“…and that, boys and girls, are how baby turkeys are made! Any questions?” 😬😳😁 An Eastern subspecies wild turkey hen lays on the ground with her wings slightly spread out on the ground, to show her acceptance of the dominant Tom’s advances, gobbles and strutting display. Her decision to mate with this dominant gobbler will pass his genes onto her poults, which will give them the best chance of being born strong and being dominant individuals themselves. As you will see in the first 4 photos, the Longbeard steps onto her back and starts doing a quick-footed little dance as he balances himself on the hen’s back, waiting for her signal. And that signal is for her to lift her closed tail feathers between his wing and body, to tell him she’s ready to mate, which raises her private part called a cloaca, which meets his cloaca as he lowers his tail feathers which are spread out in the photos 5-8. As you can see in these photos, he had to give it a little “Left English” to get everything to line up! He then steps off her back and departs, as she raises her tail skyward in photo 9. He then goes to full strut, which is when he will start gobbling again to try to attract another receptive hen, while she runs to her hidden ground nest to deposit an egg daily for the next couple weeks, as she mates daily. . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobbler #longbeards #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Tim was all smiles with his beautiful Merriam, Way to go Tim! #merriam #gobblerdown #turkeyhunting #turkey #shotgun #springgobblers #hunting #longbeard #spursfordays #limbhanger #strutter #turkeyphotooftheday #gobblengruntoutfitters
Like Father. Like Son. Getting ready to make the call during the Youth Turkey Season. . . . . . . . #firstturkey #youthhunt #youthseason #younghunter #firstturkeyday #youthhunter #youthhunters #hunting #redneck #hunt #realtree #whatgetsyououtdoors #huntingseason #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #turkeyhunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeard #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler
Yeee Haw!!! A trophy Gould’s sub-species Wild Turkey Gobbler copulates with a Gould’s turkey hen on the side of a creek bottom of a canyon in the Sky Islands in the Coronado National Forest in Southeast Arizona. As with any animal species, including humans, the female decides how long it will be before mating actually takes place, as she will make the Tom wait from a few seconds to a few minutes, while he dances on her back, before she decides to lift her tail and allow the act of breeding to take place. Watch the position of this hen’s tail after the third photo, which is the close-up, in this 8-photo sequence, to find out when she moves from “No” to “Yes”!!! . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #gobblegobble #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #gobblers #gobble #gouldsturkey #gouldsturkeyhunt #gouldsturkeyhuntdotcom #gouldsturkeyhunting #gouldsturkeyhunts
Drew settled up with this beautiful Merriam and came out on top. Congratulations #merriam #turkeyhunting #turkeycalling #gobblerdown #gobbler #strutter #struttin #limbhanger #jellyhead #spursfordays #longbeard #turkeyphotooftheday #gobblengruntoutfitters
Congratulations Tom on another successful turkey hunt. #gobbler #turkeyhunting #turkeycalling #turkeysfortomorrow #strutter #limbhanger #thunderchicken #spursfordays #turkeyphotooftheday #gobblengruntoutfitters
I don’t know what to say but I can say this, 5 brothers with 5 long beards in 5 days🦃 #blessed #turkey #gobble #gobblegobblebang #publicland #longbeards #brotherhood #hunt #thehuntingpublic #memories #maryland #hunting #spurs #spursfordays
An Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey Longbeard with a rope of a beard, gobbles while strutting in buttercup flowers in a horse pasture in the Southern U.S. Wild Turkeys love to advertise their wares to the local hens, hoping to attract them, by finding openings in the woods to strut in, and any kind of natural opening, either natural or man-made will work for them as long as they think hens will visit the opening to feed from. I have hunted and photographed in horse pastures, cow pastures, spots burned by lightning, bulldozed areas, food plots, farm road edges, hay fields, senderos, corn fields, meadows, and more different kinds of openings than I can even remember. What kinds of openings are your favorite places to hunt turkeys? Let me know in the comments below. . . . . . . #MakeEmflop #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan #turkeytuesday #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
“The King of Spring!” Those Rio’s don’t mind gobbling their heads off even from an open field of wildflowers, which makes them a lot of fun to hunt and photograph!!! At least this dominant bird would take a “strut-break” every once in a while! And would you look at that snood action going on?!?! Have you ever hunted the Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkey? If so, what state did you hunt them in? Let me know in the comments below. I actually got to photograph Rio subspecies Rio turkeys in California a couple of years ago! That was the second time photographing them in that state for me! . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan
“Rio Grande!” Since we’re only a couple weeks away from the opener of the South zone’s Spring Wild Turkey hunting season on March 16th here in South Texas, I’m going to add some Rio subspecies wild turkey photos in with the Osceola wild turkey photos that I’ve been posting for the last couple of weeks. Florida’s South zone wild turkey hunting season started last Saturday on March 2nd. Here’s a photo of mine of a Rio Grande subspecies wild turkey tom gobbling in Indian Blanket wildflowers in a Spring meadow in South Texas. One of the toughest photos to get is the peak of a wild turkey gobbling like you see in the above photo. Even tougher to get is when they’re closeup, like in this photo. As a photographer, I have to use faster shutter speeds to stop the gobble close-up, plus I have to anticipate where the gobbler’s head will be in the photo compared to where it is when he’s strutting a fraction of a second before. Plus, it’s really tough to keep the focus on the eye of the Turkey at full gobble, which is lighting fast! I hope you appreciate the difficulty in getting the photo above, and what goes into it. Please let me know what you think of it, good, bad or otherwise. . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #riograndeturkey #texaslongbeard #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan #turkeytuesday #gobbling #gobblegobble
“Photo tip #363.” A backlit Osceola subspecies Wild Turkey Gobbler at full strut for a hen turkey crossing in front of him while she feeds. A lot of people have asked me how to back-light subjects, and it’s simply putting the sun behind your subject, and as the photographer, you photograph the shaded side of the subject that’s between you and the setting or rising sun. So simple, it’s surprising to most. But what sets great backlit photos apart from the normal, are three things. First is some subjects make better candidates for backlighting than others. The more transparent qualities a subject, or the surrounding terrain have, the better. This Longbeard strutting is a good candidate for backlighting due to his transparent tail feathers. The hen in front of him is not as exciting of a backlit subject as the strutting gobbler, though her hairy head looks cool backlit. Secondly, the closer the sun is to the horizon or tree tops behind your subject, the more golden the light will be as it sets. The third thing that makes backlit photos memorable is when the background behind your subject is in shadow, going black, and making the contrast between the backlit feathers glowing gold, and the dark or even black background contrasting between the two. This photo of mine looks great backlit with the glowing tail feathers and grass and weeds around the turkey, but what would have been even cooler if the dark tree line in the background had been closer to the turkey. . . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #springfever #longbeards #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #turkeyandturkeyhunting #treehanger #osceola #osceolaturkey #osceolawildturkey #floridawildturkey #floridawildturkeys #floridaosceola #floridaosceolaturkey #floridaosceolas #floridaosceolaturkeyhunting
“Hung up!” Don’t you just love it when a fully-flexing Strutter is coming in on a string to your calls and decoy, with his head looking like the American flag, and you just know you’re going to get a shot at him?? But just out of range he intercepts some real hens that look so much more lifelike than your dekes, and he just hangs out with them and eventually fades off with his new girlfriends to never be seen again. At least not on that day. Well, that’s what happened to me in South Florida as this trophy Osceola Tom did just that with some blue-headed dream-wreckers. Instead of a shotgun, I had a Canon camera and telephoto lens in my hands, but it still got my goat just the same, as I was hoping for closeups of him dancing around in my decoys instead of with those living, breathing gals he ran into “way out yonder”. Oh well, that’s Turkey hunting/photography, and whether you’re holding a gun, bow or camera, you still got to see the show, though at a distance, and the hunt will continue when you finally find the right long beard that gets into range and is ready for his close-up! And as we all know, it’s all about the process (I.e. the hunt) and not about the kill or cover shot. But you always wish you could have sealed the deal today, but that just gives you a reason to keep chasing the greatest game bird in the world, another day! And there’s nothing wrong with that in my book! 😁 . . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #turkeyandturkeyhunting #osceola #osceolaturkey #osceolawildturkey #floridawildturkey #floridawildturkeys #floridaosceola #floridaosceolaturkey #floridaosceolas #floridaosceolaturkeyhunting
Counting down the days…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #countdown #cantstoptheflop #turkey #turkeyhunting #turkeyseason #spring #beard #spursfordays #spurs #hunt #hunting #archery #archerylife #mathewsinc #mathewsarchery #ironwilloutfitters #aaearcheryproducts #altraarrows
Bootsie, my gentle giant of a Mystic Maran rooster. Best roo we've ever had. #fancyfarmer #lifeouthere #chickensofinstagram #rooster #mysticmaran #maran #spurs #spursfordays
“Beard!” How ‘bout that big ‘ol swinging rope on this big old Eastern? 💥 I’ve been showing daily wild turkey photos on here since February 14th of this year, starting with some of my Florida Osceola wild turkey photos. Well, I’ve been fighting with myself since the end of May, when most wild turkey seasons have come to a close, thinking of when I should stop showing my Spring wild turkey photos for the year. At first, I thought I’d keep feeding your’s and my wild turkey photo addiction through the end of May. Then I kept going with a daily Gobbler photo through June, but I just couldn’t shut them off, since I had so many great Turkey images I wanted to show you. So, I kept going through July, and now that we’re here at the end of July, I feel peace within my soul 😉 that it’s finally time to quit showing Spring Turkey photos, and move on to other things more appropriate for the time of year we’re in now. So, this will be my last Spring wild Turkey photo I’m going to share with you all in 2023, but I do have some Fall Turkey photos I’ll share with you at the appropriate time. But don’t worry, I’ll be showing you a bunch of wild turkey photos in the Spring of 2024, probably starting in February again. So keep an eye out for those. But let me ask you a final Spring turkey related question. When did your Spring turkey season end in your state or province? Let me know in the comments below. And thank you for all the Likes, Comments, and Saves, and also for all the Shares you’ve done on your page and your Stories, of my posts. Here’s to the upcoming end of Summer, and growing velvet antlers. Then the progression of hard-antler through the rut and winter, through next year. . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring #turkeyhunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #spurs #flydown #nwtf #gobblegobble #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #texaslongbeard #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
A big-bodied Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey, in Michigan, looks over his back trail for danger, and then in every other direction with his periscoped-up “Danger Detection System” which houses some of the strongest eyes and ears in nature. Since everything wants to eat a turkey from the day they’re laid in the nest as an egg, until their last day on earth, a Wild Turkey can be one of the wariest, most paranoid critters in the woods. And with much better vision and hearing than a human’s, a Wild Turkey is very hard to find, when they don’t want to be found! Who can attest to that fact? 🙋🏻♂️ . . . . . . #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Strut! Gobble, Gobble! Strut! And repeat! All day long!! 💥 8-shot motor-drive swipe sequence of an entire Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey gobble!! 💥 . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #limbhanger #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter
“Not gobbling to gobbling!” There’s no better sound to a turkey hunter’s ears than a mature Longbeard gobbling his head off all on his own, while advertising that he’s looking for a new girlfriend!! Check out this 3-shot swipe sequence of this gobbler Before and After Gobble! . . . . . . #MakeEmflop #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan
You ever see a Wild Turkey Gobbler eat a big, long, juicy earthworm? Neither had I until I saw this guy do it in front of my camera over and over in Michigan. Here are the 9-photo swipe motor-drive sequence I took for you to enjoy, without having to drive 2,000 miles to see it. The only shots without a worm visible are the first and last shots. Zoom in to see all the gooshy detail. And let me know if you’ve ever seen a turkey eat an earthworm out in the Wild. 🙂 . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Sometimes Gobblers don’t jump in the air and beat their opponent senseless on the way down with sharp spurs and hard wing bones, as they usually do, at least to start out the fight. Sometimes they peck, and peck and peck the eye’s, face, and head of their rival, and can bloody each other’s face, or even blind each other. They will simultaneously push their rival around with their chest and they will spin around each other like dancers on a dance floor. You can see this happening with this Longbeard Merriam’s that is pecking the head of a supposedly subordinate Jake @davesmithdecoys I set up right over a Submissive Hen decoy in the breeding position. This Longbeard kept pushing the Jake decoy around for over a half hour on the fiberglass stake I made so the Gobbler wouldn’t bend the Jake decoy over into the dirt on the first push or two, as used to happen with the metal ones that come with the decoys. If you look close, in the photos of the gobbler pecking the head of the Jake decoy, you will see that the offending Gobblers eye appears to be gray or silverfish in color. This isn’t the Turkey’s eye turning color for a split second, but it’s a “nictitating membrane” that is a thin piece of nearly clear, silverish-colored skin, that protects the eye of the Turkey every time he pecks at something, whether that’s food or an opponents head!! House cats, sharks, alligators and many other sorts of animals were equipped by God with these built-in safety glasses!! Can you see it in my photos here? Can you say “Nictitating Membrane”?? Yeah, me either! 😅 . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring l #turkeyhunting #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #longbeard #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #merriamturkey #merriamsturkey #merriam #merriams #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler
The good old Red, White and Blue on America’s favorite Gamebird! Happy 4th of July to you and your family, from Lance Krueger Photography! I am fortunate to live in the greatest country on earth, and I am so proud to be an American!!! 🇺🇸 P.S. I am SO GLAD, it wasn’t chosen as the national bird of the USA, as it would have the protected status of the bald eagle, and we wouldn’t be able to hunt it!! . . . #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #texaslongbeard #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
I remember my Dad telling me back in the early ‘80’s that the limiting factor on the length of a Gobbler’s beard was the wear and tear it gets while the Tom is feeding. He said that as a Longbeard feeds along, the tip of the beard drags along on the ground wearing it off, and even the Turkey’s feet will break off the brittle ends as he steps on the end of his own beard. What say you about this? Was my Dad right, or was he passing on an old wive’s tale? I’ve seen lots of Longbeards with long beards dragging the ground while they fed, and it appears to me like they are about as long as the beard touches the ground. But this is just my observations in the field, which seem to back up what my Dad told me 30+ years ago. Give me your thoughts, opinions and even facts on this if you have them, in the comments below. . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #texaslongbeard #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #riograndeturkey #gobblers #gobble #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
#spursfordays #moringcrows #rooster
Our friend Will con a beautiful late season strutter #ocellated gobbler with his .410 single shot called in to 10 yds! . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingyucatan #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
Matt shot a Limb Hanger in Nebraska, Congratulations! #limbhanger #spursfordays #longbeard #turkeyhunting #nwtf #strutter #instadaily #instalike #cantstoptheflop #shootemintheface #jellyhead #gobblengruntoutfitters
“...and that, boys and girls, are how baby turkeys are made! Any questions?” 😬😳😁 An Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey Hen lays on the ground with her wings slightly spread out on the ground, to show her acceptance of the dominant Tom’s advances, gobbles and strutting display. Her decision to mate with this dominant Gobbler will pass his genes onto her poults, which will give them the best chance of being born strong and being dominant individuals themselves. As you will see in the first 4 photos, the Longbeard steps onto her back and starts doing a quick-footed little dance as he balances himself on the hen’s back, waiting for her signal. And that signal is for her to lift her closed tail feathers between his wing and body, to tell him she’s ready to mate, which raises her private part called a cloaca, which meets his cloaca as he lowers his tail feathers which are spread out in the photos 5-8. As you can see in these photos, he had to give it a little “Left English” to get everything to line up! He then steps off her back and departs, as she raises her tail skyward in photo 9. He then goes to full strut, which is when he will start gobbling again to try to attract another receptive hen, while she runs to her hidden ground nest to deposit an egg daily for the next couple weeks, as she mates daily. #happyhumpday . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobbler #longbeards #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Like Father. Like Son. Getting ready to make the call during the Youth Turkey Season. . . . . . . . #firstturkey #youthhunt #youthseason #younghunter #firstturkeyday #youthhunter #youthhunters #hunting #redneck #hunt #realtree #whatgetsyououtdoors #huntingseason #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #turkeyhunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeard #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler
Yeee Haw!!! A trophy Gould’s sub-species Wild Turkey Gobbler copulates with a Gould’s turkey hen on the side of a creek bottom of a canyon in the Sky Islands in the Coronado National Forest in Southeast Arizona. As with any animal species, including humans, the female decides how long it will be before mating actually takes place, as she will make the Tom wait from a few seconds to a few minutes, while he dances on her back, before she decides to lift her tail and allow the act of breeding to take place. Watch the position of this hen’s tail after the third photo, which is the close-up, in this 8-photo sequence, to find out when she moves from “No” to “Yes”!!! . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #gobblegobble #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #gobblers #gobble #gouldsturkey #gouldsturkeyhunt #gouldsturkeyhuntdotcom #gouldsturkeyhunting #gouldsturkeyhunts
Shawn with his 2nd #ocellated gobbler of the trip. These guys shot 4 huge toms in just 3 days of hunting. This is THE best #ocellatedturkey hunting experience there is, calling in trophy turkeys in exclusive private ranches with resort accomodations only minutes from the beach, ancient pyramids, cenotes and world class dining. . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingyucatan #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
Bill and Shawn doubled up on their second #ocellated gobblers with another two amazing birds, guys what a hunt CONGRATULATIONS!!! . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingyucatan #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
Bill got this outstanding #ocellated gobbler too with guide @gazztone going 2 for 2 in just 2 days of hunting. All our birds are hunted the proper way calling them in to range!! . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingyucatan #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
Master guide @gazztone does its magic and Shawn is on board with another magnificent #ocellated gobbler from the Yucatan farmlands just under an hour's drive from the airport, which is turning out to be a favorite hunt for our clients this year. Monster birds, phenomenal accommodations with air conditioning and swimming pool just 30min from the beach, all within an hour from world class restaurants in town to go out for dinner... what else could you ask for? . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingyucatan #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
Good friend and repeat client @spano.jim with yet another great #ocellated gobbler from the Yucatan! . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
What a hunt and what a bird for my friend Kevin from Georgia. We set up at 8am this morning and saw him at least 4 times out of range walking around us. We repositioned the blind in thicker cover and stayed at it for over 8 hours calling without an answer, then at around 4pm he finally called back and then it was game on... got him within 20 yds and Kevin smoked his ass!! A hunt neither of us will ever forget and the hardest turkey hunt I've done, as the temperature inside the blind was easily over 110°F and we didn't had any food as we thought it would be an easy in and out hunt lol . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #bonecollector #luckyhat #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
What say you?? Vote A if you love Big Bucks. Or B if it’s all about those Gobbling Longbeards. Or C for both! . . . . . . . . #deer #buck #antlers #whitetail #whitetaildeer #bigbucks #bigbuck #whitetails #buckfever #whitetailbuck #deerlife #TurkeyHunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #longbeards #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken
@todd.chapman is on the board with a HUGE #ocellated gobbler in the Yucatan after changing areas. A big storm hit our jungle camp a couple days ago making hunting condition really hard, so we decided to move and boy it payed off! Congratulations 👏🏼 🦃⚔️🇲🇽 . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters
Another GIANT true jungle king called in on proper #turkeyhunting fashion! No shooting off the roost with us boys, that's for those who just want to kill a bird instead of giving a #onceinalifetime hunting experience. Our client from Eastern Europe getting it done with us CONGRATS 👏🏼 . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
An Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey Longbeard with a rope of a beard, gobbles while strutting in buttercup flowers in a horse pasture in the Southern U.S. Wild Turkeys love to advertise their wares to the local hens, hoping to attract them, by finding openings in the woods to strut in, and any kind of natural opening, either natural or man-made will work for them as long as they think hens will visit the opening to feed from. I have hunted and photographed in horse pastures, cow pastures, spots burned by lightning, bulldozed areas, food plots, farm road edges, hay fields, senderos, corn fields, meadows, and more different kinds of openings than I can even remember. What kinds of openings are your favorite places to hunt turkeys? Let me know in the comments below. . . . . . . #MakeEmflop #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan #turkeytuesday #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Huge #ocellatedturkey gobbler called in within range this morning for my amigo @scottwesleywalker look at them spurs!! 👀🦃⚔️ . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #monstergobbler #spursfordays #turkeycalling #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
When you follow your passion in life and decide to make a living out of it is certainly not easy but it will definitely takes you to the right place. Can't believe I watched all of this guy's shows and DVDs and now we are hunting turkeys together at my outfit in Mexico. Mike @officialbonecollector you're the man, congratulations on an awesome hunt and a big ol' first ocellated gobbler. Hope this is only the first of many... Can't Stop The Flop Baby!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . #turkeyhunting #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #daggers #spursfordays #monstergobbler #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #cantstoptheflop #bonecollector #outdoorchannel #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters #jacklinkjerky
Very few times we get to see turkeys like this one... a very special bird indeed but an even better hunting experience by calling him in for over 2 hours in the thickness of the Mayan jungle. Congrats Bubba @bubbalindley on a bird of a lifetime and welcome to the 2inch club baby! They don't get any better than these ⚔️ . . . . . . . . . #turkeyhunting #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #cantstoptheflop #bonecollector #monstergobbler #2inchclub #spursfordays #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters #peninsulahunters
“The King of Spring!” Those Rio’s don’t mind gobbling their heads off even from an open field of wildflowers, which makes them a lot of fun to hunt and photograph!!! At least this dominant bird would take a “strut-break” every once in a while! And would you look at that snood action going on?!?! Have you ever hunted the Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkey? If so, what state did you hunt them in? Let me know in the comments below. I actually got to photograph Rio subspecies Rio turkeys in California back in March! That was the second time photographing them in that state for me! . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan
“Photo tip #363.” A backlit Osceola subspecies Wild Turkey Gobbler at full strut for a hen turkey crossing in front of him while she feeds. A lot of people have asked me how to back-light subjects, and it’s simply putting the sun behind your subject, and as the photographer, you photograph the shaded side of the subject that’s between you and the setting or rising sun. So simple, it’s surprising to most. But what sets great backlit photos apart from the normal, are three things. First is some subjects make better candidates for backlighting than others. The more transparent qualities a subject, or the surrounding terrain have, the better. This Longbeard strutting is a good candidate for backlighting due to his transparent tail feathers. The hen in front of him is not as exciting of a backlit subject as the strutting gobbler, though her hairy head looks cool backlit. Secondly, the closer the sun is to the horizon or tree tops behind your subject, the more golden the light will be as it sets. The third thing that makes backlit photos memorable is when the background behind your subject is in shadow, going black, and making the contrast between the backlit feathers glowing gold, and the dark or even black background contrasting between the two. This photo of mine looks great backlit with the glowing tail feathers and grass and weeds around the turkey, but what would have been even cooler if the dark tree line in the background had been closer to the turkey. . . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #springfever #longbeards #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #turkeyandturkeyhunting #treehanger #osceola #osceolaturkey #osceolawildturkey #floridawildturkey #floridawildturkeys #floridaosceola #floridaosceolaturkey #floridaosceolas #floridaosceolaturkeyhunting
“Hung up!” Don’t you just love it when a fully-flexing Strutter is coming in on a string to your calls and decoy, with his head looking like the American flag, and you just know you’re going to get a shot at him?? But just out of range he intercepts some real hens that look so much more lifelike than your dekes, and he just hangs out with them and eventually fades off with his new girlfriends to never be seen again. At least not on that day. Well, that’s what happened to me in South Florida as this trophy Osceola Tom did just that with some blue-headed dream -wreckers. Instead of a shotgun, I had a Canon camera and telephoto lens in my hands, but it still got my goat just the same, as I was hoping for closeups of him dancing around in my decoys instead of with those living, breathing gals he ran into “way out yonder”. Oh well, that’s Turkey hunting/photography, and whether you’re holding a gun, bow or camera, you still got to see the show, though at a distance, and the hunt will continue when you finally find the right long beard that gets into range and is ready for his close-up! And as we all know, it’s all about the process (I.e. the hunt) and not about the kill or cover shot. But you always wish you could have sealed the deal today, but that just gives you a reason to keep chasing the greatest game bird in the world, another day! And there’s nothing wrong with that in my book! 😁 . . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #turkeyandturkeyhunting #osceola #osceolaturkey #osceolawildturkey #floridawildturkey #floridawildturkeys #floridaosceola #floridaosceolaturkey #floridaosceolas #floridaosceolaturkeyhunting
Turkeys in my backyard 🦃🦃🦃 Shhh I think they are keeping a low profile until after Thanksgiving 🦃🦃🦃 #wildturkey #wildturkeys #wildturkeysofinstagram #stopandwatchthebirds #utahlife #turkeyrevolution #utahturkeys #birdsofinstagram #gobbler #spursfordays #gobblegobble #gobble #gobbler #fullstrut #hottotrot #instautah #turkeystagram #wildlifephotography #naturebirdshots #shootwithacamera
Some monster spurs from this last season in the jungle. Getting a true 2incher doesn't come easy, although lots of outfitters call 1¾" as 2" cuz they're not measured properly. All deep jungle birds, no crop fields, hunted by calling in their real habitat in true turkey hunting fashion! . . . . . . . . . . . . . #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #jungleturkey #gobbler #gobblegobble #turkeyhunter #turkeyhunt #monsterturkey #spurs #spursfordays #spurgauge #spursnation #birdhunting #nwtf #cwtf #turkeyworldslam #worldturkeyslam #turkeyslayer #turkeyslam #officialnwtf #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #mexcanoutfitters
A big-bodied Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey, in Michigan, looks over his back trail for danger, and then in every other direction with his periscoped-up “Danger Detection System” which houses some of the strongest eyes and ears in nature. Since everything wants to eat a turkey from the day they’re laid in the nest as an egg, until their last day on earth, a Wild Turkey can be one of the wariest, most paranoid critters in the woods. And with much better vision and hearing than a human’s, a Wild Turkey is very hard to find, when they don’t want to be found! Who can attest to that fact? 🙋🏻♂️ . . . . . . #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Strut! Gobble, Gobble! Strut! And repeat! All day long!! 💥 8-shot motor-drive swipe sequence of an entire Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey gobble!! 💥 . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #limbhanger #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter
Watch out. #cluckoffanddie #spursfordays #peckdrive
“Not gobbling to gobbling!” There’s no better sound to a turkey hunter’s ears than a mature Longbeard gobbling his head off all on his own, while advertising that he’s looking for a new girlfriend!! Check out this 3-shot swipe sequence of this gobbler Before and After Gobble! . . . . . . #MakeEmflop #gobblegobble #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan
You ever see a Wild Turkey Gobbler eat a big, long, juicy earthworm? Neither had I until I saw this guy do it in front of my camera over and over in Michigan. Here are the 9-photo swipe motor-drive sequence I took for you to enjoy, without having to drive 2,000 miles to see it. The only shots without a worm visible are the first and last shots. Zoom in to see all the gooshy detail. And let me know if you’ve ever seen a turkey eat an earthworm out in the Wild. 🙂 . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Sometimes Gobblers don’t jump in the air and beat their opponent senseless on the way down with sharp spurs and hard wing bones, as they usually do, at least to start out the fight. Sometimes they peck, and peck and peck the eye’s, face, and head of their rival, and can bloody each other’s face, or even blind each other. They will simultaneously push their rival around with their chest and they will spin around each other like dancers on a dance floor. You can see this happening with this Longbeard Merriam’s that is pecking the head of a supposedly subordinate Jake @davesmithdecoys I set up right over a Submissive Hen decoy in the breeding position. This Longbeard kept pushing the Jake decoy around for over a half hour on the fiberglass stake I made so the Gobbler wouldn’t bend the Jake decoy over into the dirt on the first push or two, as used to happen with the metal ones that come with the decoys. If you look close, in the photos of the gobbler pecking the head of the Jake decoy, you will see that the offending Gobblers eye appears to be gray or silverfish in color. This isn’t the Turkey’s eye turning color for a split second, but it’s a “nictitating membrane” that is a thin piece of nearly clear, silverish-colored skin, that protects the eye of the Turkey every time he pecks at something, whether that’s food or an opponents head!! House cats, sharks, alligators and many other sorts of animals were equipped by God with these built-in safety glasses!! Can you see it in my photos here? Can you say “Nictitating Membrane”?? Yeah, me either! 😅 . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring l #turkeyhunting #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #longbeard #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #merriamturkey #merriamsturkey #merriam #merriams #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler
The good old Red, White and Blue on America’s favorite Gamebird! Happy 4th of July to you and your family, from Lance Krueger Photography! I am fortunate to live in the greatest country on earth, and I am so proud to be an American!!! 🇺🇸 . . . #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #texaslongbeard #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
I remember my Dad telling me back in the early ‘80’s that the limiting factor on the length of a Gobbler’s beard was the wear and tear it gets while the Tom is feeding. He said that as a Longbeard feeds along, the tip of the beard drags along on the ground wearing it off, and even the Turkey’s feet will break off the brittle ends as he steps on the end of his own beard. What say you about this? Was my Dad right, or was he passing on an old wive’s tale? I’ve seen lots of Longbeards with long beards dragging the ground while they fed, and it appears to me like they are about as long as the beard touches the ground. But this is just my observations in the field, which seem to back up what my Dad told me 30+ years ago. Give me your thoughts, opinions and even facts on this if you have them, in the comments below. . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #WhereYouAtSpring #turkey2021 #turkeyhunting2021 #gobbler #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #texaslongbeard #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #riograndeturkey #gobblers #gobble #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
“The Unicorn Wild Turkey Gobbler” Back in the early 1990's, I turkey hunted with an incredibly proficient Turkey Hunter named Jack Smith, who was on the pro-staff for Knight & Hale Game Calls. He and I hunted on the 102,000 acre, active Army base, Fort Campbell, on the Western Kentucky/Tennessee state lines. He had told me about the mythical all-white colored Wild Turkeys (which I believe now is the “smoke” color phase, or an albino Wild Turkey) that were as rare as Wild Turkey Hen's teeth on the many acres of Fort Campbell, because so many people targeted them. He said he'd only seen one in all the years he's hunted this turkey-rich public hunting ground. Well, wouldn't you know it, within the first couple of hours we hunted together, as we were walking from one spot to the other to try to locate a receptive gobbler, one of the rare, white Wild Turkey Longbeards walked across the dirt road we were walking on, about 60 yards ahead of us. Jack temporarily lost his mind, and took a quick off-hand shot with his Benelli shotgun at the white Gobbler, and never cut a feather. Ever since this first encounter, I had never seen another color-phase of Wild Turkey since that early-90's encounter, until a few years ago. In central Tennessee back a few years ago, I called in the strange-colored wild turkey gobbler, you see above, and photographed him middle of the day under extremely thick foliage in a hardwood forest. He was with and acted exactly the same as other normally colored Eastern subspecies Wild Turkeys, and gobbled and strutted just like the other normally colored toms in the area. But, I didn't know at the time exactly what I was looking at. I didn't know if he was a color-phase of wild turkey, or if he was a domesticated turkey that had gone feral. After doing some research, I now know that since all domesticated varieties of turkeys come from Wild Turkeys, this long beard you see in the photo above is actually a Erythristic Red Color Phase Wild Turkey. There are four color-phases of wild turkeys. Some are Erythristic (red phase), Melanistic (black phase), True albinos (white with pink eyes) and Smoke Phase. (Continued in the first comment below):
“...and that, boys and girls, are how baby turkeys are made! Any questions?” 😬😳😁 An Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey Hen lays on the ground with her wings slightly spread out on the ground, to show her acceptance of the dominant Tom’s advances, gobbles and strutting display. Her decision to mate with this dominant Gobbler will pass his genes onto her poults, which will give them the best chance of being born strong and being dominant individuals themselves. As you will see in the first 4 photos, the Longbeard steps onto her back and starts doing a quick-footed little dance as he balances himself on the hen’s back, waiting for her signal. And that signal is for her to lift her closed tail feathers between his wing and body, to tell him she’s ready to mate, which raises her private part called a cloaca, which meets his cloaca as he lowers his tail feathers which are spread out in the photos 5-8. As you can see in these photos, he had to give it a little “Left English” to get everything to line up! He then steps off her back and departs, as she raises her tail skyward in photo 9. He then goes to full strut, which is when he will start gobbling again to try to attract another receptive hen, while she runs to her hidden ground nest to deposit an egg daily for the next couple weeks, as she mates daily. #happyhumpday . . . . . . #TurkeyHunting #gobbler #longbeards #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Had a GREAT time in Mexico. We Fulfilled one of my wife’s bucket list hunts. And I didn’t do bad myself. Ocellated turkey, Guan, Female and Male curasow #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #spursfordays #daggers #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #tankaboutfitters #turkeyhunting #junglefowl #greatcurasow #crestedguan
No words for this ol'dinosaur of a bird... he's huge bodied, has monster 2⅛ inch daggers and a messed up fan probably from old age and fighting. And well earned as well, real hunt deep in the jungle, scouting and blind calling for 4 days to finally get him but today it all came together and @tinajohnson1016 made it count! #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #2inchclub #spursfordays #spurgauge #daggers #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #tankaboutfitters
Vote A if you love Big Bucks. Or B if it’s all about those Gobbling Longbeards. Or C for both! . . . . . . . . #deer #buck #antlers #whitetail #whitetaildeer #bigbucks #bigbuck #whitetails #buckfever #whitetailbuck #deerlife #TurkeyHunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #longbeards #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken
Another stud turkey this week! @gazztone has been on fire calling in this strutting birds within range for our hunters. Now it was @_markjohnson1 turn and he made it count... WOW what a bird check them ivory white #daggers out 🤯 #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #2inchclub #spursfordays #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #tankaboutfitters #nomadhuntinggear #mossyoakbottomland
An Eastern subspecies Wild Turkey Longbeard with a rope of a beard, gobbles while strutting in buttercup flowers in a horse pasture in the Southern U.S. Wild Turkeys love to advertise their wares to the local hens, hoping to attract them, by finding openings in the woods to strut in, and any kind of natural opening, either natural or man-made will work for them as long as they think hens will visit the opening to feed from. I have hunted and photographed in horse pastures, cow pastures, spots burned by lightning, bulldozed areas, food plots, farm road edges, hay fields, senderos, corn fields, meadows, and more different kinds of openings than I can even remember. What kinds of openings are your favorite places to hunt turkeys? Let me know in the comments below. . . . . . . #MakeEmflop #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #flydown #nwtf #nwtfmember #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan #turkeytuesday #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Oh boy look at this bird, a true giant and old warrior of the deep jungles! The action just keep getting better calling fired up birds in within range in true turkey hunting fashion and the proper way to bag a bird if this quality. Congratulations to @cpankiw1 for a bird of a lifetime and @waterfowl_taxidermy for trusting us with his business. #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #2inchclub #spursfordays #daggers #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #tankaboutfitters
Lets talk about them Spurs #cantstoptheflop2022 #spurs #spursfordays #longbeard #turkeyhunting #turkey #whatgetsyououtdoors #outdoors #michigan #sickforit #eastern #thunderchicken #openingweekend
Monster Bird Alert!!! Biggest gobbler of the season yet, called in early morning in true turkey hunting fashion, no blind, no decoy, no feed in the ground... just call in hand, good camo and great technique 👌🏼 #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #2inchclub #spursfordays #daggers #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #tankaboutfitters
Turkey Tuesday with our biggest ocellated ever. This stud jungle monsta roosta had over 2inch spurs and was hunted on a waterhole deep in the mayan jungles. Congrats to our amigo Kevin for a once-in-a-lifetime trophy bird! #ocellatedturkey #ocellatedturkeyhunting #turkeytuesday #turkeyhunting #nwtf #cwtf #worldturkeyslam #monsterbird #2inchclub #spursfordays #huntingmexico #huntingcampeche #huntingthejungle #huntwiththebest #tankaboutfitters
“Thunder Chicken ⚡️ 🐓!!!Those Rio’s don’t mind gobbling their heads off even from an open field of wildflower’s, which makes them a lot of fun to hunt and photograph!!! At least this dominant bird would take a “strut-break” every once in a while! And would you look at that snood action going on?!?! Have you ever hunted the Rio Grande subspecies of wild turkey? If so, what state did you hunt them in? Let me know in the comments below. I actually got to photograph Rio subspecies Rio turkeys in California back in March! That was a first time photographing them in that state for me! . . . . . . #gobblegobble #gobbler #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #longbeard #bossgobbler #FullStrut #strutter #struttin #tailfan
Thunder Chicken on a string!” How many of you turkey hunters have had this happen? Or how many of you wish this would happen at least once in your life? 🥰 Follow @hunting_wild_girls_pro for more daily content . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #turkeyhunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #spurs #gobblegobble #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
“Gobbling and coming in on a string!” Don’t you just love it when it happens like this?!? Doesn’t happen enough in my book, but because it’s rare, that’s what makes the good times that much better!! Love me a “Thunder Chicken on a string!” How many of you turkey hunters have had this happen? Or how many of you wish this would happen at least once in your life? 😁 . . . . . . #MakeEmFlop #TurkeyHunting #turkeyhunting #gobblegobble #gobbler #mossyoak #springfever #longbeards #spurs #gobblegobble #spurs #hooks #limbhanger #longbeard #oltom #hookhungry #wildturkeys #kingsofthespring #springturkey #tomturkey #spursfordays #thunderchicken #easternturkey #easternwildturkey #easternturkeys
Repost from @hightimberdreams • Happy Sunday everyone. Watched a group of 5 keep their distance from the 2 big boys for an hour, then the hens walked by and the 5 came running to fight. Amazing way to start the day!!! 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 ***REMEMBER TO GO GET SIGNED UP ON OUR WEBSITE hightimberdreams.com FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE ON OPENING WEEKEND AND HAVE A CHANCE EACH DAY AND GET AN EPIC GEAR BAG. #turkeys #turkeyseason #turkeyhunt #turkeyhunter #turkeyhunting #tomturkey #fullstrut #strutter #jellyhead #thunderchicken #thunderchickens #wildturkeys #gobblers #kingofthespring #spursfordays #bossgobbler #nwtf #gobbler #gobblegobble #hunt #hunting
Fight Club . . @hightimberdreams Happy Sunday everyone. Watched a group of 5 keep their distance from the 2 big boys for an hour, then the hens walked by and the 5 came running to fight. Amazing way to start the day!!! 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 ***REMEMBER TO GO GET SIGNED UP ON OUR WEBSITE hightimberdreams.com FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE ON OPENING WEEKEND AND HAVE A CHANCE EACH DAY AND GET AN EPIC GEAR BAG. #turkeys #turkeyseason #turkeyhunt #turkeyhunter #turkeyhunting #tomturkey #fullstrut #strutter #jellyhead #thunderchicken #thunderchickens #wildturkeys #gobblers #kingofthespring #spursfordays #bossgobbler #nwtf #gobbler #gobblegobble #hunt #hunting
Happy Sunday everyone. Watched a group of 5 keep their distance from the 2 big boys for an hour, then the hens walked by and the 5 came running to fight. Amazing way to start the day!!! 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃 ***REMEMBER TO GO GET SIGNED UP ON OUR WEBSITE hightimberdreams.com FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE ON OPENING WEEKEND AND HAVE A CHANCE EACH DAY AND GET AN EPIC GEAR BAG. #turkeys #turkeyseason #turkeyhunt #turkeyhunter #turkeyhunting #tomturkey #fullstrut #strutter #jellyhead #thunderchicken #thunderchickens #wildturkeys #gobblers #kingofthespring #spursfordays #bossgobbler #nwtf #gobbler #gobblegobble #hunt #hunting
“Fall call in the Spring!” An Osceola Wild Turkey Longbeard gobbles at my little “Kee-kee run” whistle that I make with my mouth. Without this little work-around call, I would get far fewer gobbling photos. Here’s why. Early on in my obsession with photographing and eventually hunting the wild turkeys, I found out an unfortunate fact. That is, that I could not use a mouth diaphragm turkey call because of my life-long problem of being born with an abnormally sensitive gag-response, which would make me throw-up 🤢 unless I got it out of the roof of my mouth, pronto!! It is so bad, I nearly throw-up 🤮 every morning while brushing my teeth, tongue and roof of my mouth!! Even to this day, at 51 years old!! So my only options for calling in turkeys is to use friction calls such as “pot and peg” (I.e. slate-type) calls and box calls. And I have used these two styles of calls successfully over the past 30 years to call in hundreds of long-bearded gobblers. But holding friction calls in your hands while simultaneously trying to get photos of turkeys gobbling to that call is impossible to do, so I had a hard time getting photos of close-range toms. Since mouth diaphragm calls were out for me, I finally came up with this little “Kee-kee run” call I could make with my mouth, which is basically me whistling at them in a “kee-kee run” cadence. When I make that little call while I have my camera and telephoto lens up to my eye as I train it on the incoming or strutting gobbler, I am able to photograph him gobbling his head off, believe it or not! Sometimes it gets them to poke that head of theirs way up high, like this guy did at the end of this sequence. And what still surprises me to this day, even after I had that first turkey gobble at it 30 years ago, is that this is considered a call that Jake turkeys make during the Fall, and not considered a call to use in the Spring. So, I have no idea why it works, but it works INCREDIBLY WELL to get a Tom to gobble if the turkey is within 30 yards or so. Which is perfect turkey photo range for me, and in my book this seldom used call is absolute gold to me! 😀