2018 Turkey thread if you aren't in MT, CO, or KS... :)

Today was our opener. After the weekend storms I didn't think we would have much going on, but there was enough. I managed this guy at about 7:15 pm.

He was 25 lbs even and had 1.5" spurs. I didn't call him in, I spotted and stalked him from almost a half mile. It was one of the most exciting turkey hunts I've had. I was less than 10 yds from him when I finally saw him but didn't have a shot for the longest time because other birds were in the way. Eventually, it all worked out, but it was a near thing.

Grandpa's 97 may not be a double, but it is the best Winchester shotgun of all time.


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Nicely done!! I hoping to give them a try next week for a few days.

Wow great bird

Way to get your ninja on! I love the well loved strap pic. I imagine it has lots of good stories it could share.

Florida

I went down to Florida to hunt for the first time since I left in '09. No birds were harmed in the making of this adventure so I figure I'll just share a couple pics. Hunted for 4 days with my Dad. Couple mornings birds were gobbling on the roost but it seemed once they hit the ground it was all quiet time. Can only hunt til 1pm on public land in Florida and it was the last week of the season where we hunted. None the less a good time was had.

kansasdad said:

Way to get your ninja on! I love the well loved strap pic. I imagine it has lots of good stories it could share.

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The strap has a few stories for sure and I know nothing of its early life.

However the shotgun can tell a whole bunch more. It was born to Albert Knudson and his two brothers in Jewell Iowa. It started out its life dropping pigeons and prairie chickens, although to hear my Grandpa (Albert) talk, he shot most of the pigeons on the wing with a .22

After the brothers grew up, two of them moved to Montana and the gun when with them. There, in 1917, it shot waterfowl for sure, as one of them stuffed his license up under the buttplate. And he did this until the mid 1920s. What happened for the next 50ish years is hard to say, but it came back to my grandpa eventually, probably after his hunting days ended, as I had his Remington M11 that he used later for pheasants and so forth, after the pchickens were gone.

In any event, by the 1980s, it was gifted to me, and I was in grad school in Kansas. We hunted ducks and geese mostly, but also some pheasants and bobwhite. Then on to Georgia (more ducks), Arizona (Gamble's quail) and then back to Iowa, just 20 miles it's birth place. It has been here for 26 yrs now, and we have killed turkeys, and pheasants with it, but mostly pheasants. It is pretty much death on them, this one no exception. Stalking within 7-8 yds will do that (yesterday's hunt was special in several ways).

It has more licenses up its butt of course. I don't put them all there, but many are. Where it will go for the next stage in life is unclear, but I hope somewhere that it will continue to be used. She is not one for becoming a wall hanger or safe queen. There are a few more turkeys on its agenda first however.

Mudranger, that sure looks like thick, tough country to hunt birds in. How do you even see them?

BrentD said:

Mudranger, that sure looks like thick, tough country to hunt birds in. How do you even see them?

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generally they pop out 10 -20 yards in the direction you are not looking HA!

A well used 97 that is in great condition is a beautiful thing. Thanks for sharing it's history.

Great bird and cool history on the gun, Brent.

I made it out on Sunday in Wyoming and was able to call this guy, his contender, and their 12 lady friends within 25 yards. Fun to be in the woods and watching the turkeys dance and chatter again.