Tennessee spring turkey season opened today... killed this one at 6:30 and was the second hunter to check a bird at the country store checking station.

Some soft tree talk from a cane yelper brought three hens and this gobbler from the roost into my lap. The hens pitched down first and sailed across a gully with one landing about 8 yards from me. The gobbler followed and landed out at about 40 yards.

I had to let the hens move on by to keep from getting busted. When the gobbler turned his back in full strut at 15 yards I adjusted my gun barrel and brought his head up with a one of Steve Kinder's XT mouth calls. Game over for another two year old !

Stats: 21 lbs, 9 3/4 & 6 inch double beards, 7/8 inch spurs
Andy

Congrats on a nice bird. I on the other hand, did not have a very successful morning. I roosted some birds last night and was waiting for them to wake up this morning.

When they sounded off, it turned out that there was probably four or five birds in the trees.

I cautiously called to them, and each time I'd do that, they'd thunder back in response. Then I'd let them do that three or four times before I'd call again.

Finally, I heard them fly down, only to never see them again. I think they just walked right off the property....

I'm beginning to think that I either don't know a darned thing about turkey hunting, or I really suck at calling!

Nice Turkey, Shof I too tend to have the same problem, get them to come close but not close enough.

smokin bird! congrats

You guys start early!!!! My Missouri season doesn't start until the end of April.

Beauty man! MA starts 4/25 and NH 5/3.....to say I can't wait would be the understatement of 2011 thus far!

congrats, nice bird. Our Mo. opener is the 18th. The Hoyt AM is ready to go.

Andy, you are a machine. Nicely done.

Congrats on a fine bird. I was/am sick and missed it.

Two toms strutting for "their" hens in the driveway this afternoon.

I love watching them herein the yard . . .

Their Carrying-Ons is not unlike watching the gold chained stud puppy in a local pick-up bar.

Our season here opens on Wednesday (actually, that's the first of six consecutive five-day seasons.) I'm a little nervous: we've had a very cool spring and the birds still seem to be in big flocks. I will be very anxious to see just how responsive the toms are to calling right now.

As soon as I read "first of six consecutive five-day seasons" I knew you were from Wisconsin. I used to deal with drawing a turkey tag from Wisconsin all the time. I got so frustrated because I'd apply for the same two zones, for same seasons year after year.

I'd get drawn every other year, even though other guys would draw two tags!

I'm so much happier now that I live in Tennessee and have over the counter tags, and a longer season.

Of course I don't have to worry about patterning some birds only to have 8 inches of snow dumped on me either!

Shof,

You might want to give it a try again. They consolidated the zones so that there are now only six or seven statewide for the spring. In the southern half of the state where I live you're almost guaranteed a tag, though as an out-of-state applicant you might get one of the later seasons in May. Actually, I like hunting in May because the toms are just desparate to get laid. Visibility in the woods (and the mosquitoes!) can be a little problematic, however. I actually was able to buy a leftover tag for the last season, in addition to the one I was using this morning.
This morning I had two very close calls, but just couldn't seem to pull them in that last ten yards. I'll try again tomorrow.

I might one of these years, but living in Tennessee, I really enjoy hunting down here and I don't have to pay for non-resident tags...

Plus, the only people I know that live in the southern part of the state live in Milwaukee. And there's not too many big city birds....