An IL Turkey Hunt

Well, we made it back last Sunday from our visit and my turkey hunt back home in IL. We had a great visit and tried to spend time with everyone. If anyone was missed it wasn't for lack of trying.

I've posted some of my turkey hunting pictures. The first picture is of Josh with the bird we called in early Sunday morning before church. The bird weighed 20 lbs, had 3/4" spurs and a 10 7/8" beard. It was actually spitting snow when we took the picture. I thought I had left the mountains.

The second picture is of Sean with the bird we called in Monday around 11:00 or so. We had hunted all morning before getting lucky and finding the group we called in. Sean shot the strutter at 30 yds. The bird weighed 23 lbs, had 1 1/8" spurs, 10" and 3" beards. Yes it was double bearded, which makes 3 double bearded birds for Sean through the years. One of those should have been mine but the birds always come in on Sean's side.

The third picture is of Sonny and Ron with the bird Ron killed on Wednesday morning. The bird came in right after flydown, but we had to walk at least a mile to get to him. The bird weighed around 18 to 20 lbs, had 10" or so beard and 1" spurs.

The next two pictures are of the bird I killed on Saturday. I only had two days to hunt with my own tag, so I was very happy to kill a bird on the second day. Joe was with me that morning and actually called the bird in by setting up behind me about 40 yds. Sean also killed a bird that morning and had called me at 10:30 with the good news while Joe and I walked across the field to the place I killed my bird at 11:30. It was tough couple of days but It made for a lot of fun. My bird weighed 18 lbs, had 3/4" spurs and a 10" beard. Seans bird weighed 20 lbs, had 1" spurs and 10 1/2" beard (I think).

The last two pictures are of Sean and I together with our birds and of Joe and I together with my bird.

I had a great time hunting with everyone and hope I can make it a yearly event. I also hope to come home around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Of course I'll bowhunt for deer a little then. Heather and the kids should also be home for another visit in July. I'll get more pictures posted of kids and family a little later.

Turkey Scouting

Olivia and I went scouting on Saturday. The Garfield Creek SWA where I had taken pictures before had a few turkeys on it this time. The first group was a big strutting tom and three or four hens. The second group was four jakes with one of them strutting and gobbling. I got pictures of the jakes, but they aren't anything more than black spots. I did blow up one of the pics so that the strutting bird could be seen.

We also found the skeleton of a deer that Olivia thought was great, so I took her picture next to it. We drove quite a bit and I found some other areas that look promising. I would love a shot at the big tom I saw strutting, but by the time I get home from IL, they will have been hunted for a couple weekends. I saw one other guy checking things out and the area didn't have a lot of area for turkeys to hide, so I'm sure he will at the very least be pressured by the time I give him a try.

Speaking of IL, we will be driving to Denver tomorrow to spend the night then we will fly out Thursday morning to Nashville. We should be in Brookport by 6pm and I will be hunting by Friday morning with someone.

Grand Junction last weekend

We all went to Grand Junction last Friday and stayed in a hotel. Myself and Isaac got up early and drove around looking at areas that the DOW suggested for turkey hunting. We walked a short distance up a trail and I thought I heard a gobble. After walking the trail we drove up the road a short distance and I spotted two turkeys in a field on private land that was posted with "NO HUNTING" signs about every 100'. I'm pretty sure that was probably where the gobble I heard came from. We drove to another area that was also suggested by the DOW and came to a huge valley of private ranches along a river bottom with big Cottonwood trees. We saw two big flocks of Merriam turkeys, but they were on big private ranches along a Cottonwood river bottom. I'm sure the first couple birds I saw visit the public land, but the big flocks have quite a bit of private land to stay on and I wasn't quite to the public land that was suggested by the DOW.

Our scouting from the road took up the entire morning so we headed back to get Heather, Olivia and Boyd. They had spent the morning swimming in the hotel's pool. We then went to do some shopping. Heather was looking for clothes and I was looking for a new bow.

I shot the new Bowtech Guardian and Diamond Black Ice at Sportsman's Warehouse. I also shot the Hoyt Vectrix and the Mathews Drenalin and XT at Red Rock Archery. I liked them all, but I think my top choices are the Bowtech and Diamond. I'll shoot them again before I decide which to buy. I may even shoot them when we come home next week to visit.

I will be scouting again this Saturday, so I hope to find some more turkeys on public land. I'll try and get more pictures up from last weekend and from this weekends scouting as soon as possible.