Neb Turkeys - 2013 Hunt

[cnelk]

My son and I are leaving Thursday about noon to chase some Nebraska turkeys until Sunday.
We have a couple miles of Republican River bottom all to ourselves.
Archery gear will be the first means of attempt, with a Winchester 12ga for backup [Shotgun starts Saturday morning]

I am hoping to get cell reception to keep you all updated from the blind and tent.

I will also be doing my 'Gear Challenge' this weekend

The main gear to be tried out is my new Montana Tom decoy and the Alps Vertex 4 backpacking tent.

[cnelk]

My son's Nebraska tom from last year, same area

[bnsafe]

good luck, nothin much funner than chasin gobblers

[POk3s]

Good luck! I'll be keeping a close eye on this!

Those Montana decoys have always intrigued me but don't like the 2D look. But for birds it just might work well!

[cnelk]

Been on the road for an hour.
Son is driving, I'm enjoying the scenery
Should arrive about 4 pm. Then Set up camp and do some looking around
We are going to try our best to film the hunts!
We have a GoPro and 2 digital cameras... And the Clip-Shot

[GetemDuck]

Good luck, not sure how much white stuff they got up that way but the weather is warming up and it is melting off down our way which is nice.

[Herb]

We could use a "live audio" post of the early morning gobbles, about now!!

Good Luck!!

[GetemDuck]

Well how did the first day go?

[bnsafe]

updates please, no phone service is not an excuse

[Herb]

I heard it was cold, windy and rainy.....not much of a turkey day....bring on some sunshine!!

[cnelk]

Howdy everyone.
So the semi live part isn't working out very well.
We are down in the river bottom and cell service isn't much.
We came out. On top to get some service and check in.

Herb is correct. The weathers not cooperating.
Windy cool.we are seeing elk... I mean turkey, but they are not responding to calling.
Maybe I shoulda brought my bugle tube...

We had a hen at 8yds checking out the decoy this morning, but she didn't have a beard.
Musta shaved before flying down

Next update will be tomorrow afternoon on the way home.

[cnelk]

Ok.
There is one less turkey in Nebraska....

[Herb]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1365913511.773302.jpg (133.09 KiB) Viewed 11803 times

[bnsafe]

very nice, congrats

[cnelk]

Back home now.
Unpacking the gear and getting the bird ready for the freezer.
The story will be told soon...!

[cnelk]

We had a blast.
The weather was not our friend but we did what we could.

The first night was damn cold [15 degrees] and not quite prepared for that.
Second night it rained, but we were prepared for that.
Third night the wind blew really hard. We got up at 2am, went out and got the blind that was wrapped around a barb wire fence and a Russian Olive tree.
Have not accessed the damage yet, but I think it will still work

We hunted some new ground and the learning curve was huge.

In the next posts I will show some pics of the hunt.

[cnelk]

Its always encouraging to see turkey on the way turkey hunting!

[cnelk]

I took this pic to show how WT bucks rub fence posts with their antlers...
This is a true 'rub line'!

[cnelk]

First night we had home-made turkey noodle soup for supper.
Nothing better than turkey soup when hunting turkey

[cnelk]

Ah yes...
Looking across the field at a bunch of gobblers that are ignoring your decoys and calls....

[cnelk]

And of course those pesky hens that come in to check out the decoys... but dont bring their boyfriends...

[cnelk]

the birds were bunched up - 30-40 in a flock.
That makes for some tough hunting.

We decided to sit back and watch them and when they finally decided to commit in one direction, we dropped down into a cottonwood draw and were there waiting when they approached. We were behind a berm and with no place for my son to stand and draw his his bow, I eased up poked out the shotgun thru the grass and there were 5 toms at 40yds.

Boom...

My first turkey!

[cnelk]

Packing turkey is MUCH easier then packing elk...

[cnelk]

Not much for spurs... must have been an older bird.

But his beard is 8 1/2in long

[cnelk]

And a couple of shots using the 'Clip-Shot'...

[bnsafe]

nice bird and great hunt. congrats

[Herb]

Way to make the most of some tough conditions!!

It really was a pretty easy winter, it just has not lead to a early spring. Nicer days are coming, the recent moisture is welcome and we'll need more.

I missed a Tom that was strutting by my house last night, but it has not been much for turkey weather.

[POk3s]

Awesome job! Love when birds hit the ground!

[Dagwood_55]

Interesting hunt. Thanks for sharing.

I just got back from a 3 day turkey hunt in Neb along the Republic River. I loved it. There were many turkeys and we tagged out. But they were all shotgun kills, no archery this year. We hunted about 3 miles west of Stratton on some private land a friend of mine owns.

On the first morning, the 25th of April I believe, it was 21 degs, very cold, but calm. I've never heard so much gobbling in my life. They were roosting for about a quarter mile or more on the river. They would gobble on one end and it would be a wave of gobbbles to the other end and then back again.
Once they gobbled constantly for 25 seconds with a break, solid gobbles. It was awsome.

And this fall, we want to bowhunt the Swanson Lake WMA. Camp and hunt from out of state. Anyone got any ref's or anything to say about Swanson for bowhunting??