I am truly blessed to get the chance to chase these magnificent birds on some beautiful properties with good people. First hunt was MO youth season 4/09-4/10. Took my buddy and his 6 year old daughter to one of the 2 southern MO ozark properties I primarily hunt. Big 120 acre wood lot that buts up to rolling pasture with a creek bottom in it. Had been running a trail cam pre-season and got pics of these 3 inseparable boss toms. Little did I know what these 3 birds would put me through by seasons end. Dates on pics are incorrect.
Got to the property well past dark, and didn't have a chance to roost one. Set up pre-dawn in a blind in a known roosting spot with my buddy and his daughter. Come dawn and the birds were gobbling 300 yrds away, near the pasture. Decided to ditch the blind and make a move. Got to the field edge, peered over the rise, and down in a depression were the 3 boss toms with their harem of about 10 hens. Had my buddy and his daughter grab a tree, and I proceeded to belly crawl out to the rise with a jake decoy held up where the birds could see. Showed him off and staked him down with a breeder hen in front. Crawled back, proceeded to make a few calls 20 yards behind my buddy's spot, and the 3 toms immediately broke from the flock and ran in. Birds crested the rise at 30 yards, but our excited youth hunter got fidgety and the lead tom ducked right as the squeeze was made. Clean miss #1. She did great though, and exclaimed "aww we almost had turkey dinner!" Went and caught trout for supper instead, and she reeled in her first.
Set up in the blind the next morning on the same field, different side, with a Jake and hen. Heard them gobbling on the other side. Watched hens pitch down into the field, and they were soon greeted by the 3 toms. Called to them off and on for an hour, but they weren't as eager to commit. About 9:30 we were all startled as a gobbler sounded off behind the blind, back in the woods. A little soft talk and he was on his way. Heard him jump the fence into the pasture, and we could see him swinging wide around. Once he saw the decoys he was committed. Got her all set up for the shot, but she clipped the blind. Miss #2. She didn't mind.
Returned to the same property for the season opener a week later. Took off work the whole week. Set up closer to their roost. Heard the 3 toms gobbling their heads off on the roost, along with several other birds near by. Got them fired up after fly down, and could tell they were coming. Spotted the trio working along a hardwood ridge 80 yards out. Got parallel to me and just strutted and gobbled for my decoy for ah hour, but they weren't coming off that ridge, and gobbled off the other direction. Woods were silent rest of the day, and at 10am I decided to check out the other property I have access to about 20 minutes down the road.
I've taken several birds off this property. Similar ozark property with a nice mix of timber and old pastures. A little more rugged terrain.
I was walking along a wooded trail towards a known strut field, making soft clucks on my mouth call, when I was abruptly cut off by a gobbler just ahead 100 yards out in the field, but behind a rise. His hens were in the field corner, staring me down at 60 yards. I sank to the ground out of sight. I was able to belly crawl to a tree near the field edge. A few soft clicks and purrs and the hens dismissed me, and fed into 15 feet. Made some sharp cuts and got him gobbling, and getting closer. He's approaching, real hens in front of me to help draw him in, when a coyote bust through, scattering the birds. Game over.
Came back to the same field edge the next morning. Set up in a blind to avoid the rain with a jake/hen combo. First light and he was gobbling, with a lot of hen chatter. After an intense calling battle, the boss hen came in to inspect my decoy around 8:30. By 9 several other hens entered the field, and some yelps and cuts he was gobbling hard back in the woods. 9:30 I spotted him. He just appeared like a ghost on the field edge 80 yards out. Mean looking wary bird. Just stared my decoy down forever before shaking the rain off and cautiously approaching. Got to 40 yards out and just strutted and stared. As he turned to follow the hens that were exiting the field, I let him have it. 870 went boom, and he was flopping.
23 lbs. 10" beard. 5/8" spurs.
Wednesday afternoon another buddy and I took the boat to a southern MO resivoir for some fishing and more turkey hunting. I couldn't attempt to fill tag #2 until after first week, so plan was to try and call in my buddies first bird.
First morning after a long hike up the ridge, we had 2 birds gobbling but hung up 75 yards down from us. We could hear they had a hen with them. Told my buddy "you just stay put and keep your gun up!"
I proceeded to quietly make my way down the opposite ridge, making soft clucks and purrs, and that was all it took. The hen came right and up over the ridge past my buddy, and was soon in my lap. The 2 birds hammered and I could tell they were near the top. I braced for the shot, even though I couldn't see anything...
Boom!
Yes!
Boom!
No!
He missed. Said he saw the 2 big white noggins crest the ridgetop at 35 and couldn't wait any longer. Another clean miss.
Headed to the boat to fish and lick our wounds. One benefit to the 1pm daily close of hunting, nothing to do but go fish.
Next morning buddy wanted to start on the same ridgetop, and I obliged.
Heard them again but none wanted to play the game, and by 8:30 all was quiet. It was time to make a move.
Circled way around where we heard the closest gobbler. Set up, hit the calls, nothing. Told my buddy not to loose hope, as we could catch a silent tom slipping in.
And that's just what we did. Buddy saw the black shadow move 100 yards down the draw and we could soon see his beard swinging as he made his way up the ridge. At 40 yards he let him have it.
Now here's the best part. I had been calling all trip. I'm kinda the turkey guru amongst my friends. And they prefer I'm on the calls. Well about 20 minutes after we made that move, my buddy says "you're doing it all wrong! Lemme see that Halloran call you got there!" And proceeded to make a few soft clucks. Wasn't 5 minutes later and that bird appeared. You couldn't have scripted it any better.
21 lbs, 11" beard. 1" spurs. Old public land bird. His first gobbler. Flopped back down the ridge into a creek, and got a little wet.
Spent the next week trying to tag out near home. Not much luck.
Last weekend of MO season, I had a tag left, and could have gone after several different birds, but those 3 toms from the get go were haunting me, and I had to take another crack at them. Saturday I set up by their previous roost, but they were about 300 yards away, and never cooperated.
Sunday I awoke extra early with revenge on my mind. It was the last day and last chance I had. Set up on the ridge where I heard them the previous morning. A few owl hoots the evening before confirmed they were there.
I could hear them pitch down, but they gobbled off the other direction. Last day, gotta make it happen. Circled around to a clearing and set up. No response. 20 minutes of nothing and I stood up to move, and there they were, with hens, just entering the field. Some aggressive calling, and they were gobbling a little, but not willing to cross the field. Watched one of the 3 hop up on a tree branch to get a better view. I could call to him and his head would turn white, kinda amusing. Finally saw what was holding them up. There was a coyote eyeing them and me across the field. It proceeded to check my set up twice. I let him walk, and the toms exited out the back.
Feeling defeated and deflated, I decided to head way back around to the field edge where we had the 2 misses during youth season. The blind and decoys were there waiting, and I just planned on sitting the rest of the morning out, napping in the blind with the decoys out. The way the toms were headed meant that they would either funnel out the back of the property, or circle around, up and along the ridge I had set up on to start the morning. To my disbelief they circled to the ridge I had been on. In hindsight, their hens must've left them and they went looking for the hen they were hearing at first light. I should've stayed put. That ridge wraps around and funnels down to the field I was heading to.
I was lacking confidence, and took too long to get there. Set my vest and gun in the blind, climbed out the back to set out the decoy, and simultaneously the 3 toms fired off as they were entering the field, only 100 yards out. You got to be kidding me. My heart sank. There I was, hiding behind the blind, gun and calls in the blind, with nothing but a hen decoy in my hands. If I got there 2 minutes earlier and set up quickly, I would've been good. And after searching all over that ridge for a hen that wasn't there, those 3 toms were as fired up and as hot and bothered as they could be. Watched them work across the field, 40 yards at their closest, heading towards the last spot I had been calling as I approached the field. It was the most agonizing moment I've ever had on a turkey hunt, but there was nothing I could do. Circled around to cut them off 1 last time and set up and called. They hung up in the woods, gobbling like mad but never closed the distance. They were still going at it as I walked out at 1pm. They kicked my butt but I also learned a ton from them.
Just couldn't let my season end on such a brutal whopping.
Loaded up the truck and headed to south central Nebraska. Too many bad reports from Kansas. First time chasing Rios.
Although I felt out of my element not being in the timber, I was able to locate several groups of birds on public ground by glassing, and had 3 roosted in a small patch of timber. Felt confident going into that first morning sit, but at first light I could make out another blind and strutter decoy 200 yards out. Another hunter and I were soon calling to the same gobblers and each other.
Figured out quick that to find birds you just got to find trees and a creek or river. Day 2 I was back on some gobblers. Morning was slow. Around 3 pm I saw 3 toms enter the field. Took an hour of soft talk but they finally came in to inspect my hen decoy, and the lead tom got a round of #5 3" Longbeard xr.
I was more than happy to end the year on such a good note. Packed up and called a wrap!
