Simon Family page 3
I just returned from my very first successful turkey hunt as MAHA member, and I want to let everyone know that I am 100% satisfied with my choice to become a member. John Wenzel and Jon Nee are both exceptional men and I want to personally thank both of you for your time and effort in running a first rate association. Also thank you Jon Nee for helping this new member in setting up my turkey hunt. I really appreciate your advice on which properties to hunt. The turkeys even seemed to cooperate, as they were roosted exactly where you said you thought they would be!
I hunted [deleted] for three days and I was fortunate enough to take two nice gobblers, one of which had three beards and 1 3/8 inch spurs!! Afternoons I was able to road scout a few other MAHA properties and without exception what I saw was more good game habitat. I had a great time, the game was plentiful, I found a nice shed antler, and I loved having the private land all to myself.
Following is a brief account of my turkey hunt:
Day 1 5:30am -- Heard at least six gobblers on the property. I set up three hens and one jake decoy and hid in a wooded tree line.
6:00am -- Turkeys started flying down into the cut cornfield in front of me. Eleven hens and four jakes. Then two long beards stepped out of the woods at about 100 yards. I called some but they were more interested in the real hens. They kept the jakes ran away from the hens and fed and moved away with them.
7:00am -- To my left I heard a gobble about 150 yards away. I called a little more and a few minutes later I saw a gobbler step out of the tree line I was in. He worked his way across the field and back into another wood line.
7:20am -- Back to my right I spot another gobbler, then two. It is the two that were with the hens earlier but this time they look like they want to run my jake decoy away from hens. They came steadily across the cornfield toward my decoys until a load of #4 Hevi-Shot from my 12-gauge stopped the lead bird at 24 yards!The other tom just stood there for about 15 seconds then took a few steps toward the decoys before he decided to leave.
9:30am -- I headed back to the truck and saw about 10 deer on the way.
4:00pm -- After lunch, some pictures, I headed out to try and roost some birds. I saw several hens and jakes but no gobblers.
Day 2
5:30am -- The wind and rain last night tried to blow my little tent away. During a brief break in the rain I returned to my lucky turkey spot and set up.
1:00pm -- Lots of wind and rain, a few hens and jakes but no toms. I packed up and headed to another property. Turkey hunting during tornadoes is tough no matter how good the area!! I did find a very nice five-point antler shed though.
6:30pm -- Spotted some turkeys from the road on the second property and watched them through a spotting scope until almost dark. I wasn't able to see exactly where they roosted but I had a good idea.
Day 3
5:00am -- Once again the weather was VERY nasty last night, but I came through OK. I got up to starry skies and calm winds. Got set up early and waited hoping the turkeys would gobble. They did! Too many gobblers to identify each one, that is a problem I like.
6:15am -- The turkeys are all down in the field but I can't see them. Lots of gobbling close but also hen calling. I called some and in a few minutes spot some turkeys. They are all hens, ten of them one with a beard that looks to be about six inches. They pass the decoys at about 25 yards and I am expecting the toms to follow.
7:30am -- Turkeys still gobbling from the same location, so I move closer and discover they are on the other side of a very thick tree lined ditch. I cross over and spot four long beards three jakes and two hens. I did not bring any of my decoys so I just sat in the brush (actually it was a briar patch) and called. The gobblers were definitely interested but they just would not come any closer than about 75 yards. Eventually they began to follow the hens around the field away from me.
9:30am -- I hurried back and grabbed one hen and my jake decoy and used the rolling terrain to circle around the turkeys.
10:00am -- I spotted the toms strutting and crawled up to the edge of the field to set up the two decoys. It was then that I noticed they were both deflated, some more of those briars had gotten to them. I was able to get the hen decoy rigged up with some electrical tape I carry for just such an emergency, but the jake had been damaged beyond simple repair so I placed the hen. Then I crawled as close as possible to the turkeys in the briars and called. Once again the toms did not come in completely to the decoy but one came close enough for me and my 12 gauge to make him pay for it!!
Very Good Time, and to think the real reason I decided to join MAHA was to deer hunt!
First turkey - 19lbs, 10in beard, 1in spurs Second turkey - 20lbs, 3 beards (10in, 7in, 4in), 1 3/8in spurs. That's an NWTF score of 89.5 !
Thanks for Everything and Good Turkey Hunting to all ------- Greg
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