as the tilte says im curios if any of you folks like to hunt turkeys. i love to chase these tricky birds for me its just as fun to work a bird as it is to take a bird (thought wild turkey tastes good in the fryer.). heres a few ive been able to take home

I love chasing toms I could do it instead of deer hunt. I love it so much I make my own custom double sided pot calls, Here are a few:

I love chasing toms I could do it instead of deer hunt. I love it so much I make my own custom double sided pot calls, Here are a few:

those are some cool lookin calls i know what you mean by chasing them over deer.

I went a couple of years ago for the first time and shot my first bird 6 minutes into the season. This year a buddy and I decided that we were going to go again. About thirty minutes into the season we both had a bird on the ground. We figured we had this turkey hunting thing down pat, but we hunted hard for two weeks after that and never got another shot. Sneaky birds!

I went a couple of years ago for the first time and shot my first bird 6 minutes into the season. This year a buddy and I decided that we were going to go again. About thirty minutes into the season we both had a bird on the ground. We figured we had this turkey hunting thing down pat, but we hunted hard for two weeks after that and never got another shot. Sneaky birds!

yeah you have moments where everything comes together at the snap of a finger but theres other times where they are quiet as a church mouse or wont come in etc... and that challenge is why i love it

I don't do it as much anymore because of lack of time but I did guide for almost 8 years. I enjoyed guiding them as much as I did hunting them myself. Nothing beats a father/son double or watching someones daughter hold her own against the guys and laying the smack down on a big thunder chicken!

I don't do it as much anymore because of lack of time but I did guide for almost 8 years. I enjoyed guiding them as much as I did hunting them myself. Nothing beats a father/son double or watching someones daughter hold her own against the guys and laying the smack down on a big thunder chicken!

ive never guided professionally but i have helped a few friends to kill a tom

I would rather chase Eastern turkey than any other sport.. I shot a 30 pound bird 10 years ago after 3 days of chasing him.. 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge

Remmington 1187 super mag.. I could write pages on my exploits concerning turkey..

Nothing is more fun than turkey hunting.

Nice birds, breeders I assume..

yeah im the same way i could talk for hours about my hunts i use a mossberg 535 3.5 and as far as breeders im assuming your asking if they were jakes or not they were not

yeah im the same way i could talk for hours about my hunts i use a mossberg 535 3.5 and as far as breeders im assuming your asking if they were jakes or not they were not

Around here, a breeder would mean a bird about 2 years old & having many missing breast feathers ( showing white skin & alot ! ) also most breeders will have a over 10" beard.. Jakes would fall into a much younger category with well less than a 10" beard. Typical about 3" to 5".. Of course that's around here..3.5 " magnums are a helluva load, lol

That big bird I got was aged at about 4 years, a dominant battle harden gobbler but not able to breed.. Just capable of fighting & trying to control territory.. There are some big ones around, they are so wary when older.

Around here, a breeder would mean a bird about 2 years old & having many missing breast feathers ( showing white skin & alot ! ) also most breeders will have a over 10" beard.. Jakes would fall into a much younger category with well less than a 10" beard. Typical about 3" to 5".. Of course that's around here..3.5 " magnums are a helluva load, lol

That big bird I got was aged at about 4 years, a dominant battle harden gobbler but not able to breed.. Just capable of fighting & trying to control territory.. There are some big ones around, they are so wary when older.

i see. i know 2 could fall under the breeder category the smallest beard on the wall is 9'' but it had a little bit of rot.and i agree those 3.5s are rough on both ends i shoot a #4 load myself. ive got a bird on my place that ive been after for 3 years now and have yet to close the distance.

Took this photo awhile back just a few miles from my home.

 

Took this photo awhile back just a few miles from my home.

 

thats how my yard was a couple weeks ago

There must be a hundred of the dang things at one of the fields I deer hunt. I don't hunt them on purpose but I do usually buy a turkey tag since the season overlaps with archery deer season. 

There must be a hundred of the dang things at one of the fields I deer hunt. I don't hunt them on purpose but I do usually buy a turkey tag since the season overlaps with archery deer season. 

 

If it's up by the in-laws I have seen some STUD gobblers walking around. I'm talking 30lb birds with beards as thick as a 16 ounce pepsi bottle. 

If it's up by the in-laws I have seen some STUD gobblers walking around. I'm talking 30lb birds with beards as thick as a 16 ounce pepsi bottle. 

It's right by my parents house by the Kansas Speedway. This is a pretty typical trail camera picture of one of the big flocks of hens, and you're right there's some monster gobblers, big ol' beard draggers. I had one go full blown Matrix on my arrow last year. I usually go head shot or nothing otherwise it destroys to much of the bird with a Rage broadhead. I had that sucker dead to rights before he did his little nervous twitch while my arrow was on the way into his dome. Would have been by far my biggest gobbler. 

On 9/22/2015 at 3:54 PM, Alonerankin2 said:

I would rather chase Eastern turkey than any other sport.. I shot a 30 pound bird 10 years ago after 3 days of chasing him.. 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge

Remmington 1187 super mag and mathews conquest apex 7 strings and cables.. I could write pages on my exploits concerning turkey..

Nothing is more fun than turkey hunting.

Nice birds, breeders I assume..

Haven't seen any of these in awhile! .. that I could shoot anyway lol

I am a turkey addict also.  

We don't have a ton of wild turkeys up here in Minnesota like you guys do further south in Kansas and Missouri.  There's actually a spring lottery you need to enter to draw an early season tag.  I started hunting them in 2005 and I have harvested 8 since - 5 toms and 3 jakes, which I think is pretty good considering the turkey hunter success rate in Minnesota is only 20%.  I actually got a nice tom less than 30 minutes into the season my first year and its been MUCH harder than that since!  I used to do some calling and use decoys but the birds have become so call and decoy shy the last few years that I've had better success without that stuff.  So now I just scout out a good travel route ahead of time and sit in a camoflauge blind waiting for one to walk within range.  One piece of equipment that has helped the past couple years is Longbeard XR.  Its an extended range of turkey ammo that has given me the opportunity to take shots at turkeys out to 60 yards or more.  Until this ammo came along, I would limit myself to 35 yard shots - but now I'll take a poke out to 65 yards, and I successfully killed one at 50 yards two years ago and 61 yards last spring.  Amazing advancement by Winchester.