Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs How was your season?

I hate that it is over, but I had a fun and productive season. Got my AL limit and was in on several more AL kills with friends and family. Was able to spend a week in the upper Midwest in 3 different states a couple of weeks ago to cap it off. Had good luck there as well with me and my travel partner each killing in all three states. I will have to say I have been on the train of running into increased pressure in both new and familiar ground over the last couple of years across the U.S. However, I did not experience that this year which was encouraging. May have just been luck or a fluke, but encouraging, nonetheless. I saw two other hunters over 7 mornings and they were in the same vehicle and were out of staters for the state I was in. I hope each of you had a safe and productive year and I have already been looking at maps and draw dates to plan for next year. It's a sickness but I sure do love it!

Watched 14 gobblers die this past season.

Good year! Two here in Ms. and had several more in range I just couldn't pull it off! Our group of 5 all filled tags in Missouri! Need to add a few more states next season!

I only got to hunt 6 hunts before heart surgery on 4/1. So i missed most of season!!

Fooled with birds 3 of 6 days. Other 3 hunts heard zip! Killed 2 and called other 2 gobbs amd hen in on 3rd hunt i worked birds and they busted me. Very short season but grateful to kill few

I killed six and let some walk to kill another day.

Only got to play the game one good time and that was when dad and I doubled on opening day. After that got wrapped up in dealing with all the cancer treatment stuff and the few times I got to go were all crap weather or silent/no birds.

So far a Rio, an Osceola and 3 easterns. Have a couple day hunt next week so maybe get a chance at another one.

Hunted for the first 10 days prolly 7-8 hunts. Killed 4, wounded one and called one for a buddy. Tied up with work/ kids and didn’t get to go out of state this year. Great time but short lol

Didnt go

Sounds like you need to get up a lil earlier… lol

Why is everyone talking numbers? Seems like a good way to miss out on opportunity. Reduced bag limits or someone leasing your ground out from under you or finding your public land spots.

Had a fun season as always. Got on gobbling birds early in the season followed by A lot of silence later in the season. Killed on my own land and on public. Satisfied

Several in Texas and didn’t have time here never even got my clothes out again and actually didn’t miss it. I’ve killed many and it’s a lot of time and work so wasn’t up to it here at home. Just ain’t mad like I use to be maybe it’s a getting older thing

Sorry I offended you with the post. Certainly wasn’t trying to create a numbers game. Just trying to create some conversation and see how the turkeys/hunters fared across the landscape.

Killed #4 on March 29'th. Took a kid on April 11th and connected by 7:30 and never went in the woods again. No out of state trips this year.... too busy.

Hunted 5 states. Felt like the turkeys numbers are improving in all of them vs past 5 years. Hunted around 35 mornings. This was my 7 year olds first season on the gun and he had an excellent season including his first national forest gobbler…..killed a few miles from where I shot my first turkey.

Not offended in the least, I just learned early on not to discuss specific numbers. I’ve seen it around here locally too much with guys leasing a honey hole, bragging about numbers, then the next year they don’t have it for one reason or another. Best to be low profile and vague.

My wife listened to me give detailed instructions on where a gobbling turkey was roosting. How he typically flew into the field and how I thought he could be killed. First thing she said was "why are you sending that poor fellow on a wild goose chase?"

Haven't seen a turkey, not sure what a gobble sounds like and maybe I will be lucky enough to kill one of these rare birds again!

Good season.

Had some good, bad and great hunts

Hunted with some buddies, had a great time.

saw some beautiful sunrises, mornings and stomped some beautiful woods

I feel blessed to have been able to enjoy the season hope and pray to see another

Season Stats for ole Nightwatchman

Birds called up: Lost count
Birds killed: Not telling
Birds shot at and missed: 5(that number is accurate I am not playing about that)
Birds my 5 year old busted because he is a kid and cant sit still: 3
Fun had: the most I can possibly have with my clothes on
Here is a pic of the scoreboard on a particularly devastating morning wherein I had just missed my very first Merriam's and everyone was VERY angry at me:





Lots of things seemed to come together for me this year. I learned a lot. I am typically a 1 bird per year type guy but this year I really hit my stride. called up several birds for both myself and friends and family.

I am going to have to do something different when it comes to actually taking a shot. As in maybe learn to judge distances a little better or actually pull the damn rangefinder out of my vest and use it. I missed 5 different birds. Missing birds sucks but It doesn't make me any less thankful. I am grateful to the Lord to get to experience another year.

Great season. Had some success, some failures. Loved every opportunity that I got to enjoy the outdoors. Left plenty of birds on my place for next year and continue to improve the habitat for nesting and brooding.

Light years better than last year, even with a fraction of the hunting time available with the new job. All of the single/scared 2 year olds and huge gangs of jakes from last year were a year older and turkey hunting was a blast in TN & AL.

A road cam has been showing 3 jakes! Trapped them coons!!

Tdog you got any openings?

Best season for me and the boys in a long while. We all had a strong season here, then finished out with a trip across the country. My last hunt of the year was a 6.4 mile jaunt up and down the front range of the Rockies. I died 3 times and ate tag soup on that one, but it was still glorious. Got to see both my boys tag Merriams there, and we all three killed Rios, or more likely hybrids, on the way across. Gonna be a long wait until we can do it again.

Good stuff CD. Glad you had a good season. Can’t wait until my son is old enough to tag along with me

3Bailey - you would only want to inquire about Clarke deer and i not feeling great about having big shooters but i may. I was fortunate to do as well as did in turkey - been decades since i had good turkey
My camden deer spot has sucked for 4-5 years. Neighbor doing something drastic. I will hunt my place to best hunt the place - not gonna line hunt to screw a neighbor. Guy in here was beating me up for info on it and showed me a common deer - he may be my camden neighnor 🤣🤣

And clarke 256 only hunts like a 150 so prob keep one family show w me and stepson and he only go 1/year prob

Had a lot of fun exploring new parts of the country, but overall very slim on gobbling. Didn’t hear a bird, more than half the days I hunted.

What state is that?

a lot of two year olds that enjoyed gobbling and dying this year. Didn't see as many jakes as last year though.

Idk, but I love it.

Ditto.

One and done. First time I had hunted in 12 years. I got it done in 10 minutes. Never had the desire to go back. Maybe if I hadn’t sealed the deal so fast I would have been more excited.

I enjoyed the walks and long sits in the woods. I enjoyed hearing the cardinals, quail, and other song birds. I enjoyed not being at work. What I didn’t enjoy was the turkeys reminding me that I stink at turkey hunting.

First time I went I missed one before 7. Second day watched one strut for an hour with hens and had another one going crazy on the other side of the hill but didn't want to spook the strutter.
The next 10 trips either didn't hear a thing, or they were on the neighbor.
This was the first time in about 25 years I actually tried and I really enjoyed it.

For the first time in 30 years I’ve been off the entire turkey season for nearly all the 49 states that offer a season. I took full advantage of it and truly enjoyed my season. It was some tough hunting and I had to work hard for the opportunities that came my way. I learned a lot and got to share the woods with some friends I don’t typically get to hunt with. I’m thankful the good lord let me see another season!

Add one to my post. Eastern.

Heard not a sound on opening day.

Next time I was able to hunt was April 11, when my first cuts and yelps on a box call were immediately answered by what turned out to be three gobblers who came walking up the dirt road. I let the first one get past me and shot the second one at about 30 yards. Never got a good look at #3. Dead bird had 10" beard, ⅞" spurs, and weighed 19 pounds. The whole thing from start to finish was perhaps fifteen minutes at most. My first turkey in three years, and ~10th or 12th lifetime.

The only other time I got out was three or four days before close of season when I only heard one single faint distant gobble.

So this season I'm batting .333 which in baseball would put me in the Hall of Fame!