Headed to Western NY and Upstate PA for the long weekend hoping to kill another bird or two. What are they doing up there?
In upstate NY they are still henned up pretty bad. We have one that gobbles about 10 times in the tree and pretty much nothing on the ground. We had another group last weekend that gobbled like crazy for 2 hours but wouldn't break. We didn't know the lay of the land too well since we've only hunted there once before so we didn't want to make a move on them. The whole season we've been dealing with henned birds who have no reason to come to our calls or decoys. I've heard from a few people on here that they are henned up elsewhere as well.
WNY here. Haven't been out since first week. One of four days they talked. First bird in the freezer. I like the tail end of the season better than early part. Even the hens have been tightlipped. Taking my daughter out tomorrow. I'll post up details of what we heard .
Quote from: turkeyfeathers on May 24, 2013, 11:18:14 AM
WNY here. Haven't been out since first week. One of four days they talked. First bird in the freezer. I like the tail end of the season better than early part. Even the hens have been tightlipped. Taking my daughter out tomorrow. I'll post up details of what we heard .
Same here. Funny you bring up the hens being quiet because usually I can get them going but this year there tight lipped to.
Good luck to anyone lucky enough to get out this weekend.
Quote from: njdevilsb on May 24, 2013, 11:13:05 AM
In upstate NY they are still henned up pretty bad. We have one that gobbles about 10 times in the tree and pretty much nothing on the ground. We had another group last weekend that gobbled like crazy for 2 hours but wouldn't break. We didn't know the lay of the land too well since we've only hunted there once before so we didn't want to make a move on them. The whole season we've been dealing with henned birds who have no reason to come to our calls or decoys. I've heard from a few people on here that they are henned up elsewhere as well.
Sounds like a may have to get "nasty hen" on the hens and draw them in with Tom to follow.
i know pa has been awful quiet little gobbling not much to deal with
Same thing with me, henned up since May 1st. It's been a tough season.
I've had an excellent season from Youth season right up until last week when I was last out hunting more east in PA/NY.
There were two days during the first week that I had a tough time getting gobbles but after the second weekend it blew wide open for us. Im sure this past week with how warm it got they queited down after fly down but this weekend should be cool and they should be fired up.
Quote from: TauntoHawk on May 24, 2013, 01:24:34 PMbut this weekend should be cool and they should be fired up.
That's what I am hoping for. I am in Oswego and Cayuga counties.
It was wide open Monday and Tuesday in cortland.We were into em pretty thick despite an abundance of hens.
The weekend weather looks marginal but next week should be awesome.
Get them roosted and be waiting 40-50 yards from the roost by 4am the next morning if you want to be in the game. The hens are roosted close by so using darkness and stealth to slide in on top of them is critical if you want to put em down.
Quote from: Dirt nap on May 24, 2013, 11:36:32 AM
i know pa has been awful quiet little gobbling not much to deal with
Same in my area. I've had a really good season but the birds have been strangely quiet over the past two weeks. They're still there though. I believe that they are starting to break from the hens now and things will pick up at the end.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on May 24, 2013, 05:05:53 PM
It was wide open Monday and Tuesday in cortland.We were into em pretty thick despite an abundance of hens.
The weekend weather looks marginal but next week should be awesome.
Get them roosted and be waiting 40-50 yards from the roost by 4am the next morning if you want to be in the game. The hens are roosted close by so using darkness and stealth to slide in on top of them is critical if you want to put em down.
So, you're not hunting up near Lake Ontario any more?
Everywhere was dead this morning. That and the wind killed any volume I had.
Winds a killer, I'd rather hunt rain.
Quote from: WNY Bowhunter on May 25, 2013, 09:54:49 AM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on May 24, 2013, 05:05:53 PM
It was wide open Monday and Tuesday in cortland.We were into em pretty thick despite an abundance of hens.
The weekend weather looks marginal but next week should be awesome.
Get them roosted and be waiting 40-50 yards from the roost by 4am the next morning if you want to be in the game. The hens are roosted close by so using darkness and stealth to slide in on top of them is critical if you want to put em down.
So, you're not hunting up near Lake Ontario any more?
Havent hunted up that far this year. Been into good hunting in cortland with no reason to run farther.
My brother and his buddy killed 2 this morning at my cortland spot.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on May 25, 2013, 01:41:53 PM
Havent hunted up that far this year. Been into good hunting in cortland with no reason to run farther.
My brother and his buddy killed 2 this morning at my cortland spot.
Congrats guys!!! :icon_thumright:
:TrainWreck1:
Quote from: troutfisher13111 on May 25, 2013, 10:28:33 AM
Everywhere was dead this morning. That and the wind killed any volume I had.
bird gobbled on roost at about 6:15. Maybe 8 more times til 6:30 He'd hit me but believe he's pretty content with the harem he has. I am about 400 yards from where he roosts toting property line as it is so no cutting the distance. Even the crows couldn't fire him back up. Took my 10 yr old daughter, with the cold temps, wind and full moon we bagged it at 8. She wants to go Monday now too : ) Saw red fox with 2 pups, few deer that snorted and foot stomped and wood thrush sang from almost in our blind. Great morning even though no lead in the air. Brother hunted this morning to elsewhere. Gobbled on roost and shut down too.
Birds had been silent for the middle two weeks of the season. They started gobbling again last Saturday in Saratoga County. I had been watching a gobbler and hen feeding in a field for 4 days in a row. Got permission from the land owner last Wednesday and killed the gobbler on Thursday morning at 5:40 am.
He never gobbled on the roost and I never called until 5:30. I clucked, nothing. I started cutting and got a response from across the field ~ 150 yards. Saw movement coming through the grass and a light bulb head. He stopped at 75 yards, saw my hen and jake decoy and came running in. I killed him at 18 yards. 20 lbs, 10" beard, 1" spurs.
Good luck.
Quote from: turkeyfeathers on May 25, 2013, 02:42:50 PM
:TrainWreck1:Quote from: troutfisher13111 on May 25, 2013, 10:28:33 AM
Everywhere was dead this morning. That and the wind killed any volume I had.
Saw red fox with 2 pups, few deer that snorted and foot stomped and wood thrush sang from almost in our blind. Great morning even though no lead in the air. Brother hunted this morning to elsewhere. Gobbled on roost and shut down too.
Sounds like a great morning!!
Saw red fox with 2 pups, few deer that snorted and foot stomped and wood thrush sang from almost in our blind. Great morning even though no lead in the air. Brother hunted this morning to elsewhere. Gobbled on roost and shut down too.
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Sounds like a great morning!!
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We must have different perspectives on this thing we call turkey hunting. Any morning without a bird in gun range is a crappy morning.... You can get all that on a nature walk without the sleep loss and money in hunting gear.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on May 04, 1974, 10:16:26 PMWe must have different perspectives on this thing we call turkey hunting. Any morning without a bird in gun range is a crappy morning.... You can get all that on a nature walk without the sleep loss and money in hunting gear.
With only two tags to fill per person, turkey-less mornings are best spent enjoying all nature has to offer.
Turkey hunting in NY has been on a steady decline for years in my opinion. I would like to see NY stop the fall season or at least stop allowing hens to be taken. I am sure many here will disagree with this but this is my opinion. I used to see flocks of turkeys while deer hunting, now I rarely see any. Last deer season I saw NO turkeys.
I am VERY fortunate in that my family owns a dairy farm, about 1200 acres, and turkeys are plentiful there, but I dont always have the time to drive several hours to hunt so I hunt where I am locally. 5 or ten years ago I would see tons of birds, but now due to overpressure and poaching and predation, the turkey population where I live in Dutchess/Putnam is way down.
I have heard some birds but havent seen any by my home, but I was fortunate to be very succesful at the farm.
Quote from: CrustyRusty on May 25, 2013, 07:45:48 PM
Turkey hunting in NY has been on a steady decline for years in my opinion. I would like to see NY stop the fall season or at least stop allowing hens to be taken. I am sure many here will disagree with this but this is my opinion. I used to see flocks of turkeys while deer hunting, now I rarely see any. Last deer season I saw NO turkeys.
I am VERY fortunate in that my family owns a dairy farm, about 1200 acres, and turkeys are plentiful there, but I dont always have the time to drive several hours to hunt so I hunt where I am locally. 5 or ten years ago I would see tons of birds, but now due to overpressure and poaching and predation, the turkey population where I live in Dutchess/Putnam is way down.
I have heard some birds but havent seen any by my home, but I was fortunate to be very succesful at the farm.
They slaughter them up there in the fall and I think it's finally being reflected in the population/ harvest numbers.
We've heard at least some gobbling every day we've been out, which is about 10 days. Very henned up and pretty quiet on the ground except for a couple. I had a big ol' longbeard about 65 yards out this morning but his hens didn't come in and neither did he. The jakes did though. We know exactly where they came out so we're gonna be in tight on them first thing in the morning and hope for a repeat. Not sure where the big spurred one we were seeing went. A friend of my dads told us to come out and hunt this other bird because he's been seeing him pretty regularly. He put on a great show. Watched him strut and chase the jakes for over an hour and he gobbled maybe 15 times between the tree and on the ground.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on May 25, 2013, 06:44:20 PM
Saw red fox with 2 pups, few deer that snorted and foot stomped and wood thrush sang from almost in our blind. Great morning even though no lead in the air. Brother hunted this morning to elsewhere. Gobbled on roost and shut down too.
Sounds like a great morning!!
[/quote]
We must have different perspectives on this thing we call turkey hunting. Any morning without a bird in gun range is a crappy morning.... You can get all that on a nature walk without the sleep loss and money in hunting gear.
[/quote] had my ten year old daughter with me. Woke her at 3:30. She was in kitchen at 3:32 ready to go. She gave the thumbs up when the bird ripped. Had we killed that bird today I wouldn't be able to try again on Monday with her. And if turkey hunting was easy I wouldn't do it.
I ended up getting the bird from my above post first thing this morning. He was gobbling at 4:40 on his own, just about non stop. He was off the roost at 5:15 and I shot him right at 5:30. I'll post pictures and the story later.
Congrats, buddy!
Way to get it done!
Congrats! Late season kills are the most rewarding in my opinion.
I tried a spot today that I save for late season, and hunted till 10:30 without even a gobble. I am racking my brain for a game plan for tomorrow.
Get close early dont call too much, if they dont come down to you, note where they do come down for the next day. Fall season has nothing to do with decline in turkey numbers, 3 bad nesting seasons in a row & too many coyotes are to blame. It will come back quickly with a few good nesting seaons in a row. Mike
Quote from: mspaci on May 26, 2013, 11:45:34 AM
Get close early dont call too much, if they dont come down to you, note where they do come down for the next day. Fall season has nothing to do with decline in turkey numbers, 3 bad nesting seasons in a row & too many coyotes are to blame. It will come back quickly with a few good nesting seaons in a row. Mike
That's a pretty ignorant statement in my opinion. If you have fewer hens, you have fewer poults. They hammer the hens in the fall and consequently less hens to contribute to reduced poult production in the spring.
Fall hunting is a very much a cultural phenomenon but it needs to go as turkey biologists face increasing challenges and population decline everywhere.
Furthermore, coyotes are an easy scapegoat but coyotes are opportunistic feeders. They kill everything including animals such as coons and possums that prey heavily upon turkey eggs while they are in the egg phase. There are too many places with abundant coyote populations and plentiful turkey numbers to blame the decline on coyotes.
The decline is definitely due to fall harvest, avian pox, lvm and poor poult production. The only variable that can be controlled is fall harvest and new York is doing way too much of it.
You are entitled to your opinion. Turkeys do not get hammerered as you say in the fall. There are very few hunters actually hunting fall turkeys. Call a biologist or look at fall take numbers & you will see. The weather plays the biggest part of the puzzle. Do you remember the ice storms back in the early 90`s. Turkeys were wiped out in many areas. Three years later we had record numbers again. Fall hunting has the least impact on turkey numbers of all. Mike
They're not done yet. These 3 longbeards were putting on a show tonight for 4 hens and 3 jakes out in this field...
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0357.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0357.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0358.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0358.jpg.html)
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0359.jpg) (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/WNYBowhunter/media/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0359.jpg.html)
UPDATE:
I made a phone call to my uncle last night who has been hunting these birds telling him where they were. They gobbled like crazy on the roost and came out right where they were supposed to and he laid the hammer down on the strutter from the above pics...
(http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b284/WNYBowhunter/Turkey%20Hunting/IMG_0361.jpg)
Glad to see someone is having luck. I haven't heard a gobble in 3 days of hunting a total of 6 spots. Not looking good for me scoring on a 2nd bird. It's been one of my roughest seasons!
I am under a tree know just listening and occasionally calling.
All was quiet out in the Eagle, NY area this morning. Nary a gobble. Lots of deer and songbirds. Too warm , just full moon and henned up. Two days for me to hunt my second bird and not looking good. 2 of 6 days birds talked. It was another great morning to share with my 10 yr old daughter though.
Well said
It's all over for me. Today was my last hunt for this season. Hunted hard again without even a gobble. I did see two nice toms in full strut out in a field about 5 miles from where I hunt as I was driving between spots.
Eagle, NY again this morning. Not a word from a bird. Last hurrah tomorrow for 2nd bird. Darn bad year!
Today was my last hunt of the season too. We had one gobbling pretty good but once he hit the ground he answered me a few times and went away from my calling. Guess we'll get him next year...
Buddy of mine found a bird he had been hunting all season dead in a field yesterday, no apearent reason of death but could have taken a body shot and died from infection or something. It had been there a day or two when he found it. 1-1/8th spurs, good bird that had certainly out witted us a few times.
Had an amazing season overall, shot two great NY birds on consecutive mornings before 6, another nice one in PA, called in one for my father, 3 for youth hunters, and a Stud for my Wife's first ever bird. Never went a morning without hearing and seeing a gobbler on all 14 hunts.
Very memorable hunts and can't wait for next year, hope to add that 3rd state if work allows.
Ashame on the found bird. Sounds like you had a great season. Only heard birds 2 of 7 times out. Smoked 2 yr old one day but he came in silent. Nice show for my decoys though. Bummer, another season come and gone. Feel like my dog died. Don't know what to do with myself after tomorrow
Quote from: turkeyfeathers on May 30, 2013, 03:22:08 PMFeel like my dog died. Don't know what to do with myself after tomorrow
I hear ya!
Hunted one day in NY on the 22nd. Birds absolutely hammering. My brother got one right off the roost at 5:50am then i nailed best bird of my 5 year hunting career at 10am. 1.5 inch spurs, 11 inch beard, 24.5 lbs.
Had luck in CT bowhunting them. Gobbling and active but still henned up. Missed a shot on a bird last weekend, but was an awesome hunt.
Interesting thing was I was fairly successful at calling hens in this season to drag the longbeards. Didn't seem like the hens were drawing them away as much as in years past.
All in all, a great season and super pumped about my bird i got in NY. Came full strut across a field and shot him at 15 steps. Couldn't ask for anything better.
Hope there is a good hatch this spring and hopefully next season can improve for the many who didn't not end up as fortunate.