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Post by DUCKMASTER1 on Apr 30, 2012 21:49:30 GMT -5
Do you think that your luck out hunting this weekend will not be any good? I am going to try and get out, but just looking at others opinions.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 5:44:05 GMT -5
The season isn't over to the last afternoon. Toms will breed all through May and if the hens are recieving. The number of hens out and about is getting smaller everyday, so the hunting will be getting better.
The main problem this year is what happened two years ago with the hatch. The birds that your hunting this year are older, mainly because of less 2 year olds in the flock due to poor hatch rate. 3 year olds are hard to kill, some near impossible. You have to find the right bird and you'll have success. Keep trying.
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Post by oldhoyt on May 1, 2012 6:15:54 GMT -5
Heck no. Only takes a few seconds for a season to go from "slow" to over and done with. A turkey can walk by at any moment. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear gobbling.
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Post by omegahunter on May 1, 2012 6:50:11 GMT -5
Been out twice and not seen or heard any; not even seen any fresh scratching in the leaves. I think the turkeys have moved out of the woods I hunt.
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Post by MuzzleLoader on May 1, 2012 7:08:48 GMT -5
They are not gobbling at all on or off the roost. Calling should be every 15 mins or so, put out one hen decoy. Dont move, just stay put. They are coming in silent. Seems to be whats working for us.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 7:30:01 GMT -5
I'd recommend no decoy, and very little light calling. Try to locate areas that these gobblers want to be, and wait for one to come in close enough to purr and cluck. Yelping in frustration isn't working on these birds, they've seen it too many times before. Toms are often with hens, but are not breeding them at this point, instead using mainly for extra eyes and security. You'll see two or three toms hanging out together for the same reasons. This is a tough time to be a novice turkey hunter, and challenging for seasoned hunters as well.
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Post by HighCotton on May 1, 2012 8:27:01 GMT -5
Go for it Brian!!! I shot my biggest Tom to date last year on May 6th. I had been out on 5 previous hunts and hadn't seen or heard a single thing. I remember at one point texting my buddy, whitetail1, that I was about to shoot one of our decoys just to vent a lil bit!
The morning I shot this Tom, I had 5 different gobblers sound off within minutes. The only thing I did different on this hunt was: No decoys. Mobile the whole time. Practically jogging through the woods yelping like a crazy hen! Maybe not the safest, but I was in a hurry as I had less than an hour to hunt! Made a quick loop and landed back at our right-of-way where a big ole Tom was struttin' to a hen. Dropped him at 63 yds with Hevi-B!
So...Go for it and Good Luck!!!
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Post by Woody Williams on May 1, 2012 8:37:53 GMT -5
I killed my bird last year on the last day of the season. It ain't over till its over.
I'm hunting the edge of a field right now and have see a dozen turkeys including two nice toms. Closest they got was 100 yards.
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Post by oneshot on May 1, 2012 9:27:12 GMT -5
A friend killed a nice one this morning. .29mm spurs. He said he "came in on a string". So no if you haven't killed yet......the season is not over ....at least till Mothers day. Go for it.
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Post by schall53 on May 1, 2012 9:50:19 GMT -5
The nice one I shot this morning was in a footrace with 3 other longbeards. First a hen ran past me at a high rate of speed with her 4 escorts right on her tail. I didn't even have time to see which one was bigger, just picked one out and leveled him as he ran past at 20 yds.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 1, 2012 9:53:35 GMT -5
The nice one I shot this morning was in a footrace with 3 other longbeards. First a hen ran past me at a high rate of speed with her 4 escorts right on her tail. I didn't even have time to see which one was bigger, just picked one out and leveled him as he ran past at 20 yds. Don't you just love hunting "the rut"?
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Post by schall53 on May 1, 2012 10:33:49 GMT -5
You bet!! Exciting to say the least.
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Post by joeyb on May 1, 2012 11:45:14 GMT -5
Sat in the rain for 4 hours yesterday with no luck. Sat in same place a saw a nice Tom on Thursday last week. I wont stop until there is a bird in the freezer or season is over. Hunt the evenings.... Lot less pressure.
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Post by freedomhunter on May 1, 2012 12:02:45 GMT -5
going to be tough from here on out unless you have some two-year-old toms to work. It was close to over in Kentucky on opener but had several nice two-year-old birds between myself and friend got three of those, only one actually came to calling and dekes early afternoon. I can tell you in Owen County this morning there are a majority of hens, if not all, nesting and it has the predators out and the birds puny. I actually heard a hen get attacked on a nest this morning. Further south you go it will be tougher I was in Dubois Saturday and it was terrible quiet same for Parke on opening day been tough. I will hunt till the end but not much fun most days when it is like this.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 12:17:24 GMT -5
Try late afternoons. Read my thread titled "Two Really Hot Toms" from my experience on the Orange/Washington County line. That told me you still have a shot!
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Post by indianagooseman on May 1, 2012 15:44:19 GMT -5
I'd recommend no decoy, and very little light calling. Try to locate areas that these gobblers want to be, and wait for one to come in close enough to purr and cluck. Yelping in frustration isn't working on these birds, they've seen it too many times before. Toms are often with hens, but are not breeding them at this point, instead using mainly for extra eyes and security. You'll see two or three toms hanging out together for the same reasons. This is a tough time to be a novice turkey hunter, and challenging for seasoned hunters as well. 100% spot on Timex. I was fortunate enough to have time prior to season to pattern my birds. That information was invaluable in killing my bird because they would NOT come anywhere near a decoy or a call.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 17:25:48 GMT -5
I would hunt every day if I were you.
Try to find where the Turkeys are roosting, and set up there.
Find a good creek, river, or water source. Turkeys often like to roost near those places.
Just have patience, and set up near on a funnel or traveling zone, like a creek bottom, or a ridge top. Turkeys may naturally funnel through those places at any given time of the day.
They may come in to you silent. So if your in an area with a good number of turkeys, and you don't hear them gobbling, don't get discouraged, just sit there all day in a funnel zone, and a big Tom may walk withing shooting range.
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Post by DUCKMASTER1 on May 1, 2012 18:16:50 GMT -5
Well, I am not giving up! I am going to try hard to bag me one, and I appreciate your guys advice, I have hunted turkeys for 6 years, but not real hard , but determined to keep going and get one.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 19:10:46 GMT -5
You tagged out Bill? I would hunt every day if I were you. Try to find where the Turkeys are roosting, and set up there. Find a good creek, river, or water source. Turkeys often like to roost near those places. Just have patience, and set up near on a funnel or traveling zone, like a creek bottom, or a ridge top. Turkeys may naturally funnel through those places at any given time of the day. They may come in to you silent. So if your in an area with a good number of turkeys, and you don't hear them gobbling, don't get discouraged, just sit there all day in a funnel zone, and a big Tom may walk withing shooting range.
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Post by magnumgray on May 1, 2012 21:27:41 GMT -5
It is for me ..... I tagged out at 2:23 thisafternoon .... as soon as a big storm passed by I took off for the woods. The landowner said he had heard a couple of gobbles across the road. I drove about 400 yards down the road and hit an aluminum call and heard a gobble a long way off ... went and parked 1/4 mile down the road and pulled on my camo and boots. I called again coming down the road then headed up an old log road ..... gobble real close .... and turkey came right down the road at me .... it was elf defense
THese birds are getting worn out ,,,, 2 year old and barely weighed 18 pounds .... there wasn't any fat on this bird .....too much hen chasing ..... A friend has been seeing groups of toms that looked like batchlor flocks alread
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