# First Michigan Turkey hunt



## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Just woke up packing up the truck and getting ready for my first season hunting turkey here in Michigan.


Going out with the crossbow for the first time. Not really a crossbow hunter but have failed a few times shooting them with my compound bow so crossbow it is! 

Been out scouting a total of 11 days this last week and a half (havent been out since Wednesday). Found a few really good spots and cold called a gobbler a few days before that. 

So I have high hopes. Glad we are getting this warm up this week hopefully it sparks up some lonely gobbler today! I'll let y'all know things go! 

Good luck to everyone still chasing!


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Buck city bowhunter said:


> Just woke up packing up the truck and getting ready for my first season hunting turkey here in Michigan.
> 
> 
> Going out with the crossbow for the first time. Not really a crossbow hunter but have failed a few times shooting them with my compound bow so crossbow it is!
> ...


Good luck!I have a hen yelping in my subdivision at the moment.She is a loud raspy one!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Good Luck!!


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Good luck on your 1st Mich-turk. Shoot straight. & Watch out for the lighting.


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## ReeseHunter (Jan 10, 2009)

Best of luck to you. What are the pine cones for


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Today was a good day. had the Toms hammering today! It was beautiful! Unfortunately I wasnt able to drop the hammer just yet. 

So first encounter was about 730 had 2 Toms come in. I sat at a woodline intersection of a few clear cuts and started calling. Heard 2 Toms hammering about 80 yards out. put out 2 hen decoys and sat down. The toms, one to my right that I could see and another drumming behind me i couldnt see. As soon as the tom I could see locked on the decoys he was spooked and took the other time with him. 

I backed out and went the other direction. Went deeper into the woods and hit a few calls and heard gobbler maybe 200 or less yards away. Danced with him for maybe 20 mins before he came in on the totally wrong side. Successfully repositioned as he came 5 yrds up the old logging road he didn't like something he saw and putted away as I was noticing his double beard!!. Really frustrating but i had a lot of fun today. And it was my birthday. 

Probably gonna be back in the woods at 5am to try and kill one of these guys hopefully that double beard guy!


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Got it done this morning guys!

All I can say is how grateful I am. 2nd day hunting. My opener was the 14th (my B-Day)
Went out, had a great time, but today! Was amazing!

Got in the woods around 4:50 and wasnt hearing the normal roost hammering. Got discouraged from not hunting/scouting for 2 days in between my last hunt didnt have any birds roosted. Was gonna drive roads and scout fields but something told me to keep going.

15 minutes later finally got a gobble from the owl call. So I hit a field thats half clover half last years corn got right under this oak thats basically right in the middle of the field.

Hit the call hard! Hard cutting, the whole nine. long story short he went for a ride in the truck!











Got him with the cheapo decoy ive had for 4 years. They work fine.


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Cheapest hunt of my life! Public Land, Crossbow i borrowed my 13 year old nephew (bought it for him and he never used it) cheap $10 decoy (4 years old) Cracked glass call (also 4 years old) and 1 arrow! Lmao!!

He's priceless to me!

My first eastern Michigan Turkey!




































Go get em guys! And his crop was full of corn just a little scout tip for you guys still hunting.


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## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Buck city bowhunter said:


> Got it done this morning guys!
> 
> All I can say is how grateful I am. 2nd day hunting. My opener was the 14th (my B-Day)
> Went out, had a great time, but today! Was amazing!
> ...


Sounds like a heck of a hunt. & a BIG Congrats on your 1st Mich-turk!


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Namrock said:


> Sounds like a heck of a hunt. & a BIG Congrats on your 1st Mich-turk!


Thanks a lot! Had a lot of fun doing it. Really surprised how many birds i saw and had opportunity at in just 2 days hunting. Really great seeing the birds thriving here.


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Taking my fiance out for the first time in the morning to the same spot. Just bought her a tag tonight. gonna try and put her on a bird before the season ends. 

I went out tonight to try and shock gobble some birds. It was right after dark about 930 and didn't hear anything. 

I read this late in the season night time roosting, they can be lock beaked... Tried owl hooting only pissed off a real owl and made them fly out of the tree hooting across the clear cut and then the owl made 2 coyote start howling but still didnt hear any gobbles.

Do you guys think its a possibility they could still be in there just not shock gobbling? 

It is public land. i killed my bird friday so a few days have passed anybody could have been hunting there the last couple of days.


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

I did a lot of scouting this area and got on 3 other mature toms before I harvested mine. I know there's more than a few birds up in that area. im just skeptical they are still there after hearing nothing tonight. 

Also noticed the fields that had left over corn in them had been plowed already and my toms crop was full of corn. wondering if that could have moved them to an area where the fields havent been plowed yet.


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Congrats on a great Gobbler and an awesome experience in the turkey woods. Watch out it is an addicting sport!

I would also bet there are still some gobblers around. They don’t always gobble on the roost at fly up.


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Well we did better than I thought we would today. The fog was rediculous!! Haven't seen fog that looked like milk before. it was so thick until around 9-930 other started breaking and I started seeing birds git the field. 

The were so quiet this morning barely heard a gobble. I have a better idea where some birds are that I might be able to get her on in the morning. 

Its gonna be a hot one tomorrow but I have a feeling if the fog isnt like it was today tomorrow morning we are putting her a bird in the dirt! 



Gobblerman said:


> Congrats on a great Gobbler and an awesome experience in the turkey woods. Watch out it is an addicting sport!
> 
> I would also bet there are still some gobblers around. They don’t always gobble on the roost at fly up.


You were right Gobblerman. I did hear more birds in that area they just weren't close to the field I was in or wasnt sounding off. 

The fog was so thick we started driving roads around 7:30


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## Gobblerman (Dec 19, 2004)

Good luck in the am.


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

Gobblerman said:


> Good luck in the am.


Thank you!!! im gonna need it

does anybody have any late season tactic tips they use this late in the season?


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

Woods are about full foilage push your set up closer.Public land birds in my area will tone it down in the am tone down calling use scratching single double yelps.Alot of hens should be going to nest although I think there are always some available hunt a little harder late morning to after noon.If your partner can call her own shot set up the ambush on your initial set up instead of waiting until the bird hangs up.Go get em!


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## Buck city bowhunter (May 1, 2018)

ezcaller said:


> Woods are about full foilage push your set up closer.Public land birds in my area will tone it down in the am tone down calling use scratching single double yelps.Alot of hens should be going to nest although I think there are always some available hunt a little harder late morning to after noon.If your partner can call her own shot set up the ambush on your initial set up instead of waiting until the bird hangs up.Go get em!



gotcha! I def seen the birds hitting the fields later in the morning today around 9-930 vs the usual 7 o'clock.


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