I'm taking off work the majority of the season this year. I always hit Mississippi (my home state) and Missouri. I'd like to add another state or two to the trip this year. I'm pretty set on Tennessee. Other options are Kansas, Indiana, or Kentucky. This will be an all public land hunt. Any advice or pointers would be helpful. Also if anyone is looking into coming to hunt Mississippi public land I can point you in the right direction. Either pm me or open chat. Thanks guys
My question to you is, Do you have your Slam and are you interested in getting it? If you are Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska would be prime candidates since you already have your Eastern. Rios in All 4 states and Merriams in Nebraska or maybe South Dakota. Any of these states have different terrain and are beautiful with a good population of birds. Also since each state starts at different times, you can start in your home state of Mississippi and work your way north over a couple of months. Good luck with your planning and keep us posted with some Pics.
I don't have the slam yet, but I do have the Osceola and eastern under my belt. Not really interested in the slam like I once was. Not saying I wouldn't mind giving it a try but not just heart set on it as of right now. I'm really wanting to try Kansas but I'm move of a timber hunter than open land guy if that makes sense.
Understand. Stay east of the Miss then. Tennessee, Virginia, NC (my home state), along the Appalachian Mountains has plenty of National Forest and mountainous woody terrain. You can go north from there and have a couple of months to hunt the farther north you go.
I've seriously thought hard on North Carolina. Not sure to hit the western or eastern side of the state
Video it and put it on YouTube. Show gate numbers etc. It will give me something to read next year. Good luck which ever direction you go. Safe travels!
If you're looking hard at Kansas, their Wildlife Dept has a fairly extensive Walk in land access.(Private land that the public may hunt.) I've hunted Eastern birds in Northeast KS before on these properties with success. I would check out the Walk in Atlas. There is apparently good Rio hunting to be had elsewhere In KS. From a buddy I know in KS, while you most definitely can get on birds, the numbers are down.
Can't go wrong with Tennessee in my opinion.
Quote from: slave601 on February 16, 2021, 01:55:20 PM
I've seriously thought hard on North Carolina. Not sure to hit the western or eastern side of the state
Plenty of turkeys in Northeast NC.
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I have had good hunts in Indiana on public, only problem is a single bird limit!
Let me know if you have any question about IN I will help if I can.
Kansas and Kentucky are going to be destination states for a ton of non-residents this year due to last year's cease on selling non-resident licenses. Something to keep in mind.
I live in Eastern NC and the population here is doing well. I have never hunted the rest of the state though. With more people in the woods, due to COVID, we did see our best harvest. Unfortunately the jakes took a tremendous hit. I hope that doesn't effect our Gobbler population the next few years but I'm not optimistic about this.
Quote from: B Rogers on February 16, 2021, 02:23:13 PM
Can't go wrong with Tennessee in my opinion.
Tn ain't as good as it used to be. Lots of pressure these days and less turkeys
Quote from: deerhunt1988 on February 16, 2021, 04:08:49 PM
Kansas and Kentucky are going to be destination states for a ton of non-residents this year due to last year's cease on selling non-resident licenses. Something to keep in mind.
You're right about that! Guessing it's most definitely going to be Kansas.
Quote from: slave601 on February 16, 2021, 01:19:30 PM
I'm really wanting to try Kansas but I'm move of a timber hunter than open land guy if that makes sense.
You realize you just eliminated like 80-90 percent of Kansas?
Kentucky and maybe Alabama. ( home state of florida)
Quote from: Gooserbat on February 17, 2021, 03:47:28 PM
Quote from: slave601 on February 16, 2021, 01:19:30 PM
I'm really wanting to try Kansas but I'm move of a timber hunter than open land guy if that makes sense.
You realize you just eliminated like 80-90 percent of Kansas?
True that.
Tennessee if I had to choose from your options!
Just FYI. Tennessee is what Missouri was 15 years ago.
Quote from: Gooserbat on February 17, 2021, 03:47:28 PM
Quote from: slave601 on February 16, 2021, 01:19:30 PM
I'm really wanting to try Kansas but I'm move of a timber hunter than open land guy if that makes sense.
You realize you just eliminated like 80-90 percent of Kansas?
If the numbers are decent Kansas is a serious option. Open land/terrain or not. I'd rather hunt timber but it's not a deal breaker.
Quote from: timberjack86 on February 16, 2021, 07:34:49 PM
Quote from: B Rogers on February 16, 2021, 02:23:13 PM
Can't go wrong with Tennessee in my opinion.
Tn ain't as good as it used to be. Lots of pressure these days and less turkeys
This, at least in Middle TN.
Quote from: Fullfan on February 17, 2021, 07:35:30 PM
Just FYI. Tennessee is what Missouri was 15 years ago.
Shoot I would go there. I would Skip my home state of Missouri now for that kind of a hunt. Tired of only hearing a gobble or two on a thousand acres of woods.
Central TN is definitely booming. BUT, hunting pressure will also be higher than ever there thanks to the YouTubes. You can hear you a lot of birds though!
Just stay away from East Tennessee. I went last year and bout fell off a mountain. I hunted a wma that only opened two days a week. My goodness I know I saw 75-80 trucks parked mid day. Place wasn't really even that big. It was nuts. I tried another place and there were nothing but joyriders on utv and atv. That was at beginning of covid though last year so timing was awe full. Everyone in Tennessee was in the woods off work it appeared. I would go middle tennessee.
I'm taking my first out of state turkey hunting trip this year, heading to Nebraska and South Dakota. I live in Michigan and decided if I was going to go out of state might as well hunt a bird we don't have here and try out some new terrain.
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A fried and I are going to head to MS to get a little practice the first week of April. Interested to trying something new and see what these southern turkeys are all about.
Middle TN is too crowded and over hunted. Bag limit cut too.