4/22 bird down

[redsquirrel]

Shot a jake at 8:10 this morning.  My second bird ever and first in a long while so I'm really excited.  I'll post the story and pics later after I take care of business.

 

Also, if there are permits still available in my zone can I go out and buy another permit and hunt the rest of the week?  The booklet says "One male wild turkey may be taken per permit, BUT only one bird may be taken in a given day".  To me that reads that I can shoot one turkey per day as long as I have a fresh permit.

[BowhunterNJ]

Awesome!  Congratulations!!! :up:

 

I'm not 100% sure, but I think you can get another permit to hunt another day this week.  I'm sure someone here will know for sure!

[Bowhunter444]

Congrats on the bird!

[spltlim]

yes you can get another permit and hunt the rest of the week.  Just cant get a new permit and hunt the same day. Congrats on the bird!!!!!

[Matty]

Congrats!!!

 

And exactly what Splitlim said. Good luck the rest of the week if you get another permit.

[BHC]

way to go !!!

[redsquirrel]

Thanks everyone!  I am off the whole week so I might as well get another permit.  Maybe I'll sleep in tomorrow though.... lol.

 

So here's the long version of my story, the culmination of 11 years of searching for another turkey (skip to the 3rd paragraph down if you just want to read what happened today!  Sorry if this got long, I really wanted to try to paint a picture).

 

I shot my first turkey in 2003 when I was 20.  I was home from college and my dad was semi-retired and had been out a bunch and figured out where they were coming through.  I had a bird down about an hour into my first hunt ever thanks to him.  After that year I wasn't able to turkey hunt that much but we would try to get out there on the Saturdays.  We were never experts but we had a few chances that would just never work out for us.  We've had guys walk up on us while we had a strutter coming in just out of range.  We've had guys shoot them on the way to us.  We've had birds in gun range but decide to walk between us and the safety zone.  We've had time run out.  It just never came together for me after that first bird.  

 

5 years ago I moved to North Jersey and I've been adapting to a culture shock ever since.  I've had to relearn how to hunt because the landscape is so much different up here. 3 years ago I decided I really, really wanted to kill a turkey.  That year I took 3 days off from work.  I saw 1 hen.  After that I read every turkey book I could find.  I realized I could not just go out there and hope to hear one gobble and call it in.  I needed to scout like I would for deer.  So last year I scouted.  And scouted.  And scouted some more.  Man I was into the turkeys before the season.  But then the season came and I saw 2 hens in my entire week off.  We got a couple birds gobbling when I hunted with my dad on Saturdays but could still never close the deal.  After reflecting on last season I decided that I moved around too much.  I wanted to hear birds gobble and know they were there.  This year I said no more run and gun, I am going to be patient.  I know where the birds are and I'm going to sit there until them come.

 

I went to my spot to listen for birds last night but there was nothing to be heard.  Either way I had a plan and I was still going to stick to it.  I got settled into my spot around 5:15 this morning.  At 5:35 I started calling but just like last night there was nothing roosted to respond to me.  I continued calling periodically rotating between my 2 favorite calls, my box call and my ceramic pot call.  At 7:10 I catch movement out in front of me to the left and I see a hen crossing in front of me at about 60 yards.  She makes her way across without any interest in my clucks and purrs.  Just a few minutes later I hear some clucking out of sight to my right.  At that same time I think I hear a gobble down in the valley but it is too far to know for sure.  As I'm watching to my right where I heard the hen I see her pop out and come across in front of me.  She comes in to just 30 yards in front of me and starts clucking and looking for that other turkey up there.  As she moved off to the left I think I hear another gobble.  At this point I am wondering if I am hearing things, but since it is now twice I think it may be real.  For the next 45 minutes I continue to call periodically and hear what must be distant gobbles.  At 8:00 I finally hear a distinct gobble just down the ridge from me and I think to myself "ok, game on".  At that point my nerves started to kick in and combined with the slight chill that still hung in the air I started to shake a little. I told myself that I needed to calm down.  If I couldn't run my pot call it would be game over!  I took a deep breath and let out a series of yelps as sweet as I have ever have.  No answer, but just a few minutes later and only 75 yards away, "gobble, gobble gobble".  At that point I said that sounds like a jake but I don't care because I'm after any legal bird.  I decided he was coming so I was done yelping.  He let out another gobble at probably 50 yards but it seemed like he was moving to my right just over the hill.  I shifted to get into position to shoot that way, let out a couple final clucks on the pot call and put my striker away.  Not even a minute later a head pops out where I was originally aiming.  And another.  And then 4 more!  6 jakes!  And they're all looking at me wondering where that hen is.  As soon as I can see beards on the first 2 I slowly move my gun from right to left as the birds are slowly moving the same way.  I put the sights on the second one in line when he stopped in an opening and let it fly.  He dropped on the spot, which I later ranged at 27 yards, and all I could see was birds jumping in the air.  The other 5 just stood around and started gobbling.  When they finally made their way off I was able to go claim my prize.  He weighted in at 16 pounds with a 4.5" beard and almost 1/2 inch spurs.  I took him with my 12 gauge t/c encore with indian creek choke and 3" Hevi-13 #7s.  I put a lot of time and effort into scouting birds and getting my gun set up and it feels great for all the hard work to have paid off.  I could not be happier.  Today was an awesome day in the woods.

 

Edited April 22, 2014 by redsquirrel

[Ms Grit]

Congratulations on a hard earned and well deserved bird

[Matty]

Great story man! 

 

I didn't realize the backstory behind it all....BIG CONGRATS on the bird. Sounds like you've really busted your butt to figure this game out and it's paying off. I have a feeling you're going to kill a lot more birds! 

 

And don't worry, some will still leave you pulling your hair out and scratching your head. lol

[Hatchet]

Awesome !

[runum n gunum]

Great Story Great Pics and Congrats on the Bird

[redsquirrel]

Thanks everybody!

 

And Matty thanks for the great advice you've been giving me.  Hope you're able to put one down this week too!  

 

I hope I'm starting to finally put i all together and this is the start of good things to come .  Just picked up another permit so I'll be back out tomorrow.  I'm meeting a friend in the morning and we'll just see where the week takes me.  The pressure is off     

[BowTechExperience]

Nice job and a good read..

[Drop Tine]

Congrats on your gobbler... Sounds like you are well on your way to being a great turkey hunter... and I have a feeling things are about to get alot better for you in the years to come

[redsquirrel]

Congrats on your gobbler... Sounds like you are well on your way to being a great turkey hunter... and I have a feeling things are about to get alot better for you in the years to come

Thanks for the kind words!