I saw on here that a few folks connected last week. Congrats to those that did. Here in my parts of SW Ohio, I'm striking out and the birds aren't playing at all. I hunted all last week, but only called in three hens and a jake on private land. Didn't hear a single hot bird until Sunday. ??? What's going on with everybody else?
Killed one Saturday and was on birds up until quitting time Sunday. Couldn't pull a gobbler away from his hen and ran outta time. It's hot and cold right now.
I am hunting some private ground near Fort Ancient in Warren County. I was fortunate enough to have a lonely two year old gobbler come into my setup at 7:30am on opening morning before the winds got bad. He strutted and gobbled all the way in. On Wednesday I was hunting a new property just outside of Lebanon with a friend of mine. We hunted from daylight till about 9:45 and nothing. Not even a gobble on the roost. I had to take him back to his truck so he could go to work. I got back to the property at 10:15 and set up in the same spot we were hunting all morning. At 10:20 I started my calling and almost immediately a gobbler answered. I called a few more times and he cut me off. I shut up and he started gobbling on his own. 10 minutes after firing him up, he walked right to me in full strut. Shot him at 10:30. He was a really nice three year old with a 11" beard and a little over 1"sharp spurs. I am guessing he was in the area the entire morning with hens and when his hens left he wanted company. I have been seeing most of gobblers in the Warren County area by themselves during mid morning right up till the noon quitting time.
nate829, your story sounds similar to one of my buddy's. He was hunting Preble county on Sunday and didn't hear a peep all morning. He got frustrated and went to change setups around 10:30 and busted two longbeards behind him that were sneaking in. Sounds like I need to be on the lookout during the late morning. I've been spoiled these last few years - getting them off the roost.
been on birds everyday. killed on last tues then been taking friends think i will go kill number 2 in the morning.
This has been my best year yet my daughter shot one Saturday of youth season done by 7 am nice 2 year old tom went back to the same farm Monday and shot my best ever then tagged out Tuesday on another tom same farm been seeing a lot of Tom's with hens out in the fields now