I started turkey hunting in '99 and have killed at least 1 turkey every year since then,except for this year. Our youth season was lengthened from 2 days to 4 and I thought that would be the ticket for getting 2 of my boys a turkey. Henned up Toms ,a 9 year old with noisy feet and turkeys that wouldnt get closer than 50 yards prevented that form happening. I had a first and fifth season tag and a combination of bad weather WIND and me moving to dang much coupled with high water and normal public land hunters,I didnt pull the trigger. I have burned one tag before but never two. Im sad to see it end and am already looking forward to next spring.
Consider yourself luck ive had a few 2-3 years of dry runs down here. Makes that next one that much better
Seemed like a weird year all around here. I thought there was a good, large population of hens that made it harder. Weather for sure didn't help. You'll be back on them next year! Let's hope the floods didn't destroy many nests.
Being a Southern Illinois (White County) turkey hunter like yourself, I can identify with the weird weather during this last (5th) season. I managed to fill tags during the 1st and 3rd seasons, but 11" of rain during the 5th season in my area created flooded roads coupled with high winds found me sleeping in the last day of the season. I hunted four days of the last season, only hearing gobblers on one of the days and they were across the slough. Oh well...there's always next fall when a turkey may wander by during the deer bow season.
I had 2 and 4th season in the north zone on hard hunted public land. Fewer birds this year and they were roosting in a different spot every night. Couldn't get on em. Saw a squirrel and a fish in the first four days I hunted. Lol Finally called some in during 4th season but they wouldn't finnish. The last day I hunted I had a longbeard in the decoys and didn't have my release on. Like you...I'll get em next year.
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Regardless of outcome we all learn something new every year. Enjoy each season to the fullest we are not promised another one next year.
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Bummer to hear it. Always an out of state trip as an option.
There were days I feel like I could have hunted harder and probably scored ,but it seems like my heart just was not in it like i should have been. There were more turkeys all around than in the past several years,I feel like both hens and Toms. There were a couple of times I wish I had one of those sniper turkey guns like it talked about here because I was mad at them.