April 20 Iowa Turkey Hunting

Day 1 April 17

With my Minnesota tag filled the week prior, I was feeling confident going into opening day of the 1st Iowa turkey season.  I always enjoy coming back to Iowa to hunt turkeys.  Having the opportunity to hunt the same spots I grew up hunting is always special and this year was no different, anticipation was high.

I set up my blind at the corner of a small wood lot and a large picked bean field.  Again, I did not have much time to scout prior to the season but this is a consistent roosting area for the birds.  The turkey sign was tremendous when I was looking for shed antlers earlier the spring, and a neighboring farmer reported seeing numerous toms two weeks before the season.

The sun had just started to rise over the horizon when 3 toms sounded off by gobbling 100 yards to my north.  As the sun slowly crept higher I heard another gobble to the east echoed by another to my southwest.  I had gobbling in 3 different locations and I was set up in the middle.  I started some light calling and the birds immediately responded.  Just before official sunrise, the toms to my north flew down and headed slowly in my direction.  Before they could close the gap, a group of 8 hens pitched down from nearby trees and pulled the toms away from my location and over a slight rise in the bean field.  For the next 2 hours I watched an waited for the toms to leave the hens.  This never happened.

The hens and toms made there way to a neighboring thick creek bottom.  From my location I could see where the birds were at and due to a slight change in elevation I thought I might be able to put a stalk on the birds using the terrain and vegetation as cover.  For the next 2 hours I slowly crawled on my hands and knees trying to cut the distance between the toms and myself.  I ultimately got within 40 yards but could not get a clear shot through the thick brush I had been using for cover.

It was now 2 pm and the action had slowed. I left to check out another farm.  Immediately after I set up my Avian-X feeder decoy and started calling, I had 2 toms respond to my call.  I could tell by their gobbling that they were committed and coming in fast.  The birds were coming from over my right shoulder so I quickly tried to re-adjust my body positioning.  What happened next was a clean miss.  I misjudged the distance and rushed a shot.  I was not feeling as confident anymore.  Exhausted and dejected I headed home. I drove past the farm where I started the day and noticed 2 toms heading back into the thick creek bottom to roost for the night.

Day 2 April 18

19.4 lb. 10" beard 1" spurs

I left the blind in favor of a more mobile set up.  I wanted to get close to the roosting trees in the thick creek bottom thinking that I would have a chance at the toms that went in there from the night before.  I sat underneath a large oak tree with a lone hen decoy in front of me.  Immediately at first light, a hen flew down across the creek from the tree right next to me.  I could hear some gobbling in the distance, but it was relatively quiet compared to the previous day.  I started to call a little more aggressively with my Lynch's box call (I rely heavily on this call to reach distant birds especially in windy conditions) and called in a lone hen.  Three jakes then came in sprinting across the field to check out my calling and the lone hen. The jakes were very skittish and hesitant to come closer to my decoy and all of a sudden they went on full alert and sprinted across the field and across the gravel road.  Behind the jakes were 2 toms walking quickly in my direction.  As the toms came closer the wind started to pick up slightly and started to spin my decoy.  The first tom became alarmed and headed for the cover of the creek bottom.  The second tom wasn't as alert allowing me time to make a quick shot.  The #5 shot found its mark on the thick-bearded 2 year old gobbler and I was tagged out for the season!
-KK

April 13 Minnesota Turkey Hunting

Day 1 April 12


Opening morning.  I set up in an overgrown pasture near the roosting area on the oak ridge which I described in the previous blog entry.  10 pm the night before, I set up my Double Bull blind in the dark.  It was overcast with a steady breeze so I was confident that I wouldn't spook any of the birds that could have been roosted close bye.

I was in the blind 30 minutes before first light with my 2 hen and strutter Avian-X decoys set up half-way between the blind and the edge of the woods.  It is very peaceful just before day break, waiting for the woods to awaken.  As the sun first started to appear from the east, the quiet morning turned into thunderous gobbling 75 yards to my left.  I could hear and see 2 toms roosted just on the edge of the woods.  Every 5 minutes a chorus of gobbling would sound off. I counted 4 toms close by with another 2 or 3 deeper in the timber to the east.  I figured that my hunt could be over in 5 minutes.  As the day was quickly gaining more light I could see more and more turkeys (a half-dozen hens) roosted in the nearby trees.  I resisted the urge to call to the gobbling toms except for a few light tree yelps with my Lynch's box call just to give the illusion of hens in my set-up area.   

The toms continued to gobble and stayed on the limb almost until sunrise, 20 minutes past legal shooting time.  When they finally pitched down, they flew straight down and went to the bottom of the ravine.  Then hens followed approximately 15 minutes later.  I thought the hunt was over before it even started.  Historically the turkeys would go down in that ravine and follow the creek bottom away from the property that I had permission to hunt.  This time was different.  I could still hear some sporadic gobbling, so I knew the birds were still close.  The hens eventually emerged out of the ravine and were now on the edge of the woods in the pasture where I was set up.  Three strutting toms were not far behind.  The hens and toms paid no attention to my decoys and pecked away in the pasture about 40 yards away.  The toms were in range, but were so close to each other and the hens that I didn't have a clear shot.  The flock of birds started slowly working away from me and I was beginning to think that I wasn't going to get an opportunity.  

23lbs 10.5" beard 1" spurs

I caught some movement out of the corner of my eye from the woods.  I could see the dark tips of a turkey fan working its way up the ravine towards my directions.  As the tom got closer to the edge of the timber I could see his bright blue head. I knew that when he stepped out of the woods he would likely be joining the rest of the flock so I my chance for an opportunity would come quickly.  He stepped out of the woods at 45 yards and my shot was true.  

The keys to the success of this hunt were:

• Historical knowledge of the farm.  Ideally I would have had more time to scout, but my prior knowledge of this farm paid off as I knew where the birds liked to roost early in the season when they were still flocked up.  This allowed me to set up close to the roosting sites.
•  Light calling.  The birds were moving very naturally and aggressive calling could have driven the hens away from my location taking the toms with them.
• Confidence in my gear.  A few years ago I tried the newest and best turkey load on the market which shot very poorly out of my gun.  Switching back to a tried and proven load combination gave me the confidence I needed to take the 45 yard shot when I had my opportunity.

KK    

April 6 Turkey Hunting Outlook

April 12th brings the opening day of the Minnesota Turkey season.  I was fortunate to draw a 1^st season tag for both Minnesota and Iowa (opening April 17)  so this will be the start of my season also.  My plan to start the season is to hunt an oak ridge where the turkeys historically roost early in the season.  This is a big horseshoe-shaped oak lined ravine with a creek running through the bottom.  A classic turkey roosting area.  My success in this area has been mixed in the past.  I have harvested several birds here, but when hunting so close to the roost, action typically comes early or not at all. A big thank you to again JFN Farms for allowing me to enjoy the outdoors on your beautiful farm. Thank you!

Turkey flock in March on the oak ridge

My plan for Iowa will be similar.  With the birds still grouped together in larger flocks, I plan to hunt close to the roosting sites in order to catch the toms before they join up with the hens.  I will be hunting a mix of public and private land in a couple of different areas.  Having multiple options and a large area to hunt can definitely increase the odds of success.  Good luck to all those hunting turkeys this spring! --KK