Virginia’s 2 week winter season

[deathfoot]

I always take advantage of getting in the woods during Virginia's two week winter season ( open in some parts of the state). So far this morning I've heard a gobble, a ton of yelps and cutting. They were on another property so at the moment I haven't had the chance to bust them up. But I've got them fired up at the moment. So maybe they'll just come on in.

But I do love a good fall/winter hunt!

[RMP]

I took advantage of Virginia's winter season on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday the wind was blowing steady at 10-15 mph with higher gusts, totally overcast, with colder-than-forecasted temps, and some snow.  I called it an early day when it started to snow.

I went back out yesterday.  The first time I have ever hunted on a Sunday in Virginia, since Sunday-hunting is relatively new.  The sky was clear, but by 8 AM the wind had picked back up and I decided to still hunt a several-hundred-acre dense pine thicket.  Either sex was legal and I ended up calling in a hen with soft clucks.  I went ahead and took her.  That area has a pretty sizeable flock.

This was my second fall/winter bird this year.  I took one the day before Thanksgiving while deer hunting.  But this 2 week winter season is great.  Deer season is over and you don't have to wear blaze orange. 

So my 2022-2023 season is 2/3rds over.  Lord willing, maybe I'll tag out with a Tom in the spring.  If not, it's been a good exciting season.



Here's my write up on this particular hunt.

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,111048.15.html

[deathfoot]

RMP,

Way to go!! I had to work this weekend or I would have been out there as well. I ended up seeing a flock today but they never made shooting range.

The area I live in has the extended anterless deer season in (I'll save my comments on that) but I'd much rather be chasing these birds. And I agree, this 2 week fall season has been a favorite of mine. I usually get one bird during that 2 week span and most of the time it's almost as exciting as the spring. Note the word almost. But I do like to bust them up, and call them back. Today tho, they stayed on bordering property I couldn't access. There's always this weekend tho.

[RMP]

Good luck!  This two-week season is almost like a pre-spring season.  Where I hunt, the birds have been very talkative and I've heard some gobbling in the mornings.  I really appreciate being able to get out and not have to wear blaze orange.  Though in the fall, I've had birds work right past my stand while I was wearing blaze orange.  Fall turkey hunting has really fallen off over the years in Virginia.  I'm just not sure they associate blaze orange with danger.  It's really weird, sometimes. 

[Yoder409]

Well done, sir !!!!     

CONGRATS !!!!!!!

[quavers59]

   One of the older classic Turkey Books,I have had the Author referring to the very late Virginia Winter Season as the -Squirrky Season as many Squirrel  Hunters just out for Squirrels  would take advantage  of the Turkey Bounty before them.  Can't  remember  the Book.

[RaspyD]

Virginia's January season hasn't been around for all that long but I wish that there was still a fall-only tag for Virginia hunters.

[RMP]

Yeah, RaspyD.  It is a fairly new "season."  It's just one of the several segments of the fall season, but remote enough from other segments that it is really unlike those.  I love it.

By the way, I see your avatar.  One of my prized pot calls is a Screamin Demon (green) glass in a laminated pot.  Perfection pots were the bombdiggity.  Maybe they still are.  I thoughgt they were OOB.

[deathfoot]

RMP is correct this winter season is fairly new. Virginia has come a long ways. I remember when the fall season included some of the black powder and even rifle season. And there was without a doubt a lot of rifle hunters killing turkeys in an opportunity situation. That isn't the case now. It's open now in the bow season and yes, squirrel season. I'm an advocate of selling Turkey stamps separately but the state isn't. They changed it for the bear, selling them separate but there's a bigger bear lobby than there is turkey.

This 2 week winter season is awesome tho. Mostly no deer season in. And yes, squirrel season is in. But who squirrel hunts anymore? Besides the occasional young ones. Maybe there is a niche of them. But I don't hear of it like I did 15 years ago. I have exception to someone killing a turkey with a .308. But if a squirrel hunter happens on a Turkey with a 12 gauge, it is what it is. The state has done a good job in keeping the deer hunters from just blasting them out and opening the 2 week winter season only in counties where the Turkey population is doing well.

As for me, I'll hunt the 2 week winter season for turkey. And I'll have a blast doing it.

[RaspyD]

Yeah, RaspyD.  It is a fairly new "season."  It's just one of the several segments of the fall season, but remote enough from other segments that it is really unlike those.  I love it.

By the way, I see your avatar.  One of my prized pot calls is a Screamin Demon (green) glass in a laminated pot.  Perfection pots were the bombdiggity.  Maybe they still are.  I thoughgt they were OOB.

The original SD in the green pot was a good one. The SD2 in the corian pot is even better.  Perfection is still going and Jim Clay is still making mouth calls.

[RMP]

RMP is correct this winter season is fairly new. Virginia has come a long ways. I remember when the fall season included some of the black powder and even rifle season. And there was without a doubt a lot of rifle hunters killing turkeys in an opportunity situation. That isn't the case now. It's open now in the bow season and yes, squirrel season. I'm an advocate of selling Turkey stamps separately but the state isn't. They changed it for the bear, selling them separate but there's a bigger bear lobby than there is turkey.

This 2 week winter season is awesome tho. Mostly no deer season in. And yes, squirrel season is in. But who squirrel hunts anymore? Besides the occasional young ones. Maybe there is a niche of them. But I don't hear of it like I did 15 years ago. I have exception to someone killing a turkey with a .308. But if a squirrel hunter happens on a Turkey with a 12 gauge, it is what it is. The state has done a good job in keeping the deer hunters from just blasting them out and opening the 2 week winter season only in counties where the Turkey population is doing well.

As for me, I'll hunt the 2 week winter season for turkey. And I'll have a blast doing it.

The fall turkey season in my county was segmented like this: 

October 22 through November 4,
November 23 and 24,
December 5 through December 31,
and January 14 through 28

The first segment was during all the small game seasons and the muzzle loading deer season.  No blaze orange requirement, but not really wise.

The second segment fell during the deer general firearms season.  Blaze orange requirements.  Lots of deer hunting going on.

The third segment also fell during the deer general firearms season with a blaze orange requirements.  But deer hunting, except on weekends by clubs, has fallen way off.

The fourth and final segment, small game is still in season but hunting them has pretty much stopped.  Deer are out of season.  So there is no blaze orange requirement and you can pretty much have the woods to yourself.  It's a perfect segment for a dedicated turkey hunt.

I readily admit, most of the turkeys I've ever killed were in the fall and were killed while hunting something else.  I go for deer while knowing that on certain days I can take a turkey, too, if I happen to have a chance.  I took a bird the day before Thanksgiving while deer hunting. 

I'm looking forward to future pure turkey hunts during that last two week segment.

[deathfoot]

RMP,

Unfortunately where I hunt..they have started the new anterless only long rifle season so blaze orange is a must here.

I'm holding back on my comment as far as the extended deer season other than to say, it really has missed up the winter turkey season for me. Like you, I enjoyed these two weeks of turkey hunting with no blaze orange and no hunters in the woods. This year here, it's different. I'm currently drafting an email to the VDGIF, even tho it will do no good. That email will include the stupidity of the extended season which at some point all deer will be anterless and some comments about the two week winter season which should be clear of deer hunters taking advantage of the opportunity.

[RaspyD]

RMP,

Unfortunately where I hunt..they have started the new anterless only long rifle season so blaze orange is a must here.

I'm holding back on my comment as far as the extended deer season other than to say, it really has missed up the winter turkey season for me. Like you, I enjoyed these two weeks of turkey hunting with no blaze orange and no hunters in the woods. This year here, it's different. I'm currently drafting an email to the VDGIF, even tho it will do no good. That email will include the stupidity of the extended season which at some point all deer will be anterless and some comments about the two week winter season which should be clear of deer hunters taking advantage of the opportunity.

It's the same where I live in Va and the anterless season extending all the way until the end of March is ridiculous.

[deathfoot]

Raspy,

I totally agree!

[Tom007]

Nice job, well done