2023 Strut Stoppers story thread

[aclawrence]

That sounds like a fun hunt wvhoyt19


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[wvhoyt19]

That sounds like a fun hunt wvhoyt19


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It was a blast! We wrote the script and they read it perfectly!!


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[turkey harvester]

Love it when a plan comes together. Congrats to both of you!!!

[wvhoyt19]

Love it when a plan comes together. Congrats to both of you!!!

Thank you!! Long drive but definitely worth it


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[Kygobblergetter]

Drove 20 hours to Montana. Arrived mid day and hunted hard with no action. Caught a nap and went hunting in the evening. Heard some birds gobble on the limb that evening but didn't have them even close to pinpointed. The next morning we didn't have anything close but had a general direction and kept working that way. We finally found a henned up bird and chased them around for awhile without much luck. After we finally lost them we heard a distant gobble and started working that way. After getting in the general area where we thought they were I hit a call and one gobbled about 150 yards out. Once he got cranked up 2 more started gobbling not far from him as well. I got them cranked up but they were on the hill across from us and it was clear they weren't coming off of it. We repositioned and called again and could quickly tell they were coming. Two popped over the hill around 60 yards but didn't see a hen and went back to their hang out spot. Repositioned to the other side and got them worked up again but they wouldn't move. Finally we made an aggressive move using the terrain to get within 60 yards of them and they hammered at a couple soft yelps. At this point we're on our knees looking over top of a small bush with the birds just over a roll with a couple pines between us. Almost instantly we can hear hard drumming right behind the pines. Before long I see a tail fan coming our way. The first bird comes strutting out from behind the trees at about 15 yards and either of us could have killed him easily. Since he hadn't gotten nervous yet we decided to wait and try to double. About 20 seconds later the other gobbler struts up right beside him. Their heads are practically touching when we start the count to 3 and pull the triggers ending the hunt on a perfect double at 12 yards


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[aclawrence]

That's awesome. Sounds like it was worth the drive! Congrats


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[wvhoyt19]

Congrats!! Beautiful birds and awesome memories made! Hopefully next spring I will be in MT for my Merriam.


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[JeffC]

Congrats to you and your friend KYgobblergetter, 2 fine Toms out in the "Big Sky" country.

[Kygobblergetter]

Thanks guys it was a lot of fun. We had some fun hunting in wyoming this morning too. We set up on two off the roost but only one would commit. I told my buddy to kill him and he ended up missing. We kept hunting and had another close call with a bird that would literally just sprint past us gobbling his head off without slowing down then get to 100 yards and hang up and gobble. He did that to us a couple times. We heard another bird after that so I sent my buddy after him and I split to try and find a bird myself since it was our last morning. Got a close "oh sh*t" gobble and had to just drop down in a ditch. Birds came right in but it was 5 jakes. Played around with them for awhile then heard another gobble a long ways off. Made a loop on him that was right at a mile. Hit the call and he answered but I could barely hear him. Moved over a finger and same thing. I decided at this point he was at the bottom on the other side of the next finger over from me. I made my move and I guess he was making his at the same time. We met at the top of the finger. Luckily I saw him a couple seconds before he saw me and was able to get my gun off my shoulder. He saw me about the time I was turning my sight on and I raised up and shot him on his second step getting out of there. Fun stuff but he ended up being a jake. I really hate that and never shoot jakes but it is what it is. For a shorter trip this far from home we had an absolute blast


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[aclawrence]

Sounds like y'all are having a blast. I need to do this one day.


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[Moore]

Yesterday was the first time I got out to turkey hunt, so here is how it went down. I knew the forecast for Saturday was going to rain here in Minnesota. I got out Friday to setup the bílind so I can  dry during the rain. When I was approaching I saw a flock of turkey in the field I was going to setup in. They bugged out when they saw my truck approaching. I setup on this high point  on the field because in years past in know if the toms aren't roosting in this one area then they will approach on this high point of this field. Saturday I got out and set my decoys out as if they were breading  in the field and  got in my blind and waited for the rain and turkeys to sound off. I was getting worried because they weren't sounding off  at the time I usually hear them. I had several sound off and I had this one sounded pretty close he was acting really weird. I was thinking it must have been a Jake. The first hen  came out and  was feeding in the low spot of the field. She work her up to me and started to cluck, so I joined in  with some yelps and clucks. A short time later two Jakes and a hen joined the field and were feeding in the low area. The original hen went back in the woods and another hen joined the three feeding in the field.  As the five turkeys workimh the field, I would take my box call and give a few yelps and I would hear a distant gobble very faintly. I did hear one much closer and steps out another Jake. Lol I thought to myself you got to be kidding me. The two Jakes met with the newest Jake and then begging to circle each other and then started to feed with the two hens. I had watched thosefive turkeys for two and a half hours and I would call about fifteen to twenty minutes with some yelps and clucks on my box call. I was getting tired because I only had about two to three hours of sleep because I can never sleep the night before I start one of my hunting season. I figure I would rest my eyes as the five feeding  below me . All of a sudden I hear a cluck I raised me head and look to my left there stood three more Jakes. I'm looking further to my left and I see a long beard. He was started to make his way down the back side towards  of the rye field and turn to get my gun and saw his head coming back up from the  back side and fired. He dropped and I rushed out to get him and this here thing gets takes a turn. I went back to get my chair and camera to some photos of my bird. When I was looking him over the long bird I shot he had a half a beard. I was confused did I shoot his beard off? What in the world happened, so I started to at the spurs and that's when I realized I got one of the Jakes instead. I figured what had happened the tom was making his way down the hill and at the same time one of the Jakes that was with him was making his way up as I was getting my gun that was propped up in the blind and out the window. I mistaken the head of the Jake for the long beard I intended to take. My tag is punch with a legal bird  here in Mn that I'm grateful for. At this point I just look towards next season when I head to OK and KS. I didn't take any pictures because the bird was so wet and wanted to get the meat out and chilled down.Now I'm just waiting on my buddy's schedule to clear up so we can take out his son on his first turkey hunt.

[aclawrence]

At least you got to see some good close up turkey action. Good luck on your other states.


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[turkey harvester]

The older i get.... the more a legal turkey is satisfactory for me lol. Sounded like an exciting hunt.

[Moore]

Thanks guys, to be perfectly honest. I wasn't going to share the story, but it's better then eating tag soup. When it comes to the outdoors there is not reason to lie about what happens. It was that bird time, and that long beard will be that much better next year.

[aclawrence]

I was finally able to get my hands on a turkey this season. It was private land to the rescue and I still had to work my butt off for this one. I'll be back for the story later.


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