I left last Wed headed to Texas hill country. First morning there the birds were already on the ground with just the slightest hint of dawn showing in the sky. They were in the mesquite so they spotted me before I even had a chance to go set up. I tried to go around where I could get on birds that hadn't been spooked to no avail. I found a place to set back in a little cedar thicket and give them time to settle down. By this time they were in the next county. The next morning I would go all the way around them way before fly down. I set up on the little hill behind us since the birds had the obvious vision advantage of being below the mesquite tops. I had two birds gobbling close and they answered my calling. All of the sudden at least thirty birds started hammering all the way around me. I thought shear luck would bring some down the road in front of me. I couldn't move without being busted. I listened to the madness as the birds apparently group up in groups of 8 to 10 birds and gobbled for 3 hours. I could tell they started moving as a group. They were far away enough now so I could move. I tried to get in front of them to no avail. By the last day I had them figure out. I would have to be where they were headed. By the time we realized this I was out of time. As far as I know we are going back to the same place next year. The day I arrive I am going against my raising and setting up a tent blind in the clearings about a 1/4 mile from where they roost.
More later.
We interrupt this log for a brief comment... :D
Been there, done that. Texas Rio's in those circumstances can be a bi*ch, for sure. One of my first hunts for them, we went in to the roost site at the edge of a field in the dark, expecting the birds to come out of the trees at least when it was light enough for them to see the ground. Started hearing gobbles that sounded like they were coming from the field when it was DARK dark. We thought we were just "hearing wrong", but when it got light enough to see, there they were...out in the field! They had flown down from the roost while it was completely dark. Durn-dest thing I have ever seen...
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 21, 2023, 09:52:39 AM
We interrupt this log for a brief comment... :D
Been there, done that. Texas Rio's in those circumstances can be a bi*ch, for sure. One of my first hunts for them, we went in to the roost site at the edge of a field in the dark, expecting the birds to come out of the trees at least when it was light enough for them to see the ground. Started hearing gobbles that sounded like they were coming from the field when it was DARK dark. We thought we were just "hearing wrong", but when it got light enough to see, there they were...out in the field! They had flown down from the roost while it was completely dark. Durn-dest thing I have ever seen...
It took my a bit to realize they had night vision goggles!
The plan is to go after one of my crazy easterns in the morning. Our season opened while I was in texas but the birds were done two weeks before that.
I got back from Kentucky. It was a total bust. The outfitter is a crook and one of the guys that was up there with us is taking legal action today. There were only supposed to be us (5) people in camp. There were 14. There was supposed to be 9000 acres. There was 370 acres. He claimed they killed 89 birds in the first two weeks. That is believable on 9000 acres. There wasn't 9000 acres. By his booking numbers all of them shot way over their limit. Truth is and we have the photo evidence to prove it he got several people to pose with the same birds. Over and over. I watched one hen pitch down across the fence on someone else property. That was the only turkey I saw. I did hear 2 gobble hundreds of yards away on someone else's property. The other parties that were staying at the lodge took off at 9:00 at night headed somewhere that actually had birds. I let someone else (one of my hunting buddies) research this hunt. That will never happen again. I didn't even know all of the details till I got there and immediately smelled a rat. That is all I can say right now due to the legal issues. Expensive lesson. Now I have to bust my butt here trying to find some birds.
Man that stinks on so many levels.
Good success to you on the rest of the season
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. Unfortunately it seems more and more often people just trying to get away with a scam.
Good luck to you the rest of the season!!
Well this isn't going as planned. I was supposed to hunt this past weekend and never got to go to the woods. If all goes well I get to hunt this weekend. I have ended up having to work nearly every weekend except when I was out of state. I sure am happy for you fellers though. Looks like y'all are having a blast.
Having to work sucks!!!
...The End... :D
(Hope you find a way around that... ;D )
Right this second I am trying to figure out how to keep from having 3 turkey seasons in a row destroyed. 2020 a staph infection tried to kill me during turkey season. 2022 covid tried to kill me during turkey season. 2023 I did get to travel but that turned into disasters. Now I have 2 weeks left and work is trying to kill me.
Hope it comes together for you man and your able to get on one before the end
planning on going in the morning. We are supposed to have thunderstorms............
My season turned into a disaster. The last two weekends I planned to hunt I had stuff come up beyond my control even after making plans to hunt it didn't happen. I am trying to keep a good mind but at this point I am a bit disgusted. The good part is I have several invites for 2024 in areas that I know to be great areas with lots of birds. Georgia and Alabama and going back to chase Rios in Texas now that we figured that place out.