|
|
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658
4 point
|
|
4 point
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658 |
What, besides, the number of birds you killed, made it good? or should I say made it possible to kill the birds you did? Was is that numbers and gobbling were normal? That the turkeys acted normal, as in would gobble on the ground, or gobbled up in the day, and would respond to a call? Were you able to kill birds in the morning, or later in the day? That is, were most of your birds killed early or later? Were they killed in patches, or killed coming in and gobbling?
As you might guess from the topic, my year was terrible. It was mainly marked by little gobbling activity. What birds you did hear might gobble once or twice and that was it. Only one or two turkeys responded to a call the whole season. One thing I noticed a bunch of this year was hens - tons of hens.
I don't proclaim to be the best caller or turkey hunter, but I average around 3 turkeys a year for last 4-5 years after my first two years of starting to hunt, during which I only killed one. i've tried switching calls, not using locator calls, slipping in way before daylight, etc. It could be my calling, but seems unlikely, especially given that i've hunted with some other way better hunters than I am this year with the same experiences.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21
14 point
|
|
14 point
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21 |
I haven't had the best season, but I killed 3, missed one, and shot another that got up and flew off. That all happened by the start of April, the last 3 weeks have been dead for me, but I'm hoping that I can squeeze out one more.
Of those birds, three were before 7:15 am, one was around 9, he was with hens, and the other was at 2pm and came running.
No birds were killed that didn't gobble, but only 1 of the birds I shot/shot at gobbled more than 20x.
About 50% of my hunts resulted in no gobbles, all but 3 of the birds that I sat down on got shot/shot at.
For me, it was about typical for the last couple of years. Basically you better kill the ones that give you an opportunity, because they are few and far between.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,071
6 point
|
|
6 point
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,071 |
Think I've been 3 days this season that I didnt hear any, killed 3 in AM and 1 in evening so far. I have to travel around abit to find birds cause I hunt public dirt. I dono if 4 birds thus far qualifies as a good season but I,ve had fun chasing them.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 248
4 point
|
|
4 point
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 248 |
I killed my limit in south covington county and mostly hunt public land. The first 3 weeks birds gobbled very well, which is typical until they get educated. Also seemed to gobble good to aggressive cutting and yelping up in the day, and once located, tone it down. 4 o my turkeys were taken after 10 am. O course alot of boot leather was burnt searching for those late day birds. All in all, a great season here in south bama, as i took my wife, son, and a few buddies on national forest and they also killed turkeys.Also heard alot of turkeys and from the jakes we saw througout the season, should be a good crop of gobbling 2 year olds next year
Last edited by Mike32; 04/27/16 11:13 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,567 Likes: 3
8 point
|
|
8 point
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,567 Likes: 3 |
I have had a GREAT season! I killed less than I have in many seasons. But it's not about the kills to me. I love being out there. I was raised to believe a hunt that you hear a gobble is a great hunt, a hunt where you see a Tom is an excellent hunt and a kill is extraordinary!! Only 2 kills for me this year, but both were awesome birds. 1 was my biggest ever and the other was the Black Wing Tom. I was in on 5 kills, 1 of which I really only watched, had my son in my lap when my buddy got one. But we heard gobbles all season until yesterday, that was my only morning without a gobble. So I feel like it was an amazing season which I give God all the glory for and I can't wait till next year!! My birds we're killed at 3:00pm & 9:00 AM, others I was in on were all morning kills, straight off the roost.
Last edited by Goose11; 04/28/16 06:41 AM. Reason: kill times
2019, 2020, 2026 ALdeer Wild Turkey Competition Champions
1200 Point Club
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 11,785
Booner
|
|
Booner
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 11,785 |
I've only killed 2, and missed one but called in 5 for my wife and friends. All but 1 were killed in fields/ pastures. 4 gobbled and acted right, 3 off the roost. Heard gobbles 10 out of 12'mornings
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,197 Likes: 27
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 6,197 Likes: 27 |
I had a fun season...only hunted for a month tho cause I had to put the gun down April 17th...Killed 2, missed 1, and wounded 1...killed one before 7:30 am and the other at 5 pm...Heard birds every trip I went on and every morning except 1...on two different hunts at two different places I heard more than 12 different birds gobbling over 100 times! A lot of fun! Called up a big bird for a kid (he missed) but it was an awesome hunt! But overall, was within 100 yards of gobblers everytime I went so learned a lot about some habits of birds, and I even tried to fan one in ha Anytime I can get in the good Lords outdoors is a great time!!!
2017 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
2018 Team Aldeer Turkey Contest Champion
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,262 Likes: 9
8 point
|
|
8 point
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 1,262 Likes: 9 |
I have hunted less this year than I have in the last 30 years.
Here is my season. I have hunted 8 times.
Opening Saturday youth weekend. Heard 6 or 7 in a wad
gobbling on the roost. Called one of them up for my friends
13 year old daughter. She smoked him.
Opener. Killed one at 20 steps early. Heard a bunch.
The next Saturday. Called one for a friend. He killed him
early.
Saturday a week ago. I killed one at 8am. Had another one
coming hard at 7am and a logging crew fired up on top of us.
Sunday a week ago. Called one off the roost for a kid. Told
her not to shoot him in a strut at 30 yards. Coyote charged
Hunt over.
I went 3 more mornings and never sat down to one.
Great season. We are going Saturday.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 16,022
Old Mossy Horns
|
|
Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 16,022 |
Hens are a good thing. It will turn around.
Just that way sometimes. As long as you have birds your alright.
Do you want to hear him gobble, or do you want to kill him.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,082 Likes: 20
12 point
|
|
12 point
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 6,082 Likes: 20 |
I've had a great season. Very little turkey activity on our place, but hunted hard. Only killed two, but my daughter has been able to go with all but a couple of times I've hunted. That has made it the best season ever. My goal was to get her her first turkey, but it doesn't look good. We got close yesterday, but a slutty hen cut us off. We still got a couple more tries, Ive seen it happen....
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,829
10 point
|
|
10 point
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,829 |
Well since this was my first season and I got to actually kill one, it has been great!!! I will say most days I went they only gobbled off the roost and then shut up but I had a few day's that I didn't know which way to turn there were so many birds gobbling, so yes my season has been a good one!!!
Plus I got to go through BGD's turkey boot camp!!!
The end of democracy and the defeat of the American revolution will occur when government falls into the hands of lending institutions and moneyed incorporation's Thomas Jefferson. 1812
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 26,727 Likes: 33
Freak of Nature
|
|
Freak of Nature
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 26,727 Likes: 33 |
I can't complain about my season. I wound up with 4 and should have been limited out in early April. Had some unfortunate events with a poacher, and an incident with a couple of dogs. Shot one on the last day that got away from me unfortunately. My son killed one on the youth hunt and my wife killed a stud bird a couple weeks back that will be going to the taxidermist soon. My son got another opportunity at one but missed him. I heard gobbling pretty much every day and was able to get on birds most every day I hunted. There were tough days and not so tough days but overall my season was very enjoyable. I also got to hunt several days with my wife, kids, N2deer, and his son Evan and made a bunch more memories. Got to share camp with Yekrut, and Bowhunter84 and got to meet several guys this season like Atoler, jellyhead11, Daggerz, and BentBarrel throughout the season. I give my season a solid 9 of 10.  Take the poacher out of the equation and I think N2deer and I both limit out with no problem on our lease.
"Some men are mere hunters; others are turkey hunters."
-- Archibald Rutledge
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658
4 point
|
|
4 point
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658 |
Sounds like I need to totally rethink how I am hunting. I'm clearly not doing something right. I'm going to see if I can't talk some more experienced friends into coming up next year and teaching me some new tricks.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658
4 point
|
|
4 point
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 658 |
I killed my limit in south covington county and mostly hunt public land. The first 3 weeks birds gobbled very well, which is typical until they get educated. Also seemed to gobble good to aggressive cutting and yelping up in the day, and once located, tone it down. 4 o my turkeys were taken after 10 am. O course alot of boot leather was burnt searching for those late day birds. All in all, a great season here in south bama, as i took my wife, son, and a few buddies on national forest and they also killed turkeys.Also heard alot of turkeys and from the jakes we saw througout the season, should be a good crop of gobbling 2 year olds next year MIke32, those birds you killed after 10AM - did they gobble or did you just sit down and call occasionally? if they gobbled, what did they respond to? A locator call or a hen call of some kind?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,613
8 point
|
|
8 point
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,613 |
I can't complain about my season. I only get to hunt weekends due to work. I have killed 3 and called in 1 more for a kid. All birds came in gobbling and strutting. They were killed at 7:15, 8:10, 9:00, and 5:00 in the afternoon. Should've had a few more dead but that's how it goes. They didn't gobble all that great, but I pretty much had a gobbling bird somewhere to hunt everyday. I got to share camp with my dad and meet some new folks as well. All in all a great season in my books.
If you're too busy to hunt or fish.... You're too busy
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,855 Likes: 42
Booner
|
|
Booner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 12,855 Likes: 42 |
One thing that I have noticed about hunters that consistently kill a limit - they tend to have multiple properties to hunt. Almost any tract of land will have down years. If you limit yourself to one area, you are likely going to have some bad years. I killed turkeys on 4 different tracts scattered over 3 counties.
IMO, the most important factor in Turkey hunting success is access to a lot of land that has turkeys.
All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489
Boo Boo Head
|
|
Boo Boo Head
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 38,489 |
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21
14 point
|
|
14 point
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 8,622 Likes: 21 |
One thing that I have noticed about hunters that consistently kill a limit - they tend to have multiple properties to hunt. Almost any tract of land will have down years. If you limit yourself to one area, you are likely going to have some bad years. I killed turkeys on 4 different tracts scattered over 3 counties.
IMO, the most important factor in Turkey hunting success is access to a lot of land that has turkeys. Exactly, that and having plenty of time to hunt
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 16,022
Old Mossy Horns
|
|
Old Mossy Horns
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 16,022 |
I agree. It's very difficult without options unless your just slap covered up in them.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 26,768 Likes: 174
Freak of Nature
|
|
Freak of Nature
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 26,768 Likes: 174 |
What, besides, the number of birds you killed, made it good? or should I say made it possible to kill the birds you did? Was is that numbers and gobbling were normal? That the turkeys acted normal, as in would gobble on the ground, or gobbled up in the day, and would respond to a call? Were you able to kill birds in the morning, or later in the day? That is, were most of your birds killed early or later? Were they killed in patches, or killed coming in and gobbling?
As you might guess from the topic, my year was terrible. It was mainly marked by little gobbling activity. What birds you did hear might gobble once or twice and that was it. Only one or two turkeys responded to a call the whole season. One thing I noticed a bunch of this year was hens - tons of hens.
I don't proclaim to be the best caller or turkey hunter, but I average around 3 turkeys a year for last 4-5 years after my first two years of starting to hunt, during which I only killed one. i've tried switching calls, not using locator calls, slipping in way before daylight, etc. It could be my calling, but seems unlikely, especially given that i've hunted with some other way better hunters than I am this year with the same experiences.
Thanks. There is years were you can do no wrong, then there are years where you can do nothing right it seems. It's the reason as to why hunting them is so fun and frustrating at the same time.
“Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it.” ― Ronald Reagan
|
|
|
|
|
