Things are looking up!

[turkeybow]

This weekend I decided I was going to go out and knock on a few doors.  I first went to the property I had permission to hunt last year to ask about this year.  I knew I would get it and it would help boost myself.  One down but I won't be alone.  Others hunt there as well but he has a really cool set up.  The land owner has a call in system.  You call in and request a day you would like to hunt.  If it is open then you have the place to yourself for the entire day.  Well I didn't get any others as no one was home on such a pretty day.  I went to a new place a buddy hooked me up in February to scout a bit.  Didn't see any turkey sign at all but the neighboring property should have some birds.  On to the property I have been wanting to hunt.........I mentioned it to a neighbor Saturday night and he said he would see what he can do for me.  It kind of made me nervous as I didn't think it would work in my favor.

On Sunday I was riding past the farm to watch the birds.  On my way up he comes down in his truck and tells me that he is going to talk to the land owner about me hunting right now.  So I rush up to turn around seeing 4 gobblers on the way.  After a 15min conversation he pulled it off and got me in!!!!  His only concern was the cattle as he is bringing in 65 head this week.  He said they would be in today or tomorrow.  I didn't see them today so I'm guessing they will be there tomorrow.  His only concern was the cattle settling in but as long as they did he don't see why I couldn't hunt.  He told me to call him before the season opens so hopefully he will think the cattle are good and settled in their new home!  The cattle have 18 days to settle in.  The land owner has this concern because one time he and my neighbor had shot a pig one time and it spooked the cattle so much one busted through the fence.  So I told him I wouldn't shoot if the cattle were in the way or to close and if one busted through the fence I would round it up and fix the fence.  I also said I would take care of the other critters on his property that he doesn't like (snakes, groundhogs, and coyotes) and offered any other work in order to get to hunt.  Looks like I'm going to have to do some work for this place..........

Doing work to get to hunt it is ok with me as I have seen as many as 52 birds.  That was on Feburary 22nd and there was 4 gobblers in the flock.  1 was strutting and he gobbled 3 times.  I have also seen another flock of just 8 gobblers.  I have been back almost every day for almost 2 weeks now and I see birds every day there.  I haven't seen as many birds at one time but now it seems like the big flock has split up.  I watched the 8 gobblers this evening and 1 was bullying one around.  Only 18 more days to go 

[latimer shedhead]

  Awsome! Sounds like your lined up..GOOD LUCK

[harvester]

Sounds like you got things lined up. Way to go. Good Luck on the new property.

[Ricochet]

Right on - good luck!   

[gob09]

do it to it man congrats on a great place to hunt

[unclerick]

Cool man, congrates on getting a good place to hunt, I would even go by ever so often and ask to help do something, that will keep you in there,

[ElkTurkMan]

Good deal Hoss!  You can never have to much ground to hunt! 

[turkeybow]

Thanks everyone!  I have been riding by every day watching the birds.  I haven't seen the big flock in a week.  Seems like the sightings have gone down a good bit.  The land owner didn't get the cows in yesterday or the day before.  I rode by this morning and there was 7 jakes in the field.  Rode by after work to see the new cattle but no birds.

[turkeybow]

Just by driving by your not able to see a lot of the place as it is hilly.  There easily could be birds out that I can't see.  I got my eyes full this morning.  I could see them well ahead of time and realized that they would be right next to the road.  8 jakes ran across the road and up and over the hill out of sight before I could get up to see the birds I had first seen.  When I get up to see them I see a few jakes, a boat load of hens, and a strutter only 20yds off the road.  I stopped and the other birds didn't like it much.  The strutter didn't mind a bit!  He just kept right on with the show and I could hear all of the spitting in the truck.  I ran home to get my camera but when I got back they were down over the hill where I couldn't see them.  I pulled off the side of the road and rolled the window down to hear all of the commotion.  The 8 jakes came barreling back down towards the big flock with a gobbler close on their tail.  I kept listening to the calling and realized they were in the bottom where I could now drive around to see them.  I drove around to see 4 gobblers, 3 were strutting 

[unclerick]

Man that sounds great. You've got some good birds to hunt then...

[gob09]

sounds like a hell of a place to hunt good luck