This is one of the worst seasoni have had in 20yrs. Usually done by the first two weeks but fired once just to get 10 jakes comes and about to tear into my feathered jake. Gobbles all with hens and hens alrealdy have poults.
Before season breeding and gobbling started early in my area.
What are everyones thougths, i know some had good and bad.
I got one week left!
Agree. Sounds just like my season.
Don't know where you are from but I'm from West TN and this has been my worst year by far too. Little to no gobbleing at all. If I don't have better results next year I may quit. It's been going downhill for a while where I hunt.
West TN has been miserable for me this year. Only had one bird work all season and my cousin missed him. Didn't hear a gobble this morning!
2 hunters in my area hunted the same area, 1 guy killed 1 bird the other tagged out at 5. That being said the guy that killed all 5 only called one in, on opening day he went to take a piss off the porch at camp and 2 hens and a Tom were out in the field. Boom! Dead bird. The day before the last day of the season he did the same thing!!! The other 2 birds he killed he dry gulched. Me personally only got 1 bird that wanted to play, but he saw me and took off. I also flushed a Tom out of a creek bottom, but couldn't get a bead on him. I had 6 jakes in gun range this year and harvested 1 of them.
I'm in West Tenn. also and i have filled 3 tag's. I've just had to hunt harder and stay longer. Not a lot of gobbling this year at all. I've had and seen more hen's this year coming to the call. bird number 3 that i killed last wed. gobbled only 3 times all morning until i pulled the trigger on him around 11:15. I have saw a lot of Jakes this year also. But i think guys remember that warm spell we had before season opened and this early green up had a lot to do with our season this year. I've heard a lot of people saying the same about crappie fishing this year. Fishing has been crazy.
This was by far my worst out of the last 15 or 20 years. I'm in southwest ms. It seems things were all but done with 2 weeks left. Oh well , how it goes sometimes years.
Good season for me, but bad for my main goal. Took my daughter a bunch of times and think she heard one gobble. I would go back the same place 3 days later and hear several. Worked a bird to 100 yards and could not close. Took her back 3 days later, same weather conditions - not a peep. Just wanted to at least get her in the game. Did not even see a hen with her, although I did get one fired up for her at least to listen to. I feel your pain. Chin up though, last year was tough for me. Killed one on the last day I could hunt for my only bird of the season.
This has actually been one of my better years. I usually have the opposite experience as everybody else. When they have good seasons, I have bad ones. When they have bad seasons, I have good ones. The same thing happens with deer seasons.
I hunted a total of seven days over three seasons and filled all three of my Illinois tags. It often takes less trips. My strategy doesn't vary much in that I try to set up close to a roosted bird or go to a field they typically move to after fly down. As the gobbling on the roost starts, I sound like a hen and eventually use my Primos gobble tube in response to gobblers on the roost, trying to move from a reluctant gobbler to one that challenges the real bird and gets him fired up. After fly down, I only gobble in response to the real bird on the ground and shut up once he starts my way. I use a Pretty Boy, Funky Chicken, or foam jake decoy directly behind a hen on the ground in a breeding position and set them up about 20 yards away. Typically, the tom sizes up the situation from 70+ yards away and then increases his speed after he commits to challenging my decoy. Early in the season, the most likely tom to respond is not the boss since he has real hens. In the late season when the real hens have gone off to nest, sometimes the boss comes in to challenge the intruder tom and steal his hen. I credit Ray Eye with an article noting the peck order that exists within both the gobblers and hens as a way to bring in birds. After reading some posts concerning fighting purrs, next season I plan to incorporate this method since it is a natural happening in the turkey world.
Quote from: stinkpickle on May 07, 2016, 04:01:14 PM
This has actually been one of my better years. I usually have the opposite experience as everybody else. When they have good seasons, I have bad ones. When they have bad seasons, I have good ones. The same thing happens with deer seasons.
:agreed: Only gotten to hunt three days, batting .333 for punching tags. Had another long beard in for a buddy on day three who couldn't get the shot.
This has been the most disappointing year of turkey hunting I've had in 20 years.My Honey hole in southern ohio has dried up and back up north the neighbor that borders my land to the west started to timber on opening day(nonstop for three weeks) I always did well back there better luck next year
:funnyturkey:
Quote from: tleitch1865 on May 07, 2016, 12:49:20 PM
This is one of the worst seasoni have had in 20yrs. Usually done by the first two weeks but fired once just to get 10 jakes comes and about to tear into my feathered jake. Gobbles all with hens and hens alrealdy have poults.
Before season breeding and gobbling started early in my area.
What are everyones thougths, i know some had good and bad.
I got one week left!
You never did say what area you are from, to let others know?
But I can tell you your Season sounds like what we deal with every year in Southern PA. Our Season dosen't start till May for the whole State and North to South vary greatly with the South area happening earlier. It's not uncommon in my region to see poults by the third week, with hunters every year reporting seeing them during the Season also.
But that dosen't mean you still can't fire a gobbler up and kill him. Sure it's not going to be like the easy early Season where they gobble their heads off and commit right to the gun. It's a tougher hunting but still can be done, as I said in the Southern part of PA, we seem to deal with it every year, so feel lucky it's not the norm for your area. But even years where I have seen poults, I have still taken nice birds even up to the last day.
Marland and West Virginia here. Having a decent year so far. 1 week of Wv Season left and 2 weeks for maryland. Have taken a bird in each state so far. Weather has been rough but on the few decent mornings we have had its been good. Hopefully can pick up another bird in each state but trying to get one for the boy as well. He only been able to get out once so far. Trying tomorrow tho.
In Central VA this season has been tough to say the least. I was able to kill a nice bird on opening day due to heavy scouting but after that it has been similar to deer hunting (BORING). The first week or two we could a least hear a gobble on the roost but no response to calls and nothing once they hit the ground. Now nothing on the roost or on the ground. We have called in bunches of hens but no gobblers or even jakes after the first day. Last week for us as well. My optimism is fading fast!
Or season in nc was good. Hunted opening day and doubled up with my day. Next day called in another gobbler and dad tagged out with number 2. The following Wednesday called up 3 gobblers on public land to tag me out and get two buddies a bird each. 3 days and six gobblers ain't bad.
Southeast ky Was not so great either. Little gobbling.
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central PA here... so far, my worst season in years.... Rain, fog, wind, you name it... to top it off, the gobblers just arent gobbling.... hunting quiet turkeys, in my opinion- sucks.... good luck and keep at it..
I had an awful season broke my hand day before season started and had surgery two weeks after that so spent the season scouting when I could and watching birds with trail cameras and actually feel better about next season then I did this season
Very tight lipped this year. We have seen tons of birds but they won't work and they have been mute the past 2 weeks. Looking forward to the fall season.
This has been my best season ever as far as days hunted and birds bagged. I hunted three days in KS and got two birds. I hunted three days in MO and got two birds. I hunted two days in NY and got two birds. Now, I fully realize this is not normal and can return to "normal" at the drop of a hat LOL. I wasn't going to hunt PA but after getting my second NY bird yesterday went online and purchased a license.
Same boat as the OP. One week to go and I've yet to flip the safety off. Thought Thursday morning was going to be it. I was sadly mistaken. Bird showed up and only showed his head. I wanted him to clear some brush but he had other plans. That's the closest I've come all year at the moment. And I've probably hunted more this spring than ever before but this week is bad. I don't think things are going to work out in my favor time wise.
NY here. Been out 5 times and 2 of those included as youth hunt with daughter. Had 2 birds hang up at 200 yards 2nd day and 5th day (yesterday) had 5-6 birds hang up over ridge at 100 yards. Other 3 days not a peep. All same area. Every year I say "I'm going to quit" and every year I'm far from quitting lol. Been pretty wet here. Just when a day or two I get bored we have an exciting day to keep us interested. It's only 8 days into regular season so at another point of the season I'm sure I'll 'want" to quit for the year.
It's been a unique season.
I laughed. :D Mine was pretty good overall. TN treated me badly, home was good.
Quote from: jayjay on May 07, 2016, 07:02:51 PM
:funnyturkey:
I'm from west TN and it been rough. I have hunted 3 diffrent farms but nothing great at all. I'm not giving up but it sure do love it. Had a good show last week that kept me interested. Hopefully to have on down this weekend but will see.
Alot of predators in our area have put hurting on the turkeys.
Quote from: Gooserbat on May 08, 2016, 02:55:30 PM
It's been a unique season.
Did unique up on some wary gobblers? :funnyturkey: Been a great year for me. Had two tags, filled them both. My buddy filled both of his. Saw some great shows put on by some birds, heard lots of gobbling. As usual, learned a lot. Blessed year.
Season is only a week old here in PA so I can't say yet. So far I've heard very few birds but I've only hunted 2 days. That being said I did work a bird on Saturday that I feel is very kill able with enough chances! So far my season hasn't been good but it only takes one day and one hot bird to turn that around. Just hoping to get that day!
Had a good season down in NW FL. The bird's were all hened up, not gobbling much, but got close, got the hen's to respond, game over.
Henned up birds started our season out slow in se Ohio. Gobbling once or twice on the limb and off with the ladies for the day.
I took one the first week, one the second week. Right place right time I guess.
Have called in several birds the last few mornings for friends so if your hunting Ohio this last week get out there. Older birds are loosing hens and its heating up. Rain is forecasted most of the week, I love hunting after a good shower comes through.
Persistence pays off, mix it up, sleep in and hunt later. The main thing is get out there, it will happen.