HORNTAGGER'S HUNTING PHOTO JOURNAL
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TURKEY SEASON in MISSOURI TURKEY COUNTRY |
HUNTING PHOTO JOURNAL - By
Allen horntagger Morris
So far as the season has progressed. This is my journal.
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Pictures as the season goes, wish I could share some video with you, but hope you like it anyway.
PICTURES FROM THE PRE-SEASON SCOUTING.
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 Wednesday - March 31, 2004 @ 12:00 thru 12:25 p.m. - Gobbler 1 & Gobbler 2 |
 Wednesday - March 31, 2004 @ 12:00 thru 12:25 p.m. - Gobbler 1 & Gobbler 2 |
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 Wednesday - March 31, 2004 @ 12:00 thru 12:25 p.m. - Gobbler 1 |
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 Wednesday - April 14, 2004 @ 5:10 p.m. - Gobbler |
 Wednesday - April 14, 2004 @ 5:10 p.m. - Gobbler |
 Wednesday - April 14, 2004 @ 5:10 p.m. - Gobbler |
 Friday - April 16, 2004 @ 11:45 a.m. - Jake and Hen |
 Friday - April 16, 2004 @ 11:45 a.m. - Gobbler |
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One
shot fired, One bird harvested"
"ONE TAG TO GO
HUNTING PHOTO JOURNAL - By
Allen horntagger Morris
So far as the season has progressed. This is my journal.
Monday, April
19th -
6:00 a.m. - Gobbler is gobbling on Roost, Hard to locate due to high wind walked
to close, busted off of the roost at 40 yards.
7:00 a.m. - Gobbler out in middle of planted corn field, would not respond to
calling wind to high at 150 yards.
7:20 a.m. - Gobbler sounded off to the south of my location. Moved to top of
hill could see it, and moved to edge of woods in the path I thought it might
take along the field just east of it's location at 100 yards.
7:25 a.m. - Set-up a Jake and Hen decoy in the field and moved to location so
that decoy are further east of my location. Two Gobblers sounded off to my
calling at 80 yards.
7:30 a.m. - Gobblers still sounding off now can see three adult gobbler just
over a small ridge to the west and responded to my calling at 60 yards.
7:35 a.m. - Three Gobblers see decoy's and drop tails and start running in my
direction followed by three more adult gobblers.
7:40 a.m. - All Six Gobblers strutting in my direction, I push safety off at 40
yards.
7:44 a.m. - All Six Gobblers are now at 10 yards out from my location.
7:45 a.m. - They start to get nervous and
dropped tails, BOOOM!!!!! Gobbler on ground, others run off about 30 yards away
and watch the one beat the ground with it's wings, and they start gobbling again
and then finally they walk away gobbling.
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Tuesday, April 20th - Scouting
same area 2 Gobblers and 1 Hen in late afternoon.
My Cousin took this outstanding Southern
Missouri Wild Turkey Gobbler.
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Tuesday, April 20th - 23lb
Gobbler with four hens, in river
bottom at 40 yards in the morning Southern Missouri.
Wednesday, April 21st - No
scouting trip.
Thursday, April 22nd -
Scouting during 12:00 p.m. heard no
Gobbling.
Friday, April 23rd - Scouting
- Nothing seen.
Saturday, April 24th
Me and my Son Tyler try for his turkey.
6:25 a.m. - Gobbler is gobbling on Roost, too far away
to from our location to
move.
6:30 a.m. Starts to rain, glad I bought a Double Bull Blind for us this
year, I call every time the rain lets up to be able to hear
it in a distance.
6:45 a.m. Watch Noah and his Ark float by.
7:00 a.m. Seven Hens show up responding to my calling and split up around
us from 10 yards to 70 yards, Tyler call this place HENVILLE.
9:30 a.m. Hens finally decide to leave. Tyler enjoyed watching them.
9:45 a.m. Raining so hard decoy fall over because of the dirt turns to
mud.
10:15 a.m. Rain lets up I call and Gobbler comes over ridge and is at 60
yards out raining so hard to awhile to see his wet matted beard. Never comes
any closer and leaves the area.
11:00 a.m. Two hens responding to calling and roam around us sit down in
the field at about 30 yards out trying to survive the rain.
12:00 p.m. Rain finally stops and I start calling like a wild crazed hen.
1:00 p.m. I have to run hens off because we have to leave since season
ends at 1:00 each day.
1:30 p.m. Loaded truck up and getting ready to leave when I see 3 gobblers
coming over hill in the area we had hunted all day. Headed
right for where we had been set up. Go figure.
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Sunday April 25th
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Me and my Son Tyler try for his turkey.
6:15 a.m. Four hens show up about 60 yards out.
6:30 a.m. Gobbler starts gobbling and is heading our direction.
7:00 a.m. Hens start heading his direction.
7:30 a.m. Hens go over ridge and gobbling stops.
9:30 a.m. Three hens come in from different direction responding to my
calling.
11:00 a.m. We roam walk to top of ridge to
have a look and nothing.
11:30 a.m. Tyler says he is done. So we head out.
No matter what I do I just cant seem to make it all come together.
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Monday April 25th
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6:00 a.m. Gobbling starts from one bird about 100
yards off.
6:15 a.m. Watch Gobbler and two hens fly out of tree at 80 yards off.
6:30 a.m. Hen and Gobbler go one direction other hen head my direction.
6:45 a.m. Hen get so close to me that I have my head down and can not see
the end of the barrel of the gun but still can barely see her.
7:00 a.m. Hen finally walks over ridge I get up head his direction he is
still gobbling.
7:15 a.m. Peak around corner of woods and hen is 20 yards off and spook
her and she runs into woods. No more gobbling.
Nothing the rest of the day.
First time I was glad not to harvest a bird, because I did not want to make my boy feel bad after he did so good over the weekend to stay with it. Hard for a 9 year old.
Will take him out if
the weather holds next weekend.
Tuesday, April 27th - No hunting
Wednesday, April 28th - No
hunting
Thursday, April 29th - No
hunting
Friday, April 30th - No hunting
Saturday
May 1st -
4:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Thunder Storm Hits decide to
wait
8:00 a.m. Drove up to site could see hen at end of tree line.
8:15 a.m. Three Gobblers and two hens in the place I was going to set up.
8:45 a.m. They had the high ground and all open ground so made big circle
to them.
9:15 a.m. One hen is all that is left.
9:30 a.m. Found second hen but no gobblers.
10:30 a.m. - Could see gobblers across three fields. Too far to go after or to
call.
11:30 a.m. - Could see 5 hens go thru field followed by Noah and is Ark.
12:00 a.m. - Called it a day, but have a plan for tomorrow.
Sunday
May 2nd -
4:15 a.m. - Left house.
5:00 a.m. Headed to high ground to set up and listen.
5:15 a.m. Got set up in the tree line.
5:45 a.m. Gobbling started about 100 yards to the Southeast.
6:00 a.m. Could see turkeys on the ground heading my way.
6:10 a.m. All three gobblers sounded off just behind old fertilizer
wagon.
6:15 a.m. - Three gobblers all had about 8" beards and are now 30 yards
away strutting. Safety off, bead on gobblers head.
6:20 a.m. - Still have gobbler in sites. Gobbling now sounding off to the
Northwest
6:30 a.m. - Decided to wait, see what was coming. First time I have to pass on
Gobbler much less three at 30 yards. Figure they will come back by this spot
even if I pass this round.
6:45 a.m. - Gobblers now see 5 hens on ridge and head south, as they go the
respond to my calling and gobble the entire way over ridge along with gobblers
that are closing distance from the Northwest.
7:00 a.m. - 3 more Gobblers set up at about 60 yards two Jakes with 4"
beards and a huge gobbler with paint brush beard with two hens.
7:05 a.m. - Try to call them off the hens, they respond with a lot of gobbling
but they go on over the ridge.
7:15 a.m. - Watch them go over the ridge.
7:30 a.m. - BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, and BOOM.
7:31 a.m. - Watch two turkeys fly to the east but nothing comes back my way.
7:40 a.m. - Walked over ridge and see to other hunters which are the neighbor
of the land owner I was hunting on, but they did not get the turkey all they
said was that they saw the Jake and hens. They said he was about 40 yards out
but I think it might have been farther. Last I saw them they headed in the
direction the Jake flew off.
8:00 a.m. - Went back to my high ground. Could see a hen off in the distance
in a field to the North. 8:30 a.m. - Could see another hen in a field to the
East.
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Never saw another bird.
12:30 p.m. - Called it a day.
Well a perfect plan executed, with an unseen scenario. First time to pass on
gobblers, but with one bird already harvest it gave me pause for some reason.
But, thought I could do better, plus still have a entire week left and want to
take my son back to the same area.
One
shot fired, Second bird harvested"
Monday
May 3rd -
Well went out today during my
lunch hour to a spot I got permission to hunt for
the first time since the season opened.
11:30 a.m. - Went to lunch.
11:45 a.m. - Made to back fencerow near woods started to call. Gobbler
responded down the fencerow.
11:50 a.m.- Could see thru the
brush two big gobblers heading my way 60 yards.
Gave a soft call and they both gobbled.
11:55 a.m. - Lost them in the
brushy corner of the fence and had to wait for them
to come across the fence to be on the landowners land. Still could not
see them. They gobbled again only 25 yards
away. Still cant see them.
12:00 a.m. - Finally see big ole red head just over the top of the brush and
the beard thru the brush. BOOM. Two gobblers
fly away. What the ****, I know I
did not miss.. Stood up and 3rd Gobbler dead on the ground that I did not
see as they walked down the fence row.
Dropped in tracks. Walked over nice looking bird. Rolled him over and
just a 6 thick beard and ½ spurs can't
believe where did he come from.
Wanted a bigger tom than I already had shot and end up shooting a Jake. Not much of a big deal just funny how things seem to work out sometimes. Well I am done for the season see if the birds I left in the field will give my son a chance this weekend. Maybe that's why?
The lack of feather's underneath I looks like he had been breeding. His wing feathers are wore down so he had been strutting for sure. With the two he was with, would never have thought that.
16 lbs
6" Beard
1/2" Spurs
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Tuesday, May 4th - No hunting
Wednesday, May 5th - No
hunting
Thursday, May 6th - No
hunting
Friday, May 7th - No hunting
BACK TO TOP
Saturday
May
5:30 a.m. Get Settled in.
5:45 a.m. Gobbler starts up about 100 yards to South.
6:15 a.m. Second Gobbler starts up way North.
6:30 a.m.
Can See hen on ground to the Southeast near tree line at 100 yards off.
6:45 a.m. Gobbler still going in tree.
7:15 a.m. Still Gobbling in tree.
7:30 a.m. - Finally on ground and gobbling.
7:35 a.m. - That's it gobbling stopped.
7:45 a.m. - Could see dust flying up about 50 yards to the East.
8:00 a.m. - We get ready and then a hen comes by at 20 yards.
8:20 a.m. - Hen finally roams over hill.
12:00 a.m. - Tyler calls it a day.
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Sunday
May 9th -
5:30 a.m. Wait for gobbling
to start.
6:00 a.m. Last sunrise of 2004 Turkey hunting season.
6:15 a.m. Not a hen or gobbler heard
6:30 a.m. Very tired young hunter.
8:00 a.m. Tyler say's that's it time to head home.
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BACK TO TOP
Tyler Morris - Age 9
Sunday May 9th, 2004
Last Sunrise of 2004 Turkey Season
Turkey season is hard on the the young and the old.
THE END.
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