hoyt19

Saw several groups of birds last Saturday, and Sunday out in the fields. I thought I had cut a couple toms off Saturday before they got to the field, but they beat me up the ridge. The bird I got on Monday came strutting along a field edge after I called him out of a creek bottom thats between a couple of fields!

In one weeks time, covering the first two turkey seasons, I punched these gobblers in the face using the HEVI-shot turkey choke, and the 3.5 in Mag Blend. With this combo, I am getting patterns at 50 yards, that look like 30 yard patterns from my previous set up. Inside 20 yards, I destroy the target. Bird one was shot at 6:50am, Monday the 11th at 30 yards. It weighed 26.5 lbs, had a 10.25in beard and 1.25 in spurs. Bird two was shot at 11:50am, also on the 11th at 40 yards. It weighed 22lbs, had a 9in beard and 1in spurs. Bird three was killed at 11am Monday,the 18th at 23 yards. It weighed 20 lbs, 9.5in beard and had 3/4in spurs. This has been by far the best turkey season I have ever had. You truly can’t put a price on performance. You can’t beat the feeling of knowing when your shotgun barks, the turkey has gobbled for his last time. And to top it all off before my second season started I was able to call in a jake for my training officer. He made a great shot, and got his first bird!!

I picked up the 3.5in Mag blend, and the Hevi 13 choke yesterday for my Moss. 535. Simply awesome is the only way I can explain the performance. 29 hits in the brain and spine at 40 yards, and 20 at 50 yards.....WOW:gun2:

Didnt buy it. I was told the gun was "new" but there was no box to go with it, and it was bought from a dealer. No rings or base to go with it. The whole thing seemed odd to me. Hopefully I will find something else

My local gun store has one of these is LH, which of course I am. Price is $525. Looks to be in LNIB condition. The dealer doesnt have a box or rings, but there are bases on the gun. It does appear to have been fired. Does this sound like a good price?

My Encore won. Shot was 154yards. TC .50cal 250grain shockwave with 3 pellets topped with a Nikon ProStaff 3x9x40. She appears to have been extremely well fed.

I live and hunt in Jo Daviess County.

I found one this Sunday. NW IL here. Lost about 95 percent of our snow cover in the last few days. I will be out this weekend looking.

I noticed this is a little late, being as your season is closed already but it might help. If you aren't hunting with a dog, do your best to mark the spot the rooster falls after your shot- hit or miss. If you connect with the rooster, they arent always dead when they hit the ground, and will hole up if possible. Thats when you really need a dog. Also a dead bird can still be hard to spot on the ground in thick cover. If you happen to miss, you can always get a good idea of where he landed and go after him again.

Long and short of it is he has the ability as our Gov to appoint someone to Obama's soon to be open Senate seat. He was going to hold that open for campaign money, or save it for himself if there wasn't a highest bidder. He also put pressure on the owners of the Chicago Tribune to fire some people who wrote some negative articles about him. Good thing for IL is he really did it to himself this time.

Fox News, the only good news source, is saying after all this case information goes to the Grand Jury there will be many more charges to come. I personally think that Obama didn't know about a lot of this, although I would think he had a good idea. I am a rebuplican for life, but even I would hope Obama was smart enough to stay as far away from this as possible. Then again, there is the Tony Resko story, so who knows.

Good to see Ole Bag of Chips getting his. Not just the DNR either, DOC got hit hard, lots of state Historical sites closed. Any idea on front runners for the next Gov?

ILDNRHNTR- I am currently working on trying to get hired in IL. Would I be able to PM you with a few questions? Thanks for your time.

Blackwater Tactical 1 Pistol grad. Taking Tactical Pistol 2 class in the spring. Done some force on force work with a local SO also.

I was lucky enough to take two beautiful does during the IL gun season last year. Im shooting an Encore with the 250gr load and 150 grs of 777. The first doe I shot at 95 yards, double lung shot. There was a handful of quater sized drops of blood at the impace sight, and quickly spread to a trail a blind man could follow. She went about 50 yards after the shot. The second was shot at 40 yards, quatering to. Hit her high on the near side shoulder and dropped her where she stood. There wasn't any more damage then I have see on deer taken with a slug. If I am lucky enough to get a deer this upcoming weekend I will post some pictures.

Welcome to the forums. Great looking mounts on the web page. Question for you though, I live in extreme NW IL, how would I get a head and cape to you if I am lucky enough to get a mounter this season? I have yet to find a taxidermist in my area that will do top quality work, and am know looking elsewhere.

Heck of a great way to start your season there. Congrats.

I think those bucks' hearts is in the right place. They know that the students are back and they probably showed up to chase from freshman tail. However, some should tell them to wait a couple months and get some of their own. Awesome picture though.

I shot one opening day of first season that was 26lbs, and 19 before I freezed it.

Ive done some pistol shooting at Blackwater North, which is in my back yard. I cant wait to make my trip over to CO to shoot there.

Thanks guys, this is my biggest bird so far. My only other mature tom I have shot was with my Hoyt in 2004.

When I hunted with my BPS, it loved Win. Supreme 2oz. #5 with a Mad choke. It was great to 40 yards. If you looking for another choke try that one. Worked well for me. Good luck.

Little late on posting this guy. I shot this guy in Jo Daviess county, on opening day for first season. I had hunted from dawn until 9am or so. Went home for some coffee and to let my shorthair out, and returned to the farm around 10. By 1045 he was on his way to the freezer. He came in with 2 of his pals. He was in range for about 2-3 mintues in full strut, but I was holding off to see if the landowner would be able to get a shot at one of his buddies. They never moved far enough over to give him a good shot, and when they got nervous he told me to shoot. Im shooting a Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey, with 3.5 in Hevi-shot, 1 3/4 oz #6. The shot was about 25 yards. He weighed 26lbs, had a 9.5in beard and both spurs where 1.125 inches.

Saw 17 hens this come off the roost, with only 2 gobblers this am. I thought that seemd good with the amount of gobbling. From 0645 until I needed some coffee at 0945, I saw a couple tom on the other end of the field from me. After coffee, it took less then 15 mintues to get my biggest bird I've ever shot. 26 pounds, 9.5 in beard, 1.125" spurs. Shot was right about 20 yards. Shot with a Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey shooting 3.5" 1 3/4oz. Hevi Shot #6's.

I was driving home from my lease today, and caught some turkeys out on the edge of a cedar grove in corn field. Four strutters, and a loud mouth hen driving them crazy. Hopefully they dont go hoarse before 1st season starts.