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Post by Treerooster on Jun 3, 2015 9:08:24 GMT -6
I got to Wis on the 12th of May and killed a tom on the 14th but I hadn’t got the Travel call yet. It was there on the 13th but I hadn’t got to the post office yet as I found out they close at noon…small town. 
Hadn’t heard much gobbling, only 3 birds and nothing I could pursue as they were on land I could not hunt. The morning of May 20th was a frosty one and I finally heard a bird gobbling on some public ground and he was gobbling up a storm! It was an area I killed a bird 2 years before (cool hunt that time too) so I knew where I wanted to be and headed that way.
Couldn’t quite get there as the gobbler was too close. So I just set up in some small aspens and started to work him. I started with soft stuff on both my Morgan caller and the black limba box TC. He flew down and gobbled at everything but wasn’t coming any closer. So I got a little more excited and threw in some cutting on the TC. Still gobbling good but not closing any distance. I move a couple times on him, mostly laterally but this did not seem to convince him to come either.
About 40 minutes had gone by now so I dug a little deeper into my calls I use and tried a kee-kee run on my mouth diaphragm. He gobbled and came right now. Less than a minute after I kee-keed I saw him at about 30 yards, the cover was very thick as it usually is in Wis at this time. There was a small window he walked in, I tried to cluck on my mouth diaphragm but I missed the call somehow and it came out as a low pitched cluuuck. Stopped him though. Shot him at 12 yards at 6:15 am. He was a small 2 year old (5/8 in spurs, 9 in beard) but it sure was an exciting hunt!! There was frost on his tail too. I don’t ever remember seeing frost on a turkey’s tail before and I have hunted some pretty cold mornings.
I quickly tagged the bird, slung him over my shoulder and hurried back to the truck. My wife and friend James were leaving the cabin to drive to Illinois at 7:00 that morning and I wanted to show them my tom.
Still some frost on his tail even after driving back to my cabin.
My wife told me to turn around and took this picture. Happiness is a bloody butt. 
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Post by woodcock on Jun 3, 2015 12:19:12 GMT -6
Congrats to a Fun Hunt !  Looks like ya "set-down right" And Thanks for all the bone phone comm. Was another Fun Team travel Call Spring Look |
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Post by soiltester on Jun 4, 2015 4:49:18 GMT -6
Great going Gary & congrats on a good hunt!!! Good to hear the call enticed him a bit!! I sure don't miss those frosty mornings and 34 in MI was bad enough on hunt for me!! I use my duck strap and put the feet in one end and the head in the other, & sling it over my shoulder. If the head is real bloody, I put a gallon ziplock over it's head before I put it through the wire holder on the straps one end  I sure wish I could've used that call In Mexico and have 1 call from ED pre-paid, even though he hasn't cash the check yet!!! Any thoughts on why he hung up??? Other toms floggin' him and hen shy, wings beat up from struttin' at all??? Had 1 in MI at 70 yds and came from 1/8 mile, till' boss momma came into the decoys from behind and couldn't keep her there till he made the last 30 yds or so ... and it was off with momma!!!  |
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Post by Treerooster on Jun 4, 2015 8:50:47 GMT -6
Charlie I have a strap made from parachute cord and carry my birds as you described most of the time. I was in a hurry this time and the truck was only a little over a quarter mile away. I also usually don't hurry off most times after a kill so my birds will bleed out a bit. A lot of guys will use a newspaper bag or some such to cover the head. Thats just not for me, blood is a part of hunting. Plus at 12 yards, he had a few holes in him.
Not sure why he hung up. Hunting pressure? He could have had a hen with him for all I know and I just didn't see her...cover was very thick. The last gobbler I called in with a kee-kee was also hung up for a while and he came in with a hen. The spot where I wanted to be but couldn't get to may be a reason also. That is where he may have met his hens and I had to pull him past that spot.
His primaries were worn from strutting but every gobbler I have killed has had worn primaries, jakes too. Even the hens I have got in the fall and took the time to look at had worn primaries, just not as worn as gobblers. |
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Post by turk2di on Jun 6, 2015 5:59:17 GMT -6
That's awesome Gary..I killed a tom with frost on his tail a time one two..pretty cool! Never understood how that happened up in a tree but it did!
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