2021 Turkey season - Success

Turkey season so far has been fun, I have worked several gobblers and called in several hens over the first week of the season. On Sunday 4/11 I was able to close the deal on a nice gobbler. At daybreak I waited for the birds to wake up and start singing. I did not hear a gobbler, so I eased down to a creek that has a nice flat with an old logging road crossing it. Earlier in the week I had heard a gobbler in that bottom and there was plenty of turkey sign in that area. I setup where I had good cover and a good view of the bottom. I made several soft yelps and after about 15 minutes I had a gobbler sound off on one of my calls. I quickly let out a cackle and he gobbled again. He was not far, maybe 150 or so yards. I yelped at him again and he gobbled and was getting closer. I made a few more soft yelps, and he would gobble and get closer. He was fired up! I decided to shut the calling down and just sit tight. Within a few minutes he showed up walking down an old logging road about 100 yards from me. When he got to the flat just before the creek he went into a full strut and would gobble, what a sight to see! He would go back and forth on that logging road strutting and gobbling. He was just wanting the hen to come out to him. A crow flew by and let out a call and he gobbled. I decided not to call and play hard to get. I could see him pretty good and after about 15 minutes and 15-20 gobbles later I believe he got feed up with the hen not coming to him, so he came out of his strut and started walking straight at me. I let him get to 20 yards and put the BOOM on him with my 12ga 3 ½” #6 turkey load. What an adrenaline rush! My Tom had a 9 ½” beard and 1” spurs. After getting back to camp we went and ran our catfish lines and pulled several nice catfish off our lines. The season has been fun with turkey hunting, catfishing, and camp life. It just does not get any better than that!
Good luck out there turkey hunting, be safe and patient with the turkeys.

Very nice. Congratulations on a successful season.

That’s some good living right there. Thanks for sharing your story.

LetUmGrow,Not sure what happened to my reply but here goes try#2!!Wifey and I headed to Sherburne WMA(where I shot a banded jake many,many seasons ago)and with all the torrential rains we have gotten hope the WMA is open and if not,we might just fish the False River,if that is indeed a viable option.Sounds like you are off to an awesome turkey season and those fine catfish would make a ton of meals.Locally,T-Funky a raging,muddy mess and saw the unfortunate news about the young lady who died as a result of T-Funky jet ski accident.Last time I fished the T-Funky,one of the regulars warned me about traffic on T-Funky on week-ends!!!No way I wanna try the T-Funky on a week end!!Hope Wifey and I at least if nothing else,catch some nice fish in Little Alabama Bayou!!

Mandevillian

Mandevillian, Good luck and let us know how you do, I can remember how awesome Sherburne WMA was for turkey hunting some 20 years ago. I sure hope it comes back one of these years to the level it once was. Not sure what happened to my post, it vanished and I had to re-submit it again. Take care and be safe

LetUmGrow,Wifey and I tried to find my sweet spot(nice landing on Little Alabama Bayou)this am,made the trek from Mandeville to New Roads(yesterday) where we were gonna be staying at the Cypress Inn,made our way to Sherburne WMA(hooray,open for turkey season)and we scoped out Little Alabama Bayou(water was gorgeous,wish the T-Funky was half as clear)and Wifey caught de only fish,did not turkey hunt today,chatted with gent in Go-Devil who was turkey hunting opposite side from where ole landing used to be,had buddies turkey hunting and we luckily spotted tail fan feather from young turkey.Hope to hit area kinda close to where we found tail fan feather,got Cypress Inn manager to allow 1:00pm late check-out-hope and pray area we found near end of Little Alabama pans out.Did chat with gent whose family has camp near Little Alabama Bayou and said his mom heard some gobblers yesterday!!!At least the Sherburne open for turkey seasons,seems like they may have made somewhat of a recovery and would be awesome to get big ole gobbler to sound off tomorrow am!!Hope we at least get a chance at longbeard as the only wild turkey I have ever shot happened to be banded jake,bout 20 years ago!!Let ya know how we fare out and too bad our schedule won't allow us to extend our stay and hunt non-lottery portion of turkey season in Sherburne!!

Mandevillian