My season in review

pedro · Post by **pedro** » May 24th, 2016, 9:44 pm

My Illinois season started with my dad and myself hunting some state ground that we have been successful at in the past. We spent a total of 42 hours there and were unable to get a bird close enough. Lots of hen action and only saw three longbeards. Gobbling was heard most days on the roost then go quiet after fly down. The birds are there, just not our year. The first bird of the year came on Wisconsin public land. Set up close to a known roosting area on a field edge. Birds were going crazy all around but not where I expected. It was almost shooting time when two birds sounded off a few hundred feet away in the trees. New to me this year is a tumpet made by joe slaton. I made some soft yelps and they answered. When they flew down it was 4 longbeards coming down the treeline looking for me. When the situation stared to make them nervous I took the close one. Shot with my .410 and tss 9.5s he was a nice two year old. One week later went to another public spot and settled in and awaited gobbling time. One of the best gobbling mornings I have been in on. Set up between two groups of birds and never saw one that day. Some scouting revealed where two birds flew down and went. The next day found me in the pines near the fly down from the day before. Not a gobble anywhere. Just as I was going to make a move one gobbled just yards from me. A couple of clucks and he flew down just out of range. A few more clucks and I saw him coming. When in range I took him with the open barrel of my 20ga sxs. My best buddy had roosted one a week earlier and we went and set up on him n a piece of public that we neither of us had set a foot on. He roosted the bird from the parking lot. It took a while for him to sound off. We set up on a big oak in a small oak flat area within a bog. Got lucky when he gobbled on the roost only 80-100 yards away. He answered every call I made on my ceramic pot call with Purple Heart striker. Never heard him flydown but when he did not answer my last call I figured he was coming. I heard him spit my bud heard him drum. Then he appeared about 35 yards away. He made a few steps closer and periscoped his head looking for a hen. My buddy shot him with his 20ga and some tss loads I gave him. It was his first bird in a long time and I was stoked to be apart of it with him. Hunted many more days without killing but was on birds almost every hunt. Shot less turkeys this year than I have in quite a few, but the memories are still what matters most. At least I know where a few birds are for next year. I hunted the closer of Wisconsin today and had one close, the vegetation is thick now and makes the timber a harder hunt. My 20 ga bird was my longest spurred gobbler with 1.5 in hooks! The .410 bird was the second double bearded with that gun.

el diablo · Post by **el diablo** » May 24th, 2016, 11:17 pm

Congrats on a great season!

Grumpy · Post by **Grumpy** » May 24th, 2016, 11:40 pm

Good job on the hunts.

Shooter · Post by **Shooter** » May 25th, 2016, 12:31 am

Lookin Good Pete!!!

MAK · Post by **MAK** » May 25th, 2016, 8:16 am

Nice birds - it's good to leave some for seed!!!

GLS · Post by **GLS** » May 25th, 2016, 8:25 am

Pete, from where I sit, I'd say you had a fine season. Gil

Andy S. · Post by **Andy S.** » May 25th, 2016, 10:01 am

Congrats on a fine season, thanks for sharing.

hookedspur · Post by **hookedspur** » May 25th, 2016, 4:14 pm

Very nice ,Pete.

WV Ridge Reaper · Post by **WV Ridge Reaper** » May 25th, 2016, 9:45 pm

Dead turkeys equals good times!! Good for you

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

madmike1977 · Post by **madmike1977** » May 26th, 2016, 12:05 am

, what make is the SxS?

soiltester · Post by **soiltester** » May 26th, 2016, 8:32 am

I'd say yer' season was "Dandyfull"

pedro · Post by **pedro** » May 26th, 2016, 8:52 pm

madmike1977 wrote:, what make is the SxS?

Cz bobwhite 20ga. Shooting a tss load of 8.5 in the right barrel and a leadxtss duplex in the left.

202P&Y · Post by **202P&Y** » May 26th, 2016, 9:49 pm

Congrats and thanks for sharing!

stanblouin · Post by **stanblouin** » March 7th, 2018, 5:04 pm

Thanks for sharing your Wisconsin experience with us. I am planning on hunting Wisconsin this season and would like some pointers on finding some public land with turkeys. I am 70 years old, live in So. Louisiana, and I am trying to hunt turkeys in every state. Wyoming, So. Dak., Minn. and Wisc. are on my list for this year. My wife hunts with me but is not a shooter. She is my eyes and ears. We generally try to hunt 4 to 5 states a year. So far we have hunted 31 states and have been successful in a little over half.

My guide lines are:
Public Land
20 ga.
No blind
No Decoy

Just looking for a suggestion as to where I may try in Wisconsin.

Thanks in advance.

Gobbler Nation