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Posted by: CaptainQuint
I'm not sure if it's weather related or what but I'm not seeing the numbers of turkeys I'm normally seeing or in the places in which I normally see them at this time of year. The weather has been quite harsh and cold as of late and the populations took some weather hits in the past months.
I'm not sure when I'm going to be getting out. Season started today but I haven't even got into town to get my free landowner tags from the state yet. I've been hung up with work stuff and haven't been getting home until after dark. I need to be here on the place to keep any trespassing in check and do some hunting on my own but can't get things arranged so I can yet.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
I am hunting in Wisconsin this year for the first time. This is the first year I applied and I got drawn for one of the later seasons that starts May 9th. It is not the ideal time around here, but anytime is better than no time. I am new to Turkey hunting with only 1 Jake under my belt so any time in the field whether I get anything or not will surely be a learning experience. For me just being out there is more important than shooting anything. Not that I don't want to shoot something, but you can still have a great time without shooting anything. Good luck to all and be Safe.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
Pwillie, I think sometimes it is more fun to just sit and watch the animals. I have just sat and watched many deer and several bears and it was actually more gratifying to watch them walk away than it would have been to shoot them. Don't get me wrong, I am and avid hunter and I also like to harvest game, but I don't need to get something everytime I go out. The thing is, When I do get something I will go through the initial excitement and then I will replay everything that just happened in my head. When I think about the game I harvested it is the story that leads up to the kill that is important to me. I actually feel remorse when I take the life of an animal even though I am happy to get something. It may seem odd to some, but I actually look at the animal laying on the ground and think about how beautiful it was when it was walking in the woods. I tell some people that and they wonder how I can kill anything. I guess It is just my way of showing the respect that these animals deserve and also why I try my best to make quick humane kills.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
I don't get to hunt by home this year and not until May, but I seen some birds at in front of my house yesterday. There were 4 hens and 3 toms all with about 9-10" beards. The dang things walked out in the road 5' in front of my truck and stood there in full strut. I rolled down the windows and gobbled and all 3 would gobble back. It was a good 3 minutes before they walked off the road. I am fired up now. I talked to the land owner in Wisconsin where I am hunting this year and he said there has been 50-60 birds there every morning. I hope they are still around in May.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
Quote
Originally posted by: JCDEYO25
Captain.....
That's a good observation......I think we're about 5-6 weeks later this yaer than last year with the weather which may work in our favor.......In the past years it seemed the longbeards were already henned up by opening day but this year could be a little better????I think in the past the best time wasn't till the second week???????That's just my 2 cents????What do you think???? Captain, Cobra,Thunder,Willie,DX,olds,george??????
John
I think you may be right. Other than the birds I seen the other day I haven't seen many in the places that I normally do this time of year. We had a mild winter until the end when we got a lot of snow and below normal temps up until about a week ago when it started warming some. I don't know how much effect it has on them, but we will see. My brother works right in the area we usually hunt and he hasn't seen many either. I am hunting by
Eau Claire, WI this year and they have been seeing a lot of birds, but I can't hunt until May 9th this year so we will see what happens. In either case a bad day of hunting is still better than a good day at work.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
So how did everyone do ?? I seen a ton of turkey's and passed up several jakes. I couldn't get close enough to a tom the first couple days , but there were turkey's everywhere. My shotgun broke on day one and I was 120 miles from home. I have a Remington 11-87 and when I tried unloading it I couldn't open the chamber. I took the gun apart and found out what piece broke and figured I would be able to use it as a single shot. When I was putting the trigger assembly back in a popped a snap ring off and it fell in the dirt. Low and behold I found out you can actually find a needle in a hay stack because I found the clip. No turkey day one. Day two seen many birds, but got called home do to sick kid. Spent the next day at home and got up at 2:30 am to make the 2 hour drive to where I was hunting. Sat down at 5:15 and at 6:30 two toms come walking right past me without making a sound. I put the bead on the first one and rolled him over. He was actually kind of small at only 18lbs, but he had a 10" beard.
Posted by: Thunderbolt
I had gobbling from every direction, but they did not respond to calling either. I had one coming in and he vanished into thin air. I was lucky enough to be sitting in the path they decided to follow that morning I think.
Posted by: pwillie
Beautiful morning, I walked out back of my house and fired off my crow call.....down in the swamp I heard him gobble.......later on he walked in the yard and went into a full strut, I slowly moved away and let him show his stuff.....I will see if I can get him to answer tomorrow morning.......I love to watch the old birds as the strut their stuff!! i DON'T SHOOT THEM ANY MORE................
Posted by: pwillie
My sentiment, Thunder! I have better memorys of missed opportunities of hunting,than I do of a harvest! I missed a big deer this year,a 265 yd shot. I still get the buck fever...and does it feel good. When the excitement goes, so will I....................
Posted by: oldsmoboat
Front yard
Couple more
Deer
Posted by: CobraR6
Well its that time of year again. I know there are some guys who will be headed out real soon if you live in Bama or florida. I still have a little under two months before I can go out. So who all is going out this year?
Posted by: CobraR6
Agreed. Turkey hunting is about ALOT more than just the kill. Some of the best hunts I have had are ones where I walked home empty handed. Then again you will never hear me complain when I got one slung over my shoulder as I am walking out of the woods.
Posted by: CobraR6
Well I made it out last saturday to do some scouting, and I found quite a bit of sign along with hearing a few birds that were just calling me to come shoot them Less than a month left, Cant wait.
How is everyone else's seasons going? No one made it out yet?
Posted by: CobraR6
Quote
Originally posted by: JCDEYO25
Unfortunately I gotta take my CDL roadtest on opening day..What a bummer.....Then off to Vegas for the first weekend........Won't get out till the second weekend but looking forward to taking the bow out though........
John
Sorry to hear you can't make it out first few weekends. Goodluck when you do get out!
Posted by: CobraR6
Quote
Originally posted by: JCDEYO25
Captain.....
That's a good observation......I think we're about 5-6 weeks later this yaer than last year with the weather which may work in our favor.......In the past years it seemed the longbeards were already henned up by opening day but this year could be a little better????I think in the past the best time wasn't till the second week???????That's just my 2 cents????What do you think???? Captain, Cobra,Thunder,Willie,DX,olds,george??????
John
I think the weather will end up working in our favor. Especially those of us that don't start until later. Here in Pa the best time to get one was either the first day, or that first week. After that it was really tuff. Right now though I think with the way the weather has been and cold spirt we just got, everything is starting up a little later so it will be helping us out. Also the buds on the trees really havent started comming out yet. THere is a little red on the trees, but not much. So that helps too when it comes to spotting them and hearing em.
This is all just me making a prediction on what is happening. I hate to say it, but with school I have only been able to get out and scout one morning so far. Exams are over next tuesday so I will have the following three days to figure out what is going on before that saturday.
Posted by: CobraR6
Congrats on the bird.
Not much luck on my end. I still have till saturday though. I've had a few birds interested in my calls, but each either had a hen with them or just plain hung up. Most of the times though the birds were very unresponsive to your calls. Now its got to the point to where they just aren't gobbling. I havnt heard a gobble in the past two days. Oh well, I still have friday and saturday to hunt, so hopefully my luck will change. Congrats to those who got birds!
Posted by: georged
I put a couple of pictures up on my photo page of turkeys in my front yard. This is one of three flocks that wander through on a daily basis. All it takes to get the toms gobbling this time of year is a sharp whistle.
Posted by: georged
Our season opened on the 15th and no bird has since been seen. Toms were still loud and in sight around the property on the 12th. We had April snow but it didn't change anything as, like deer, they always disappear right before opening days. I'm familiar with the habits of deer and elk and know fish and game departments everywhere set hunting seasons around their defined patterns to protect the male breeders. I'm thinking F&G does the same thing with spring and fall turkey seasons and the toms are all henned up by opening days. I called turkeys in Georgia when the toms were still talking while rounding up and the only concern was getting one close enough to take in the dense undergrowth. Talking with them on the call box just about drove me crazy when they'd circle all around me just out of sight, maybe 30-yards.
Posted by: JCDEYO25
Unfortunately I gotta take my CDL roadtest on opening day..What a bummer.....Then off to Vegas for the first weekend........Won't get out till the second weekend but looking forward to taking the bow out though........
John
Posted by: JCDEYO25
Cobra..
Yea it sucks I can't get out opening day but that's ok.......I'm looking forward to scouting....
Thunderbolt.
Good luck with those birds...
John
Posted by: JCDEYO25
Captain.....
That's a good observation......I think we're about 5-6 weeks later this yaer than last year with the weather which may work in our favor.......In the past years it seemed the longbeards were already henned up by opening day but this year could be a little better????I think in the past the best time wasn't till the second week???????That's just my 2 cents????What do you think???? Captain, Cobra,Thunder,Willie,DX,olds,george??????
John
Posted by: JCDEYO25
Hey congrats to all you guys who took birds....I got one more try on Sun.......
John
Posted by: 650MaxDaddy
Hi everyone,
Well, I went for the first time on May 6th. Long story short.....called in a hen at first. It was nice to hear her "au natural" only 5 feet from me for about an hour!! Then I finally got a tom to come in an hour later from approx 200 yards out. He snuck up from behind me so I never saw him until he was at my side--approx 10 yards out. Thick brush & crab apple trees prevented a shot until he was in front of me at 25 yards out. He got to my 2 hen decoys and kept rubbing his neck on one of them for 5 minutes!! Finally was able to get a shot off. DOOOHHHH !!! Shot right over his head!!!! That bugger MUST have a crew cut!!!!! Just bought a new Comp-N-Choke and did not figure the pattern would be so tight. My own stupidity I will try again before the end of the month. Only have from 1/2 hour before sunrise until noon. Plenty of time!!!
Posted by: jmelnek
This is my first year turkey hunting, Can't wait till April!!! Lately every morning when I am leaving for work I can hear them gobbling out in my back field. Suppose to get up to 40 degrees today, spring is coming.
Josh
Posted by: DVXDUDE
I'm goin in april. Don't know how much time i'll have to go out since im starting a new job, most likely will just be saturdays. I seen about 150-200 turkeys during deer hunting season and about 4 huge toms. Should be a good year
Posted by: DVXDUDE
I agree Thunderbolt. Turkey hunting for me isn't just going out and bagging the first bird that comes to my decoys. I like just sitting out there watchin the sun rise. Watch deer come out to get a earily morning feed, and even watch a few coyotes sneek up on my decoys lol. Don't get me wrong, hearing close earily morning gobbles gets me excited but, i'd rather not scare off the deer unless a real big ol tom comes walking in lol
good luck everyone, only about a month away!!!!
Posted by: DVXDUDE
I've been going out everyday this week. Season doesnt open to april 25th, but today i seen about 30 birds ... 5 gobblers were walking around in full strut in a corn field. Can't get any of them to answer because they already got about 15 hens with them but i got the hens to answer me. Also I seen a spot were a turkey was killed, lots of coyote scat around too, i'mma gunna got have to blast a couple yotes before the 25th heh
it also snowed today a bit and were suppost to get more tonight...guess they were all out fillin up before the storm
Posted by: DVXDUDE
I've been seeing a lot of turkeys so far this month. Most of the snow was gone earily april and we only got one or two little ones after that. I'm seeing a lot of toms in full strut now. I'm mostly hearing hens when i try calling to them.
season doesnt open til the 25th andweather is suppost to get real warm this weekend so a lot could change til then, the hens should start going off soon to lay eggs and the toms will be out looking for more!
Posted by: DVXDUDE
I got a 16 lb jack on the first day. Then shot a 21lb tom couple days later. 1 inch spurs, 10" beard. Seen 6 birds in the 3 days i hunted, all were small jakes besides the tom i shot.
I'm lucky i guess that i can just drive 2 minutes down the road to hunt, It would suck to have to drive 2 hours each day to hunt
Posted by: DVXDUDE
hahaha thats funny the tom was foolin around wit your hen decoy lol. Lucky you didnt have a jack decoy, that tom would beat the pi$$ out of it. I have a foam jake decoy that got pecked by 4 toms when i was waiting for the biggest tom to get close lol its unuseable now, the head is torn apart.
Posted by: francis03
I got to wait till fall turkey, didn't get time to go out...my dad got a Tom with like a 8in beard..but I'm a mostly deer hunter
