Unless I'm overlooking it, there seems to be zero interest in turkey hunting on AR. Not sure why.

On that note, I shot a decent tom this morning.....he was 18-7.....9......5/8 x 2.......at ~40 yds. w/ #5 Nitro w/ an extended full(out of my duck gun).

Norton,
I, for one, love turkey hunting. Since it now falls during my peak busy season, I've been unable to make a hunt in years.

Please allow me to live vicariously through your hunt stories. BTW, I'm unable to make much sense of your measurements. Weight=18lb. 7 oz? Beard=9? Spurs 5/8"? If that's right, sounds like a nice bird. How about some pics?

As to Butch's link, I'd be one of those who's a bit miffed at this guy. Hunting turkey without camo, and wearing shorts isn't how I go about it...

Well, since you asked d77......

.....and yes, those are the measurements.

Nice gobbler Norton. Tell us a little more about the hunt for him.

Glad to see there's some interest in turkey hunting here.....thanks, gents.

A little background before the kill......Monday I had set up in the exact same spot in a ground blind. Brought along the landowner who has never hunted before and wanted to watch. Well, he got restless by about 0630 so we packed it in and I went on the run and gun trying to raise a gobble in the woods adjacent to the field. Not a sound......but I saw a porcupine, red fox with a robin in it's mouth and 2 does. About 0730 I got back to the edge of the field and spied 2 birds in EXACTLY the spot where my decoys had been an hour earlier. I waited for them to crest the midfield and then crept down into the fence line and started to call. Immediate response from both birds as they turned around and headed straight for me......3 clucks from her followed immediately by a rocking gobble 4 or 5 times. They got to about 50 yds. and started veering to my right.....I had a 6x6" window in the wire/branch-covered fence to shoot thru and he would not come out of strut......head buried in his chest and whiter than a ghost. It was either pass the shot or take it(and I'm too damned impatient to pass on anything, lol)......shot right over his back. Lesson learned though.....next time I'll just make some noise and he'll put his head up.....duh.

Didn't miss the next time(4 days later)! Called him downhill from about 100 yds. away at 0700, had 2 hens with him......got within about 30 yds. gobbling away, saw something he didn't like and turned around.....hit him a couple of times with the plunger call and he turned around, but still wanted out.......at 40 yds. or so I said here we go again but this time his head was up and he dropped on the spot.

Good work Norton. Just dont let Kamo cook that bird - it would be half raw.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:
Good work Norton. Just dont let Kamo cook that bird - it would be half raw.

Turkey sashimi? Hmmm...

quote:

It was either pass the shot or take it(and I'm too damned impatient to pass on anything, lol)......shot right over his back. Lesson learned though.....next time I'll just make some noise and he'll put his head up.....duh.

That bird just got an up close and personal education.

Wow....what a great hunt. Beautiful bird. I love turkey hunting in Spring. Congratulations on a fine trophy !!!

Nice birds.....helluva beard on one of 'em!

Took my NH bird yesterday......20#, 7/8" x 2, 8 1/2"........this officially marks the beginning of the fishing season(went yesterday after hunting and caught a few stripers)......and now I can get some sleep!

Justin:

Those turkeys look like Easterns, but I would have thought that you were in Merriam's country. What subspecies are they?

quote:

Originally posted by safari-lawyer:
Justin:

Those turkeys look like Easterns, but I would have thought that you were in Merriam's country. What subspecies are they?

Funny, I had noted the same thing....just didn't post. Looked it up on the NWTF site and it says they've been successfully transplanted into WA, OR and CA.

I'd rather turkey hunt than eat!

Some nice birds here.

Season is over here for me, got two in NC and two in VA, not as many birds around here this year. I think between the snow and coyotes they had a hard winter.

Came out of the house yesterday morn to go fishing and heard a gobbler behind the house. Seasons been over two weeks here and they are starting to loosen up a bit. God Bless, Louis