Turkey - Full Meal Deal!

[steepNdeep]

Headed out for the last weekend of the turkey season. I’ve been chasin’ these toms for a few years now and have their patterns pretty well dialled. However, either they are amazingly wiley or I suck at turkey hunting ; ) but it keeps them alive. Regardless, I’ve had a blast chasin’ them this year!

Here’s a couple encounters… I spotted a couple of toms but they weren’t too interested in my calls. After 1 km stalk on the big tom on a long cut line, he detected me at the last second as he came up to my ambush on a knoll and he made a dash for the forest edge. I pulled the trigger on the 12 guage as he was at the edge of my range (~45 yards) but he shook off a couple pellets and disappeared into the cedars. #%*&!! I’m bringin’ the .22 next time!

http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/ts-decoy.jpg

I learned a lesson on another lone gobbler… Just as I got off my bike I heard a faint gobble up on a swampy bench where I’d hunted whiteys before. I stalked up through the pines and started to get set up on the edge of a clearing above the swamp. I let out a couple cuts with my mouth and got a big gobble from ~50 yards away (doh!) I scrambled to get my shotgun out of my pack as he crested the rise at 30 yards in full strut. He had me pinned and came into 15 yards in full view, as I desparately tried to chamber the shell without being detected. When he didn’t find the hen, he went into search mode circled around me through the pines. I finally jacked a shell in and followed him through the trees, but he stayed just out of range and I never got a shot. Lesson – never call until you are set up. :roll: (continued...)

[steepNdeep]

I took the day shift with the kids and headed out ~6:00pm on the bike. Stopped at the first little haven and there wasn’t much sign and I figured they’d headed up to higher ground. The snow is frickin’ late leavin’ this year and I’m still in it on the trails. Second ridge I spot a nice lookin’ cinnamon bear feeding on the edge of a the line. I put a few Brenneke slugs in the shotty and head up after him. I got a good look at him from 30 yards, but wasn't quite what I was lookin' for and I let him walk.

http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/bigred-ass.jpg

Back on the bike and up to the top of the mountain. As I got off my bike I heard a faint gobble but couldn’t get a response. I moved again to a big cut below where they roost and worked my way down the road calling. As I crested one little roll in the road something tawney and long started sprinting down the road in front of me. It was a big cat… a cougar. I quickly stopped the bike and let out a few squeaks with my mouth. It turned broadside at ~70 yards and stopped. I got out the bino’s and watched it for a few seconds before it disappeared up into the bush. It was a good sized cat. That made my night 8)

At the end of the cut, I finally got heard a gobble. I ditched the bike and headed down to the cut line where I thought they were. Apparently I’m a slow learner, because as I approached the knoll, (BEFORE I set up) I let out a cut. As I neared the top they were already coming up the other side and spotted me. I tried to find them in my .22’s scope but they started running and flew down across the valley. #%*&!! :evil: I rode back around and set up where they landed but nothing! Legal light was almost done… oh well, a few days left in the season…

I loaded up my bike and headed home. As I crested one of the rolls on the cut line there they f’n were 20 yards in front of me. I dropped the bike as they 5 birds ran for cover. I quickly pulled my .22 from my Eberlestock pack holster jacked a shell and chirped. One hung on the edge just long enough for me to find him in my scope (which was difficult with my helmet on) and squeeze one off. YEAAH! He ran ~30 yards into the forest and I heard the death flaps. What a blast chasin’ these (not-so) stupid birds! And a full meal deal on the night with the bear, cat & bird! BC sucks… :-D

http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/ts-b.jpg

http://www.secretcreeksupplies.com/ts-22.jpg

[ferndogger]

Great story, nice bird too. Been chasing them myself with no luck, still 5 days to go though. Its suppossed to rain for four of em though.:???:

[huntwriter]

Congratulations, well done and don’t feel too bad about past experiences. I have been hunting turkeys for the pst 15 years and considered an expert, given the fact that I am invited to give seminars and write on the topic.

Last weekend I headed out on my first BC turkey hunt and came home – for the first time EVER – without a tom hanging over my shoulders.:redface: We heard lots of gobbling and set up on a few but I found that these were some of the spookiest birds I ever had to deal with.

I saw two hens in a field one morning about 250 yards out and they run away from us. NEVER in my turkey huntong career have I seen that happen.:eek:

Talked to locals and it all became clear. The area we hunted in people seem to have very little regard for hunting regulation. Meaning they shoot as many birds as they dam well please and make no distinction between sexes either.:mad:

However, the good news is next year I will have exclusive access to private land to hunt turkeys. It’s one of the bonuses of being a professional I guess.8)

[BlacktailStalker]

Thats a day to remember, safari of game and a beauty bird !

[steepNdeep]

However, the good news is next year I will have exclusive access to private land to hunt turkeys. It’s one of the bonuses of being a professional I guess.8)

Turkeys are good fun in the spring! I own land and have many friends that do, but like the challenge of hunting public land... never had a problem putting animals down. You sound like you're Americanized...

Thanks guys. Ferndogger - there's still time... never over 'til it's over. I had given up for the night... things can change in an instant. Good luck!

[huntwriter]

You sound like you're Americanized...

Not really. (lol) but it does help if you have to hunt on short notice and only have a couple of days to get it done in an area you never have been before.:-D

[johnes50]

Sounds like you had a good day in the bush and a turkey dinner too! I wish we had turkey hunting on the Island.

[mark]

Hey steep, is that a male of female??? Most males have either a very red or very blue head, yours looks greyish like the hens! Either way sounds like a great hunt!

[sfire436]

Got my first on ethis season. Was a young jake.....next year......tom! We went two days before the opener and got settled and talked to locals. Paid off.

[palmer]

Can't see the beard from the pics was it a jake or a mature bird.....

[steepNdeep]

Hey steep, is that a male of female??? Most males have either a very red or very blue head, yours looks greyish like the hens! Either way sounds like a great hunt!

It had spurs, snood & beard = male. The flash took some of the colour out in the picture, but it still looks red, blue & white to me.

Mark - I hear you got skunked, so you might just forget what they look like... or it might you are blinded by the incredible bike in the background. :tongue: ;)

[steepNdeep]

Can't see the beard from the pics was it a jake or a mature bird.....

It wasn't very old... his spurs were ~1/2" long. How do you tell a jake from a tom?

[palmer]

How long was the beard coming out of the chest...small beard jake...long beard tom...Or at least thats how I do it.....

[steepNdeep]

Can't see the beard from the pics was it a jake or a mature bird.....

His beard was ~5" long.

At that point, I didn't give a sh!t...I was happy to kill ANY bird.

[ElkMasterC]

Nice bird, and a great story...WITH pics! LOL
Well done.

[palmer]

Yes...any BEARDED bird is open...and any jake or tom is a good kill.

[steepNdeep]

For me after my other botched attempts on some longbeards... any legal bird was a good kill!

[300H&H]

Mark - I hear you got skunked, so you might just forget what they look like... or it might you are blinded by the incredible bike in the background. :tongue: ;)[/quote]

Ouch ! BURN !!!

[kennyj]

Great story.Sounds like a blast.will have to try that sometime.
kenny

[huntwriter]

How do you tell a jake from a tom?

A mature tom has an even round fan (tail feathers) a jake's fan is uneven with the middle three to four feathers longer then the rest (up to an inch and more).

Yours is a young tom just reaching maturity (about two years old) the sign is the slightly shorter middle fan feathers. He shed the middle jake fan feathers and replaced them with the adult feathers that are not fully grown yet.

The beard is not always an indicator of age or sex for that matter. I have shot mature toms with short beards and jakes with long beards. I also have shot hens with beards and one had even a double beard.

The same can be said for spurs. Some mature toms have short spurs and some have long spurs. The only relieable age sign is the fan.

[mark]

It had spurs, snood & beard = male. The flash took some of the colour out in the picture, but it still looks red, blue & white to me.

Mark - I hear you got skunked, so you might just forget what they look like... or it might you are blinded by the incredible bike in the background. :tongue: ;)

Spurs, snood & beard....Which one of those items defines a male??? A CO told me that 1 in 5 hens have a beard, I believe hens have spurs also???
I was referring to the color of the head, looks henish to me. Not that it matters anyway!

I only had 1 day to huntem this year, and it wasnt opener. I did see a few birds and had 2 close calls on toms.

But yes that is a burn for me!

[steepNdeep]

You got me curious now... I just looked it up. Sounds like mine was a borderline Jake.

Jakes have:
- beards less than 6" long
- spurs less than 1" long
- uneven tail fan with longer feathers in the middle.

Here's the link: http://aged.ces.uga.edu/browseable_folders/Power_Points/Forestry%20Natural%20Resources%20and%20Wildlife/Turkey_Identification.ppt

I'm sure no expert, but here's the difference between hens & toms:
http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/difference_cards.html

Here's a pic of a jake - notice the uneven tail fan:
http://maineturkey.com/may21002.jpg

[steepNdeep]

A CO told me that 1 in 5 hens have a beard, I believe hens have spurs also???... looks henish to me. Not that it matters anyway!


Mark - I didn't know that hens could have beards or you could legally to shoot a hen. Thought you were just stirrin' the pot...

Good info Huntwriter (for an American ;) )

[mark]

Mark - I didn't know that hens could have beards or you could legally to shoot a hen. Thought you were just stirrin' the pot...

Good info Huntwriter (for an American ;) )

Nope I certainly wasnt stirring anything or trying to rain on yer story, I just thought you got a bearded hen by the look in the photos, ive seen them but havnt shot one!