I hunted what is supposed to be the land of milk and honey today and never heard a bird. We covered lots of ground. They never opened up on our side of the property at all. Don't understand it. Guy hunting the property on the other side had 8 long beards in the field this morning and ended up getting a decent bird this morning but my buddy and I never heard a peep. Saw a group of 5 jakes and 2 hens then later had 4 jakes work right up in front of us. Held out in hopes of a bigger bird but it didn't pan out. I can't believe the jakes didn't even open up this morning. Oh well, beats sitting at home all day. If it's not raining, I'm leaving in 45 minutes to take the wife and kids to the Winchester apple blossom parade. If it keeps raining, we're headed to the movies. Hope someone had better luck than we did today.
You will get him next time, good luck.
Don't know how big the property is, but I had a band of 4 jakes that were keeping the Tom's run off on a place I hunt a few years ago. Saw them all year, multiple times, and did not see a mature Tom on that place for the first time in 12 years. Just a thought. I had my son take one of them. Then I saw three of them the rest of the season.
Quote from: g8rvet on April 30, 2016, 12:19:47 PM
Don't know how big the property is, but I had a band of 4 jakes that were keeping the Tom's run off on a place I hunt a few years ago. Saw them all year, multiple times, and did not see a mature Tom on that place for the first time in 12 years. Just a thought. I had my son take one of them. Then I saw three of them the rest of the season.
There's good birds there for sure. They see them often. Turns out though that the guy that saw the big birds on the other side said that there wasn't a gobble one this morning. He said birds started pitching out of the tree's at 6:10 and kept coming down until after 7. 8 gobblers and not a peep. Drizzly morning messed up the vocalization said more than I would have imagined. I've seen them quiet but never completely shut down on a day like that. Sever thunderstorms tomorrow so that's a no go situation.
Hey, sounds like your not to far. I hunt in northern va. Clarke county. So kind of funny story I hunt a property line just off where they roost I've been patterning for weeks now. I just permission this week to cross the property line and setup to get a little closer so I did. Setup on a nice power line/ clear cut. Numerous gobblers going off on the other side as soon as fog started to lift. Then all the sudden one gobbled right behind me. I must have walked right under him. If I would been sitting where I have been I would've been able to see him. He gobbled atleast 20 times at anything that made noise. I made a few soft yelps too him. I thought for sure he would fly down and come find me. But go figure nature kicked and he flew the opposite way with real hens. Kind of kick myself for moving but that's why they call it hunting. Turkey hunting is very challenging. This is my first year, actually have a good spot. Just hard to get on a gobbler. I've called hens in a few times now. Btw heck with apple blossom. Too many people for me.
My brother was 30 minutes from you this morning and killed one. We wore them out last weekend and the week before but I heard it slowed up a lot this week with this garbage weather.
They didn't gobble much. 3 gobblers w 6 hens. 4 gobbles in total all morning.
One gobble at him from 65 yards out and that sealed it.
I put 3 birds to bed tonite and all still have hens. I don't think we've killed a solo gobbler all year and ain't sure theyre going to lose their hens before the season goes out.
Do you think I should be using decoys? Do you think i
Should roost them Monday evening? I'm hunting Tuesday and Friday. Just trying to get any pointers I can. I want to kill a gobbler so bad I can taste it. I've never shot one.
You mentioned bad weather. Probably need not look any farther. Clouds, drizzle, wind or even low barameteric pressure can and often do lock them down.
It sure did. Id just never seen it that bad. To have 8 toms in one spot like that and none of them sound off, it was surprising to say the least. It does however make me feel as if it wasn't my doing at least.
Quote from: Walton91 on April 30, 2016, 08:48:25 PM
Do you think I should be using decoys? Do you think i
Should roost them Monday evening? I'm hunting Tuesday and Friday. Just trying to get any pointers I can. I want to kill a gobbler so bad I can taste it. I've never shot one.
If your getting that close to them roosted put a laying hen where they can see it from the roost. One should fly down to it as long as they see it. The use of decoys when your right at the roost can work very well.
Quote from: Walton91 on April 30, 2016, 08:48:25 PM
Do you think I should be using decoys? Do you think i
Should roost them Monday evening? I'm hunting Tuesday and Friday. Just trying to get any pointers I can. I want to kill a gobbler so bad I can taste it. I've never shot one.
Anytime you have a bird roosted you start out with an enormous advantage.
Quote from: Walton91 on April 30, 2016, 08:48:25 PM
Do you think I should be using decoys? Do you think i
Should roost them Monday evening? I'm hunting Tuesday and Friday. Just trying to get any pointers I can. I want to kill a gobbler so bad I can taste it. I've never shot one.
These were roosted last nite. If you know bad weather is coming in and you're going to hunt it, having the bird roosted is really the only way to be in the game unless you've got a known strut zone or field they use regularly (caveat: regardless of the weather, I still prefer to have them roosted. Roosted isn't roasted but you start out your morning with a higher likelihood of toasting em)
I watched two groups of birds go to roost last nite. My brother took the landowner's son to one group and I took the landowner to the other.
The whole morning was a downpour but knowing where they wanted to be, knowing where they had been and getting in early allowed us to be successful despite the abhorrent weather.