Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Where is everybody hunting this spring and when are you getting started? 

For me, things get rolling on April 9th in Arizona.
Next up is New Mexico on my home turf starting April 15th.  NM is a two-bird state, so I will probably string out hunting here as long as I can (I also have my hat in the drawings for a couple of other "special opportunity" bonus hunts here in NM, which could add another couple of gobblers here if I was to get extremely lucky in those drawings).
I might run up to Colorado for a few days around the first of May (but that is real iffy).
Around May 10th, I am headed to South Dakota with plans to hit Nebraska either before or after.  If SD goes as planned and time allows, I may grab a Wyoming permit since it will be right next door.

Predictions for my season:  I suppose if all was to go perfectly, I could end up with the possibility of eleven gobblers in all those plans, but based on my past performance, I would think maybe four or five would be a more realistic goal.  Most or all of those birds are going to be Merriam's and Rio/Merriam's hybrids, which means that I am not likely to help the team score much in the contest. 

I will mainly be giving "attaboys" to the rest of the team to keep us out of the cellar on the team scoring chart.   Regardless, I will try to do my part in giving the other teams the "yo' momma" treatment!   ;D

Tennessee starting April 16th. Trying to squeak out enough time to go rio hunting in Texas. Most of my job is procurement and with the shortages of building materials my work load has increased dramatically. 

Quote from: GobbleNut on March 03, 2022, 08:45:32 AM
Where is everybody hunting this spring and when are you getting started? 

For me, things get rolling on April 9th in Arizona.
Next up is New Mexico on my home turf starting April 15th.  NM is a two-bird state, so I will probably string out hunting here as long as I can (I also have my hat in the drawings for a couple of other "special opportunity" bonus hunts here in NM, which could add another couple of gobblers here if I was to get extremely lucky in those drawings).
I might run up to Colorado for a few days around the first of May (but that is real iffy).
Around May 10th, I am headed to South Dakota with plans to hit Nebraska either before or after.  If SD goes as planned and time allows, I may grab a Wyoming permit since it will be right next door.

Predictions for my season:  I suppose if all was to go perfectly, I could end up with the possibility of eleven gobblers in all those plans, but based on my past performance, I would think maybe four or five would be a more realistic goal.  Most or all of those birds are going to be Merriam's and Rio/Merriam's hybrids, which means that I am not likely to help the team score much in the contest. 

I will mainly be giving "attaboys" to the rest of the team to keep us out of the cellar on the team scoring chart.   Regardless, I will try to do my part in giving the other teams the "yo' momma" treatment!   ;D

What part of New Mexico? I used to live in Cloud Croft.

Quote from: reflexl on March 03, 2022, 08:51:29 AM
What part of New Mexico? I used to live in Cloud Croft.

Wow, what a coincidence!  I live in Las Cruces and actually have property between Cloudcroft and Mayhill.  How long ago did you live in Cloudcroft?  We might have crossed paths at some point! 

Back in the 70s. My cousin used to own the Chevy dealership in Alamogordo. My dad was stationed at MacGregor Range. Loved eating at La Posta in Las Cruces. One of my uncles owned Edwards Auto Parts in Anthony for over 30 years. Lived in El Paso too.

Living in Maine now after 35 years in New Mexico. My season starts with a trip back to New Mexico in late April and hopefully meet up with GobbleNut for a beer or two if we can manage to coordinate. He naps a lot, so we'll see.  ;D  From there I'll fly to western Massachusetts to hunt with a long time buddy.  After that, the Maine season opens and New Hampshire is less than two hours away.  Based on recent history, better than even odds I'll kill a turkey.

Season opens in Mid April for me. Have a couple states I and the boy will hunt and a couple friends I will try to get gobblers. I have enough tags that I don't have any excuses(yet). Anymore I ain't to concerned with being the shooter. I enjoy getting others on one about as much as myself.

I'll be in East TN hunting the Cherokee national forest. :fud:

I'll be starting mid April in Md., have a couple of states lined up.

just finished a late turkey hunt several weeks ago, squirrels just ended, still have crows and groundhogs to hunt in the meanwhile

I'll hunt a mixture of old, older and even older guns

My Season will open April 9th in Arizona... with Gobblenut!

Arpil 15th I head to MX. Should time allow between hunts I have arrangements in NV.

The rest of the season I will be playing in WA and/or OR and/or BC... who knows could get crazy and hunt ID or MT.

Got a bit of news at work yesterday that I could be relocating to a new job (again work in Construction Management) so that will play a heavy factor in what I get to or don't get to do after MX.

Quote from: crow on March 03, 2022, 10:09:13 PM
I'll be starting mid April in Md., have a couple of states lined up.

just finished a late turkey hunt several weeks ago, squirrels just ended, still have crows and groundhogs to hunt in the meanwhile

I'll hunt a mixture of old, older and even older guns

I am going to use some antiques as well. 1936 model 12, 1928 Lefever double and 1948 Model 42. Also a H&R Huntsman black powder shotgun and in the process of buying an original flintlock fowling piece.

Start in Ky mid April, then home in Ohio a week later and to South Dakota mid May. I hope in all that driving I can pick up at least one road kill somewhere.

Quote from: reflexl on March 04, 2022, 08:20:24 AM

Quote from: crow on March 03, 2022, 10:09:13 PM
I'll be starting mid April in Md., have a couple of states lined up.

just finished a late turkey hunt several weeks ago, squirrels just ended, still have crows and groundhogs to hunt in the meanwhile

I'll hunt a mixture of old, older and even older guns

I am going to use some antiques as well. 1936 model 12, 1928 Lefever double and 1948 Model 42. Also a H&R Huntsman black powder shotgun and in the process of buying an original flintlock fowling piece.

I was looking at your guns, nice ones.
What gauge is the fowler?


I have a Rev. war era smoothbore I hunt with sometimes, it has a Charleville barrel that feels like somebody may have jug choked at some time.

for the last several years I've mainly hunted with a 1950's savage 20 ga. single, with tss it will kill a gobbler farther than I'll shoot one.

once in a while I hunt with a 1880's blackpowder shotshell hammer gun. it's not choked heavy so your limited on distance but still fun to hunt with, just have to watch your setups, last gobbler with it was in an area with steep ridges, was 27yds when he popped up on top

picked up a 1921 Greener sxs last summer and still refining some loads for it, wish all sxs's were regulated as good as it its


I can't keep up with all these threads, hope this isn't Happy's anti gun/have fun thread  :TooFunny:

 Gonna kick off the season in Florida in a couple of weeks. Then home to Pa to wait for the season opener on April 30th. Still trying to put together an out of state hunt in mid April, but it's not looking good right now. Either way I'll do my best to contribute a bird to the GOATS scoreboard.

go get em Randy and put us on the board. If you need help with posting pics let me know and I'll help. I think you said you hadn't posted pics before, right.

  Thanks eggshell.

  I can use Tapatalk, so if I'm lucky enough to find a 1/2 blind, tone deaf, gobbler with a deathwish, that stands still long enough for me to shoot him, I'll try that first.

Quote from: randy6471 on March 05, 2022, 06:55:37 AM
Gonna kick off the season in Florida in a couple of weeks. Then home to Pa to wait for the season opener on April 30th. Still trying to put together an out of state hunt in mid April, but it's not looking good right now. Either way I'll do my best to contribute a bird to the GOATS scoreboard.

Randy, What area of PA is home?

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Last 3 seasons I've kicked my season off in western MD on public, I had brief thoughts trying to substitute KY or VA for something new but it's more likely that scheduling won't line up and I will just try and grab a few mornings back in MD to get my pre-May fix.

From there its bouncing back and forth between PA and NY before heading to NH with my father.

I'm in the middle of changing companies so I don't really know just how busy I'll be yet. I'm in cost accounting and was working for a defense contractor and am making a switch to a company in the firearms industry. I'm 95% remote though so there's a little wiggle room for hunting mornings and working as long as I can attain decent enough wifi or cellular signal.

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Quote from: TauntoHawk on March 05, 2022, 11:07:56 AM

Quote from: randy6471 on March 05, 2022, 06:55:37 AM
Gonna kick off the season in Florida in a couple of weeks. Then home to Pa to wait for the season opener on April 30th. Still trying to put together an out of state hunt in mid April, but it's not looking good right now. Either way I'll do my best to contribute a bird to the GOATS scoreboard.

Randy, What area of PA is home?

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Home for me is Northeast Pa.

I'll be in the swamps of Florida a week from next Monday.  Then mid April here in West Virginia.
Starting to get my gear together now.

Just mailed my slip in for NV so as long as Gobblenut and I can find a bird with enough time before MX, I'll be taking a run up there to try for a turkey for sure now.

SIDE NOTE: If any of you are off-season trout bums with some know with all in the NE my buddy moved to MA and wants to pick up fly fishing. I taught him some while he was here out West but now he's thinking it may become his hobby. Don't worry I'm working on the turkey conversion too. Anyways was curious about good all around rod size for chasing trout up there. In WA I know I would tell ya as a beginner to get a 8'-6"/9' 5wt because we have room to back cast and have some bigger water with good size native rainbows and cutties but up in the NE there dont know if you would want to step down to like a 4 wt or even a 3 wt and maybe a shorter stick?

Quote from: avidnwoutdoorsman on March 12, 2022, 01:32:53 PM
Just mailed my slip in for NV so as long as Gobblenut and I can find a bird with enough time before MX, I'll be taking a run up there to try for a turkey for sure now.

SIDE NOTE: If any of you are off-season trout bums with some know with all in the NE my buddy moved to MA and wants to pick up fly fishing. I taught him some while he was here out West but now he's thinking it may become his hobby. Don't worry I'm working on the turkey conversion too. Anyways was curious about good all around rod size for chasing trout up there. In WA I know I would tell ya as a beginner to get a 8'-6"/9' 5wt because we have room to back cast and have some bigger water with good size native rainbows and cutties but up in the NE there dont know if you would want to step down to like a 4 wt or even a 3 wt and maybe a shorter stick?

Where in MA?  I grew up in Western MA and have fly fished since I was about 15 and still have a bunch of hard core flyfishing friends there.   An 8' or 8'6" 4 wt would be a good all around start for dry flies there, but somewhat depends on what waters he is most likely to fish.  For me it was the Swift and Westfield branches, Deerfield, and Farmington mostly.  For nymphing I like a longer rod.

Quote from: Rapscallion Vermilion on March 12, 2022, 02:58:31 PM

Quote from: avidnwoutdoorsman on March 12, 2022, 01:32:53 PM
Just mailed my slip in for NV so as long as Gobblenut and I can find a bird with enough time before MX, I'll be taking a run up there to try for a turkey for sure now.

SIDE NOTE: If any of you are off-season trout bums with some know with all in the NE my buddy moved to MA and wants to pick up fly fishing. I taught him some while he was here out West but now he's thinking it may become his hobby. Don't worry I'm working on the turkey conversion too. Anyways was curious about good all around rod size for chasing trout up there. In WA I know I would tell ya as a beginner to get a 8'-6"/9' 5wt because we have room to back cast and have some bigger water with good size native rainbows and cutties but up in the NE there dont know if you would want to step down to like a 4 wt or even a 3 wt and maybe a shorter stick?

Where in MA?  I grew up in Western MA and have fly fished since I was about 15 and still have a bunch of hard core flyfishing friends there.   An 8' or 8'6" 4 wt would be a good all around start for dry flies there, but somewhat depends on what waters he is most likely to fish.  For me it was the Swift and Westfield branches, Deerfield, and Farmington mostly.  For nymphing I like a longer rod.

He's in Hadley so close to Deerfield. Just moved there a couple months ago. Been on the West coast his whole life. I'm sure he'd be open to new friends too... maybe could connect him with one of your old friends...


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I'm here. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220317/aef14f5c02ad5521860fb379c80e2204.jpg)

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 :icon_thumright: looks good

I'm here, or there depending on you perspective
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51945087509_877804d011.jpg)

Man this is quiet around here, I am getting antsy waiting to see this train leave the station. I think we're all starting about the same time, so those suckers on other teams who think they're smoking us are in for some anguish very soon.

The timer is counting down for me to hunt. I get to start be serious tomorrow morning with guiding a wheeling Sportsman hunt for the next two days. I won't be carrying a gun, but it counts a whole bunch to me. I really want to see a bird in the dirt for my hunter.

Saturday April 16th is Ky. opener and I am not sure if I will hunt it, but I will be in Ky. April 18,19 &20. Then Ohio opens April 23 and finally Black Hills Mid May.   :fud: :OGani:

I still have a little over a week to go but I am really itchin to hunt. Have plenty of scouting still to do so it will be nice to be in the woods now that the weather is starting to break. I like to keep a low profile the first week or two of season till after the part timers wear themselves out.

I have been out before work this week and have' heard a gobble. I have seen it turn completely around in one day before. I pulled out some of my new calls and the Sway Cornelius glass pots are amazing. It doesn't get anymore real turkey than those two.

Quote from: Happy on April 08, 2022, 07:13:10 AM
I still have a little over a week to go but I am really itchin to hunt. Have plenty of scouting still to do so it will be nice to be in the woods now that the weather is starting to break. I like to keep a low profile the first week or two of season till after the part timers wear themselves out.

If you hunt with half of the patience you had explaining technology to me you should tag out in 1 and 1/3rd of a day

Ha! It ain't usually that easy for me around here. Kinda glad it isn't. I am really looking forward to some time in the woods. I look forward to my first turkey hunt of the year like a kid looks forward to Christmas.

Quote from: crow on April 08, 2022, 11:00:27 AM

Quote from: Happy on April 08, 2022, 07:13:10 AM
I still have a little over a week to go but I am really itchin to hunt. Have plenty of scouting still to do so it will be nice to be in the woods now that the weather is starting to break. I like to keep a low profile the first week or two of season till after the part timers wear themselves out.

If you hunt with half of the patience you had explaining technology to me you should tag out in 1 and 1/3rd of a day

Blessed with patience. I worked the dinosaur bird for 4 hours.
(https://i.imgur.com/m4bn7Nf.jpg)

Nice gobbler, looks like he hangs out on a rocky ridge

With the spur caps gone they were still 1 3/8". 28lbs 7oz. Scars all over from fighting. His head was huge. Very old bird. He was tough to kill.

Opens Saturday. Weather was supposed to be perfect now we have a 74% chance of severe thunderstorms. Not good.

We open Monday.  The weather looks like it is choosing the turkey's side this year.  :character0029: :character0029:

Starting in Ky tomorrow

Season opens Monday but holding off for a bit as the weather is not looking good. If I am gonna burn work days it ain't gonna be in bad weather.

Good luck and safe hunting guys. We got another couple weeks before our season opens here.