MT 2017 Spring Turkey Hunt Thread
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Great fun filled 2nd weekend of the season
Day 1
Drove all night thur, parked the truck and stepped out @ 530am gave an owl hoot and the world lit up about 1/2 mile away. Grab the sleepy wife, 10yr old daughter and 14 yr old son and moved in for a set up. Long story short....they cant move as fast as me so we ended up setting up in a less than ideal spot about 500yds from the roost. Set out a decoy (mostly for a yardage marker for the wife and boy) and made a few calls...oh boy! The ridge was on fire with toms and hens. Set back and when they started flying down I went to work. Over the course of an hr we had 3 groups of toms and hens try almost give us a shot. Like I said wasn't a great location...we were looking up a little hill with the decoy on the top. The hens came into range all three times and we had some great views of fans 40yds away juuuust over the crest. Then toms started fighting and we watched the greatest turkey fight ive seen in 35yrs of turkey hunting. Two toms locked up and pushed each other all over a 10acre meadow for 20 min with other toms running around them in circles putting out non stop fighting purs....finally after about 1 1/2 hrs the pecking order got sorted out and 3 "losers" came trotting over to snag the last fat chick at the bar so to speak. At 25 yds the wife let one crack boomchackalaka....last bird we heard all day, but that's ok
Day 2
Got the gang outa bed and drove to a spot that has consistently produced action for 10yrs. Got to the locator spot @540am and it was WINDY. Blew the hooter a couple times and nothing. Was thinking that's weird theres always birds so cranked out a raspy crow call. BINGO two toms right where birds always seem to be. Hustled over to the traditional setup 200 yds from the roost set up and let out a couple sleepy tree yelps. Wow the toms had some real mouthy girl friends with them. So I started arguing with them tit4tat and they got more and more annoyed or interested however you want to interpret it...either way the toms sure liked the conversation. About 615 I see a bird pitch out and start gliding our way followed by 5 more. In the blink of an eye we had 2 toms and 4 hens landing 20yds from us. The toms went right into strut as one of the hens tried to climb in our laps. I putted to get the toms to periscope and told the boy to shoot...which he did....not sure where the shot went but everything left intact. LOL After a little discussion about sight picture/sight alignment we moved on...least I did. Someone was pretty quite for a long time. Just like the day before couldn't find another bird, the 25mph+ wind sure wasn't helping any. Round about 2pm I glassed up a flock with 3 strutters, 3 jakes and 8 hens in a great spot to move in on. The wife and daughter didn't want to climb the mountain as they put it so me and the boy took off. We got around in front of the flock and set up. Started calling and the boss tom popped and the hens started yelping. Continued calling and for the next 40 min they continued to call back but didn't seem to be moving. Then one gobbled RIGHT in front of us and up walked a bright red head at 20yds. Told the kid to shoot and bang! nice 3yr old was flopping
Day 3
Woke up with 3 options. Go to day 1 spot, Go to day 2 spot or go to a spot where we saw a flock with 3 toms and I knew where they roosted but if we go there that's it, it kills the morning. Figured with all the birds at day 1 spot and having rested for a day...prob a sure thing. Got outa the truck @ 540 am blew the owl, blew the crow, let a couple hen calls out...then a cackle nothing..hmmmm..I said they gotta be here so grabbed the crew and headed in. Walked up an over the hill and called again...nothing...where the heck did that many birds disappear to. We are on the crest of a BIG timbered basin and nothing was in it. While we were standing there and I was trying to think up plan B a bird gobbled back towards the truck SWEET! I called and 3 lit up. So we trotted back towards them getting closer and closer to the truck...too close coulda shot them out the window. LOL Anyway set up and they flew down and walked away gobbling. Wife didn't want to chase them back up the hill so I took the two kids and off we went. 2hrs and 3 setups later here comes a tom strutting up the hill to us. Unfortunately, he angled to the wrong side of some brush and my son couldn't find a hole. Oh well hike back to the truck and go somewhere else. About 45 min later we were on a big ridge looking over a big cottonwood valley on no permission private. Ive caught them on the ridge many times before so walked to a point an called...gobble...gobble waaay down in the bottom. I kept calling and we determined there were two hot birds and some hens. One bird was a lot further away than the other. The more I called the hotter one of the toms got. After about 20 min of calling with a response on every call I see a little black do running across a hayfield 1/2 mile away. So I grabbed the crew and we climbed down to the edge of the public/private and set up. I had my wife as primary shooter and I jokingly told my son to shoot cleanup. I gave a call an was cut off and here he came at a trot...stopping to gobble every 20 yds.....across another field... up the hill...under the fence... oh yea!!!! legal beagle baby!....an right into our lap. At 25 yds I putted and he gobbled and I told the wife to shoot and bang!...oops swing and a miss..bird turned started to run and Boom kid dropped him. SWEET! Turk number 3 for him this yr.
....told my wife all the missing comes from her side of the family they didn't think it was funny.
Sons bird from opener
Gunna take him out to try an fill his R3 youth tag this coming weekend to finish out his season and then its my turn to play
Day 1
Drove all night thur, parked the truck and stepped out @ 530am gave an owl hoot and the world lit up about 1/2 mile away. Grab the sleepy wife, 10yr old daughter and 14 yr old son and moved in for a set up. Long story short....they cant move as fast as me so we ended up setting up in a less than ideal spot about 500yds from the roost. Set out a decoy (mostly for a yardage marker for the wife and boy) and made a few calls...oh boy! The ridge was on fire with toms and hens. Set back and when they started flying down I went to work. Over the course of an hr we had 3 groups of toms and hens try almost give us a shot. Like I said wasn't a great location...we were looking up a little hill with the decoy on the top. The hens came into range all three times and we had some great views of fans 40yds away juuuust over the crest. Then toms started fighting and we watched the greatest turkey fight ive seen in 35yrs of turkey hunting. Two toms locked up and pushed each other all over a 10acre meadow for 20 min with other toms running around them in circles putting out non stop fighting purs....finally after about 1 1/2 hrs the pecking order got sorted out and 3 "losers" came trotting over to snag the last fat chick at the bar so to speak. At 25 yds the wife let one crack boomchackalaka....last bird we heard all day, but that's ok
Day 2
Got the gang outa bed and drove to a spot that has consistently produced action for 10yrs. Got to the locator spot @540am and it was WINDY. Blew the hooter a couple times and nothing. Was thinking that's weird theres always birds so cranked out a raspy crow call. BINGO two toms right where birds always seem to be. Hustled over to the traditional setup 200 yds from the roost set up and let out a couple sleepy tree yelps. Wow the toms had some real mouthy girl friends with them. So I started arguing with them tit4tat and they got more and more annoyed or interested however you want to interpret it...either way the toms sure liked the conversation. About 615 I see a bird pitch out and start gliding our way followed by 5 more. In the blink of an eye we had 2 toms and 4 hens landing 20yds from us. The toms went right into strut as one of the hens tried to climb in our laps. I putted to get the toms to periscope and told the boy to shoot...which he did....not sure where the shot went but everything left intact. LOL After a little discussion about sight picture/sight alignment we moved on...least I did. Someone was pretty quite for a long time. Just like the day before couldn't find another bird, the 25mph+ wind sure wasn't helping any. Round about 2pm I glassed up a flock with 3 strutters, 3 jakes and 8 hens in a great spot to move in on. The wife and daughter didn't want to climb the mountain as they put it so me and the boy took off. We got around in front of the flock and set up. Started calling and the boss tom popped and the hens started yelping. Continued calling and for the next 40 min they continued to call back but didn't seem to be moving. Then one gobbled RIGHT in front of us and up walked a bright red head at 20yds. Told the kid to shoot and bang! nice 3yr old was flopping
Day 3
Woke up with 3 options. Go to day 1 spot, Go to day 2 spot or go to a spot where we saw a flock with 3 toms and I knew where they roosted but if we go there that's it, it kills the morning. Figured with all the birds at day 1 spot and having rested for a day...prob a sure thing. Got outa the truck @ 540 am blew the owl, blew the crow, let a couple hen calls out...then a cackle nothing..hmmmm..I said they gotta be here so grabbed the crew and headed in. Walked up an over the hill and called again...nothing...where the heck did that many birds disappear to. We are on the crest of a BIG timbered basin and nothing was in it. While we were standing there and I was trying to think up plan B a bird gobbled back towards the truck SWEET! I called and 3 lit up. So we trotted back towards them getting closer and closer to the truck...too close coulda shot them out the window. LOL Anyway set up and they flew down and walked away gobbling. Wife didn't want to chase them back up the hill so I took the two kids and off we went. 2hrs and 3 setups later here comes a tom strutting up the hill to us. Unfortunately, he angled to the wrong side of some brush and my son couldn't find a hole. Oh well hike back to the truck and go somewhere else. About 45 min later we were on a big ridge looking over a big cottonwood valley on no permission private. Ive caught them on the ridge many times before so walked to a point an called...gobble...gobble waaay down in the bottom. I kept calling and we determined there were two hot birds and some hens. One bird was a lot further away than the other. The more I called the hotter one of the toms got. After about 20 min of calling with a response on every call I see a little black do running across a hayfield 1/2 mile away. So I grabbed the crew and we climbed down to the edge of the public/private and set up. I had my wife as primary shooter and I jokingly told my son to shoot cleanup. I gave a call an was cut off and here he came at a trot...stopping to gobble every 20 yds.....across another field... up the hill...under the fence... oh yea!!!! legal beagle baby!....an right into our lap. At 25 yds I putted and he gobbled and I told the wife to shoot and bang!...oops swing and a miss..bird turned started to run and Boom kid dropped him. SWEET! Turk number 3 for him this yr.
....told my wife all the missing comes from her side of the family they didn't think it was funny.
Sons bird from opener
Gunna take him out to try an fill his R3 youth tag this coming weekend to finish out his season and then its my turn to play
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Inaugural trip to Montana to chase turkeys was a success. Was greated with a big group of birds 600 yards into public ground. Still had my blue jeans and t shirt on when I spotted them. Made a sneak and had a Tom down within minutes.
http://imgur.com/zdE4K7I
I had only bought the general tag ($115) because I didn't want to buy both if this was a tougher hunt than I envisioned. I had some buddies coming up that night so I elected to drive around, get a feel for the area and see if I could find some birds for them. Roosted a couple toms but they gave us the slip the next morning so I drove into town to buy another tag. I entered public ground and AGAIN, instantly found birds. Called in the three gobblers to 10 yards but passed them because they were all jakes! The rest of the day was a bust and didn't roost a bird that night either (WIND!!!) but my buddies did. Saturday I called in two jakes off the roost and my buddy hammered one of them.
Saturday mid day my pals left and I sold out that night on a place I just KNEW held birds. Nada! Was able to hear 3 birds a half mile + away for Sunday mornings last ditch effort. I was able to guess right the next morning and was 300 yards from him when he sounded off. I snuck to 100 -150 yards of him in the roost and was able to call him to 20 yards about 5 minutes after he flew down. I was 80% sure he was a Jake when I pulled the trigger but I had to go home and it was too fun to pass him up!
http://imgur.com/NApF6VD
http://imgur.com/zdE4K7I
I had only bought the general tag ($115) because I didn't want to buy both if this was a tougher hunt than I envisioned. I had some buddies coming up that night so I elected to drive around, get a feel for the area and see if I could find some birds for them. Roosted a couple toms but they gave us the slip the next morning so I drove into town to buy another tag. I entered public ground and AGAIN, instantly found birds. Called in the three gobblers to 10 yards but passed them because they were all jakes! The rest of the day was a bust and didn't roost a bird that night either (WIND!!!) but my buddies did. Saturday I called in two jakes off the roost and my buddy hammered one of them.
Saturday mid day my pals left and I sold out that night on a place I just KNEW held birds. Nada! Was able to hear 3 birds a half mile + away for Sunday mornings last ditch effort. I was able to guess right the next morning and was 300 yards from him when he sounded off. I snuck to 100 -150 yards of him in the roost and was able to call him to 20 yards about 5 minutes after he flew down. I was 80% sure he was a Jake when I pulled the trigger but I had to go home and it was too fun to pass him up!
http://imgur.com/NApF6VD
jasonmeekhof
New member
my father-in-law and I attended the bha rendezvous and then stayed through Friday in region 2 and we both managed to tag out on Montana public land turkeys. Great memories and beautiful country. 
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Hem
Well-known member
Good start to my season.I had an evening/morning hunt to fit in before my free time tightened up for a few weeks.
The first night I was hoping to locate birds.Perfect conditions i.e. calm.I could have heard a bird for miles but it was dead quiet.Next morning I located one bird gobbling from the roost but before I committed in his direction he quit talking pre fly down.Figured I had better odds by going another direction through "the zone".Next couple of hours not a peep. Just gotta find them. Finally I glassed a flock and crept in to 70 yards for a look. Roughly ten birds with one obvious gobbler tucked up in a draw feeding.I watched the gobbler strut for awhile trying to get a sense what the flock was up to. Finally I decided to break the silence and call.Basically I touched off a frenzy of calling with the hens,....helps if you get within the comfort zone.They went berserk which got the gobbler all worked up.Using a box call and a glass pot I called the whole flock in to range.Dropped the boss and then realized there was a second mature bird....cant pass a double with limited time.R-5 is done.
H
hobbes
Guest
Great looking turkeys everyone! Congrats!
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H
hobbes
Guest
I think I've got the photos resized now. Here goes.....
Myself and a buddy filled a couple tags last week.* On Thursday we were set up on a tom that hung up strutting back and forth in a field but a distant tom got closer and closer until he'd circled behind us.* I got part way turned around while my buddy kept looking forward toward tom number one.* Tom number 2 came in strutting and drumming behind us, but too far to my right then behind me.* He finally made it around so that my buddy could swing to his left (we are both right handed) and kill him after the tom started clucking and realized something wasn't right.
*
*
We moved on tom number one because he didn't care for the shotgun blast.* He gobbled several times, but had no interest in coming to the call.* An hour later we had another tom located.* After moving on him a couple times, we had him coming.* He too decided to change the rule book and come in nearly behind me up a steep draw.* After standing at the bottom out of site for 15 minutes, he finally started moving up to us.* He was going to pop out anywhere from 25 yards to 10 yards depending on his route up the draw so I stayed on the call to keep him gobbling.* I needed to have my gun pointed at him when he came up.* He gave me one last gobble just before strutting out of the draw nearly down the gun barrel at 25 yards.* There was a few tense seconds before he strutted into a clear shooting window at 23 yards and I filled my first tag of 2017.
*
*
Back at camp
*
We still had two more days to hunt, more tags to fill, and a spot to check out in the next district that wasn't too far of a drive. We did some driving and scouting that evening to locate birds.* We found some birds late that evening just before they went to roost.* That night a little bit of rain rolled in along with cooler temperatures.* The worst of it was the wind.* The rain was done well before morning but the wind wouldn't let up.* I really thought that our hunt for that day was probably going to be a bust, but we headed to the same area where we'd seen the birds the evening before.* We were finally able to hear a gobble between gusts then spotted the flock moving into a spot out of the wind.* The terrain didn't allow for us to move on them much so we had to be patient and hope we could either break a tom away or call the hens in.* We were fortunate that the hens decided they needed to investigate and drug the strutters in with them.* We doubled on two toms at 8 AM.
*
*
Over the weekend I got the kids out some with their limited 399 tags.* Saturday was cold and windy and a bust for my youngest son.* Sunday evening turned into a great hunt with my wife and daughter.* We found some birds a little after 6 PM that were a long way off across a property line that was off limits.* We backed off the property line 35 yards or so and set up.* Just as we sat down, my daughter said "He just gobbled.* He's a lot closer."* I didn't hear it because I was scraping pine cones out from under the tree before sitting down, so I thought she was mistaken, but a series of yelps brought a gobble from 75 yards. I could see the tom running toward us almost immediately.* He must have been a lone gobbler that hadn't gobble or he'd ran from the other birds that we could still hear.* The tom stopped behind a thick spot at no more than 45 yards and I could hear him drumming.* A few more yelps and few more gobbles and he eased around the cover and stepped across the property line.* A few more slow steps and he was at 30 yards and I whispered "shoot him".* He was a great tom for Olivia's first.* He weighed 19.3 lbs, had a 9 1/4" beard, and his spurs were 13/16 and 11/16".
*
*
I've got one more tag in possession for now (I’ll also buy an R1 and R2 if I get the chance), my wife and son still have limited 399 tags, my oldest son will have a couple tags, and my dad is coming out as a nonresident hoping for his first Merriam's.* Lots of hunting and fun to go, but probably not enough time to fill all the tags.
*
Myself and a buddy filled a couple tags last week.* On Thursday we were set up on a tom that hung up strutting back and forth in a field but a distant tom got closer and closer until he'd circled behind us.* I got part way turned around while my buddy kept looking forward toward tom number one.* Tom number 2 came in strutting and drumming behind us, but too far to my right then behind me.* He finally made it around so that my buddy could swing to his left (we are both right handed) and kill him after the tom started clucking and realized something wasn't right.
*
*
We moved on tom number one because he didn't care for the shotgun blast.* He gobbled several times, but had no interest in coming to the call.* An hour later we had another tom located.* After moving on him a couple times, we had him coming.* He too decided to change the rule book and come in nearly behind me up a steep draw.* After standing at the bottom out of site for 15 minutes, he finally started moving up to us.* He was going to pop out anywhere from 25 yards to 10 yards depending on his route up the draw so I stayed on the call to keep him gobbling.* I needed to have my gun pointed at him when he came up.* He gave me one last gobble just before strutting out of the draw nearly down the gun barrel at 25 yards.* There was a few tense seconds before he strutted into a clear shooting window at 23 yards and I filled my first tag of 2017.
*
*
Back at camp
*
We still had two more days to hunt, more tags to fill, and a spot to check out in the next district that wasn't too far of a drive. We did some driving and scouting that evening to locate birds.* We found some birds late that evening just before they went to roost.* That night a little bit of rain rolled in along with cooler temperatures.* The worst of it was the wind.* The rain was done well before morning but the wind wouldn't let up.* I really thought that our hunt for that day was probably going to be a bust, but we headed to the same area where we'd seen the birds the evening before.* We were finally able to hear a gobble between gusts then spotted the flock moving into a spot out of the wind.* The terrain didn't allow for us to move on them much so we had to be patient and hope we could either break a tom away or call the hens in.* We were fortunate that the hens decided they needed to investigate and drug the strutters in with them.* We doubled on two toms at 8 AM.
*
*
Over the weekend I got the kids out some with their limited 399 tags.* Saturday was cold and windy and a bust for my youngest son.* Sunday evening turned into a great hunt with my wife and daughter.* We found some birds a little after 6 PM that were a long way off across a property line that was off limits.* We backed off the property line 35 yards or so and set up.* Just as we sat down, my daughter said "He just gobbled.* He's a lot closer."* I didn't hear it because I was scraping pine cones out from under the tree before sitting down, so I thought she was mistaken, but a series of yelps brought a gobble from 75 yards. I could see the tom running toward us almost immediately.* He must have been a lone gobbler that hadn't gobble or he'd ran from the other birds that we could still hear.* The tom stopped behind a thick spot at no more than 45 yards and I could hear him drumming.* A few more yelps and few more gobbles and he eased around the cover and stepped across the property line.* A few more slow steps and he was at 30 yards and I whispered "shoot him".* He was a great tom for Olivia's first.* He weighed 19.3 lbs, had a 9 1/4" beard, and his spurs were 13/16 and 11/16".
*
*
I've got one more tag in possession for now (I’ll also buy an R1 and R2 if I get the chance), my wife and son still have limited 399 tags, my oldest son will have a couple tags, and my dad is coming out as a nonresident hoping for his first Merriam's.* Lots of hunting and fun to go, but probably not enough time to fill all the tags.
*
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2ski
Well-known member
So I've heard too many people say that turkey hunting is the most exciting hunting there is, and I guess I should maybe give it a shot. Any advise for a person starting out. I'm in Bozeman so I realize the area is a draw area so I'd have to head east. When you guys are out looking for birds the in the evening are you just driving around and periodically hitting a call to see if any answer or are you out glassing areas to find them?
H
hobbes
Guest
Both. I'll use locator calls (owl and coyote) in the late evening. I'll also use loud,excited yelps and cuts to locate birds. I've always got Binos along to check distant fields.
H
hobbes
Guest
A crow call can work well also. I just don't use it as much. I will say this about locator calls......put some umph into them. You are trying to elicit a shock gobble not sweet talk them. I listened to a guy Monday (wearing blaze orange) barely blow a crow call. That will seldom cut it. You need to sound loud.
Hem
Well-known member
Hobbes
Just curious, but how did you manage to draw (3) 399 tags? Was that a party tag?
Just curious, but how did you manage to draw (3) 399 tags? Was that a party tag?
H
hobbes
Guest
No party tags. They issued 400 399-20 tags and 100 399-21 youth tags this year. I know several people that drew. My wife drew 399-20 and two kids drew 399-21. My oldest and I did not draw.
Hem
Well-known member
Thats pretty cool. I expect to draw a sheep tag before a local turkey tag.Good luck with the hunts.
H
hobbes
Guest
I've put in the last 5 years and not drawn so thought this would be my year with the tag increase, but no tag for me. My wife and youngest both drew 2 years ago when it was just Lewis and Clark and Broadwater and tags numbers were 25 and 5 youth.
Hem
Well-known member
So there is hope!
I am zero forever...����
Binoculars are way underutilized by turkey hunters in my experience.
I hunt several areas near highways. Rumble strips and semi horns, and even ambulance sirens can be great locator "calls"......anything that is a surprise can cause a shock gobble. Coyotes and even peacock calls might work to stimulate a gobble when owl hoots and gobbles fail to do the job.
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