doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2026 Hunting Thread

So who is out chasing gobblers?

Just scouting right now, VA season opens April 11. Our turkey numbers are down somewhat compared to 5-6 years ago but the ones we have are feeling frisky.

it ain't braggin' to post your photo, Keith...

I need to figure that out. Our youth hunt was amazing!

Keith, fill in the details. Your hunt; your bird:

It was a nice cool morning in South Georgia. I set up in an area where a creek turns into black lake, back into a creek and flows out into the river. Full moon morning so I got there early. At 6:40am the birds started hammering. One loud fly down with my glass call and hollow carbon striker had 3 toms answering. Then I found out I wasn't alone. The neighbor crossed the creek as well to me with what I think was his first day using a yelper and shake gobble call. I hit it again and the birds where now on the ground and headed my way. I stayed quiet! Suddenly 20 yards behind me a gobble erupted and 2 toms ran past me into an opening. The toughest of the two burst into a full strut and slow rolled around a tree. As soon as he went around a tree and I could not see his eyes I lifted my gifted single barrel trap Ithaca 4e to wait on him to round. Just like a tv show he rounded the tree right into the bead of my shotgun. I pulled the trigger and slammed his head down at 20 yards. A 2 3/4 shell full of 5's is still my favorite! All done to admire my bird, the wild lilies and azaleas blooming all by 7am. Fantastic 18 pound bird with a 10 inch beard and a singular 1 inch spur. I will back at it tomorrow! Good luck fellas! The turkey and rice made from the cooked down legs and thighs was very good. Maybe dumplings tomorrow if all goes well

Sad that no one else is hunting

I have killed 3 in AL, but they all looked about the same. Here's the latest one:



We have a 4 bird limit, but the gobbling seems to be about over in my area so I am likely done for the year. I used to travel out of state a lot, but I've gotten too old for that and just hunt nearby now.

Steve, nice bird and season for you. Here's my first, today. I've been in the birds; passed on an "iffy" shot at 25 yards two weeks ago, and have been dealing with henned-up birds. This one made up for those.
Thirty yards. Gil

Good job by all!

Gil, glad you connected this am!

Looks like a classic spring turkey thread—always good to see folks getting out and sharing their hunts. That early morning setup and birds gobbling right at fly-down is about as good as it gets. Sounds like a textbook hunt, especially working them in close and making the shot count at 20 yards.

Also interesting to hear how different areas are doing—some guys mentioning lower bird numbers, while others are still having solid seasons. That seems pretty consistent with what a lot of hunters are seeing lately.

Congrats to everyone posting birds. Always enjoy reading these stories—beats sitting at work wishing you were in the woods.

Awesome job Coosa!

Looking back at the past 50 seasons, I don't recall ever killing a turkey while sitting at work behind a desk. Gil

It’s not so much the lack of hunting as the lack of picture taking. I’m starting to get the feeling the birds are mocking me.

That’s an interesting piece. It is great to see people talking about and appreciating these. Older guns or made guns have a certain charm. When you learn about their history and how they were used they seem more special. You have an example there. If you can please share details or your experience, with it at the range. I would love to hear how it performs not how it looks or what people say about it.

In other news... I still don't like the coyotes... I decided to count.
This camera, is on a flat, with typical strut zones and dusting areas.
In the last 16 days... 4 turkey have passed this camera, 41 coyotes have. ( as well as 2 bobcats)
It must be a tough life when everything wants you for dinner.
(FOR THOSE AUDITING it was an 11 day check end of April, a few days without a card, and 5 day check in May)

Note this hen is bearded



That dude in the back just looks guilty.

Stage Coach Bandit? Train Robber who shot an opportunistic turkey while waiting at a crossing for the train? No, it’s SelbyLowndes (Geo Newbern) with his next to the last day nice South Georgia gobbler shot with his .410 while hunting with Keith (67Galaxie). Way to go, Geo.

It was a great hunt! Geo called and I napped until the birds got there. Then I started cutting on my glass call like an absolute loudmouth fool. It worked! Perfect shot to the neck at 40 strides of my size 13's

I got my 4th AL turkey on 4/24 but forgot to post the story, so here goes.

I got 3 in the first 10 days, and hunted 3 weeks to get the last one. A lot of the reason for that is that I spent 6 mornings chasing this one. I saw him 4 different times and had him around 50 yds twice, but he always got by me.

He started the season roosting near cutover and would fly down into it and wait on the hens to come. A couple of weeks into the season, he started roosting in a prescribed burn and he didn't want to leave it. He was always call shy and a loud yelp would shut him up, and he got worse as the season went on. And there were times when he was just lucky. My grandson would have gotten a shot at him one morning but his dad decided they should move just a few seconds before he appeared. I almost got him the morning before I did, but he took an unexpected path and gave me a mock gobble as he went by.

Finally, his luck ran out. I heard him gobble in the burn and was about to set up on him when I flushed a hen off the roost. She didn't putt, and flew in the opposite direction, so he likely thought she was just flying down. I knew I was in great position so I decided to just not call, and let him walk up to me looking for the hen. That almost worked, but he hung up as always, just out of sight and gobbled a bunch. I scratched leaves to try to make him think it was his hen, but he wanted her to come to him.

He finally moved away, so I decided I had to call, and there was only one call in my vest that he hadn't heard. I pulled out my Dixie Darling box and made 2 clucks and the a couple of the lightest yelps I could make. He gobbled back at me and returned to the spot where he had been strutting. I didn't call anymore, but kept scratching leaves and he finally decided he had to check it out.

He seemed to be an old turkey with a thick double beard and a 1&3/8" spur on one side. The other spur was deformed from some sort of injury. He was a good turkey to finish the season, and I'm very thankful that I got to experience another turkey season. Good luck to all still hunting!

Has anyone been outdoors lately?

I went fishing today, does that count? Used an 85-year old flyrod and reel combination, silk line, and even a braided silk leader. Beautiful morning but... no cooperative trout this time.

Did the 2026 Lake Pepin 3 Speed Tour, but, it will be months before I can hunt birds, either grouse or pheasants.

https://3speedtour.com/

Hoping for a season or two out of my 13 year old Setter. Probably a season.



Best,
Ted

My grandson and I went shooting prairie dogs…

Awesome guys! Yes fishing counts

Why not the Daw guns Kirk?
Seems like there are multi gauges to chose from.

Took the Daw 20 gauge to the Nimrod shoot and shot with Will Primos…

Now that GJW (Greg Westberg) is gone I had wondered if this tradition would continue...I clearly shouldn't have been concerned.



With the 4th of July celebrations nearly upon us (which is in itself very neat...250-years is quite wonderful IMHO) I am reminded that the countdown to Fall has begun it's steady march. The days are now getting shorter, the nights longer, and planning for all of the upcoming activities will need to begin fairly shortly.

I'll be shooting sporting clays tomorrow, and I'll likely start taking it all a bit more seriously. I've already seen my first grouse for 2026 (last week in Minnesota, near to Fourtown) so those instincts are already stirring.

Walks every morning first thing (before coffee), proteins instead of carbs 1st thing, small walks after every meal, maybe a trip to the eye doctor to get everything checked out, more attention to my eating (& drinking) habits, and more time spent with other hunters and fishermen.

Words to live by, eh?

Just getting ready for fall. Saw this guy cross the road at 5am on Saturday - then last night in this field and again tonight.
3 miles from the house, but "not where I hunt" my son thinks some door knocking is in order!

Listen to your son.

I just returned from 10 days chasing trout and grayling in Finland.

I made a side trip to Estonia.

I ate caviar, drank vodka, ate Skagen, reindeer, moose, and forest mushrooms.
I caught many brown trout and just a couple grayling.
Biggest was 65 cm

Next stop is for Atlantic salmon on the fly.

65 cm grayling !!! that is a really big one. i have caught a few that were 30-40 cm. they are fun to catch [ they are pretty dumb ]

Well, they are the “Queen of the river”
Biggest brown was 70+cm’s (just about30”)
Caught a REALLy big one and after the take it went down to the bottom of the run and sat there. I couldn’t budge it for 20 minutes. Then I got in a hurry and straightened the hook.
Cest la vie.
These are all c&r fish at 65 degrees lat.
24hr daylight either side of the solstice.
Kind of weird fishing in bright sun at 2:00AM
Then sleep until 1pm