So, it has been in the upper 70's to low 80's this week, 30 plus degrees above normal. Hunting seasons have wrapped up and its time to start thinking about spring projects, farmers are tilling fields prairie grass is being burned, the rust needs to be cleaned of the grill. I haven't seen a turkey in a couple of months, but a few days ago these guys showed up.

I wish I had more time to chase them this time of year.

And the woodcock are peenting and dancing in the sunset sky. Spring has arrived in New England too.

I just love the sight of that. The birds are still mostly flocked up 'round here, but that'll change within a couple of weeks....and the twilight gobbling will begin.

Livin' in the USA......can't beat it!

Spring turkey opens here in CT April 25. Waiting on a new turkey gun to get her patterned. Hopefully this week upcoming!

It opened in my part of the state yesterday. It was a very strange morning. It was very quiet for a long time. Then they started gobbling in all directions while still on them roost. Must have been well over 20 birds gobbling. We were going to move but decided to owl hoot first. There were 3 in the trees within 100 yards of us. These birds flew down at almost 9 am!

I saw them fly off in another direction. I was disappointed as I had been sitting there since before 6 am. I waited until about 9:20. I had about decided to move when there was a big booming gobble behind and to my right ,CLOSE! I could see the bird. It was a certified monster and it was headed my way! Oh, heck yes I thought. I dared not move. Then I looked in front of me. There were 3 more gobblers headed my way!

I figured I was going to get busted pretty quickly by all of them. When the first of the group of 3 stepped out from behind a tree , I hammered him good and proper. I had my gobbler.

If I remember correctly, he was 18.5, 9.75 and 1.25. That is a pretty good Osceola.

I am laying in bed at the lodge. I have absolutely no idea how to post a picture from my I pad. I will post when i get back.

Way to go Larry! Waiting fer da pix......

My son got one this morning.

It snowed this morning...

Ryan shot his at the extreme distance of 12 feet. he had a bigger one at 8 feet. Needless to say, it is hard to move when one is that close.

Great job Larry...way to go

Nice birds Larry. We open this coming weekend.

Well done Larry & son!

I brought 3 of my friends up to hunt. Of the 3, 2 killed massive gobblers. The afternoon sucked for me. I only caught a 10+ pound bass.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
I brought 3 of my friends up to hunt. Of the 3, 2 killed massive gobblers. The afternoon sucked for me. I only caught a 10+ pound bass.

OK, now you're just rubbin' it in.

Gentlemen:

My second and final gobbler of the spring:



Norton:

I don't want you to think I was lying about the bass. Here is a pic:



Now I am relegated to working or shooting swine. Here are a couple of pics:





Sorry, this was an i phone picture in the dark. Needs a dentist eh?

Larry,

Looks to me like you are having more fun than should really be allowed!!!

Turkeys, fishing AND Pigs!!! looks like heaven.

Rgds,
Kiri

Congrats Larry, I finally got out and tagged one yesterday. I didn't have much time to hunt this spring, I never do. Once season started the birds disappeared, as usual. One Saturday before I had to leave for work these showed up, damn near in the yard.


The kids were trying to talk me into grabbing a gun and sneaking out to the corner of the garage and popping the tom. I had to explain to them that it just wouldn't be sporting. The next morning I went out and naturally didn't see nor hear a single turkey.

Yesterday I dropped the kids off at school and came home to get some work done on my day off. It had rained all night and it looked like it would rain until 10:00 or 11:00AM, so I wouldn't be getting anything done outside. I looked out the kitchen window, the one the above pic was taken through. Out in the field is a lone turkey feeding at about 400yds. A few minutes later it was in a position that I could see the beard through the bino.
Quickly I threw on some camo clothes and rubber boots. I grabbed the shotgun and rest of my gear and snuck out the back door and down the path. I figured I'd circle the field through the woods to the north then try to call him into range if needed.
A couple of minutes in I was soaked from head to boot. Luckily the rain wasn't hard enough to flood the creek that I had to cross. I climbed to the top of the hill and krept through the brush to the edge of the field. I couldn't see a turkey so I climbed a large elm tree for a better look. He was still there, about 100 yaerds out in a little fold that hid him from ground level.
I dropped down and got ready. Ranged a prominent corn stalk between he and I at 35 yards and gave a soft cluck. Nothing. A few soft yelps. Yup that did it. I spotted his head sticking up looking around. Time to shut up and keep him guessing. He took a few steps in my direction but then turned and started slowly feeding east. I gave a couple of soft clucks and it turned him my direction. I put the call away and grabbed the gun. I was kneeling a few feet inside the edge with a small window to shoot through. Once he was near the place I'd ranged I lined the double bead up on the center of his neck and started pulling back on the trigger. He hit the mud as a spray of rainwater went up off of his feathers. After a few moments of watching over the rib as he flopped I went out to put on the tag. It was a wet, muddy walk back to the house, but at least it kept the bugs away.

Mossberg 9200 12ga full choke
2 3/4" Remington premium turkey load #5
45 yard shot.
9.5" beard
3/4" spurs, kind of blunt but heavy


Good luck to everyone else who is trying to tag one.

nice birds guys, and that's a fine largemouth Larry