Barry Arrington of Bedford sent in this shot from the recent Wheelin’ Sportsman hunt sponsored by the James River chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The three hunters who scored were (left to right) Danny Balderson from Waynesboro, Tim Richey from Christiansburg and Chris Shelton from Richmond. Fifteen hunters participated in the hunt.

Wheelin’ Sportsmen provides people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in outdoors activities. Just as importantly, it helps friends and family learn about ways to help their loved ones get outdoors. Having participated as a volunteer in these events I can tell you that they are inspiring for EVERYONE involved.

Congrats to all the hunters, and thanks to the volunteers and generous landowners who allowed hunting for helping make this hunt, and those like it, happen!

Walt Hampton sent in this shot of his son, Wade, with a nice gobbler killed in late April. Here’s what Walt wrote:

“We watched this bird come 1,200 yards last Saturday, cross a creek and a woven wire fence before Wade killed him at 10 yards. When they’re ready to come, they come.”

I know this feeling.

I once killed a gobbler that had come about 400 yards across a field to where I was set up with my friend Carson Quarles. The bird took his sweet time and it’s a miracle my heart was able to take the hour-long wait for him to get within shotgun range.

Congrats to Wade and Walt for what had to be an amazing experience.

As I wrote about in my column in today’s Roanoke Times, Virginia’s hunters are on the cusp of setting a record for the spring gobbler season.

Among those doing their part were Carson and Norma Quarles of Roanoke, who killed their nice birds on family property in Botetourt County.

When I heard the tally through the weekend had already eclipsed last year’s total and was just about 1,000 birds from the record set in 2002 — sorry, but you’ll need to read the column to see the exact numbers — I admit I was a little surprised. Not that the kill is tracking above last year. It’s been tracking above all season. But the previous gap had been 16 percent, and I figured after the rainy and windy weather we’ve had lately that gap would have narrowed.

Thank goodness the DGIF was able to provide actual figures to keep me from putting my speculation in writing! I got out a couple mornings last week and it was slow. May get one or two more hunts in, than that’s it for me.

After an absence last season, Jason Marks is back here with a bird he killed on April 25. Here’s his story:

“After sending you a handful of nice photos in 2010 and 2011 I got skunked in 2012.  After a few weeks and poor decision making on a miss yesterday, this morning proved every bit as exciting as the last time!
This guy showed up on the opposite side of the field  about 500 yards away at 6:15. He stood like a statue and gobbled for 40 minutes.  I called at a medium volume a half a dozen time in the first 10 minutes and then just stayed quiet.  At 5 minutes to 7:00 he put his head down and headed straight for me.
The valley topography would leave us unable to see each other until he crested the hill in range.  When I guessed he was half way up the hill I purred and made soft clucks and “pits” He gobbled 8 times at about 40 yards and then crested the hill right in my scope at 30 yards.   He put his head down and kept coming.  24 paces to my first gobbler in 2 years. Pulaski Co. 9 inch beard 1 1/4 spurs. ”

Congratulations, Jason, and smart tactics of shutting up and forcing him to commit! Hey, let’s get some more details on that rig you’re shooting.

Some of you may have already seen these pictures and read this story, as I’m pretty sure Royce Steiner also posted it on Vaturkey.com, my friend Freddy McGuire’s site.

This is a long story, but as I tell my editors when they complain about my long stories, “It’s a quick read.” It’s that good!  I encourage you all, when you have a  couple minutes, to read it. If it doesn’t get you pumped for spring turkey hunting, nothing will.

“Well boys and girls, I finally have a story for you. I apologize in advance (but not really) for the length of this, but it is now my favorite story to tell, and possibly the most incredible experience of my life.

This is the first season that I have really gotten after the big birds. I killed one with a buddy a couple springs ago (my first turkey), and had only been out by myself twice last season while having no clue what I was doing. I have been prepping for this season for a couple months now, and finally learned how to use a diaphragm call. I even took an old big game vest and sewed pockets and modified it into a turkey vest. Spent a lot of time on the interweb learning everything I could about these birds and hunting them, including a bunch of time on here! Needless to say, I was pumped about opening day!

Well, the week before opening day I bottomed out my car and she got towed to the shop. I was hoping she would be fixed by the Friday prior to the opener so I could get out and scout, but she stayed at the docs until the following Monday. No opening weekend for me.

The following weekend, I went back to Richmond to get on a hunt with my father in Cumberland County. We heard a few but couldnt get set up on one. Heard a bird gobble at 8:30 and set up on him but no response to calls and never heard from him again for another 30 minutes. Walked to a logging trail and got stopped in our tracks by his fan and big ole white head strutting towards us. We were both able to get our guns up and were just praying he would close the distance and not see us. Here is where inexperience sent me packin the first time. I am a very poor judge of distance, and had NO IDEA he was at 30 yards… thought he was at 45 or 50 (first time I had seen a bird strutting within 100 yards). So I didn’t shoot, and should have. Had open shots when he stuck his head up at 30 yards, just didn’t shoot. Then he goes behind a couple trees and, like a darn fool, decide it would be a good idea to kneel down. DON’T EVER MOVE! EVER! Next thing I see is his back side as he is hauling tail the other way down the trail. I about died.

Back in Roanoke now, I planned on going into the Jefferson National Forest on Friday of this weekend (4/26) to a place I had never been before and give it a shot, scout, spend the night there, and hunt Saturday as well. All of last week was spent poring over maps and trying to figure out where to go at daylight. I have only been in the GW NF up by Deerfield hunting grouse a couple times, but other than that I have no experience with NF land. Picked a spot in the Jefferson that seemed a ways away from towns and had some flat looking land with decent aerials.

When I got to the spot on Friday morning, the full moon lit the beautiful open hardwoods like I had never seen before like daylight. At 5:15, the whippoorwills were talking from every direction. It was a tad chilly, but nothing a sweatshirt couldn’t fix. I had no idea what to expect in this brand-new-to-me setting, and could only hope. I geared up and stepped away from the truck about 30 yards and stood waiting for daylight. Light in the east yielded a couple of owl hoots, and my hopes rose for a gobble to follow. Nothing.

Read more »

My buddy Jeff Fletcher of Roanoke has been engaged in a battle of wits with a big gobbler this season. The battle ended one morning late last week. Here’s what Jeff wrote about the hunt:

“Got him! My original game plan did not work, but unlike some football coaches who shall remain nameless, I made some adjustments at half-time and took care of business.  He was not the oldest bird I have shot, but he was by far the largest bird I have carried out of the woods!  Three birds gobbled in the hollow when I shot this guy just before 9:00! ”

Way to adjust and get the job done, Jeff!

Hope some of you had a chance to get out this weekend. I didn’t, but I should have some time to fool with them this week.

Ron Wright of Bedford is one of those guys contributing what has been a strong spring gobbler season to this point. (Through the first two weekends the check-in totals are running 16 percent ahead of last year.)

Here’s what Wright had to say about how he got these two birds:

“On Opening day I was hunting on our family farm in Bedford County. I was set up on 3 gobblers and 5 hens I had roosted Friday evening. Thirty minutes after they left the roost I had a 22 lb gobbler on the ground. It was a great way to start the season, and it wasn’t even 7:00 AM yet.

On Tuesday the 16th it was a little wet to say the least, but at 6:37 AM, my second gobbler was on the ground. I had two gobblers roosted about 75 yards away. I gave them a little sweet talk and both birds pitched off the roost and actually landed within 35 yards of my setup. Needless to say, I didn’t give him a chance to get any closer, and another Bedford County gobbler had my tag on him.

Two days and two birds, 2013 is starting out to be a turkeys hunter’s dream season. I wish I could report that the third morning led to my last tag being filled, but Friday the 19th, ended windy and rainy as I left the woods at mid morning without evening hearing a single gobble.”

Three for three would have been something, but I have a feeling Ron won’t have that third tag for long!

Sorry. When I saw this story on the Martinsville Bulletin site, I just couldn’t help myself.

I’m guessing I might actually have a chance to kill one of these birds. Too bad I’ve got another commitment tomorrow morning.

Rodney Justus replied to my request for a shot from opening day with this picture of his pretty bird.

Matt Vess had already beat him to the punch for the shot I needed for the story that ran on today’s Outdoors page, but I’m happy to post Rodney’s shot here.

He didn’t include the county but I’ll add it when I get it. Judging by the lichen growth patterns on those trees I’d say Botetetourt County. (Kidding.)

Congrats, Rodney, on a pretty bird!

I’m running a piece on tomorrow’s Outdoors page on hunting turkeys in the wind. It’s a wire piece by Gerald Almy, a Virginian who’s a veteran outdoors writer.

Maybe I missed it, but I don’t think I’ve gotten a single hero shot from Saturday. That’s not totally true; my buddy Tim Hoden sent me a picture of a coyote he killed.

Anyway, I’d like to have a hero shot to go along with the lead picture I’m using of some strutting birds.

So if you killed a turkey on Saturday, have a good picture and don’t mind being in The Roanoke Times, please email me the shot asap.

Thanks!