Some preseason preparation

[FullChoke]

If the weather will cooperate a little this weekend, I am planning on heading out to some hunting areas to get this year's lay of the land and to open up some access to locations that will be easier to quietly negotiate in no-to-low light. I am guessing that there have been some changes of differing degrees to the woods since I wasn't able to stomp my grounds last year. I will be carrying pruners, a folding saw, iPhone HuntStand app and other junk in a backpack and see what I can see.

MS has a limited lottery system in place for the first 2 weeks of the season for a number of popular WMAs usually located near populated areas. I have put in for 3 of them in the hopes of abating the population before the general horde descends on them. The drawing results will be posted in a week or two so I will be watching for that. Keep your fingers crossed for me because the turkeys will have their 3 toes crossed that I don't get drawn. I love the WMAs in MS.

I have already gone through my vest, gun, batteries, calls, decoys, etc. and they are ready to go. I still need to treat my clothes with Permethrin for ticks and give the mountain bike a good once over.

Preparation T.

Cheers 

FC

[FullChoke]

Well, I headed out this morning in misting conditions that looked like that was as bad as it was going to get. I made my way into a old dried up slough that has been very good to me in the past. The woods look like they have not changed at all since I was last in them. I made my way up the slough, got about 200 yards away from the usual roosting area according to the HuntStand app. I then cut back across the slough, clearing and marking my track back out to the R.O.W. This should give me a quiet access route once the fun starts.  I didn't see or hear anything and I am fine with that. This area has always had birds. I will slip in from another side as we get closer to season to listen for gobbling in the morning and to determine where the birds actually are come opening day.

March 15th can't get here soon enough.

Cheers 

FullChoke

[3bailey3]

[3bailey3]

hey sounds like a plan Norman, I posted the pick just trying to figured out Imgur, I think I got it to work, it took me all day to load the banner.

[FullChoke]

Well done Dwayne. If you had to do it again, it would be a snap, right?

BTW, where I went today was not where we went. 

Cheers 

FC

[3bailey3]

Yea Norman sounds like you went right down the road! Have you been to that WMA that we both like! I have wanted to drive though but just haven't had the chance yet and I have a new place in rankin co. To hunt that I have only stepped foot on once but some of the deer hunters have been sending me pics and gps coordinates and I am excited!

[paintbrush]

Not doing a lot of prep work up here yet other then playing with some mouth calls. Heck, it was a -13 here last night! Have about a foot of snow on the ground. Our turkeys up here usually don't start breaking out of their wintering groups till around the end of March to early April. My first hunt wont be until the middle of April. The one thing I am doing is working up a 870 20. ga Express  that I won at a tukey banquet last year. I put a shur-shot stock on it and I am going to have it drilled and tapped to put a fast fire on it. Toying with the idea of painting it instead of having it all black.