huntswnm Report post Posted April 14, 2008 I know this is a little late, but thought I would post a couple of photos of some birds I called in for some friends last turkey season. This is my brother in law, Justin, and was his first experience hunting big game. We had been out several times, with no luck, until this morning that we called in this bird. This bird came strutting in to the decoys and Justin laid the hammer down on his first turkey. This second bird my dad and I teamed up on to call in for a friend of the family. This bird actually came in once and busted us. After switching set ups, and calls, we were able to get him back in and Roddy hammered him at about 40 yards. This was a huge turkey for our area with a beard measuring about 11 1/2". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
4Falls Report post Posted April 14, 2008 Nice job those are some good looking birds. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HICAP40 Report post Posted April 14, 2008 Nice job, I hope my youngest can pull it off this weekend. Got any pointers on how you loacate them, and setups? john hiller Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huntswnm Report post Posted April 14, 2008 Well, It might depend on where you are hunting. Where I am, in SW NM, locator calls don't work real well, for me anyway. If I get a chance I try to locate turkeys the night before by roosting them. If I don't have time, like this year, I will be going to areas that have held turkeys in years past, hoping that they will be there again. I try to get out right at first light on a high ridge and listen for birds. If you hear them and can get with 150 yds or so of a roosted bird you are doing good. If not, get as close as you can and try to get his attention with soft calls. I try not to over call, unless you can hear hens in the area, then I start calling to them. If you don't hear anything at first light then just move on to other places, stopping and calling frequently. I don't usually use decoys, its extra stuff to carry around and I have not seen where they have actually sealed the deal on a hunt. Even the bird in the first picture, he came in strutting to the decoys, but I gaurantee he would have come even if we didn't have them setting out there. I mostly used them as a point of reference for my brother-in-law so he didn't take a shot that was too far. Other than that, I try to set up above the turkeys whenever possible. It seems they will come up hill to a call more readily than going downhill to one. I am sure it has something to do with predators and that they can get away easier by flying down hill rather than running back up hill. Anyway, sorry this was so long but it is highlights of how I hunt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkman Report post Posted April 14, 2008 Has anyone been up around reserve this year yet. Are the gobbling. I am going up this weekend for a couple days. hope to get into a few. josh Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huntswnm Report post Posted April 15, 2008 No, to be honest with you I try to stay away from all of that northern area of the Gila. There are way too many hunters up around the Reserve area for my taste. Seems to be a popular area for those of you from AZ who don't draw a tag over there Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BASS Report post Posted April 15, 2008 Has anyone been up around reserve this year yet. Are the gobbling. I am going up this weekend for a couple days. hope to get into a few. josh We're up here in Alpine right now gearing up for opening day tomorrow. We put one to bed last night who was talking his head off before the sun went down, so that got us all excited for today. But we spent all day looking for anything to talk to us and nothing happened. Hopefully that will change for opening day tomorrow!!! PS it seems to a whole lot more crowded this year compared to last year... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HICAP40 Report post Posted April 15, 2008 APPRECIATE THE INPUT HUNTSWNM. AND GREAT JOB AGAIN JOHNNY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
huntswnm Report post Posted April 15, 2008 PS it seems to a whole lot more crowded this year compared to last year... My Point exactly Jeff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
