Devil Diver Down

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Chandler

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bump for pay day Friday

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Too bad it has the wrong cams for me. I'd probably be on this bow like a rat on a Cheetoh.

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No kidding. Very, very tempting. Great looking pups - my 11.5 year-old GSP male would probably love to have a younger version of himself around.

First shotgun turkey hunt - my archery turkey hunt last year was too embarrassingly fruitless to document. I was worried because I'd heard reports that all of the toms already had hens and were going quiet after flydown. We arrived to high winds and snow flurries Wednesday night, set up tents, then I drove around 2 tracks until 9:30pm trying to elicit a shock gobble to no avail. Thursday morning was the complete opposite: everything I tried between 4:30-5:25am drew a shock gobble - hen yelp, coyote howl, owl hoots, even slamming my door - many times from 4 or 5 different toms. All of the calling stopped from every place I tried by 5:30am. I checked areas until 10 then I settled on a good looking spot (at least to my newb eyes) - a nice 2 track with tracks all over - for opening morning and spent the day goofing off with my oldest son, B-I-L and step-dad at camp. Got to meet a fellow coueswhitetail forum member as well, to compare notes and share what we both don't know about turkeys. lol Friday morning was completely quiet. I couldn't buy a shock gobble anywhere, including the 2 track I'd already traveled down a mile. I panicked and hauled my Tundra all over heck (rookie mistake #1) trying to hear one bird as light was coming on. I finally drove to one spot I'd seen the day before with a good seep, silent like everywhere else, but I jumped out and grabbed my shotgun, 3 shells and slate call. I left my pack, bladder, decoys, extra shells and everything else in the truck (rookie mistake #2). Blind luck smiled on me after walking for about 5 minutes - nine birds with 2 nice toms feeding off the side of the road. The vegetation is really dry up there already and they busted me when I tried to cut them off and trotted off, down into a draw. I followed for a half hour, hearing an occasional gobble and the lead hen yelping. I decided to head over the top of the ridges they seemed to be circling to try to cut them off. Once I reached the flats on top, I walked a fenceline I thought they might follow but left it (rookie mistake #3) when I heard a gobble nearby. I spotted what I think was the same flock from earlier, plus 4 jakes that were now dogging the flock, from a respectful distance to keep from getting their tails whipped. I crawled on hands and knees to within 50 yards. The gobbler was a really nice tom, but he had hens bunched all around him. I pulled out my slate call and yelped - gobbles erupted first from the flock toms, then from the 4 jakes in unison. I kept calling softly and the jakes turned my direction - then the lead hen would yelp and they'd turn back. This went on for a few minutes. The jakes came to investigate my call - 20 yards so I could see their beards plainly but they were too tightly bunched to risk a shot, so I just kept still kneeling in the tall grass, shotgun aimed. The flock was leaving down the fence line I left several minutes before and I guess the draw of a hen the young guys could hear AND see was too much to ignore. They circled some trees to follow the flock over a down spot in the fence but my calling held them up long enough for me to get into shooting position. I waited on the last jake, who was distant enough from the others so I could drop the hammer at 45 yards. He popped up over a log just as I squeezed the trigger, so my hit was low but it dropped him anyway. He was flapping but stopped pretty quickly and I lost sight of him when my gun jammed trying to eject the shell. Took me a couple frantic minutes to find him when I reached the fence - he blended in with the burned out logs and stumps. Tagged out at 6:20am Friday, just under .75 miles from my truck. A G&F officer was coming down the main road when I was on my way back to camp. He checked my bird and sent me on my way - probably couldn't wait to tell people how some goofy old dude was happier than a pig in slop with a jake! I was back in camp by 7:30 showing off my "trophy" to my family. Would love to shoot a big, fat longbeard someday (next year? Need another tag G&F!) but happy as could be with my jake! Gotta start somewhere, I guess.

Thanks for sharing your great story. FWIW, you did right by those birds by passing a shot that might have put 2 birds at risk. I did the same on my hunt - passed on a tom bunched with a hen and then 4 jakes side by side and closer - even though I almost certainly would've been okay at that range (~20 yards) with the narrow pattern of my choke. It worked out okay for me as they spaced out a little and I was able to shoot a jake from 45 instead. I'd feel a lot better about leaving the turkey woods empty-handed than killing two birds. It's coming together for you. You're getting opportunities and making opportunities. That's going to lead to a tagged tom.

I think we spoke on the phone already, but the advice you've gotten so far in this thread is solid. Only thing I'll add is not to fall in love with any one spot or bull, as your scouting week pre-hunt might start unraveling the Wednesday evening before the hunt or even Thursday. Hordes of trucks will be cruising in and pretty much nobody will be adhering to the road closure/travel management plan maps. Find a spot a half-mile from any road and you can probably hunt buck naked if that's your choice (being a Californian and all ) and nobody would notice. Best of luck!

Perfect elk gun! This rifle is brand new - never had a round through it. Won this at the AZ Elk Society Banquet and have too many rifles, not enough bows and my wife lost her job a couple weeks back so I'd rather have the cash - $525. NO TRADES!!! Sorry, but no box with it. I've heard great things about these rifles being tack drivers from a bunch of people. Here's what Weatherby says about it: * Sub-MOA Accuracy Guaranteed * Match-quality two stage trigger * 3 position safety * Matte Bead Blast finished (blued) Shoot me a pm if interested. I'm in the west Chandler area. First one with the money in my hands gets the rifle. Pix didn't turn out great but the rifle will. $550 + sales tax @ cabelas: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Weatherby-Vanguard-Series-Rifle/1370484.uts

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Great job on the 2 toms. I'm headed up for my hunt in Unit 1 this weekend, so hopefully they're still hot and calling. Looking for my first turkey even though I'm an old guy.

ribbit

bump like a frog's butt

Sorry Jon, no trades this time around.

pm replied

wait... results are out? Where's my bull tag? If I ever draw again, I'll probably use the 100g G5 carbon steel Montecs that I've been using. They fly well with my set up but I agree with others who have said shot placement and sharpness of blade are key. Repeatability is what you need before you step in the field. That'll give you the confidence in your broadhead, your set up and yourself.

pm replied

That's awesome! Great job to both of you!

Excellent job Wyatt and dad!

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