My hunting starts Monday 4/17/23 in Kentucky. We drove down to the farm today and heard several birds, but the bad news is most are off the property. We'll hunt that for a day or two then hit the public lands after the weekend rush. Them home to Ohio for our opener on 4/22/23. I probably won't hunt much the first couple days to let the weekenders and my cousin's grand son to have first crack again. Since I only have one tag in Ohio, no need to rush things. I know several others on the team are starting up in the next two weeks. So all the other teams better pull up their panties, team G.O.A.T.S is about to release the Cracken....
Good luck, safe travels, be safe and have fun. And oh yeah shoot a gobbler if you get a chance.
Make the cracken happen
Good luck. I'll not be hunting Ohio again this year. It's more expensive than Florida and for only one bird. I may try Kentucky if I do well in West Virginia.
Thanks W.A. I don't blame you one bit. I can not understand the reduction to one bird. we were told it was due to low poult counts and now they say we've had two years of above average poult counts, but still one tag. It makes such little change in the harvest I just can't see how it really is a strong strategy. I actually hunted more hours in Kentucky last year than Ohio and a lot of my money was spent down there. I know there were hunters advocating for the change....be careful what you ask for.
Well Kentucky still has a curse on me. Two days of hunting and never even got a response from a bird. We heard very little gobbliing and covered many miles. Monday was horrible, cold and 40 MPH winds. Yesterday was good but they just didn't gobble. Taking a day off today and then back to our honey hole tomorrow. We saw a bunch in fields, but most were just feeding in flocks. Still early I think.
I am still the team millstone. Spent the last two days in Kentucky for round two and they kicked my butt again. I got on a runner and turned him over to my buddy that can negotiate the rough steep terrain better and he killed him. A nice 22 pounder, 9" beard and 1 1/8" spurs. I had one in a field along a road and some joker stopped and shot him out of a pick up window, no joke....right in front of me. I just sat there and watched, don't need any fights with the locals.
Today was the opener for Ohio and it poured 1 1/2" of rain but did quit in time to hunt some. I heard plenty of birds on the family farm, but they would not answer a call nor come. I think I have lost my sexy call. I saw two gobblers, one in a field guarding a hen and one I walked up on playing puff daddy. I backed off and called soft to him and he never even looked my way. Strutted his stuff on out the ridge and I let him go. we'll have a date on a later day. Tomorrow will be a short hunt before church and then MOnday, it's on like donkey Kong. Of course this year I seem to be the donkey. I don't care as I am having fun. I set up three different set ups today that I thought were as good as they get and nothing even drifted my way. I left gobbling birds on all three set ups. No need to give them any more education this early in season. I did have to yell at some yahoo that tried to sneak in from the county road. If your wondering why I would leave active birds, I pretty much have the whole thousand acres to myself and I can do that without fear of someone else messing with them. I know, I am spoiled and it makes me look bad when I can't kill in a place like this.
I went for a short hunt before church today. Soon as I got to the ridge I wanted to hunt I heard gobbling. Some left and some right. I set up between them and called once they were down. Everything got quiet and I called again and no answer. I though oh boy here we go again. Then I hard cut and a bird answered out in front of me. I put up my gun and readied for a shot. Then I saw movemnet and one bird, two and three appeared. They were all jakes but I heard a deeper throaty gobble come from behind them, so I waited. Then there he was a strutter, right at the end of the gun. The more I looked at him the more he just didn't look very big. Probably a small two year old. So I let him walk off
Sounds fun. Sure it's just a matter time until you find the one you want and connect.
Your having some fun hunts, keep after them
I will just use a song title for today....the sound of silence
MOre of the same old sad story. Set up on five birds yesterday and not one would come an inch. I even sat and waited on one to come to a field he frequents for an hour and that is not my style. Some neignbors to the farm I hunt said 30 minutes after I pulled out a gobbler was strutting around two hens right in my truck tracks....I heard zero gobbles there. I took today off, I was just too worn down and it was raining. I think this is my season of humility. I may just take the next two days off too or just a short hunt tomorrow. Sunday is church so that is short at best. The fun is going away fast, as this old body just does not hold up to day in day out hill running like it used to. I even turned down going to Kentucky with my buddy tomorrow. I really am considering shooting a jake to eat and call it a season. Some of my health issues (bad knees and moderate heart disease) are becoming more of a hinderence. I think the birds will actually work better in the next week to ten days. Get rid of some hens.
I have learned, in my 52 years of turkey hunting, that every few years you have one of those humbling seasons. This is my pentence for a whole bunch of easy seasons. It would just be more fun if birds weren't totally ignoring me and I was working birds, that would be fun. So the positives are, I've lost 12 pounds and built up some cardiac conditioning with only a few little chest pains. I've got to see a lot of the spring woods.
Back to the hunting. Yesterday, May 3rd, was my first day in three weeks of hunting that I worked birds on multiple set ups and had long beards answer me. The jakes still made the hills ring, but finally the old boys gobbled more than just a few times on the roost. My first set up was on a strutt zone that the neighbors had seen a long beard on for a couple days. It was a pasture field. Well that old bird ( I've named Rufus) gobbled is butt off in the woods edge and then headed to some other gobblers in the back woods. I sat there waiting anyway for him to come back. Suddenly a bird gobbles from just over the knob. I take off my safety and ready the gun. A gobbler head appears at the end of my gun barrel at 20 yards. I almost shoot, but a little voice says wait to see more bird. He walks up and it is a jake and his two running mates. Now I would defy anyone to identify this guy as a jake just from the gobble....long and course. So I watch them a while and lower my gun which sends them scurrying across the field. This brings my total to 14 jakes passed. BY now Rufus has shut up but another bird is gobbling. I set up and he starts answering, but he is headed somewhere else. I decide to pull out and come back after Rufus is done with his sweeties. At 10:00 I return and slip up into Rufus' play ground and softly invite hiim for some fun. Gobbbblllleee he's there and ready. The next hour is a game of come here, no you come here. I know not to over call Rufus, so I made a total of three series of calls and shut up. Rufus held his ground for about 30-45 minutes but then gradually started moving my way. Finally I see him at 80 yards, periscope up. He looks and struts for a couple minutes and starts working my way. Stop look and strut, as he slowly works the bench edge. Then he come off the bench and started running right at me and I am not ready for this. So as he passes behind a tree I adjust to shoot as he comes out from behind it. He comes out before I finish the move and instantly I am busted. Unlike dozens of other birds I have had stop and take a look at what they saw, old Rufus bolts and runs straight away and stops at 75 yards and looks back. Then proceeds back to his spot and gobbles. I pack up and go home, whipped by Rufus again. At least this was fun. I will hide better next time and be more cautious on my moves. Evidently Rufus has had an encounter or two with hunters. My cousin's grandkids have been hunting that part of the farm and they are really new to this, so I imagine they have educated Rufus. Not hunting today as it is National Day Of Prayer and I serve on the regional Task force and we have events all day. Back at it tomorrow.
well, it's getting more fun now anyway, but I still messed up. The first bird this morning had hens all over him and we bailed for the other end of the farm. Finally struck a bird and man was he stubborn. Finally got hiim in and I had sat down in way to open of a spot. He came down a log road and rounded the bend at 40 yards and stopped and got really spooky and turned to walk away. So I decided to let him have it, I had to lean out some but it was clean. I think I dropped my guun butt when I leaned out because when I shot he just quick walked up the bank and started putting. About a half hour later he gobbled and I set up again. He came for a second round but stayed just over a hump and It was too thick to see through. I finally eased out and saluted him as I left for the truck. All I can claim is senility. My season should be over, I messed up two set ups in two days of hunting.
The pendulum is starting to swing your way eggshell. Stay at it
Thanks Happy. Getting old and some health issues has definitely changed my turkey hunting, but I still like doing it. Sad thing is both the birds I botched set ups on were target birds I had chosen to kill. They have been there for 2-4 years and are great birds. The kind I like to say I beat and I did until time to shoot.
I think I am done with entering contest. I entered a local archery shop's contest and on the team here. I find myself only hunting birds I think will score good and I'm passing by to many. It is robbing the fun. I done this in the 80s and early 90s and decided it was not a good thing for me. Oh, I won a bunch of trophies and prizes, but it stole the fun from my hunting. Now, I find it doing that to me again and at my age and health that's not a good thing. So i am not sure I'll be a G.O.A.T next year. Time to kill whatever I can.
I feel my age also, things have changed, but his contest is a great way to share our passion for chasing "The King of Spring". If it was a cutthroat backstabbing contest, I would never have joined, and your team with all the great conversations are 1 of the main reasons for me joining. I loved the passion you showed after taking a great fall Tom, hunt for what makes you happy, I don't think about this contest while I am out chasing the hunt that I want. Happy said it to me 1 day, "wish this contest didn't even post scores", I agree, its more about sharing the ups and downs with a great bunch of guys who are all chasing that gobble.
I really hope that you can find the hunt that you want and still be involved with this contest. Good luck with the rest of your season, wish you a safe and successful season.
I understand where you all are coming from. I struggled with entering myself. But I realized that I just like to have fun and joke around. I don't honestly care a bit about scores or winning and loosing. Yeah, I score them to be a good team member, but I don't hunt trying to get a high scoring gobbler. The true score is in the hunt itself. So Eggshell, if a hard gobbling two year old wants to commit Suicide then oblige him if that's what you would normally do. That's how I go about it. Some years I kill some decent scoring turkeys and other years not. I am an equal opportunity shooter. I only slow my roll to make the season last longer
Quote from: Happy on May 06, 2023, 01:25:31 PM
I understand where you all are coming from. I struggled with entering myself. But I realized that I just like to have fun and joke around. I don't honestly care a bit about scores or winning and loosing. Yeah, I score them to be a good team member, but I don't hunt trying to get a high scoring gobbler. The true score is in the hunt itself. So Eggshell, if a hard gobbling two year old wants to commit Suicide then oblige him if that's what you would normally do. That's how I go about it. Some years I kill some decent scoring turkeys and other years not. I am an equal opportunity shooter. I only slow my roll to make the season last longer
Good post, this is my feelings on the team contest also.
Eggo, just forget the scoring, hunt and have fun and shoot the first gobbler that gives you a fun hunt.
Thanks for the encouragement guys. It's not so much Old Gobbler contest that has gripped me, but the local contest. It is a team contest too and I feel like I have to contribute well to the team. I should have known better. I was asked to do it and hated to say no. In all honesty for many years in the past I would have just shot a jake by now and been done with it. we all need to be humbled at times. This is the first time in over 30 years I still had an Ohio tag left after the first 10 days of season. I have never afternoon hunted in Ohio's spring season until now because we can only hunt until noon the first two weeks.
Quote from: Happy on May 06, 2023, 01:25:31 PM
I understand where you all are coming from. I struggled with entering myself. But I realized that I just like to have fun and joke around. I don't honestly care a bit about scores or winning and loosing. Yeah, I score them to be a good team member, but I don't hunt trying to get a high scoring gobbler. The true score is in the hunt itself. So Eggshell, if a hard gobbling two year old wants to commit Suicide then oblige him if that's what you would normally do. That's how I go about it. Some years I kill some decent scoring turkeys and other years not. I am an equal opportunity shooter. I only slow my roll to make the season last longer
My son has been with me for every turkey I've shot. He is always asking me which turkey did I enjoy hunting/shooting the most, I always tell him the same thing "everyone of them was the best" get a bird or don't get a bird it doesn't matter I just like going hunting and fishing with him and the grandkids. I've never scored any turkey until last year which was the first year being on a team on this forum. I wouldn't be scoring them now if it wasn't for this team contest. As Happy said this is just for fun and a little camaraderie, there's really not that many turkey hunters out there so we have to stick together. Good luck eggshell.
The other part of this is: I am falling behind mowing, missing some great fishing and behind in the gardens. As weird as it sounds to a lot of you guys I like my fishing and even gardening as much as turkey hunting. When it is all said and done I fish a lot more than I hunt anymore and since the boss is retired we have pretty intense gardens and flower plots. We literally raise thousands of flowers and have extensive veggy beds. Turkey hunting is a waning sport to me. I've done it intensely for 52 years and ready to slow up and literally smell the flowers.
One of my tagged out buddies and traveling partner has been going with me for the last 5 days just to extend his season. After yesterday he made the statement that we have had some real fun days. Yesterday we started out on an old bird we have named Rufus. Rufus has been a pain in my arse and I spooked him on the only shot opportunity he had given me. We again got Rufus to gun range but he was well hidden in the green foliage of spring. We finally left him when he went silent. As we were about to get in the truck another bird gobbled up the hill and I instinctively threw a call and two birds answered. So away we go and he is getting closer as we get closer. Finally we set up quickly and got ready. We were in a field thicket with a strip of green grass in front of us. He came right to the edge of that at yards and walked back and forth Gobbling behind a hedge of Multi-flora rose. He had a perfectly good path to come out but wouldn't. So we left when he slowed up and moved off. As we checked the other end of the farm I got a text from the wife that birds were gobbling at my house. So I head home.
When I get home I can not here any gobbling, but she assures me they are gobbling. So I put the gun in her Kabota side by side and head up the hill. I get to a listening point and I hear a bird across the road on my in-laws farm. So across the valley I go. I stop the buggy a few hundred yards from where I know the bird was. As I walk the farm road I can hear him, he's in the corn field on top. I know I can not get there without spooking him. So I set up just down hill and hope he's horny enough to break norms and come down to me. On the first call multiple birds answer. There is a group of jakes between myself and the bird I want. He is going nuts so I call a little more than usual. These jakes are making the woods ring and getting closer....do I shoot one and get this over enters my mind. Then the old boy gobbles and he's in the woods and just above me. I get ready and he's quiet, that's a good thing. I wonder where he's going to show, so I make a soft whine and he bust out a gobble above and to my left. I have time to turn and do. 15 seconds later I see the birds coming, then a wave of turkeys behind him. I can see his beard swinging and the safety is off. He walks up and stands on a log and stretches his neck to see a hen at 45 yards and he eats a load of Winchester double X no. fives. Tag filled and a season ended. It has been frustrating but I actually had a lot of encounters and as my buddy reminded me, i had a bunch of fun. I passed up a total of 19 jakes and I missed one long beard. All those jakes make for a promising future. I guess our wildlife agency nailed it and showed their genius. After just one season of reducing our bag limit to one gobbler we have all these jakes running around and a good crop of longbeards. Yup they sure are smart.....not! Everyone around here has heard more birds than recent years and I hope that they continue to do well.
Congrats on a great Tom, glad you were able to have some "Fun".
Good job on a nice one, congrats on your gobbler.