WI: New Turkey Technique Yields Dynamic Results and Trophy Turkey

Ammoland ^ | 14 April, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

My brother, who is a superb hunter, tried out a new turkey technique this morning.  I got his call at 8:30.

Turkey populations in Wisconsin have boomed in the last 15 years.  There were none in the state when I was growing up in the 60’s.   When I was taking care of my mother, I saw a flock of two dozen of them wander about the house.  The property borders the St Croix/Namekagon wild river national park.  I recall reading articles about how hard wild turkeys were to hunt, but my brother has had excellent success.

This year he decided to try a technique he had seen on YouTube.  With this technique.  The video shows how effective a strutting gobbler decoy can be.

Link to video

Early this morning, on April 14, 2016, he was out in full gillie suit, with his Bennelli and the full strut decoy that he had purchased on sale (half price, our family tends to frugality).  The gillie suit is the most effective camouflage that he has used. See the item coming out of his hat on the right? That is the end of barrel of his Bennelli 12 gauge.  If you look a little closer, you can see the forend above the turkey’s tail and to his right of his chin; to the right of that is the black sling.

He started the hunt in a mixed woods and open area with a traditional call.  A large tom came off the roost from behind him, flew over his head, and disappeared into the trees before he could get a shot off.  Turkeys are some of the largest flying birds.  When they pass close by you in flight, they make an impression!

[marktwain]

Wild turkeys are good eating. As the wild turkey population has soared, the ruffed grouse population seems to have diminished. Some speculate that the turkeys are eating the young grouse and eggs.

[jch10]

Congrats on getting the turkey. I have a champion turkey hunter in my family. My son limits out every year...with a bow!

[Vince Ferrer]

I have seen them walking around downtown Minneapolis. They are huge, almost shoulder height.

[Qiviut]

Just sent this to my brother - he’s turkey hunting tomorrow. He and a partner bought a farm recently & it’s loaded with wild turkeys. Seeing this is going to make for a long day at work :-)

We also have some wild turkeys around here, including one smoke phase hen - she’s really pretty & hatched a half dozen or so baby turkeys last year. Hopefully, the coyotes we’re seeing on the game cameras aren’t getting them all.

[beebuster2000]

i got mixed feeling about it.

at some point you can get so much technology working for you it kind of ceases to be a true “hunt” and becomes just a harvest.

that said, i know the increase in heartbeat as you call the tom in, so like i say, mixed feelings.

[Lurker]

“When they pass close by you in flight, they make an impression!”

That they do. I had one pass within about 20 feet of me as I was playing golf one day last summer. Distracting to say the least.

L

[IronJack]

That one on the right looks healthy ... even if he only has one leg.

I had a couple of hens come foraging through my back yard this winter. Should have tossed them some bread crumbs ...

[mountn man]

Do these turkeys fly???...

[marktwain]

Do these turkeys fly???...

You betcha!

[JPG]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCbvB2rbjXw

[mountn man]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf3mgmEdfwg

[MHGinTN]

“When I was taking care of my mother, I saw a flock of two dozen of them wander about the house.” Well two dozen turkey in the house maybe the reason Mom was sick? /s

[samiam1972]

Ha ha ha! I had that same thought while reading. ;0) My husband and I delivered newspapers on the weekends in Atlanta when we first got married. There was one neighborhood that I always had to drive slowly through because the road would be covered in turkeys. I’d roll my window down to listen to them. Beautiful birds!

[Mike Darancette]

Wonder how many times the decoy has been blown away by other hunterrs?

[MileHi]

“When they pass close by you in flight, they make an impression!”

Had two jakes fly just ahead of me once. They look yuge in the air, and they fly fast. Pheasant hunting the edge a corn field once a Great Horned owl came out of a cotton wood just behind me and glided over at maybe 30 feet. I saw the shadow pass over me before I saw the bird. Literally hit the deck. He was colossal as he glided just over the corn and out of sight.

[MileHi]

Just blew the HTML on that

[SJackson]

Outdoors/Rural/wildlife/hunting/hiking/backpacking/National Parks/animals list please FR mail me to be on or off . And ping me is you see articles of interest.

[Daffynition]

Once you’ve eaten a wild turkey, you’ll say: **Yummmmmmm. So *that’s* what turkey is supposed to taste like.**

And any other roasted bird, no matter if it is organic, free-range, etc. tastes quite like it. It will have you longing for another wild.

[Hot Tabasco]

Here in S.E. Michigan in the suburbs outside of Detroit, turkeys are now thriving in the small wooded areas amidst subdivisions that are also home to the damn deer.........

Several weeks ago when I went to the Fraser Senior Center on 15 Mile Rd. W. of Utica Rd. to play volleyball, there were two turkeys in the parking lot of the senior housing center across the street...........

Just like the deer that can't be hunted due to the close proximity of houses everywhere, the turkeys will eventually become a nuisance.......oh well.

[Mercat]

turkeys are totally eating the eggs and young of all ground nesters. We hardly have any quail. But they are amazing birds in their own right. Maybe I can talk Mr. Mercat into hunting them. He wants to buy a shotgun. This would be a good incentive. I’ve had wild turkey. Yum. I remember it being mostly dark meat which I prefer.