# Turkeys in the backyard, 1 shot last week



## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

As I posted on a different forum here on MS, I have really good neighborhood turkey numbers. On Monday, I took a hen from my side yard. There were about 4 birds fighting with their reflections in a mirror.  

Anywho, it tickled me just now to see the flock is back and it's doubled in size. It looks like they replaced the hen with about 5 more birds! There were about 15 birds in my yard and the yards behind and beside my yard. Probably 10 of them are poults that are starting to get good size on them now. 

It also made me laugh when 4 of them wandered into my open chicken run (no feeder in there because I only put the feeder out when I have a bird in there). I thought, wow, what an opportunity to hustle out there and shut the door.  Obviously I didn't do that because it would be illegal, but it still made me chuckle. 

I do have a tag. I always buy a new one immediately after taking a bird so that I'm ready for the next opportunity. In this instance, I let them all walk. If the flock stays this big, I'll monitor and probably take another this fall.






























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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Great pics


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

retired dundo said:


> Great pics


Thanks  

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## cruzer (Feb 8, 2012)

Goog Job!!!


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## wpmisport (Feb 9, 2010)

I like the mirror in the yard trick to see what they may do with their reflection. Better than having them pick away at the bumper of the truck.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

wpmisport said:


> I like the mirror in the yard trick to see what they may do with their reflection. Better than having them pick away at the bumper of the truck.


So, the mirror was actually there because I didn't get it inside - accidental genius is all that i can take credit for. 

Funnily enough, my immediate thought was that this was karmic revenge for the turkeys that pecked up the side of one of the Range Rovers a couple of years ago. All black and fresh from the car wash so it had that mirror quality. That one required an insurance claim and an incredulous adjuster.  

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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

How close are you turkey hunting to the bird feeders?


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## rh2000 (4 mo ago)

Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Jerry Lamb said:


> How close are you turkey hunting to the bird feeders?


Different part of the property

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

rh2000 said:


> Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel


No ****. I clearly described it as such. 

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## rh2000 (4 mo ago)

Macs13 said:


> No ****. I clearly described it as such.
> 
> Sent from my SM-S908U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


No ****. You might not want to post pics with feeders. Just because you removed them for the hunt, they still were the draw to your yard.


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## Sharkbait11 (Apr 7, 2017)

Kinda renders the saying "cant shoot a turkey from the couch" a mute point lol...hey if its legal have at it I know I would


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## rh2000 (4 mo ago)

Sharkbait11 said:


> Kinda renders the saying "cant shoot a turkey from the couch" a mute point lol...hey if its legal have at it I know I would


Sorry, It's not legal. 

Can Canadians put a feeder out to attract game to your yard, remove it, then hunt the area?


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## Sharkbait11 (Apr 7, 2017)

rh2000 said:


> Sorry, It's not legal.
> 
> Can Canadians put a feeder out to attract game to your yard, remove it, then hunt the area?


I didn't say it was legal - I wouldn't know...I said if it was legal have at it. Over here you cant hunt turkey over bait, not sure how DNR would interpret that situation but I agree to proceed with caution and maybe dont post what could be interpreted as breaking the law. I know some purists would say thats not fair chase but again IF its legal, have at it.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

rh2000 said:


> No ****. You might not want to post pics with feeders. Just because you removed them for the hunt, they still were the draw to your yard.


You're conflating two different days nearly a week apart. Are you looking to argue? 

The pics of the birds in my yard are in the fenced backyard where my chickens are. That's also where my feeders are. 

1. There are no feeders anywhere near where I shot the hen.

2. If you follow some of the other pages such as the birding page, you'd learn that I've been birdwatching far longer than hunting. I don't have songbird feeders in order to attract the neighborhood turkeys. Lol.

3. Every yard in my part of suburbia has bird feeders. The turkey flock makes its way through all of the yards every day. Deer as well. 

If you're looking for an argument, you picked the wrong guy to **** with. 

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

rh2000 said:


> No ****. You might not want to post pics with feeders. Just because you removed them for the hunt, they still were the draw to your yard.


Call your game warden, bud. Maybe he can clarify it for you. 

1. The bird feeders has nothing to do with the day that I shot the hen a week before. Just look at the pic titles. They show the dates.

2. ACTUALLY, it is perfectly legal to bait EVERY DAY if you'd like, so long as there is no bait on the ground when you're hunting. I was given that lesson at the Lansing DNR HQ. Conditioning a game animal to come to an area every day is NOT illegal - hunting over bait is. Now, before you get all huffy, I'll clarify AGAIN that there are no feeders in the area of my property wherein I shot the hen unless you want to consider the mirror as bait. That would be a hilarious argument. Have at it. 

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## mcfish (Jan 24, 2010)

Suburban turkeys... serious bidness lol

"I only shoot turkeys that have responded to my homemade turkey bone call and shoot them with my homemade osage orange longbow. Anything else isn't fair chase!!!!"


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

I only asked because I don't want you to get a ticket.
Not b**l busting.
I used to hunt a spot that had a bird feeder in a yard 3 houses away.
We were checked, no feeders where we were. CO asked us if we had seen the feeders. We told him no, he said he could technically ticket us, as the ducks we were shooting were going to end up at the feeder sooner or later.


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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

mcfish said:


> Suburban turkeys... serious bidness lol
> 
> "I only shoot turkeys that have responded to my homemade turkey bone call and shoot them with my homemade osage orange longbow. Anything else isn't fair chase!!!!"


Right! If I lived on ag land, shooting a turkey out back would be a normal thing to do but since it's wandering through my suburban property that abuts the woods I should, I don't know, lie about it or act like I got it on different land to appease the Karens even though I'm perfectly legal to thin this predator-less flock?!

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## Macs13 (Apr 24, 2019)

Jerry Lamb said:


> I only asked because I don't want you to get a ticket.
> Not b**l busting.
> I used to hunt a spot that had a bird feeder in a yard 3 houses away.
> We were checked, no feeders where we were. CO asked us if we had seen the feeders. We told him no, he said he could technically ticket us, as the ducks we were shooting were going to end up at the feeder sooner or later.


That's like a cop telling you "I could tow your car for this busted tail light but because I'm a nice guy I'll let you off with a warning". They can do and say whatever they want in the field but it wouldn't have stood up in court had you been ticketed and fought it. 

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