Ready for Turkey season

[Tripplebeards]

Yep, they sure aren’t gobbling around here that’s for sure. Normally only a hand full of gobbles before fly down and then about a half a dozen gobbles all the way till noon. I’ve had enough by then and pull ship. I just sit in the same place on my property since I don’t have tons of acres and start calling around 5:30 a.m. This guy let out a gobble at 8:30 responding to my triple bird calls. I got lucky and and fired this one up with double hen yelps with my diaphragm and slate together while also making gobbles with my diaphragm call at the same time so it sounds like three turkeys. Then added a little purring at the end. Where I sit the birds normally roost about a 100 yards down hill on my property, on both sides, so they normally will walk by going back and forth into my neighbors field.

I might have to go out around 2pm and sit till close. I’ve shot few late on day up there.

[megasupermagnum]

That's what I would do. When turkeys aren't fired up, I have far more success in the evenings. I also take the opposite calling approach. I try and get their attention, usually just yelps from my box call. After I'm convinced he is interested, I wont make another call. I've sat for 2 hours before those toms come in. I only hunt public land, and I have plenty of room to roam around, but I still like the slow, sit, and wait approach. Sometimes they won't answer calls, and I cold call for a while, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

[Tripplebeards]

I miss public land hunting For turkeys. I’d just walk and talk up and down the trails till I got an answer. Now I just walk into my property, sit, and wait.

[Tripplebeards]

Tag number two filled! They can’t all be monsters I guess...It was 17 pounds with a four and three-quarter inch beard. I bought another tag for the remainder of this week which ends on Tuesday. Next Wednesday starts the last week and there are still tags left for this week and next so I’ll continue on.




At least I had three gobbling non stop this morning for a good hour. This one came silent from the opposite direction just feeding and moseying along. I caught it out of the corner of my eye at about 75 yards. I did a couple of soft yelps and the bite raised its head stood up and started putting real loud like I scared it. I couldn’t take a Hail Mary shot at it because there was a doe standing 10 feet in the back of it perfectly broadside! It finally started walking away from me down the valley and I tried a couple of soft purrs on my slate call since it didn’t like my diaphragm. It stopped and let out a bunch of real loud puts like it was nervous again and kept heading away from me. It stopped and looked around about 10 feet later. Where it stopped there are three small saplings blocking our view of each other. I quickly and quietly belly rolled off my gobbler lounge chair and belly crawled a few feet in its direction. My plan was is try to crawl close to it as possible and take a shot. I was on a ridge top and it was heading down the valley. When I got up to my knees it saw me and let out a couple of loud puts and started walking away from me again. It had to been a good 75 to 80 yards away. My instincts took over and I let a Hail Mary fly. The Tom dropped at the shot like it was hit with Thor’s hammer! I got up and walked in the direction where I last saw it drop. When the bird collapsed it disappeared in some tall green leafy plants. I got about 10 yards from where I last saw it drop. Tom must have heard me and started doing the death flop rolling a good 100 yards straight down the hill. When I plucked it I only found five shots that hit it.When One pellet went right behind the ear into the back of a skull which has to be the reason why it dropped. There were four more up and down the neck. I was pretty impressed with my 12 gauge and federal number fours in one and three-quarter ounce!

It’s shotgun and archery only in my state.

[white eagle]

saw 2 today
Kicked one out of the roost
rite behind my spot actually flew when I put out hen decoy
then saw another but I believe it was a hen
To hot for me I only made it till 9:30
then I mowed my field and checked my corn

[djohns28]

Wait a minute.. you can use a rifle to shoot turkeys in Texas?? Are there restrictions on caliber or location??

I'm in Northeast Texas, about an hour from Texarkana. There aren't any turkeys around here, but I heard that there are some Eastern turkeys up around Paris. Been trying to get over to Louisiana for three years now to make a hunt but things keep happening and I end up not being able to go.

[Tripplebeards]

I went out this morning and it was probably the quietest morning I’ve had so far. Normally I am at the least visited by a few deer or each morning. Hardly any gobbles and the handful I heard sounded a mile or two away. Absolutely excitement until I walked out. Yesterday there was a doe laying 10 yards away from My hunting shack I built. She was laying flat on her side with the front and rear legs sprawled out in a 45° angle instead of tucked under its body. I got within 15 yards of it and was talking to it. It finally got up and walked away. This morning in the same spot on the way out in the woods I got a surprise!



This little dude was standing completely motionless less than 10 yards from me while I was passing it and caught it out of the side of my eye. It was about the size of a loaf of bread...with legs. I talked softly to it while I got out my camera trying to keep it from getting nervous. It stood there for as many pictures as I wanted to take in some video. It stayed in the same spot the whole time even when I left. Im guessing there was another one about 75 yards away because I heard something really small in the brush trot off when trying to quietly walk out.

[Texas by God]

I saw a gobbler yesterday 100 yards in front of my house. The problem is, season ended last Sunday! There are some counties in East Texas that require shotgun use especially for Eastern turkeys. We have the Rio Grande variety here.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Tripplebeards]

The sixth and final season opened today here in Wisconsin. It ends on next Tuesday. At the rate I’m going I don’t think I’m going to see another bird but I’m gonna give it heck. They’re gobbling in the morning but they’re just on everybody else’s property. My goal is two more birds

[Tripplebeards]

Took the day off from the woods. I went to walmart to see if they had anything on closeout. I picked up the last jake decoy for $5, the last two boxes of 10, 2 3/4" 1.5 oz, #5 winchester turkey loads for $3ea, a mossy oak turkey chair for $11, a sweet suzie slate call for $5, chalk for $2, and the only thing that wasnt on closeout i bought was box of 25 federal heavy field load 2 3/4", 1 /4oz, lead #4's for $8.44...never knew they made them. I haven't used a decoy in a few decades so maybe the jake will put #3 in sights tommorow along with the new slate sound. $39 tax in for all my toys! If you are in need to stock up on closeout deals for turkey hunting head to walmart.

[Tripplebeards]

Tomorrow is the last day! I had a hen walk up to my Jake decoy at 10am this morning with an egg shell stuck to the top of her head like a football helmet!!! Her whole neck was solid yellow from the yolk. I thought it was some type of rare mutant bird till I figure it out what it was when it got closer.lol. it look just like the goofy turkeys over in Africa with a Crest on top of its skull but with the yellow neck instead of turquoise.

Long story short I spoke the bird in the shell fell off its head in the process. I picked it up and put it on my $5 decoy so you get the idea of what the hen looked like minus all the yellow yolk that was caked all the way down it’s neck. It had some red spots along its yellow neck so I would assume that was probably what was left of what was inside of that egg. When I found and picked up the egg it still had some soft yolk running out of it. I don’t know if it kicked it out of its nest and broke it in the process or if it found it laying on the ground and pecked at it and got it stuck on its head for some goofy reason.

[Tripplebeards]

Last day was today. Nasty thunderstorms all night so I went out this afternoon. No Gobbles or birds but I found a gun and holsters half buried out in my woods. The cap pistol says daisy on the side. I was all excited at first as I thought I found a “real” pistol till I saw daisy on the side. The holsters are Actually in pretty good shape I just need to clean them up. It feels like they were made out of hard rubber or something similar.

[rbuck351]

Here in Lincoln county MT you are allowed 3 turkeys per year. We have 13+ acres here and about a dozen turkeys roost in the trees just up the hill from my garage about 25 yds. Every morning they come down the hill and wander through the front yard. When the toms are strutting their stuff I can go out on the front porch and watch them sometimes as close as 10yds. A 22 short in a handgun would be plenty of gun. Here you can shoot them with about anything you want but I haven't bothered yet. Deer wandering around the pasture and front yard as well. Seems there is some clover growing in the yard that the deer really like.

[Tripplebeards]

Jazzed up my second $5 Walmart close out decoy today with a black and brown marker while I was roasting the smaller bird. The Jake decoy looks good the way it is but this hen needed help.

Before...



After...





And the real McCoy...I never roasted a wild turkey before. I always just cut out the breast’s and legs.




I brined it for a couple days, smoked it for two hours, and finished off in the oven at 350 degrees for two hours. It cooked faster then I expected. I figured it would take 2.5 hours and after two hours it had an internal temp of 200 degrees. I was still pretty juicy. The breast turned out great but the wings and drum sticks are a little chewy. They will go in the croc pot tomorrow till the meat softens up. Bird number two will get the legs ground up into hamburger, one side of the breast jerky, and the other side batter fried strips.

[Tripplebeards]

Went out today to try out my browning 10 gauge with the new parts. The second shot my charging handle that perfectly cleared my b square mount hit it and launched out of the gun again! There were a group of younger shooters there that helped my find my handle. I rewarded the guy who found it with letting him shoot my gun. He was a pretty small guy and was pretty excited. It pushed him back pretty good and he couldn’t stop laughing. I bet he and his buddies are still talking about it. My old charging handle had hit my mount for decades so I’m wondering if the detent spring is getting weak? I called browning to order one. I couldn’t believe it...they are sending me a new spring and detent!!...along with a spare charging handle!!! Three weeks ago who ever I talked to there in service was going to charge me for a charging handle and replacement plunger so I ordered them cheaper from MGW. I guess it’s who you talk to there. Wish I would have talked to her a few weeks ago.

Oh, and I tried out my new patternmaster .695” code black turkey choke at 25 yards with my good old faithful, federal grand slam 2 oz of #5’s. Y charging handle hit the mount when I **** so I would assume it kicked the POA off a little or my red dot just isn’t zeroed. It sure put a tight group on paper...just a hair left...



I also tried federal GS 2oz #4’s...



And Remington 2 1/4oz #4’s. You can see my pattern is left again...




You can see the #4 loads just don’t like to group as tight. I also tested 2 oz of #5 Winchester’s but they didn’t group as good as the federal #5’s.

When my parts arrive I’m going to remove metal from my B square mount so the charging handle clearance will be a good 1/2” wider so there will no way my handle will hit it again. Im also going to paint the spare charging handle blaze orange so if fly’s off again I’ll find it.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not familiar with Browning, but my Remington 11-48 also liked to toss the charging handle. It too is held in with a spring and detent. In the 11-48, you have to replace the entire slide it is mounted in, the ball and spring are peened in, and are not replaceable. I bought a brand new slide, but the new one was obviously bad, I could barely move the ball. I sent it back. Some penetrating oil, and working the ball cleaned the old one well enough. I had also purchased a new charging handle, and the detent was tiny by comparison to the old. After cleaning the gunk out of the old charging handle detent, and getting my spring and ball to move freely, it seems to have fixed it. I've seen where some guys have used a drill bit to deepen the charging handle detent as well.

Infact, that 11-48 was built in 1950 or 51, and I doubt it was ever cleaned since that day. I can't believe it worked, but it did. Goes to show the genius of John browning.

[Tripplebeards]

Mine probably works just fine and the Scope saddle Has got to be the culprit. I’ll replace the parts anyways just to be safe besides removing saddle material. It’s weird that for the first time since I installed the saddle In the mid 90’s it’s giving me issues. Between addressing both the saddle and the spring/detent I’m sure it will fox the issue. I looked at numerics schematic abd it looks like their is a pin that just taps our of the slide to replace the spring and detent.

[Tripplebeards]

Got out the Dremel tool today and cut off about a quarter inch of clearance. I filed it smooth and touched up the bare aluminum with a little black paint after words. My charging handle is definitely not going to catch on it now. Hopefully my POA is still on or close once I get the saddle reinstalled.

[Tripplebeards]

New parts came today from Browning. I used the charging handle I bought for $25 and will keep the one browning sent me for a spare. You can see the new parts on the right...both longer. My charging handle takes a lot more force to remove now. Along with removing a about a quarter inch or more along the bottom of the scope saddle opening in sure my handle won’t hit or fly out again. I think I might order a browning gold factory scope mount and have it drilled and tapped e eventually.

[megasupermagnum]

Have you tried it without a scope? I played around with some red dots, thinking they would benefit in the dark woods. I found it did nothing but add bulk and complication. Some simple fiber optic open sights worked well, but I'm quite happy now with nothing but a bead. I've come full circle.