2020 Texas Turkey Trip
Posted: March 24th, 2020, 11:08 am
Went to my yearly South Texas Turkey hunt this past weekend. There wasn't nearly as many birds this year as in years past, but I still killed my four. Killed two opening morning within an hour and then it flooded the rest of the day. Killed my last two straight of the roost Sunday am.
Opening morning began with 5-6 birds gobbling within 200 yards of me. I got set up where I had killed birds in years past. I never said anything when the birds were in the trees but as soon as they flew down I started calling to them. Had one respond about 150 yds out in the pasture, but heard a lot of hens with him. Then two more fired off further down the river. I didn't think the bird in the pasture with hens would be there anytime soon so I focused on birds further down river and kind of repositioned a little. Low and behold 5-10 mis later hens started filtering in over my right shoulder. If I wouldn't have repositioned I could have easily had a shot that direction. I knew the gobbler would be with them and the direction they were going I couldn't get spun around enough without being seen to shoot. However, if they kept on same path I would have a shot once they worked on by me over my left shoulder. It was but a few seconds and I saw the fan working through the trees. I am watching him and these 20-30 hens over my right shoulder. I do a little light calling and the birds out front gobble again but are still around 120 yds out. Bird with hens never said a word. They are steadily working behind me and I know I should have a shot eventually. Then I hear drumming and turn around and look back at the decoys and there are two strutters blowed up at the dekes. I immediately got the gun up and shot one. I should have let their heads line up and kill both of them but I didn't. When I shoot turkeys go everywhere. I tried to stop the bird that saw his buddy die but he got out dodge.
I didn't get up but stayed in the same spot and kept doing a little calling. It wasn't long and I had two more birds down the river start gobbling. They worked in pretty quickly but once they could see the decoys they stopped at about 80 yds. The first two had kicked the jake a couple times and had him kind of leaning over a bit. I guess they didn't like the fact he was leaning over. I watched as they worked down the fence line until they went over a hill and was out of sight.
I went and got the bird I had killed and gathered up the decoys and was going to go make a move on them. While I was doing this a bird gobbled in the direction the bird I had killed buddy ran. I made a quick move and got set up. I didn't put out any dekes or anything this time. By now the wind was roaring and he wasn't answering to the mouth call or slate. I got the box out and made a call and he hammered. He was originally to my right but started working straight out in front of me. He is gobblign good on his own and I aint calling to him at all. I finally hit him again with the box and it aint 30 secs and I see a white head running to me. He come in from my left and starts paralleling me. The side he come in on was pretty open. I adjust a little and roll him up as well. I knew when I pulled the trigger he was pretty far. It turned out he was 62 big steps. Ol 20 ga with the alphabet load did him in. No flopping or anything.
The rest of the afternoon was horrible because of the rain. However, the next morning I set up to where the first group of turkeys came in the day before. Birds didn't gobble but a couple times on roost and were roosted much further away than the day before. I called once I thought they were on the ground and a bird sounded off about 300 yds out. It wasn't long before hen after hen started working through the fence on to my side. Then I saw two fans in the pasture. However, more hens started working further south and these birds went with them. At this point I have hens from the first group at 10-15 yds. I was afraid to make a sound and have them start looking my way. Then I see 4 more read heads heading my way. Turns out these were all jakes. They also worked down the fence with the 2nd group of hens and two gobblers. At this point I am making a plan in my head for when these hens beside me feed off of how I can loop around and get in position on the other birds.
I had a DSD jake strutter out, a DSD mating hen, and DSD leading hen. I was kind of puzzled why the gobblers didn't come on it to the decoys. As I am strategizing in my head, I see 4 more fans in the field. They get to fence see decoys and immediately break and come in. One gobbler eases off to the hens to my left but the other three are strutting around the dekes. I wait until two of their heads line up and squeeze off a shot. Two birds hit the ground and my Texas limit has been filled.
I got one kill on video which was pretty sweet. Also one of the birds I killed was a triple beard and another had 10.5in beard with 1 3/8 and 1 5/16 spurs. Overall it was a good weekend besides having to sleep in truck, only stop for gas, and the rain.
First Birds
Two Birds One shot from day two
Opening morning began with 5-6 birds gobbling within 200 yards of me. I got set up where I had killed birds in years past. I never said anything when the birds were in the trees but as soon as they flew down I started calling to them. Had one respond about 150 yds out in the pasture, but heard a lot of hens with him. Then two more fired off further down the river. I didn't think the bird in the pasture with hens would be there anytime soon so I focused on birds further down river and kind of repositioned a little. Low and behold 5-10 mis later hens started filtering in over my right shoulder. If I wouldn't have repositioned I could have easily had a shot that direction. I knew the gobbler would be with them and the direction they were going I couldn't get spun around enough without being seen to shoot. However, if they kept on same path I would have a shot once they worked on by me over my left shoulder. It was but a few seconds and I saw the fan working through the trees. I am watching him and these 20-30 hens over my right shoulder. I do a little light calling and the birds out front gobble again but are still around 120 yds out. Bird with hens never said a word. They are steadily working behind me and I know I should have a shot eventually. Then I hear drumming and turn around and look back at the decoys and there are two strutters blowed up at the dekes. I immediately got the gun up and shot one. I should have let their heads line up and kill both of them but I didn't. When I shoot turkeys go everywhere. I tried to stop the bird that saw his buddy die but he got out dodge.
I didn't get up but stayed in the same spot and kept doing a little calling. It wasn't long and I had two more birds down the river start gobbling. They worked in pretty quickly but once they could see the decoys they stopped at about 80 yds. The first two had kicked the jake a couple times and had him kind of leaning over a bit. I guess they didn't like the fact he was leaning over. I watched as they worked down the fence line until they went over a hill and was out of sight.
I went and got the bird I had killed and gathered up the decoys and was going to go make a move on them. While I was doing this a bird gobbled in the direction the bird I had killed buddy ran. I made a quick move and got set up. I didn't put out any dekes or anything this time. By now the wind was roaring and he wasn't answering to the mouth call or slate. I got the box out and made a call and he hammered. He was originally to my right but started working straight out in front of me. He is gobblign good on his own and I aint calling to him at all. I finally hit him again with the box and it aint 30 secs and I see a white head running to me. He come in from my left and starts paralleling me. The side he come in on was pretty open. I adjust a little and roll him up as well. I knew when I pulled the trigger he was pretty far. It turned out he was 62 big steps. Ol 20 ga with the alphabet load did him in. No flopping or anything.
The rest of the afternoon was horrible because of the rain. However, the next morning I set up to where the first group of turkeys came in the day before. Birds didn't gobble but a couple times on roost and were roosted much further away than the day before. I called once I thought they were on the ground and a bird sounded off about 300 yds out. It wasn't long before hen after hen started working through the fence on to my side. Then I saw two fans in the pasture. However, more hens started working further south and these birds went with them. At this point I have hens from the first group at 10-15 yds. I was afraid to make a sound and have them start looking my way. Then I see 4 more read heads heading my way. Turns out these were all jakes. They also worked down the fence with the 2nd group of hens and two gobblers. At this point I am making a plan in my head for when these hens beside me feed off of how I can loop around and get in position on the other birds.
I had a DSD jake strutter out, a DSD mating hen, and DSD leading hen. I was kind of puzzled why the gobblers didn't come on it to the decoys. As I am strategizing in my head, I see 4 more fans in the field. They get to fence see decoys and immediately break and come in. One gobbler eases off to the hens to my left but the other three are strutting around the dekes. I wait until two of their heads line up and squeeze off a shot. Two birds hit the ground and my Texas limit has been filled.
I got one kill on video which was pretty sweet. Also one of the birds I killed was a triple beard and another had 10.5in beard with 1 3/8 and 1 5/16 spurs. Overall it was a good weekend besides having to sleep in truck, only stop for gas, and the rain.
First Birds
Two Birds One shot from day two