Fall Shotgun Turkey
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:59 am
Last Saturday was opening day here in IL. for the Fall Shotgun Turkey Season that runs through tomorrow. Last Sat. morning I went out before day light and set up where the turkeys had been roosting. I didn't get out earlier in the week to verify this and they ended up roosted about 125 yards to my right. When they flew down, they went over onto an adjoining property. We were having very warm, windy weather and I didn't get back out to hunt till Sunday afternoon.
Lucas and I got out there about 2 hours before sunset and waited to intercept them before they got to where they had been roosted. You know it, they roosted about 200 yards from us on the other property.
This morning I went to a different spot on this property where I had seen turkeys crossing in the early morning while coyote hunting. I got out there well before first light and nestled into a brushy fence row over looking the wheat field I had seen them crossing earlier.
Just as it was getting light, I had a small racked 8 point buck walk by at 14 yards. He didn't know I was there and I didn't see him soon enough to get the camera out for a picture without spooking him. I waited and watched for about 30 to 40 minutes when I heard a turkey yelp in the trees to my left about 100 yards away. I gave a few yelps back on one of the calls Lucas makes just to let them know I was there. I didn't here anything more from them and as it got lighter I figured they flew down the other direction into the corn field in the creek bottom.
After about 45 minutes I decided to stand up and stretch my legs. I had been standing there about 10 to 12 minutes when 4 Jake's came feeding into the field from my left. I slowly raised my gun and got on one of them and waited for them to get closer. Three of them worked closer and out in front of me but I was already looking down the barrel at the forth one that was lagging behind. I shot it when it was at 19 yards. The other three were a couple yards closer but I couldn't swing onto them without spooking them all.
Here's a picture from where the turkey was to where I was behind the tree with green leafs directly above the turkey in the picture.
Here's a picture from where I was standing to the turkey.
It wasn't a big tom, but it was a good hunt. Now it's time to do some bow hunting for deer.
Lucas and I got out there about 2 hours before sunset and waited to intercept them before they got to where they had been roosted. You know it, they roosted about 200 yards from us on the other property.
This morning I went to a different spot on this property where I had seen turkeys crossing in the early morning while coyote hunting. I got out there well before first light and nestled into a brushy fence row over looking the wheat field I had seen them crossing earlier.
Just as it was getting light, I had a small racked 8 point buck walk by at 14 yards. He didn't know I was there and I didn't see him soon enough to get the camera out for a picture without spooking him. I waited and watched for about 30 to 40 minutes when I heard a turkey yelp in the trees to my left about 100 yards away. I gave a few yelps back on one of the calls Lucas makes just to let them know I was there. I didn't here anything more from them and as it got lighter I figured they flew down the other direction into the corn field in the creek bottom.
After about 45 minutes I decided to stand up and stretch my legs. I had been standing there about 10 to 12 minutes when 4 Jake's came feeding into the field from my left. I slowly raised my gun and got on one of them and waited for them to get closer. Three of them worked closer and out in front of me but I was already looking down the barrel at the forth one that was lagging behind. I shot it when it was at 19 yards. The other three were a couple yards closer but I couldn't swing onto them without spooking them all.
Here's a picture from where the turkey was to where I was behind the tree with green leafs directly above the turkey in the picture.
Here's a picture from where I was standing to the turkey.
It wasn't a big tom, but it was a good hunt. Now it's time to do some bow hunting for deer.
