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Post by hunter7x on May 13, 2012 17:14:41 GMT -5
Well first off please read my kill thread from yesterday. But on top of that I drove around my block this morning at dawn and saw 3 strutters in a 4 mile ride! And I don't live in a high bird area. Central Miami co.
I've killed more indiana birds the last weekend than all other season dates combined.
Timex posted an excellent read a while back about the different phases of turkey breeding and it is right on the money. Our Warm spring had nothing to do with it.
I hope u all had a productive season. I know I learned a lot.
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Post by freedomhunter on May 14, 2012 4:57:06 GMT -5
Too many factors to make absolutes, a lot of it depends on location and population, it was over early many places south especially if mostly older birds around
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2012 5:22:18 GMT -5
Not really.....because of the fact that hens will renest if they loose their first clutch or even second batch. This keeps the breeding phase going well past the time most people say it's over. A month from now, you'll still be able to hear gobblers sounding off and see them in full strut with a hen or two without poults. Another fact is that some turkeys, mostly those that are older than 2 years, are nearly unkillable because their desire to breed is weaker than their desire to stay alive. They do have great instincts and do learn from past mistakes and what has allowed them to live through yet another season. In other words, it's never over until the season goes out, but you still have to find a bird that can be killed, no matter how you prefer to hunt.
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Post by bowhunterjohn on May 14, 2012 6:06:00 GMT -5
Like deer hunting I think later in the season I see more big toms out.
I got my buddy a nice tom last wednesday. We heard not one gobble at a place where they gobble their heads off. Went to look in the field behind the woods I hunt and BAM, 8 birds, 6 jakes and 2 strutters having a strut off contest LOL
Took them about 10 minutes to cover 300 yards but we got one of the strutters
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Post by freedomhunter on May 14, 2012 6:28:28 GMT -5
Not really.....because of the fact that hens will renest if they loose their first clutch or even second batch. This keeps the breeding phase going well past the time most people say it's over. A month from now, you'll still be able to hear gobblers sounding off and see them in full strut with a hen or two without poults. Another fact is that some turkeys, mostly those that are older than 2 years, are nearly unkillable because their desire to breed is weaker than their desire to stay alive. They do have great instincts and do learn from past mistakes and what has allowed them to live through yet another season. In other words, it's never over until the season goes out, but you still have to find a bird that can be killed, no matter how you prefer to hunt. yes, easy to be a rock star all season if you can keep on kamikaze two year old gobblers probably had ten of them to play with in kentucky like taking candy from a baby |
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2012 17:31:07 GMT -5
Turkeys will breed for a very long time every season. However when it is warm, and thick that can make for some bad hunting.
If it's thick and green you can't hear Turkeys gobbling as well, you may misjudge a Turkeys distance when you do hear it gobbling, you may not be able to get a good clean shot at a bird through the thick/green vegatation.
In most states the number of Turkeys taken during the last few days of season is WAY less than the number of turkeys taken during the first few days of season.
In KY this year, nearly 25,000 Turkeys were taken during the 1st 10 days of season. After that only about 8,000 Turkeys were taken during the last few weeks of season. This is usually the case in KY and most other states.
I personally have taken Turkeys on the last weekend of season, so it can be done.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2012 17:43:07 GMT -5
Bill, this isn't true. In past years, the last weekend has always been the second highest weekend of the season. Some of this is no doubt guys making previously taken turkeys legal with a confirmation number. This year, poor weather, particularly rain slowed it down a bunch, but that is not always the case.
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Post by Ahawkeye on May 17, 2012 9:31:36 GMT -5
I really belive there are a couple of reasons turkey numbers fall off during the later part of the season. The guys that shoot one in the begining aren't going to hunt because they can't. I'd say that about half of the guys that don't shoot a bird give up so you're looking at a lot fewer hunters. Killing a bird in the last week is the same as killing one on the first day in my opinion you just have to find a bird that wants to play or stay patient and wait one out on a field. Sometimes it's easier said than done but that's how I see it.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 17, 2012 9:35:57 GMT -5
I really belive there are a couple of reasons turkey numbers fall off during the later part of the season. The guys that shoot one in the begining aren't going to hunt because they can't. I'd say that about half of the guys that don't shoot a bird give up so you're looking at a lot fewer hunters. Killing a bird in the last week is the same as killing one on the first day in my opinion you just have to find a bird that wants to play or stay patient and wait one out on a field. Sometimes it's easier said than done but that's how I see it. Agreed... Some hunters get burned out. That getting up at 3 am XX mornings in a row gets old.. I've killed turkeys the first day of the season, the middle of the season and the very last day of the season.. |
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Post by Woody Williams on May 17, 2012 10:01:33 GMT -5
BTW - I went up to pull mine and Woodmasters blinds yesterday. On the way up I saw a strutter in a field all by himself. I stopped to glass him and he took off running. He was a good 300 yards away, so vehicles do bothers them....sometimes, maybe....  |
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Post by Greenedog on May 17, 2012 10:46:28 GMT -5
I live in NW Greene County and the last 4 days of season was the most action I had seen/heard since March. I killed mine Friday at 4:30pm and my oldest boy got his at 6:30pm Sunday. Talk about cutting it close!  Both birds strutted up to a lone hen decoy. Chase's bird....21# 10.5" Beard 3/4" Spurs  |
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2012 11:17:57 GMT -5
Of course the numbers in the last part of the season will often drop off in states with 2 or 3 bird limits also.
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2012 16:25:21 GMT -5
Duh......you might consider that about 25% of the hunters are successful on killing one turkey. Then about 10% of that number will kill the second bird. Most years its the same 10% doing the doubling up.
It has nothing at all to do with the timing of the season, or if its greened up, more so the number of hunters in the field. That number is always lower as the season goes on.
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Post by rabbit on May 17, 2012 21:01:28 GMT -5
All I'm going to say is I'm about as far south as you can get in Indiana and for the last 3 years I have not herd a bird in this county during season or killed a bird! Before season they are every where and gobble at anything! By the first weekend of season nothing! I do see birds but nothing strutting or paying attention to calls! I even found 2 week old poults early in the season! The local check station had a great first day then almost nothing!
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2012 21:08:49 GMT -5
That's weird....HCS, LLC has hosted the Campbell's Outdoor Turkey Challenge for several years and there was always a lot of turkey killed in the area of Tell City. Killed a few there myself. Great turkey country in that area.
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Post by dbd870 on May 18, 2012 8:07:13 GMT -5
It was that way here this year. I didn't even go out.
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Post by rabbit on May 24, 2012 12:22:03 GMT -5
That's weird....HCS, LLC has hosted the Campbell's Outdoor Turkey Challenge for several years and there was always a lot of turkey killed in the area of Tell City. Killed a few there myself. Great turkey country in that area. Cambell's get to hunt the first 3 days of season! I haven't the last several years! Local check station said they had a record number of birds the first couple days! After that they were few and far between! |
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Both birds strutted up to a lone hen decoy.
