# LFTB 5-8-20



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

Rise n shine! I'm brewing some Joe and will be on the road by 5am. I have a 1hr 15 min drive ahead of me to drop off my camper then I'll be hitting some public land for the day. I have the entire day for a solo hunt and 1,000's of acres to roam. Very excited!!

Good luck all!!!


----------



## springIstrutfallIrut (Mar 30, 2012)

After being at work every morning this week it's finally time for me to hunt ! Gotta love 4 10 's


----------



## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Waiting at the farm for my buddy where I killed my bird last week. I did a little scouting and the boss was out last night at 730. Know where he is roosted, but he has been called in twice in the last 2 weeks. He eluded my 10 year old's sights last week, hopefully he doesn't escape again.


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

Out here trying to get it done, I know roughly where a Tom is roosted that's been pretty tight with his lady friend, gonna try and sneak in put out a Tom decoy, hopefully he he gets jealous.


----------



## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Good luck guys!


----------



## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

I’m locked in, another messy morning the wife was with me and got stuck in some mud and fell in the water. She said she was good but I seen the water run in her boots. 27° And soaking wet equals hypothermia, no birds worth that.......all quite here no gobbling yet, good luck all.
Flight


----------



## springIstrutfallIrut (Mar 30, 2012)

Some distant gobbling off the roost. 1 tom was really firing good 500+yds out. The hens usually come out where I'm at, haven't seen a turkey yet. All has been quiet since flydown


----------



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

3 distant gobbles between 6-6:05. One distant gunshot 6:35. Coaxed a gobble out of one about 150 yards away in his strut zone about 6:45ish. Very quiet here in KZoo county...

Currently listening to a red-bellied woodpecker sending messages of love on an big ole dead ash tree 5 yards away...


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Houndhunter12 (May 5, 2016)

Slept in till 600, made a pot of coffee, got geared up and left the house at 635. Walked out back 100 yards heard a gobble, sat down, 2 yelps and boom!! Back at the house at 655. Lol


----------



## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

The wind is starting to pick up and there sure hasn’t been many turkey “noises” out here this morning. Was excited to get back here this morning in hopes that I would run into that big ole Tom that was working the neighbors field, so far it’s been a bust.
Flight


----------



## can'tstop (Mar 6, 2012)

Slow up my way. Out trying to call one in for a friend but we have not heard anything yet. Good luck


----------



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

I may take a week off, because I’m pretty sure the toms have entered the mid-May lockdown near me. 

Gobbling has declined markedly since Tuesday because they’re stuck to their last one or two hens and won’t leave them. The hens hit the ground early to eat and check the nest, leaving us with strut zone stupid toms who don’t gobble.

This cold and wind also suck - I’m definitely not missing the mosquitos, but come on - this is early May, not late March...


----------



## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

It’s time.....bird to my left !
Flight


----------



## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Called in this guy for my buddy this morning. Big bird.


----------



## zep02 (Mar 29, 2007)

Good luck to all those afield today! Got my bird last Friday and have been trying to get dad on a Tom ever since. We decided to sleep in this morning and enjoy the coffee from the porch. Excited to hear and hopefully see some successful turkey pics from those who are out today. Shoot straight!

Sent from my SM-G973U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

Tom came in about a 100 yards strutted around then quickly caught up with his lady. Drove around, the hens are all over the place, Tom's locked up with their hens in the usual 2 fields, seems like I'm the only hunter out, every parking lot has been empty, including the ones that have had the same vehicles in them all week.


----------



## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

Been slow and I look at the time 7:46, so I figure I will call one more time and wait until 8:00 then start hunting my way back towards the truck. Instant response to my left, I wait then 2 yelps and he hammers right back, put the call down pick up the gun and wait, he gobbles agin but a little further off then went quite.
Flight


----------



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Flight of the arrow said:


> Been slow and I look at the time 7:46, so I figure I will call one more time and wait until 8:00 then start hunting my way back towards the truck. Instant response to my left, I wait then 2 yelps and he hammers right back, put the call down pick up the gun and wait, he gobbles agin but a little further off then went quite.
> Flight


He sounded hot, maybe toning it down turned him off...

I’ve called in toms and hens this week with some pretty aggressive calling. I didn’t shut up until they were well within 75yds in the woods and never stopped calling at the tom my son shot on Wednesday. 

Try cutting and see if that brings him back - if it does, pour it on...


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## springIstrutfallIrut (Mar 30, 2012)

Well it's officially turned into a rough season for me... first morning I haven’t even seen a turkey ! About time to take a walk do some shrooming and hopefully bump into a hot one that I can set up on.


----------



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

I've logged 3 mi on public so far and haven't heard a turkey! Slow! Beautiful morning, minus a few flurries.


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Glad I slept in


----------



## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

Dittos here in Traverse City. Strong snow squalls intermittent w/ sunshine. Little accumulation. Better weather next week, we hope!!


----------



## Houndhunter12 (May 5, 2016)




----------



## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Congrats killers, looks like a good day for y'all! Boy decided to sleep in. So I met my nephew at his house. He had "an idea" to sneak in behind some roosted birds & wanted me to go with. Been telling that kid since before the season (yes multiple times) that you don't want to get in that thin strip of woods in the morning if their roosted in there, it's just too close. He pretty much begged so I gave in & said what the hell. Before we got set up YEP we walked right through their bedroom & scattered them everywhere. He's 13, so hopefully lesson learned.


----------



## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Houndhunter12 said:


> View attachment 529707


Did he fall off the wood pile and break his neck?? Just kidding. Nice looking bird, congrats!


----------



## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Houndhunter12 said:


> Slept in till 600, made a pot of coffee, got geared up and left the house at 635. Walked out back 100 yards heard a gobble, sat down, 2 yelps and boom!! Back at the house at 655. Lol


Gotta love those backyard toms. 

L & O


----------



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Namrock said:


> Congrats killers, looks like a good day for y'all! Boy decided to sleep in. So I met my nephew at his house. He had "an idea" to sneak in behind some roosted birds & wanted me to go with. Been telling that kid since before the season (yes multiple times) that you don't want to get in that thin strip of woods in the morning if their roosted in there, it's just too close. He pretty much begged so I gave in & said what the hell. Before we got set up YEP we walked right through their bedroom & scattered them everywhere. He's 13, so hopefully lesson learned.


That’s a proven method to call in a bird, especially later in the season. Separate them off the roost and the toms get lonely and answer the calls. Just don’t stay at the roost site and try to call them back...


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## Namrock (Apr 12, 2016)

Yankee#1 said:


> That’s a proven method to call in a bird, especially later in the season. Separate them off the roost and the toms get lonely and answer the calls. Just don’t stay at the roost site and try to call them back...
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


I have heard that before & it definitely sounds like a solid plan. But from my personal experiences in that particular spot anyway, it's a proven method to get them to roost over on the neighbors lol.


----------



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Haha. Yeah, then perhaps that method does NOT work to your advantage on when hunting that property...


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


----------



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

Logged over 8 miles today and never saw or heard a turkey! It was very windy and snow flurries didnt help. 

I did stumble across this scene...what the hell???


----------



## Houndhunter12 (May 5, 2016)

Looks like the Alaskan Bush People homestead!!!! Blahhhha


----------



## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

Well it was a crazy hunt, wife fell in the water and mud and had to turn back, at 7:46 I posted bird to my left and thought here he comes. Sat until 9:00ish and he never showed, it was around the same time Monday that the same thing happened and I should have went after him. This time I went that way and ran into 3 long beards and a hen at a dust bowl, one bird was a stud. That was around 9:10 I set up on the 4 birds and was dead set on waiting them out, the largest bird did all the strutting and gobbling at 10:30 my wife came back and was set up on the other side of the birds in case they went that way. Not to drag it out any longer I set threw white out condition and high winds and made multiple moves on these birds. I shot the first bird that presented me a shot at 2:25pm unfortunately it wasn’t the biggest bird but I will take it.
Flight


----------



## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Flight of the arrow said:


> Well it was a crazy hunt, wife fell in the water and mud and had to turn back, at 7:46 I posted bird to my left and thought here he comes. Sat until 9:00ish and he never showed, it was around the same time Monday that the same thing happened and I should have went after him. This time I went that way and ran into 3 long beards and a hen at a dust bowl, one bird was a stud. That was around 9:10 I set up on the 4 birds and was dead set on waiting them out, the largest bird did all the strutting and gobbling at 10:30 my wife came back and was set up on the other side of the birds in case they went that way. Not to drag it out any longer I set threw white out condition and high winds and made multiple moves on these birds. I shot the first bird that presented me a shot at 2:25pm unfortunately it wasn’t the biggest bird but I will take it.
> Flight
> View attachment 529829


Way to hang in there and get it done. Looks like a fine bird. Congrats Flight!


----------



## IT.Fisherman (Aug 10, 2012)

Left work early to do an afternoon hunt in Jackson county then back at it in the morning. 5 acre field behind cabin was mowed earlier in the week, cousin finally saw some Tom's around. Not hopeful for tonight but am tomorrow. Wanted to be here tonight to pick a good spot and get all set up for the morning.


----------



## Plumbgranny (Dec 26, 2010)

thill said:


> Logged over 8 miles today and never saw or heard a turkey! It was very windy and snow flurries didnt help.
> 
> I did stumble across this scene...what the hell???
> 
> ...


Didn't know "Naked & Afraid" was filming in Michigan! Did they survive the night?


----------



## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

thill said:


> Logged over 8 miles today and never saw or heard a turkey! It was very windy and snow flurries didnt help.
> 
> I did stumble across this scene...what the hell???
> 
> ...


Did you hear the banjo's?


----------



## Trap Star (Jan 15, 2015)

thill said:


> Logged over 8 miles today and never saw or heard a turkey! It was very windy and snow flurries didnt help.
> 
> I did stumble across this scene...what the hell???
> 
> ...



Somebody has some meth in their hands to make that...I mean time on their hands.


----------



## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Plumbgranny said:


> Didn't know "Naked & Afraid" was filming in Michigan! Did they survive the night?


Lol that was exactly my thought


----------



## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Funeral pyre or sacrifice?


----------



## gvsuhockey (Nov 13, 2010)

Got set up right at shooting time yesterday not too far from the roost. There was a lot of chatter in the morning at first light but nothing committed. It was dead quiet and I was bored and started looking at my phone switching between MS.com and a random turkey hunting conditions blog as the weather was super windy and snowy. So based on the blog it said that the birds are more likely to go silent and as I did my normal quick visual check at 10.30am of my hunting area and decoys I looked up and something did not seem right. Three birds around the Jake decoy at 27 yards! Two big Toms! So I pulled up on the biggest bird and the gun went click, dud shell. By now the big bird heard and knew something was not right after I released the dud shell and he started to quarter away while the bird in the picture was standing there head still held high. Hoping while I pulled the trigger that I wouldn't encounter another dud shell the gun went bang and down he went. Never ever buying cheap on sale Remington Turkey loads!!


----------



## Former grunt (Feb 26, 2018)

Forgot to update after yesterday's hunting adventures, got skunked in the morning, set up some Jake's in the afternoon only to have some morel hunters scare em off and lost my phone somewhere so had to get a old activated for now. Tough humbling season this year on public by me, thinking I should have just converted my tag and hunted closer to home.congrats to everyone that scored yesterday and throughout the season so far and best of luck to everyone that is still hunting.


----------

