Almost Turkey Season

[sim.-ang.king]

Got opener in the morn., and my birthday so hope no one has any plans for me cause I will be MIA.

[LRTX1]

Good luck. Openers are the best!

[Commercialfarmer]

I finally got a chance to go Friday afternoon for a couple hours before the weather turned bad all weekend. When I got out of the truck the Turkeys were already gobbling at banging from a county truck at the top of the hill. That seemed like a pretty good omen. So I found a place on the canyon wall and started calling. About 15 minutes in, I had a nice tom come across, from behind me. He strutted at about 40 yards but needed to take 2 more steps to be in the clear. For them to be supposedly so dumb, some of those old birds are pretty witty. After several minutes of stale mate, and a conversation that reminds me of home (Baby, come over here. No Honey, I'm busy- You come over here. Well, but I asked you first) he went back across. After a few moments, I started calling again and whole place lit up from one end to the other. I felt surrounded. There were toms up the creek, across the creek and down the creek. I would call and I would hear a minute of solid gobbling. Anyway, that first old tom came back out, out of range of course, and crossed over to my side in stealth mode. I was watching for him to sneak up the side behind me again so I turned positions. This allowed a whole group of toms to flank me, from behind and the original direction I was facing. How do they freaking know?

Their decoys were still across the creek just inching their way in acting like they were interested, but not too interested. You know, playing it cool. I dang near jumped when these 4 turkeys started in about 5 yards behind me. I was finally able to find them out of the corner of my eye. It seemed like an eternity and they weren't moving. So I hatched a plan to roll and shoot. I however, didn't appropriately calculate the length of my gun, angle of desired path of movement, and the distance of the overhanging limbs. As my upper torso rolled to my left, my arms and shotgun didn't follow. It resulted in me finding myself momentarily starring around the side of a tree at 4 bewildered turkeys, and trying to figure out where my arms went. It was contorted to a point that I think I almost found my Zen. When it all registered in my brain, I recalculated a desired path of movement for my shotgun, but the turkeys had executed a well devised escape to the top of the canyon wall. I was then glad that no one else was with me to witness this humiliation. It had been the most sure thing in turkey hunting I have experienced, and I blew it. I had just whiffed a tee ball.

Apparently the turkey gods looked down and felt compassion on me. Not a lot of compassion, but a little compassion. The wise older tom in this bunch was touching down in the neighboring county, but the three young ones with him decided they still wanted to find the girl that was willing. They started gobbling again. I called and they came back to the rim and would peak over the edge. They would go to the left or to the right and peak down, but never walk back down. After many minutes of this, I decided it was time I went into stealth mode. I crawled up the canyon wall at the moments all 3 of them were behind vegetation. When I reached a point that was in range I let the first dude have it that came and stretched his neck out over the edge. When I went up to get him, the remaining two had only ran about 40 yards and stopped again. I could only figure, they were each thinking now their odds of getting the chick were even better.

He was young but seemed to have a pretty full beard.

[Deepsouth]

That's getting it done CF! That turning to shoot one usually goes wrong, turkeys are fast. That's a good beard. That is a Rio right.

[Commercialfarmer]

Yeah, its a Rio with some after market modifications. I tried to have a little fun with photoshop. But the picture wasn't good enough quality to blow it up very big. His real beard is that almost distinguishable black dot midway down. But he did taste good. . The fun part for me, is that I learned to call em without a call, just using my mouth and hand. I was pretty excited that so many were responding. But I still have to get better at putting.

You have some great birds on here and I really like their coloration.

[Deepsouth]

You got me with the photo shop lol, I was looking at it on my phone and thought you had cut the beard off. Those Rio's will really gobble good and like to stay in big flocks. I've never hunted them but I heard em gobbling up in Kansas while deer hunting. They were gobbling in early December. Are you blowing on your hand between your thumb and pointer finger to call with your mouth and hand or just using your mouth with a cupped hand? Have you tried using a leaf? You have to find the right textured leaf, I can do it a little with a dogwood but I know you don't have dogwood in western Oklahoma. Pull the leaf tight between your lips and blow.

[Deepsouth]

Got opener in the morn., and my birthday so hope no one has any plans for me cause I will be MIA.

Sim.-ang.king must still be MIA.

[Deepsouth]

CF you got me fired yesterday and it was so pretty last night I knew it was going to be good this morning. I wasn't wrong.



He was a good bird. He put a real good show on for me, gobbling and strutting in the full sun about 40 yards from me for about 10 minutes.

[sim.-ang.king]

Got opener in the morn., and my birthday so hope no one has any plans for me cause I will be MIA.

Sim.-ang.king must still be MIA.

Nope i'm back.
Didn't get the bird, but my mom got her first, so it's all good I guess.
Then got busy planting corn and got to tired to get up and good, know how that goes

[Deepsouth]

Got opener in the morn., and my birthday so hope no one has any plans for me cause I will be MIA.

Sim.-ang.king must still be MIA.

Nope i'm back.
Didn't get the bird, but my mom got her first, so it's all good I guess.
Then got busy planting corn and got to tired to get up and good, know how that goes

Good to here from ya Sim I was about ready to call Illinois search and rescue.
Congrats to your mom.

[Commercialfarmer]

Well I hope that was fired up and not fired as in having to find a new job. Looks like it was a good morning.

Regarding calling, I guess the best way to describe it would be that I curl me lips in over my teeth, and inhale with a quite a bit of pressure. Just doing that it will sound like a high pitch squeal out of the corners of your mouth. But if you cup your hand and apply pressure against your teeth just under your nose but curl your hand to block air movement from the corners it will force air to move in the center and vibrate across your lips. With a little practice you won't have to worry about forgetting your call again.

[sim.-ang.king]

Well I was driving past one of are corn fields, and saw two toms scratching around, and a couple jakes, hens mixed in.
If I get to bed tonight i'm going after them.

[Deepsouth]

Well I hope that was fired up and not fired as in having to find a new job. Looks like it was a good morning.

Regarding calling, I guess the best way to describe it would be that I curl me lips in over my teeth, and inhale with a quite a bit of pressure. Just doing that it will sound like a high pitch squeal out of the corners of your mouth. But if you cup your hand and apply pressure against your teeth just under your nose but curl your hand to block air movement from the corners it will force air to move in the center and vibrate across your lips. With a little practice you won't have to worry about forgetting your call again.

Ok I tried it and like to have passed out. I think I'll just make sure I don't forget my caller.

[Commercialfarmer]

Well I hope that was fired up and not fired as in having to find a new job. Looks like it was a good morning.

Regarding calling, I guess the best way to describe it would be that I curl me lips in over my teeth, and inhale with a quite a bit of pressure. Just doing that it will sound like a high pitch squeal out of the corners of your mouth. But if you cup your hand and apply pressure against your teeth just under your nose but curl your hand to block air movement from the corners it will force air to move in the center and vibrate across your lips. With a little practice you won't have to worry about forgetting your call again.

Ok I tried it and like to have passed out. I think I'll just make sure I don't forget my caller.

not quite that much pressure. Probably best to say establish negative pressure and then lower your jaw as needed for air to flow and sound to be created. Shouldn't make you pass out, but you might find some muscles you didn't know you had.

[Deepsouth]

Alright boys how about a little before...

And after!

Slap yo mamma and hush your mouth! That's good grazing!