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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: highPlains on March 28, 2010, 01:20:00 AM

Title: Opening Day Tom
Post by: highPlains on March 28, 2010, 01:20:00 AM

Had a great opening morning of the Nebraska turkey season. Tried a new spot this year, the turkeys were roosting in one of the big power line towers (like in the background of the first picture). It was quite a sight to see 100 turkeys in one of those towers and I wish I could have gotten a good picture of it.

The set up worked out well, the big main flock spent most of the morning on a hill right behind us, and groups of toms coming to and from the big flock passed by our decoy all morning.

Here are a few pics of the hunt.

A view of our decoy.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090425.jpg)

Four big toms came in, three big toms left.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090449.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090426.jpg)

If we could have retrieved the bird we could have had quite a few more chances. This group came down to check us out but did not like the dead bird and left before coming close enough for a shot.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090427.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090429.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090430.jpg)

My Mohawk with the turkey. I used a Simmons Shark. After the shot the turkey died within ten yards.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090485.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090491.jpg)

My best luck has come from facing to, or facing away shots on turkeys. Before I shot this bird I went against my better judgement and took a broadside shot on a big tom in full strut. My arrow hit the middle of the wingbut and got no penetration (which I didn't see at the time because the bird flipped and flipped at the shot). I thought that the bird would be dead just around the corner so we kept hunting. After a long, long search, we lost the bird.

When the tom I killed came in I took a facing shot. The arrow entered just to the left of the beard and exited low in the back.

I plan on hunting a lot more this season. My brother is hunting this weekend so I hope to have more pictures for this post soon! Good luck to everybody this turkey season!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Jerry Wald on March 28, 2010, 01:40:00 AM

awesome...maybe a fishing arrow and reel to get the next one then you can get another shot..tee hee.

Seriuosly though...I envy you

Jer Bear

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Reggie Catfish on March 28, 2010, 01:40:00 AM

good on you!  great way to start the year

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Benny Nganabbarru on March 28, 2010, 01:48:00 AM

Congratulations!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: joe skipp on March 28, 2010, 01:52:00 AM

Awesome...congrats...real nice bird!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: piggy on March 28, 2010, 03:00:00 AM

He's a ripper well done and some great pics

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: tradtusker on March 28, 2010, 04:15:00 AM

very Nice Congrats

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Thumper Dunker on March 28, 2010, 04:17:00 AM

Pretty bird and pretty bow. nice shooting.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: ckanous on March 28, 2010, 07:28:00 AM

Good Job!!!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Steve O on March 28, 2010, 07:34:00 AM

Great bird!

Us guys from the east are used to maybe a group of 3 or 4 birds; it is had to explain the noise and confusion there is when hunting turkeys out in the plains states.

What is your camera setup?  Those are EXCELLENT photos.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: bentpole on March 28, 2010, 07:53:00 AM

Way to go Tom!  Mohawk scores!     :notworthy:     Congrats on some fine shooting and great bird!     :clapper:   I'm going to try the same thing myself with my  Black Mohawk in a few weeks. Tom was Vince with you?

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: VTer on March 28, 2010, 07:54:00 AM

Ditto on the nice shooting, great bird and quality photos.   :thumbsup:  What kind of blind are you using?

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: pitbull on March 28, 2010, 07:59:00 AM

Excellent hunt, congrats!  :clapper:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Mike Yancey on March 28, 2010, 08:00:00 AM

I like that!

Mike

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: HOWITZER on March 28, 2010, 08:02:00 AM

very nice congratulations!  :notworthy:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: LV2HUNT on March 28, 2010, 08:11:00 AM

Nice job all around, congrats on the nice tom.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Follower on March 28, 2010, 08:39:00 AM

Exciting hunt.  Sweet.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: steadman on March 28, 2010, 09:13:00 AM

:thumbsup:  Very nice bird!! Congrats!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Tater on March 28, 2010, 09:36:00 AM

Way to go Tom! Nice shooting, looks like you had plenty of action.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: just_a_hunter on March 28, 2010, 09:40:00 AM

Great bird and pictures...

Congrats!

Thanks,

Todd

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: KentuckyTJ on March 28, 2010, 11:00:00 AM

Awesome stuff T.C., love the white tips on those birds.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: sj_lutz on March 28, 2010, 11:36:00 AM

Now THAT's an opening morning!!

Thanks for the story & pics and CONGRATS!!!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: trad_bowhunter1965 on March 28, 2010, 11:42:00 AM

Sweet!!!Congratulation

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: varmint101 on March 28, 2010, 12:05:00 PM

Awesome pics, bird, and story!  Man I love turkey hunting.  Good deal, thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: wv lungbuster on March 28, 2010, 12:19:00 PM

Congrats!! Whats the specs on your Mohawk.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: maineac on March 28, 2010, 12:22:00 PM

Fantastic!1  Good luck on your upcoming hunts.  Can't wait for another nice set of pictures to get me fired up for May 3rd.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Chris Surtees on March 28, 2010, 12:23:00 PM

:thumbsup:     :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: rastaman on March 28, 2010, 12:32:00 PM

Great pictures!   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: highPlains on March 28, 2010, 12:42:00 PM

Thanks for the compliments everybody.

Check out the dark fan on this bird in the middle right. Think he's got some Eastern in him? We're in way west Nebraska with mostly Rio's and a few Merriams, definitely lots of hybrids so it's hard to say. But this is the darkest fan I've ever seen in this area.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090438.jpg)

The bird on the right is the one that I killed.
 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090443.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090474.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/tlclum/Hunting/P1090478.jpg)

 

Quote

Originally posted by Steve O:
Great bird!

Us guys from the east are used to maybe a group of 3 or 4 birds; it is had to explain the noise and confusion there is when hunting turkeys out in the plains states.

What is your camera setup?  Those are EXCELLENT photos.

That is a fact Steve O. I have hunted lots and lots in Wisconsin and know first hand the difference. There were times on Thursday morning where, literally, no less than 30 toms all sounded off at once. There was hens fighting, turkeys chasing eachother, a billion hens all yelping all going on at the same time. It is so cool!

I used a Panasonic FZ20 camera. It's about 6 years old or so, I'm always happy with the pictures it takes.

 

Quote

Originally posted by bentpole:
Way to go Tom!  Mohawk scores!      :thumbsup:   What kind of blind are you using?

A Double Bull T5, one of the old ones, the good ones. Not as impressed with the newer Double Bulls...

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: highPlains on March 28, 2010, 12:45:00 PM

Quote

Originally posted by wv lungbuster:
Congrats!! Whats the specs on your Mohawk.

62 incher. 63@28. Bamboo cores, red elm veneers, cocobolo riser. Love this bow!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Chris Shelton on March 28, 2010, 01:19:00 PM

YYYYEEEAAA buddy that is what I am talking about!  Cool pictures too!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: jerryb on March 28, 2010, 01:24:00 PM

Way to go,awesome   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: MJB on March 28, 2010, 01:26:00 PM

OUTSTANDING CONGRATS   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Guru on March 28, 2010, 02:46:00 PM

Congrats bud....Sweet redemption!!    :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: doubleo on March 28, 2010, 02:53:00 PM

Congrates on a beautiful gobbler.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: GUYZER on March 28, 2010, 03:20:00 PM

I am very HAPPY for you!!!!!!!!!!

MAY THE SPIRIT OF FRED BEAR GUIDE OUR ARROWS.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: bolong on March 28, 2010, 04:14:00 PM

Congrats, job well done.  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: twitchstick on March 28, 2010, 04:30:00 PM

Awesome good to see a bird down.  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Izzy on March 28, 2010, 06:01:00 PM

Beauuuuutiful! Congradulations.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Mohawkbows on March 28, 2010, 07:14:00 PM

Congratulations Tommy, there ya go showin up yer  dad again!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: K2 on March 28, 2010, 07:50:00 PM

Congrats Tommy.  Nice bird.  Ken

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: thunder1 on March 28, 2010, 07:52:00 PM

good job nice pics

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Builder on March 28, 2010, 08:10:00 PM

Hey Tom, thanks for the story and the fantastic pics, I'm envious. Congrats!!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Carcajou on March 28, 2010, 08:20:00 PM

Tom, great story, and fantastic pictures!  Great going on a fine bird, and a hard earned trophy. Those Merriams' are next on my list; I just love the color in the primaries and the tail feathers.

Way TO GO!  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Ground Hunter on March 28, 2010, 11:35:00 PM

Great job!!!  H

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Michael Arnette on March 29, 2010, 01:29:00 AM

Very nice bird!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: broketooth on March 29, 2010, 08:46:00 AM

awesome bird and great pics   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: sou-pawbowhunter on March 29, 2010, 09:50:00 AM

Great bird, and beautiful bow. Thanks for sharing.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Shakes.602 on March 29, 2010, 10:09:00 AM

Congrats!!! Never Thought of the Simmons "BroadHead" before!! Makes Sense, especially if he didnt Flop and Fly for 40 yards After Ya Stuck Him!!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: countrygirl on March 29, 2010, 04:27:00 PM

Very cool!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: J. Holden on March 29, 2010, 04:50:00 PM

Nice birds!  I'll be in that are of the state at the end of April.  Leave some for me!

-Jeremy

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: fnshtr on March 29, 2010, 05:14:00 PM

Very nice bird and story... love the pics.

Thanks for taking all of us along.

Wayne

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: NorthernCaliforniaHunter on March 29, 2010, 05:39:00 PM

NICE!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: potlikker on March 29, 2010, 07:48:00 PM

Great pictures, good looking bird. Congratulations on a successfull hunt.

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Gumby on March 29, 2010, 09:30:00 PM

Congrats on a nice bird.    :thumbsup:    :clapper:    :clapper:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Benjy on March 29, 2010, 09:52:00 PM

Beautiful Pictures!! Congrats  :clapper:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: bowhunterfrompast on March 30, 2010, 12:17:00 AM

Congrats   :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: Traddicted on March 31, 2010, 07:10:00 PM

Way to go Tommy.....Great pictures!

Title: Re: Opening Day Tom
Post by: StanM on March 31, 2010, 11:28:00 PM

Awesome!  I'll be chasing them things on the 17th.  Hope to do as well as you, congrats.