Spring Turkey Season is Coming Up....

[MisplacedSooner]

Who all is going and what species do you get to hunt? Im in far east Kansas so we have easterns but I have been fortunate to shoot rio grande (oklahoma) Eastern (KS), Merriam (Washington St).I still plan on making a trip to FL to get my Osceola.What gun and gear do you guys use?I have a used and abused Mossberg 835 that I have shot the majority with and my Merriam turkey I shot at 65 paces. I have alot of nicer guns but I trust the 835 while turkey hunting with my extended choke, it has never let me down. What calls do you prefer? Im a slate fan myself, I can do diaphragm calls and boxes and even some wingtips I have made. Getting the spring fever. I also invited my neighbor (deer bow hunter) to come out with me to try and call him in a turkey as he is interested, once you see these majestic birds up close it makes you a turkey hunter forever. Good luck to everyone this spring.

 

[sloboat76]

Man I love turkey hunting and everything about it. I start in 2 weekends in South Mississippi for 3 days and then back here to Arkansas to get ready for the Arkansas Youth hunt, followed by the Adult opener the following weekend. Then we head to Shamrock Texas to hunt Rios for a weekend and then back home for a short rest(and work) before finally heading to Uniontown Kansas the first of May. If it rains and we cant get in the field to work, we will fill in for a couple days here and there(woodward Oklahoma, North Alabama, West Tennessee, Southern Kentucky) as time permits. I use a Benelli SBEII left hand 12 gauge 3-1/2" with a Ballistic Specialties Super Full extended choke topped with a Nikon 2-4x scope. I think I am leavin the scope off this year because last year in Oklahoma I thought I was going to have to get my eye and nose stitched up after taking a foolish follow up shot. I shoot the Winchester Xtended range #5 shells and love them for close work and the occasional long shot. I use mostly slate calls but will use my diaphragm calls when windy or when I get them in close. I have used a PrettyBoy decoy since the year they come out but I am headed to the Turkey Open at Macks today and I hope to pick up a decoy that is a little more mobile. I also have shot a few turkeys with my Compound bows over the years. I got a new Mathews Z7 extreme last year and I hope to take it to Texas and get 1 with it. When I use my bow or take the wife and kids hunting I have a Double Bull blind that I carry, but when I am alone I just run and gun. I want to eventually get the Slam with my bow, but the wife and kids have other plans to seperate me from my hunt cash stash. I mostly hunt on Public ground but have made some good friends throughout the years from guiding out of state duck hunters that come to Arkansas and I have acquired some good "you are welcome anytime" kind of hunting in several good spots around the country. We have had our Turkey crop hammered here at home the last couple of years, and we really need a good year or we are in for trouble. We hunt in the Delta and with the record flooding in the spring followed by record drought, it has been a 1-2 punch that has throttled our flocks. I cant wait though until I hear that first one Gobble.

 

[460]

Have a turkey tag in April. Haven't had an Arizona tag in a few years so it should be a good time. Turkey hunting is by far the best if all the hunts we go on. I can't wait

This is a bird I killed last year in South Dakota and the second bird in AZ 3 years ago.

View attachment 253748
View attachment 253749

 

[Deleted Account]

I got mine yesterday. What a great trip!

 

[Wicky]

Gobble gobble!

 

[djunkie]

Who all is going and what species do you get to hunt? Im in far east Kansas so we have easterns but I have been fortunate to shoot rio grande (oklahoma) Eastern (KS), Merriam (Washington St).I still plan on making a trip to FL to get my Osceola.What gun and gear do you guys use?I have a used and abused Mossberg 835 that I have shot the majority with and my Merriam turkey I shot at 65 paces. I have alot of nicer guns but I trust the 835 while turkey hunting with my extended choke, it has never let me down. What calls do you prefer? Im a slate fan myself, I can do diaphragm calls and boxes and even some wingtips I have made. Getting the spring fever. I also invited my neighbor (deer bow hunter) to come out with me to try and call him in a turkey as he is interested, once you see these majestic birds up close it makes you a turkey hunter forever. Good luck to everyone this spring.

Been a few years since I've been. I shoot a Mossy 835 as well. I need to get in tough with my hunting buddies and get back in the game.

 

[WTRR]

I've been 3 times this season but the birds just ain't ready to get it on. Weather is Fucked up...just starting to get warm.

Opening morning it was 24 degrees when I stepped out of the cabin door.

Gonna give them another week before I go again...maybe then I'll be over this case of pneumonia that I've got.

 

[MisplacedSooner]

Hope you get feeling better WTRR...Our spring opener is on Wednesday. Forecast is 100 percent rain and a high in the 40s. My pops nailed a big one in Okla this wknds 11 inch beard and 1 1/4" spurs..They have split up here but I dont know how the weather will affect them..Fuck it, bad day hunting is better then a good day at work so Im going out rain or shine, I have seen them shot in the rain..Saturday is going to be great also, Im going back to a place where I shot my biggest bird ever. Was coyote hunting out there a couple weeks ago and wow there is some big birds out there again..Congrats River on your bird, did you get that in Cali? I'm having a hard time telling what species it is, but it almost looks like a RIO or a cross?

 

[Deleted Account]

Yes it's a Cali bird but as a
Jake it's hard to figure exactly what it is... Going to check with a buddy that's pretty sharp on these babies.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[MisplacedSooner]

Well I went out opening day (April 10th) and dealt with rain and temps in the 40s..Saw a few toms about a 1/4 mile away no luck and they had about 40 hens with them, waited a few hours and called but ended up with nothing except rain soaked gear and freezing my ass off..

Today (April 13th) I was going to go to to a place about a hours drive but when I got up about 430 it was cold and figured I would wait until later in the season to make it out there because that place has tons of turkeys and is my honey hole. So I went back to sleep, got up with the kids and got food around for them and was going through bills etc. It was going to warm up today to about 62 so I figured I would go out later today and try and track one down.

My wife had to get her hair done so I finally left the house around 3pm. A buddy of mine that retired in the last month has about 120 acres and has always let me hunt his farm for turkeys and it is only about 15 minutes away from the house so I decided to head on over to his place (went there opening day also). I arrived there at about 325 and walked back up on a hill maybe 600 yards from my truck. I thought I had heard some hens yelping so I found a opening where I thought hell if I was a turkey I would go investigate so I decided to set up there.

I ended up finding a nice tree to setup against, set my 3 decoys (2 hens and a jake) out I just did a few yelps on my slate and boom a gobbler booms really close. Im thinking holy crap its not going to be this easy..I rolled out a short yelp and I see this tom already coming in all hot and bothered. Now I havent been out hunting for quite a few years due to moving etc. etc.

I set my decoys out about 15 yards from the tree I am leaning on, this bird comes in spitting and drumming and all puffed up. He gets right by my jake decoy, I click the safety off on my 835 mossberg..Pull the trigger expecting to get a good clean kill and a bruise on my shoulder from the 3.5inch Remington Nitro shell...Click...Fuck..No Fire..I try and calm my ass down and re-chamber another round thinking this isint going to happen again..Ol Tom was still there but getting a little nervous so I squeeze round two off...Click..Fuck...Im screwed..I racked the last round in the gun and he is getting ready to get the heck out of there ASAP so lined up his head and pulled the trigger and boom damn thing finally fired and the ol Tom is on the gound luckily. And I did get damn lucky that he didnt run off after the first misfire.

So first Eastern this year is down and off to get my second tag...Im also going to shoot the rest of them shells and see what happens, brand new shells, dont know if its my gun or the shells yet or not. I didnt put the turkey on the scales but Im guessing 22lbs..I did measure the beard (10") and Spurs (7/8"). Has a nice Tail Fan that Im going to mount also..So pretty crazy day, Show up and 15 minutes later its all done. Oh forgot to mention while shooting the turkey I also whacked one of my hen decoys also...Oh well....

 

[460]

Solid work man.

My season starts April 26th and I can't wait.

 

[djunkie]

Nice bird. :thumbsup And don't get me started on the 835 misfiring. Been there done that with mine.


Sent from my iPad using Tap That Ass

 

[460]

Nice bird. :thumbsup And don't get me started on the 835 misfiring. Been there done that with mine.


Sent from my iPad using Tap That Ass

That's why I shoot an 870 or a single shot. Never a chance of that happening lol

 

[Wicky]

Fuckkkkkkk...I loaned my 535 to a friend last week and he gave it back with a broken mag spring. I've tried like a madman to get the magazine tube off and to no avail. Season opens on Monday. Fuuuuuccccckkkkk!!! Found a shit load of birds scouting last week too. Fuccccckkkkkkk. Fuccccccckkkkkkk. I need an 870 460!!!!

 

[djunkie]

That's why I shoot an 870 or a single shot. Never a chance of that happening lol

I've never lost a bird over it. It happened when it was new and I was out pattern testing some chokes and shells. Was a minor hiccup in the trigger that I was able to fix luckily. I've taken a few birds with that gun.

 

[MisplacedSooner]

Ive never had a misfire before yesterday with mine and ive ran tons of ammo thru it..I compared the hammer marks on the misfired ones to the one that went off and they look about the same..Ammo issue or gun issue? I think until I shoot it alot more at the range i will just take out my Benelli SBE for the rest of turkey season.

 

[djunkie]

Ive never had a misfire before yesterday with mine and ive ran tons of ammo thru it..I compared the hammer marks on the misfired ones to the one that went off and they look about the same..Ammo issue or gun issue? I think until I shoot it alot more at the range i will just take out my Benelli SBE for the rest of turkey season.

I'm an idiot. It's not an 835 I have. It's a 935. The semi auto. Been a little while since I've had it out obviously.


Sent from my iPad using Tap That Ass

 

[sloboat76]

I just returned from my Oklahoma trip and had a great hunt. I called 1 up for my intern and he had never seen one up close. I got a avian x decoy on my way and it was incredible. I killed 2 more working over the decoy. all in all great time.

 

[460]

Fuckkkkkkk...I loaned my 535 to a friend last week and he gave it back with a broken mag spring. I've tried like a madman to get the magazine tube off and to no avail. Season opens on Monday. Fuuuuuccccckkkkk!!! Found a shit load of birds scouting last week too. Fuccccckkkkkkk. Fuccccccckkkkkkk. I need an 870 460!!!!

That's a shitty place to be in.

Did you get it fixed yet?

 

[Wicky]

That's a shitty place to be in.

Did you get it fixed yet?

It's Fixed!! Picked up a new 835 today for back up just in case. Going to sell the 535 and buy a supernova though.

 

[460]

4 days till I leave. Already have my stuff layed out in the living room. Tick tock

 

[Deleted Account]

4 days till I leave. Already have my stuff layed out in the living room. Tick tock

Get Some! I had never been turkey hunting before this year, now it's ON, I'm putting that at the front of the train of things to do. Good Luck!:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[460]

Get Some! I had never been turkey hunting before this year, now it's ON, I'm putting that at the front of the train of things to do. Good Luck!:thumbup::thumbup:

It's my favorite out of all the hunts.

 

[MisplacedSooner]

460,

How did your turkey hunting go? I saw that your house got broken into on the main forum page, that sucks and sorry to hear about that. I at least hope you had a good hunting trip..Was this your trip to S. Dakota or there in Arizona?