Thanksgiving in May

[exbiologist]

I hadn't really been too serious about turkey hunting this year and was more interesting in shed hunting and scouting. Went out west to where I killed a bull back in 2009, as we saw a ton of turkey sign there that fall. However, we couldn't find a track or turd to save our lives. Saw hundreds of deer and a few elk, but no luck on the turkeys. So, after we got some additional scouting done, we decided to fold up shop and head towards some new country. We pulled in at dusk, drove into a little campsite at dusk, mostly planning on drinking beer for the night and taking a stab at the turkeys in the morning. As we got out, we noticed turkey tracks all over the campground. Then we busted a hen right out of her roost. We quickly backed out of there, and headed to some higher ground to set up camp. Went back in the morning, set out a few dekes, and Ryan called in this tom a few minutes after dawn. Also had a jake or hen fly into the decoy spread as the tom was coming in. Kinda random.

Also got some grouse displays on video and tried to video part of this hunt.

Turkey video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqndwMvqqXk

Grouse video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt2bhYR5lzc

 

[jbkebert]

Great pics of the grouse. nice tom.

 

[Cob]

Ex - What type of turkey's do you have up there? we have eastern & osceola in this area, know you have to head out west to get a Merriam's or Rio Grande. Do you know what subspecies you have there?

There's a 5th variety/ subspecies as well, most hunters seldon see. (Butterball.... aka Bronze)

 

[exbiologist]

This one's a Merriam's, which is what our mountain birds are. There are also Rios here too

 

[Cob]

Nice Turkey. (BTW the Bronze was a joke... they are domesticated, but sure you knew that)