Planning on a trip to these two states this spring and can't decide whether to take vacation May 7-11 or 14-18. I'll be hunting public ground and I usually like to go earlier since more birds will be alive. Are they normally pretty vocal in early May? One benefit of going the 14th-18 is all day hunting in Penn, but I know a lot of birds will already be dead by then.. Any input would be appreciated, thanks!
If you go in NY I would surly go early, if you are hunting public land, once they get educated after that first week or two they get much harder to get. When I started hunting them around 98-99 there were a lot more of them around but NY has been in a decline. Here is some stuff from the DEC you may want to read if you like that kinda stuff like I do, the second one breaks down harvest by year and county. Where will you be hunting?
https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/48823.html
https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30420.html
We don't have turkeys in PA. Seriously though, numbers are way down depending on where you're hunting, but I assure you, all the birds won't be dead by the time you get there. The vast majority of folks that hunt gamelands aren't exactly Preston Pittman types and are content to stumble throught the woods hacking on a box call or squawking on a pot call at volumes a deaf 95 year old could hear over a jackhammer. They hit the woods in earnest the first couple weekends and then peter off, so concentrate on the week days and hunt smart and be willing to gomfurther than the weekend warriors and you just might come out about 20 pounds heavier...
It really seems to turn on towards the end of the second week, at least in PA's northern tier. Pressure makes a difference of course. Given the choice, I'll always favor late season hunting.
I grew up in the central NY and granted I only started hunting turkeys in 2006 but I have always I had better luck latter in the season. The gobblers are more repsonsvive, less competion from real hens and less hunting pressure as people seem to hit it hard the first week or two and then give up. I still head up there memorial day weekend every year and I hunt a mix of private and public land and pretty much have the woods to my self.
Quote from: mightyjoeyoung on March 15, 2018, 07:49:47 AM
We don't have turkeys in PA. Seriously though, numbers are way down depending on where you're hunting, but I assure you, all the birds won't be dead by the time you get there. The vast majority of folks that hunt gamelands aren't exactly Preston Pittman types and are content to stumble throught the woods hacking on a box call or squawking on a pot call at volumes a deaf 95 year old could hear over a jackhammer. They hit the woods in earnest the first couple weekends and then peter off, so concentrate on the week days and hunt smart and be willing to gomfurther than the weekend warriors and you just might come out about 20 pounds heavier...
No doubt that the first two weeks in PA can be frustrating, lots of hunters that don't care if you are working a bird. The later in the season the better.
I hunt PA and NY each year. On private land late season can be very productive but I don't like it for public. If you don't know their pattern it's going to be tough after two weeks of pressure and hot temps the birds just don't gobble much.
What areas of those states do you plan on going to?
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I find that NY is better the second week. First week is usually cold. I hunt public and private land but I'm a woods hunter not a farm hunter.
If you are hunting public land in New York-- earlier might be better this year as I think with 3 or Easter's in March of this year that Gobbling will start later and be super in May. Luck to you.
I live in pa and also hunt in NY. In pa the first two weeks there is lots of pressure on the birds hunters everywhere. I have been more successful the last week of season, seem like the guys give up.
In NY, if you want to hear gobbling, the first week of the season is the best. But lots of hunting pressure. I think the 3rd week of NY season is the best. The hunting pressure is not as bad. Instead of a gobbler having 10 to 15 hens with him, the 3 week they might have only 2 or 3 with them. Seems like a lot less hens with the gobblers after the 2nd week. More nesting hens, means the gobblers r lonely.
But whenever u decide to go, good luck and be safe.
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Last week in potter county PA the best
I hunt private land NE PA. By far the first two weeks are the best. Much harder once everything greens up
Well, yall really are making my choice easy :TooFunny: Folks all over the place.. My plans are north-central or northeast Penn then right across the line in south-central/east NY. From what ive gathered, green up in northeast Penn can be more than a week behind southern Penn. Thats one reason im avoiding the opener.
Thanks for all the input, lot of factors to consider!
Usually the beginning of the season is rainy or cold but if you've scouted a kill is always possible..time of the month isn't as important as time of the week!. Cool rainy or foggy mornings dampen gobbling...but get one nice high pressure morning and they'll be hammering. I guess it depends on if u want to hear alot of gobbling or if u just want to kill a turkey..for some reason that the week of mother's day always seem a great time. Having killed birds from opening day till closing day I say go whenever you can go!
Good luck
Quote from: LI Outdoorsman on March 16, 2018, 09:50:39 AM
Usually the beginning of the season is rainy or cold but if you've scouted a kill is always possible..time of the month isn't as important as time of the week!. Cool rainy or foggy mornings dampen gobbling...but get one nice high pressure morning and they'll be hammering. I guess it depends on if u want to hear alot of gobbling or if u just want to kill a turkey..for some reason that the week of mother's day always seem a great time. Having killed birds from opening day till closing day I say go whenever you can go!
Good luck
I think the issue with late season is he's coming from out of state without prior knowledge of the area or scouting. If you and I have our spots know where they roost know where they feed or where they go once pressured killing a late season bird that isn't gobbling much s much easier because we can fidn them without the gobbling. For just showing up blind I'd say you just want max targets and gobbling regardless of hunter because that will increase his opportunity of finding birds. I would rather get there earlier or hike further to deal with crowds on an out of state hunt.
Sure late season you can hunt afternoons in PA but you likely won't hear much afternoon gobbling on public by that time so unless you know where they are loafing in the hot afternoons or roosting in the evening it's going to be a lot of hiking and swatting bugs
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I've done a lot of hunting in that southeastern NY and northeastern PA and I would not be hesitant to hunt later in the season. Especially with all day hunting. The birds seems to be extremely hot the 2nd half of the season, plus you have all day hunting in PA.
I hunt the whole month of May most years in Cobleskill NY. I think the fist week is the best if your not competing with a bunch of other guys. I hunt all state forest areas and it is getting worse every year. Gobbling was way off for us last year. After the fist week they clammed up and it rained a LOT. I've been hunting that area for over 30 years.
Deerhunt will score whatever the part of the season he hunts. A super hunter and a great guy to boot.
the best week to hunt NY this year is gonna be right after all the snow melts the 3rd week of May. ;D
Quote from: nyhunter on March 16, 2018, 06:12:36 PM
the best week to hunt NY this year is gonna be right after all the snow melts the 3rd week of May. ;D
You're a bit optimistic about that snow, don't ya think?
Idk why guys aren't saying this but I hunt NY quite a bit. I live about a mile from it. Good days may come/go but if it was me and I was hunting state land I'd take the first week.
Think about this. Only retired fellows and a few guys take the week off. That means pretty quick you have birds that haven't heard every trick to yourself. On the weekends guys are off and you're gonna have more company, more spooky birds. After a couple weekends it gets tougher. In a short time you'll be looking for a fresh bird. It's gonna be harder to find one. Anytime things can happen but there'd be less birds wanting to work day in day out a few weeks in. There are exceptions.