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Post by Toby Benoit on Mar 20, 2009 15:42:49 GMT 12.75
Our season in South Florida's been on for a couple of weeks ow, but with a tore up truck, I had to pass on the invites to swing south and make a hunt or two. But, my season here in cewntral Fl opens on the 21st and I'm past ready.
I haven't scouted the area lately where I'll be opening the season, but there's a lot of birds in the area, so I can still show up with some confidence.
Besides, I'll be carying the best calls a man can hunt with!
Mars and Little Miss Mars will taking to the woods this coming weekend as well hoping to get that youngin another shot at a long bearded tom. I'm wishing them the best of luck and any other of ya'll lucky enough to gt a little time out of the house for a turkey hunt.
Gitterdone! ;D
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Post by Mars on Mar 23, 2009 5:55:18 GMT 12.75
We went out saturday for most of the day and didn't find a feather. Headed up this morning to another spot and after a brisk 1/2 mile up hill walk settled in for a wait. A crow called and a tom gobbled in response. I called and got nothing. We sat there about an hour and heard him gobble only once more. We headed up the mountain and got up to a saddle. I called a little and nothing. About 5 minutes later we heard a close in yelp/cluck. I gave a short yelp back and got a cluck in response. Another minute passes and my daughter raises her hand and points and says she sees two turkeys about 50 yards out. AARRGGG! After waiting 30 minutes I give up. I ask the daughter where she saw the turkeys last and she said they were running up the hill and she lost track of them. I told her about pointing at the turkeys and how her movement was what spooked them. With no wind, dead calm, that simple hand raise would have been as visible as if she was waving a sign at them.Oh well. Regular season opens next saturday and we will be back there.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Mar 23, 2009 17:40:33 GMT 12.75
I came up with nothing too...
Saturday came and went without a single gobble or even much sign in the area. I did a little scouting and approximately a mile away in a huge cypress strand, I found lots of fresh turkey sign, so I settled in there today and heard a lone gobble about two hundred yards distant. I called on and off throughout the morning, but never saw a thing.
I remained in that spot until 12:30pm and called it a day. Walking back to the truck a pair of hens crossed the trail in front of me and took off like they'd been shot out of a cannon!
On public land with dozens of other hunters in a three mile square area, I never heard but one shot thtroughout the entire weekend and there was only one tom tagged at the check station.
Imagine that they'll fire up in another week or two yet, so I'm taking a breaK and going to hit the woods again on Wednesday in another county to see what I can come up with.
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Post by Mars on Mar 26, 2009 13:25:48 GMT 12.75
Saturday will probably be a bust but we may try it anyway. The forecast is for thunderstorms Saturday and rain every day till then. Calling sure won't work so if we go I'll set out the decoys and hope a bird shows up on it's own. If it's lightning out we stay at home.
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Post by Mars on Mar 29, 2009 8:04:31 GMT 12.75
I decided to not go out. It rained most of the night and so far all day. We have to cross a creek and with the rain then tomorrow may not happen as well.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Mar 29, 2009 9:38:16 GMT 12.75
I stayed home too! I had to get my truck back from the mechanics yesterday with another transmission put into it. Gawdamned Dodge! Anyway, the weather's perfect, but I'm left with no cash and only six dollars and change in the bank account with an empty gas tank. I got a couple of checks to deposit Monday, so I'll be okay to hunt during the week, but it sure put a wet blanket over my weekend trips.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Mar 29, 2009 9:50:27 GMT 12.75
Chris Warner scored on a BIG gobbler this morning. His first Florida bird!
It is an unusual bird in that it's an Osceola, but so far to the northwest. It got lost and couldn't find his way home I suppose!
I'd have had it mounted, but he just kept the beard and spurs and is sending the fan to his daddy. 11.5" beard, 1 1/8" spurs, and weighs in about twenty-one pounds.
He used an Heirloom, single barrel slate call to trick that old rascal inside shotgun range with just a couple of clucks.
Old Brian's a proud Pappa! ;D
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Post by princessrunamuck on Mar 29, 2009 13:17:59 GMT 12.75
FROM LAFE:
"I need an exterminator." (chuckles) "Toms are gobbl'n all over the yard, I've already lost one hen to them and this morning when watering the horses their hens are yelp'n at my Tom!"
"So far on way back from town today there were two flocks in the road, one about 30 in it and other about dozen ea with couple Toms."
"And now I'am on the phone with PRAM (Susan) and 15 yds out from my living room window is a dozen run'n through the yard!"
"SO, I need a Tobynator cuz I'm trying to raise some hens and they are trying to steal the rest of mine."
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Post by Paws on Mar 29, 2009 14:06:19 GMT 12.75
I stayed home too! I had to get my truck back from the mechanics yesterday with another transmission put into it. Gawdamned Dodge! Anyway, the weather's perfect, but I'm left with no cash and only six dollars and change in the bank account with an empty gas tank. I got a couple of checks to deposit Monday, so I'll be okay to hunt during the week, but it sure put a wet blanket over my weekend trips. Hey, ain't got no truck, don't need no gas money! See how it all works out?
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Post by Carter Northcutt on Mar 29, 2009 17:38:54 GMT 12.75
Our season opens on 18th of April. So I have a couple of weeks yet. I can't wait. Good luck to the rest of y'all.
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Post by Mars on Apr 1, 2009 3:23:18 GMT 12.75
Weather forecast is for rain and cold all this week so it looks like more waiting. Daughters kinda mad but I explained I'd rather the conditions favor us not the birds especialy considering the 1 mile uphill hike required to get there.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Apr 1, 2009 17:03:44 GMT 12.75
I get back to the woods on Thursday morning. A buddy of mine asked meto drive out and try to call up a gobbler for his son on their property in Sumter County. He said they got a bunch out there, so I'm looking forward to seeing the land.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Apr 2, 2009 6:49:06 GMT 12.75
Here's a picture of Chris Warner's first ever Osceola. His Daddy, Brian and brother Matt will be arriving Friday to join me for three days of chasing these Gulf Coast gobblers. The hens are starting to set their nests, so the gobbling is really picking up. Them toms are getting anxious to breed, but the hens aren't as willing; which means they're most likely to be fooled. It ought to be a good time!
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Post by Mars on Apr 2, 2009 15:06:39 GMT 12.75
Weather forecast for Saturday is 65 and sunny so we will plan on hitting the woods and spend most of the day if required. Rain and wind until then though.
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Post by Mars on Apr 5, 2009 11:46:48 GMT 12.75
No turkeys but here a picture of a mini turkey hunter. and with a medium size rock. A few turkey tracks. Bear tracks. Buck rub. A fun and interesting day even without getting a bird.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Apr 8, 2009 8:45:57 GMT 12.75
Brian drove down this weekend for a couple of days of turkle bird chasing. The plan was for me to call for him on Saturday and for my brother Dave on Sunday, but plans changed and Brian arrived around four pm Saturday. So, I sat in the blind with Dave and called in a monster longbeard from his roost, but neither of us could get a clear shot in range. I shut up calling for an hour and started again and brought in a pait of two year old that danced around the decoys for us before we doubled up on them. I called in the first gobbler with my Rebel Yell box, but the two later morning birds were called in and killed using Brian's Over 'n Under pot call. It was a perfect morning. That afternoon, Dave sat in a treestand over a corn feeder and arrowed his first wild hog; a fat sow weighing about a hundred and twenty pounds. Got the hunt on film too! Next morning I called for Brian while Dave ran the camera and we had several gobblers answering, but none committed to us (Brian was coughing a bit too) and we left the blind around noon for lunch. Dave was ready to arrow another hog, so out comes the camera and Dave arrowed his second ever hog on film and then Brian tries a short spot and stalk on a group of sows and downs one n the camera with a forty+ yard shot with a Dan Wesson .357 revolver. Dave's hog was a ninety pound boar and Brian's was a one hundred and ten pound sow. I had to leave Sunday night, so Brian hunted alone Monday morning, but the front moved over and it was pouring cold rain all morning and he headed back to Louisiana with a cooler full of fresh pork, but birdless. All in all, we had a blast!!!! Oh, don't let Dave tell you no different....my tom's beard was longer than his!
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Post by Carter Northcutt on Apr 8, 2009 9:21:05 GMT 12.75
Congratulations all around for a successful hunting weekend ;D
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Post by Toby Benoit on Apr 8, 2009 9:25:38 GMT 12.75
Thanks! Here's a couple of photos from the weekend. Me with the two gobblers I called in with an Heirloom's Over 'n Under friction call. Little brother Dave with his first turkey, one of the pair I called with him beside me. My little brother Dave and Brian Warner with their Sunday afternoon porkers! Sausages all around!
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Post by Carter Northcutt on Apr 8, 2009 13:19:21 GMT 12.75
Great pics Toby, thanks for sharing
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Post by Mars on Apr 8, 2009 14:30:55 GMT 12.75
It rained all day yesterday and snowed all day today so no hunting. Tomorrow supposed to warm up to mid 50's so we may go out late afternoon.
Way to do it Toby and company! ;D ;D
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