Toughest state

[Scottyb]

So it looks like MS and Al are tops...

thats about what i figured....

Thanks guys for the replies....

[Basin_hunter]

I noticed nobody mentioned Louisiana public land in their list. Imagine less than half of the population of birds as Miss and Bamma and the same amount of pressure, then add several years of poor hatches, thus limiting the amount of 2 yr old birds.. makes for very hard hunting. These birds will normally only gobble for a few minutes at daylight, that's if they gobble at all, then they shut down the rest of the day. I would say easterns in the deep south (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana) would be the toughest.

[hoyt]

I agree about the "hard pressured" public land Osceola's being pretty tuff. I've hunted public land birds in Fl., Ga., and S.C. and of those states Fl. was the most difficult due to the Osceola going into thicker stuff and getting into the swamps with water.

They will also just flat quit gobbling when the season goes on and are pressured hard. Before they quit they will just sit up on the roost and gobble..but not necessarily back at your call. They will gobble like "I'm not about to fly down till I see a hen under my tree." Then when they don't they just fly down and walk off gobbling in the opposite direction and you ain't about to catch up with them. That gobble will be the same distance away from you every time no matter how fast you walk.

[Larry Mac]

I have only hunted Florida--but I can tell you when  you try to hunt after the peak gobbling period is over, it is tough to hunt and find any  gobblers. Lots of hens that are nesting but hard to find the  longbeards. I would imagine any state would be tough to hunt if their hunting season is  after the peak gobbling  period has ended.

[NECKRINGER]

I have only hunted 6 states soooo keep that in mind when you read this...
as far as tuff state to hunt? I have not found a state to be harder then the next nor have I found one species of turkeys to be harder then the next.
I have found that it depend on that particular piece of property and at what point you are in the breeding season.
If you show up to any state public or private in the first part of the season when all the yahoos and weekend warriors are out you will have pressure and mishaps due to other hunters in the area. You may also run into gobblers following hens all morning and if early in the breeding seasons the hens may or may not drop off the gobbler in mid morning to nest.
If you want tuff go to any state where you have open public land in the begining of their season. This will give you pressure from 2 angles..hunters and hens.


Going one on one with a lone gobbler in a situation where you have chosen a good set up should be the same in any state with any species.

Many people do not know large vast of public land like they could a small chunk of private so often setting up on a bird or choosing a location in which to call often results in poor choices. In the event there are other hunters and you have kept the bird gobbling you are allowing more time for a problem to happen whether it be a hunter a hen or a predator. al which are attracted to gobbling birds.
Living in South Florida I do not hold Osceolas on a pedestal like most do. Yes hunting a romp and stomp piece of public land in the swamps full of people and few turkeys is difficult but it is evenly difficult in all states under the same circumstances.
The hardest terrain I have hunted birds in is the glades and large river bottoms  in the southeast us made up of lots of small islands where the birds jump from island to island all day. This can be very difficult. However, I have not hunted in the steep mountains and hills of west virginia and such. I would imagine just like anywhere else.
when a level headed hunter sits down in a good set up and does the right thing the bird dies.
I am confindent that the hardest state to hunt is the "state" of mind that lets the hunter start making excuses prior to entering the woods. A hunter full of excuses before daylight is always hunting in the hardest State.

[beards-n-bone]

1) Elkins, W.Va. (got snowed HEAVILY on in May)
2) North Alabama
3) Northeast, Tn

[dodger]

Homochitto national forest birds... southwest Mississippi do your homework and their now too awful to kill

[jshively]

I find the State of Confusion pretty tough - this is where I reside mostly about 30 minutes after first light when that gobbler has not shown up.

[West Augusta]

1) Elkins, W.Va. (got snowed HEAVILY on in May)
2) North Alabama
3) Northeast, Tn

Yeah, but in Elkins if it snows you can go trout fishing. 

[hobbes]

Neckringer, thats about as true and clear as it gets.  I still hate Alabama birds though.

[Scout24]

I've hunted NY, NH and Ct the last 16 years and without a doubt those hard hunted (and poached before the season) Cherry Valley, NY birds are by far the wariest. I remember the talk in one of those towns many years ago about the local road agent shooting 100" of beards before the season opened with a .22 mag! The NH and Ct birds are relatively unpressured and easy by comparison. Several times while inseason afternoon scouting in NY we'd spy a gobbler 300-400 yards away in a field and upon seeing us he'd flush and fly like we stepped on him! Maybe that long range rifle sniping conditioned them. Of my 4-5 50yard plus birds taken (out of 70+) every one were NY birds that hung up.

[Basser69]

C.a.s.h. ,Hardcore and myself have told you all that there is no turkeys in Alabama.

You can add me to that list too.  Thats why their so hard to hunt in Bama, ain't none!

I have been saying this for years....You cannot kill what is not there

[selmadogdoc]

I live in central Alabama and have been hunting here for over 50 years.  I have also hunted in Fla., S.D., New Mexico, Wyoming, and Texas.  It doesn't matter where you hunt, educated turkeys are hard to hunt.  Alabama is always on the top of most "hard to hunt" list because it is full of really good and hard hunting turkey hunters.  It's not unusual for hunters here to hunt most every day of a 45 day season.  These boys down here take it seriously.  We've also had a season for a long time.  It's no wonder the turkeys are smart and hard to kill.  Even with all this, most hunters here that hunt an average number of days will kill 2-3 turkeys every year, and some years will limit out at 5.  This is because we have a lot of turkeys, and a lot of private land.  Public land anywhere is hard unless you have a "private hot-spot".

Most of the other places that I have hunted the major problem is finding the turkeys.  There is a lot of open space out west, and like fishing, 10 % of the land will hold 90% of the turkeys.  After finding them, they are not all that hard to hunt.  Anyhow, I enjoyed reading everyone's opinion.

[Scottyb]

Guys I must say that DE public land has got to be one of the hardest places to kill a gobbler...

Why, BECAUSE THEY ARE ALMOST NON EXISTANT........

and you get 6 days on a tag, and you are confined to one area, not any piece of public land, but one area only, on those  six days.....

I have walked hundreds of miles, and have literally found four gobblers, how is that for tough?

I have walked the entire area of the place I have to hunt  this spring, and can say that I am not too optimistic. Very little sign, and no gobbling at all.... also, it is large tracts of tree farms, and most of the good timber,  is on private land surrounding it...


I am not saying they are the toughest turkeys, because honestly I dont know. I have only killed one in DE, but it is very hard to even find a bird, which really sucks...


But hey I will be hunting and doing my best for the three days I will have to hunt of my permit....

[Ol'Mossy]

I would say Pa because there's about 3 hunters for 1 gobbler