I spent the day off work today driving around and knocking on doors and secured a new place to hunt. Got me to thinking about some of my buddies who focus on one really good property. I can't afford expensive quality leases, but have had a lot of success gaining access to places that I don't have sole access to and are mediocre by Missouri standards. As of now, I can think of 11 different farms I currently have access to that are, with the exeption of two of them, all hit and miss as far as having birds. The two that are what I consider quality properties are also pretty heavily pressured. I try to hit those during the week before work.
My idea is that a lot of ok properties are better than just relying on one great place and running the risk of something going wrong--say a flooded creek during season cutting off access or the property owner selling or losing a lease, etc. Any folks out there have the same idea?
On a particular day, all one can ask for is one gobbling adult turkeys. Less = birdwatching. More = too many decisions.
I try to gain access to as many pieces of property that I can. Then at least go to them one evening or morning to see if there's any gobbling. If no sign or sound of turkeys, I just don't hunt it. But I think last season I hunted around 20 different properties...
The more options you have, the better. Sometimes, an unpressured mediocre property is better than a pressured honey hole.
Maybe six or seven.
Accessing private property for hunting is a difficult feat in California. I am very lucky to have access to two different properties in close proximity. Both properties are 400-500 acres and have a handful of birds on them.
Public land is extremely pressured with very few birds... Killing a tom on public land here is a feat of and in itself... Although, this year, I have found some birds in some areas that I hope will not be overly pressured, and might just give some new public areas a try.
You can never have too many.......
1 family farm
I basically have two 300 acre farms to hunt now. One is owned by a very old lady that was a friend of my Grandmothers. She has no family and who knows where that farm will end up. I'll hate to lose it. I lost use of some coal company land a few years ago. Probably 2000 acres that I had to go through 3 locked gates and check in with a guard to get to. I really hated to lose that one.
As of right now I hunt three smaller farms and two are both owned by men in their 80s who's kids have no interest in the land . Those two are hot little spots most years but I'm wise enough to know my time there is limited. The other is not bad but normally a backup plan. When those old fellas are gone I will be hunting 99% public land, unless I can secure something else.
I have 3 properties that I can hunt that my employer owns. I primarily hunt one. I have it to myself and it is ruff and steep but holds several birds.
Sent from my iPhone that I ain't smart enough to use with tapatalker
In PA i hunt public or drive 3.5 hrs to my unlces land, In NY I can think of 10 Farms i have access too ranging from 50-500 acres some have multiple birds every day in almost the same trees year after year.
Honestly I have more than I can hunt but I like to keep my options open.
I had a heck of a time this morning. I had a nice response all written out and I hit the submit button and . . . Nothing.
I really liked what I had written so I decided to put it up on my weblog. Here's what you should have gotten around 0644 ET today:
Where the shaman hunts (http://genesis9.angzva.com/?p=4400)
We have 12-15 small pieces to hunt and 5 large pieces way out in the boonies, these are my favorites. Less pressure but less birds. I don't want a bird feeder bird.
I have one piece of private property that I hunt. The rest are all public land.
I have 3 pieces of private property that I hunt on throughout the season with my family. During the week if I can get away from work I head the the national forest land near where I live and hunt to hunt without my kids.
3 private properties around 1300 acres each
I have a few small local farms (<150 acres each), and a few public properties 90 minutes drive from here. There's more turkeys and fewer hunters on the public land, but my best birds come off the private land.
Jim
I just secured another 200 acre farm this past week. Spent nearly 2 hours talking to the farmer--talkative ole fella. Nearly got a divorce when I got home after not answering my phone while I was talking to the old guy, but hey, this is turkey season we are talking about. :angel9:
I usually hunt 2 or 3 areas
Due to old age and heart problems I only hunt one spot now. I just walk into Shawnee National Forest, Il., (it's right behind my house) and hunt about 1,000 sq. acres of it's ridges and drainage's. Used to be quiet a few turkeys back in there, but few to almost none now. I've been covering a lot of ground with feet and trail cams to try and find any sign or birds and so far have pics. of one longbeard and one jake this yr...couple hens also.