottom.
Decided right then and there that I was only going to give them soft and subtle feeding calls and maybe a few clucks and yelps. Birds started strutting towards us and would angle our way a little bit and then angle towards the south woods a little bit. After they got a little closer, we realized there was actually four male birds and three hens. They did this getting closer and then angling to the south woods for about 15-20 mins and then the hens walked into the south woods at about 80 yards away.
I thought for sure it was over again. Feeling pretty frustrated now and thinking well, now I am 0 for 4. Maybe we should just go shoot a butterball and call it a day.
Of course, those highs and lows of turkey season are always just a few moments away from one another. After about 5-10 minutes, my buddy looks back out and the biggest bird of the group is back on the edge of the field and looking our way. I start in with the soft stuff again and he starts heading our way, strutting and gobbling.
They are only a 20 - 30 lbs bird but when they come at you like that, they feel like kings with the power to make your heart beat out of your chest. This big ole king of spring gets to 40 and I am now shaking with excitement.
I start to get the gun up and the bird angles slightly to my right and goes into the edge of the woods but is still making his way closer to us. He angles up the hill a little bit and around some brush on the edge of the field.
My heart is literally about to explode and I am wondering how in the world is he not hearing this. The whole time this is all going on, as if I am not under enough pressure, my buddy is recording this. So I am either going to harvest this bird and look like I somewhat know what I am doing on this day or give my buddy’s a lifetime of ribbing and video proof that I am a bumbling idiot.
The bird takes a couple steps behind a tree and I get the Charles Daly up and click the safety off. It’s now or never and I know he has to hear my heart now that he is at about 30-35 yards. He comes out behind the tree and I do some soft yelps on the mouth call. He stops and raises that bright, beautiful red head up and comes out of strut. I tell myself aim small, miss small. Slow steady squeeze and the gun barks. The bird falls over. I am not much for waiting, so I am immediately out the blind and running over to him.
There lays one of my best birds to date and harvested with my uncles 12 gauge. To the good lord above - t
hank you again for another wonderful Indiana season and for the chance to harvest one of your most magnificent creatures on this earth. I look forward to the next one.
To my uncle, to my dad, and to my grandpa up in heaven - this one’s for you all and I thank you for taking me along all those years. I hope you got to enjoy watching this show and I can’t wait until we can chase longbeards together again
Stats: 10.5 inch beard - 1 inch and 5/16 spurs
TAGGED OUT & headed back to Kentucky for one last go round
