Jamie and I had a hell of an exciting hunt on Saturday morning to finish up the season. After what went on Thursday, I came up with a new plan of action that nearly resulted in Jamie's first bird. We came in from the backside this time and ended up in the lap of 3 gobblers, but again all of them had hens roosting with them. After they dropped out of the tree, we had one long beard and two hens come down the fenceline and nearly in to our laps. Problem was Jamie was facing the logging road coming down the hillside on our side of the fence. Had he been facing the clearing on the other side of the fence, it would have been over in 10 minutes at less than 20 yards. The birds turned in to the woods after getting in to view and literally walked through the brush 20 yards from us. At one point, we had 3 gobblers just below a little roll in the hillside gobbling away less than 30 yards from our decoys. I had one hen cutting up a storm and was battling her until she shut up, but I never could get those gobblers to come up the rise far enough to see the dekes. At one point, they were in the brush 30 yards off, but we couldn't see them. We made a move and busted one hen from the group, but the talking was almost done at that point. We managed to get on another set of birds and I shut that hen up right quick, but the gobbler with her followed her directly away from us. While not resulting in a kill, it was still a fun morning. We found a hell of a setup we planned to hit Sunday, but ended up drinking beer around the fire until 1AM and said fugg it...
I went on 8 hunts this spring and worked 33 birds in the process. I missed one at 12 steps and saw something in the 6 birds in full strut I may never see again. It really got me thinking about my turkey hunting and how I want to put some more in to it next spring. I found some great spots this year and I learned a ton! It was easily the best spring of my short turkey hunting career and it helped stoke the fire for next year!!!
I went on 8 hunts this spring and worked 33 birds in the process. I missed one at 12 steps and saw something in the 6 birds in full strut I may never see again. It really got me thinking about my turkey hunting and how I want to put some more in to it next spring. I found some great spots this year and I learned a ton! It was easily the best spring of my short turkey hunting career and it helped stoke the fire for next year!!!
Great ending to your season Jesse! Sounds awesome.
What I learned about turkey hunting this year? You cannot kill what is not there. Turkey hunting sucks if you don't have access to the properties the turkeys are residing.
What I learned about turkey hunting this year? You cannot kill what is not there. Turkey hunting sucks if you don't have access to the properties the turkeys are residing.
Longdraw
Junior Member
Amen to that. I had a gobbler very close Sunday morning, but he would not cross the creek. My main plan for next year is to get permission next door!
I will not complain. I put in some time. I put in a ton of scouting and attempting to roost birds. I had them there a month before season in full strut. Season comes in and I started to see them a few miles down the road. No explanation from this guy. I am just starting to learn about it. All I knew for a fact was I did not have permission where they were. We have pockets of turkeys around here. Where you see them you see a dozen or so quite often. The pockets will eventually fill in and I will get a better opportunity at them. It just wasn't in the cards this year. No complaints. It is what it is. Just a bit of a let down given the birds I heard gobbling while coyote hunting the month prior. lmao
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I have seen many reports mid month of poults. A turkey will typically lay a dozen eggs or so.. 1 a day for 12 days Incubation for hatch is 28 days. If we do the math this tells me primary breeding for Turks was the beginning to mid April. Like always Ohio season came in well after the majority of hens were done. In essence we caught the "2nd rut" for those hens with failed nests etc. explains why the Turks seemingly shut off like a light the las two weeks of season.
It seems like it just depended on the area you were hunting. One weekend I hunted up in logan county and they were shut up. The next weekend (last weekend)I told ya where we went and we heard more gobbling sat and sun than we had heard since the first couple days of season. I mean sat morning I bet I heard a 1000 gobbles easily. It was the strangest turkey season I've hunted yet. The 80 degree days in early march sure through things off. Were gonna pay for it either this summer or winter guaranteed...
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I want a early, cold ass, snowy, down right shitty winter. Screw this sweating like a pig hunting the rut in november stuff we've had the past couple seasons. Myself personally. I would give up October if I could hunt February.
Wouldn't break my heart either. Not in regards to the hunting, but in general, snow makes me smile. lmao
I agree with JD 100% as well. We are going to pay for this sooner or later.
December 21st isnt far away....
OK, I don't believe that crap but if we soon don't get some rain here things are going to get off to a bad start this summer. I planted all my corn and food plots 2 weekends ago and there hasn't been a single drop of rain since.....fuck!
OK, I don't believe that crap but if we soon don't get some rain here things are going to get off to a bad start this summer. I planted all my corn and food plots 2 weekends ago and there hasn't been a single drop of rain since.....fuck!
I am not worried about the Mayan calender either if that is what you are referring to. I just think we are in a pocket that isn't getting the rain. Talked to my cousin in SE Ky last Sunday and she said they have had tons of rain all spring. Same goes for my buddy in Nashville. Talked to another cousin in Franklin, NC last weekend as well. He said they are hoping the rains stop soon. Last year Texas saw one of the worst droughts (if not THE worst) in history. Just hit and miss in my opinion. I will agree though, we definitely need some rain in NW Ohio.
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Yep, it sure was a wet one! Most farmers in my area here in Warren Co. didn't get alot of their fields planted. They just planted radishes or left their fields alone. The farmer I hunt on didn't get his beans out till around the 4th of July.
yotehunter
Member
It is getting close, seen over 40 the other day. Seems like the are still bunched up around here. I'm getting pumped.
Huckleberry Finn
Senior Member
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That one to the left almost looks like its set up as a decoy and the others are coming into it.