Author Topic: Michigan Turkey opener (Read 610 times)

Critter · « **on:** April 18, 2005, 12:45:39 PM »

Wow what a glorious day for the opener. My partner and I both scored so that made it even better. I really wish we could take more than one turkey here. My season was over 21 minutes into it, bittersweet. My pard scored on a two beard monster around 2:30 this afternoon. It was real exciting, we had three come to the call at the same time and we didn't have time to stick a decoy out so they were a bit wary. All three were nice birds, the biggest one got away before he could get a shot off. What a hoot, now I just have to wait til October to do it again :grin:

Tcallbuilder · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2005, 01:00:37 PM »

Congradulations Critter!!!!
we are allowed two in the spring here....I took a good bird opening day.
I wish we could hunt in the pm here in the first weeks of the season...( its all day the last two weeks only)

TCB

NimrodRx · « **Reply #2 on:** April 19, 2005, 12:26:25 PM »

Congrats Critter. I wish I was in your shoes. The birds just aren't cooperating. It's all good though, what a glorious couple of days. Did an all day sit on Monday and sat until 11:00 this morning.

Lots of gobbeling in the morning and I'm seeing a lot of birds. This morning I had a flock of 20 birds about 100 yrds out in a pasture. Five nice toms in the bunch. They answer my calls and gobble their heads off, just won't come in. They just stay out on the hill strutting. Completely ignored my dekes. In fact, this morning I didn't even put the dekes out and didn't do any real calling. Just a little purring and soft clucks. Figured my best chance this early in the year is going to be an ambush. I'm going to set up tomorrow morning where I saw them this morning.

Any words of wisdom are appreciated. I'm using a bow, so I've got to get them in close.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #3 on:** April 19, 2005, 01:55:32 PM »

Congrats to you and your partner, Critter, it's tough to do a double, glad it worked for ya!! Got mine this am, now for number 2.....and maybe 3!!!

Critter · « **Reply #4 on:** April 19, 2005, 05:43:07 PM »

I would give anything to be able to take another bird. We're working on the DNR to do just that. They had 35000 left over permits, no reason we shouldn't be able to buy them. I am hooked up to help my wifes cousin and his two kids by doing some guiding and calling so that will be a hoot. I just like getting them to come to call, nothing quite like it except maybe and I mean maybe bow hunting whitetails.

NimrodRX,
It's been my experience in the past that gobblers that are hooked up with hens in the am will be easier to hunt in the afternoon when the hen has gone to nest. None of the toms we saw was with a hen yet but they were lookin awful hard.

NimrodRx · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2005, 05:34:20 AM »

Yah, that's been my experience too. It's just so frustrating. I have found their strut/feeding zone. They come off the roost and then meander through this pasture. This morning I had the whole flock (complete with 4 nice toms) at 40 yrds for nearly an hour. Just out of reach.

I'm in a pop-up on the edge of the woods. They're always about 40 yards off the woods. I'm actually considering placing my pop-up right out in the open pasture, maybe 30 yards from the woods. I'm a little worried this might spook them though. Any experience with putting a pop-up in the wide open like that?

Thanks.

Critter · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2005, 05:51:28 AM »

Nope, I have never used a pop up blind. I have laid flat on the ground in the open and got one before but it wasn't with a bow. That would be tough. Anytime I think of putting up a blind somewhere I try to think about how to make it as unobtrusive as possible. Remember it will be like putting an extra couch in someones living room and hoping they don't notice.
Good Luck

NimrodRx · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2005, 12:30:10 PM »

Yah, I know what you mean. That is certainly the way I always approach whitetail. However, these turkeys seem unaffected by my blind. I put it up when I get there and take it with me when I leave, so it isn't that they're used to it. I'm not even brushing it in. They just don't seem to notice it. I've had a few hens and jakes literally right on the other side of the blind from me.

I think I'm going to try it. I'll let you know how it goes

NimrodRx · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2005, 11:38:01 AM »

Well, I moved the pop-up out into the field – about 30 yrds off the woods. Had a few hens and jakes walk right by it as if it wasn’t there. Didn’t seem to bother them at all. I’m probably going to kick myself for not taking a poke at the jake I had at ten yards with his back to me. I even came to full draw just to see if I could get away with the movement. Just couldn’t bring myself to release while those four big toms stood out there at 50 yards.

Man, I’ll be glad when these flocks break up. I can’t get anything to come into my calls. I’ve pulled my dekes and pretty much quit calling with the exception of some light purrs and clucks. Just trying to pattern them and set up an ambush.

A buddy of mine is bringing his bow out this weekend so that we can double our chances. It will be interesting to see how this weather change affects the birds.

Critter · « **Reply #9 on:** April 26, 2005, 02:43:04 AM »

Did you get some snow to turkey hunt in this weekend? How did things work out for you doubling up? I've got some real excited kids to take hunting in a couple of weeks so I hope the weather improves for them.

NimrodRx · « **Reply #10 on:** April 26, 2005, 07:38:14 PM »

Yah Critter, I was hunting turkey in the snow all weekend. Never saw that coming... Things were actually pretty slow. The closest I came was on Sunday evening. I sat my pop-up near a local. that I knew they were roosting in. Sure enoug, about an hour before dusk, here comes the whole flock - complete with three good toms. They kept coming closer and closer. I was sure that this was it. Wouldn't ya know it, they get about 30 yrds out and start flying up into the trees to roost. So close, yet so far :cry: .

Oh well, we will be back at it in the morning (which reminds me, what am I still doing up :? ) After that, I have Th, Fr, Sa, Su off. I will be in the woods most all weekend. That is, except Sat and Sun afternoon while I have a trap shoot that I must attend. Life is rough.....

Good hunting.

Critter · « **Reply #11 on:** May 03, 2005, 03:56:05 AM »

Nimrod, Did you get a bird? :-)

NimrodRx · « **Reply #12 on:** May 03, 2005, 01:03:55 PM »

Negative Critter. However, I did end up taking a shot that I knew I shouldn't have. I was just getting so frustrated. Couldn't get anything in 20 yards or less. Anyway last Fri. I had a nice tom at what I thought to be 27-28 yards. I feel pretty good at 25 yards, but at the beginning of the season I told myself that I was going to limit myself to 20 yard shots or less.

Anyway, it was a still morning, the shot was wide open, so I figured it was doable. Put my 25 yrd pin right on his back and zipped one out there. It went just under his belly. The windage would have been perfect. He kinda jumped a little and went right back to feeding. When I recovered my arrow and paced it off, I learned that the bird was really 32 yrds out. Oh well, I took comfort in the fact that it was a clean miss. Still should have known better... If I would have only had my 11-87......

I'm thinking that it was just too early. My guess is that those birds would probably respond to calling now. I'm going to try to get out this weekend and just see how they react. With my luck, I will call a huge tom into my lap and not be able to do anything about it. What can you do but laugh. It was still a lot of fun trying to arrow one

I just couldn't get them to respond to calling. They'd gobble back, but never come in. All the birds I saw were in flocks of at least ten or more birds.