Southwest Alabama

[J Hook Max]

 I went scouting thsi morning. Turkeys are still in the woods scratching. Not much sign in the open ground. Saw one lone hen and heard no gobbling.
My grand daughter said that a turkey has been gobbling behind her house each morning since Tuesday. She hears him waiting on the school bus. She lives in South Monroe County.

[ericjames]

They should be getting cranked up in about another  8-10 days. I know I am seeing allot more gobblers this year than the past 5 years.

[arkrem870]

Think they will be doing anything around Camden by opener?

[ericjames]

Think they will be doing anything around Camden by opener?

I could be wrong but I think this year where i am they will be just starting to gobble the first weekend. Now up around butler they usually start about 2 weeks before ours. So I would say Camden should be rocking by the 15th. Last year they never did really get started around here, every now and then you would run up in one that would gobble. I don't know what was wrong with them.

[arkrem870]

Thanks

[bamagtrdude]

Went scouting this morning; 2 diff pieces of land; no gobbling yet here (NW Tuscaloosa Co.).

[ericjames]

I started to go this morning. I will go a few mornings this week. I think they are going to be just starting around the 15th.

I wanted to ask everyone, what was the gobbling like last year? What county were you hunting? I had around 7800 acres in Washington county, 6-700 in Wayne county mississippi  to hunt. This year I only have about 3000 ac. because I got out of one lease.  I only missed 2 or 3 mornings, but they never really got to gobbling good. I only had one that gobbled allot. I hunted him 1 day the first week of season. I didn't hunt him again to the last week of season, when I smashed his head. Everyone I talked to said he blew it up every morning they hunted him. It's not public land but the owners let everyone in the community hunt it. So he had allot of pressure put on him.  But that's the only one that gobbled good last year. I shot him the April 28 and I got in there at noon that day and he still had 8 hens with him. I was fortunate enough to let 5 ride in the back of the truck last year. But it was the hardest I ever had to hunt in a season.

[bamagtrdude]

Eric: Wow, nice job, man - 5 birds last season?  Great!  I hunted my land here in NW Tuscaloosa Co. & hunted with my buddy up in Fayette Co. on a few different pieces of property.  We're weekend warriors; only hunt Sat's & Sun's.

In both counties, they were gobbling *GREAT* last year; in fact, one of the best "gobbling" years I remember (moved back in 2004).  Opening day, I called up 3 gobblers in Fayette (they were hammering it the whole time, coming into us), but we totally screwed up the setup; I was trying to get my buddy his 2nd bird, but ...  they came straight to me (the caller), and (like an idiot) I had inadvertently blocked myself out of a shot (note: we're going back there again on Mar. 15th).  We did go back a 2nd time, they gobbled again (all 3), I had them coming in on a rope, and then THIS TIME we had some field workers that busted 'em right before they came into the woods on our setup (gas line property with wells)!!  Argh - foiled again! 

On my land in Tuscaloosa Co., we had gobbling all over, but we focused on hunting 2 birds that, morning after morning, "hung up" on us.  As it turns out, they were on a little knoll/ridge off of a pasture we have, back in the woods about 150 yards (or so).  We'd setup on the pasture, trying to bring them in 'cause their hens always roosted over the pasture.  I tried everything - light calling, aggressive calling, even bought AND USED a K&H Hale Fire gobble call - and they HAMMER to everything!!  But, they never came to us.  Finally, we put a THUG STALK on 'em after busting all their hens out of the area, & I popped one of them in the head; unfortunately, it wasn't the dominant bird; he had a jake with him, and that's the one I shot (thru thick brush).  I was thankful to get a bird, but obviously wanted to get the big boy.

But, ya, gobbling was good last year.  I will say this - it was cold weather the entire time; every single hunt, I wore my camo fleece jacket.

[ericjames]

5 birds is probably not to good since I got to hunt just about every day. I took one of those in MS. On some friends land I have to hunt. 4 of those came from bama though. I would put pics on here but I lost that phone I laid it on my  front bumper and my wife wanted me to go to town with her. Well thanks to my luck it's somewhere on the road, ditch or someone picked it up. I have the last one of season on this phone. I downloaded the photobucket app now so my pics should be safe. The turkey pictures didn't bother me. I lost all the pics on my phone of my son from about 6 months to 14 months old.

[bamagtrdude]

Awwh man, sorry to hear about your phone; that's too bad about losing your son's photos!! 

But, nice bird!  5 birds (limiting out) is hard; *even* when you hunt every day!!  My brother, who's been hunting turkey for probably 25-30 years, has only done it once, and like you, he nearly had to go every day, and he had several *hot spots* to go to (that year).  I consider 1 per year, as a weekend warrior, "mission accomplished" - to be completely honest!  You only get 12 "attempts" per season (2 days x 6 weeks = 12 days of hunting). 

Sometimes, these deg'gum birds just don't do what you want them to do, and it takes several attempts to get the drop on one & bag him -- like my 2 pasture birds last year (I think we hunted them a total of 3-4 times before I hammered one).

Hope we both have good luck this season; I'm about to bust -- ready to get it on! 

[J Hook Max]

Finally , turkeys are starting to gobble here in Monroe County. Just in time for the youth hunt next weekend. However,  not finding any strut marks.

[bamagtrdude]

Finally , turkeys are starting to gobble here in Monroe County. Just in time for the youth hunt next weekend. However,  not finding any strut marks.

Is youth hunt statewide next weekend?

[ericjames]

Finally , turkeys are starting to gobble here in Monroe County. Just in time for the youth hunt next weekend. However,  not finding any strut marks.

I will be going in the morning to see if I can hear that first gobble of the year for myself.

[bamagtrdude]

Went again this morning; still no gobbling, but a TON of bird activity & "predator" calling (red-tailed hawks, owls, crows).  Oh well; I have a trip coming up to SE Alabama & since next weekend is youth hunt weekend, I'm bringing my calls & taking my daughter out for her first turkey hunt.  Will have my brother's step-son as the shooter (he's 14).  Hopefully we can call one in!

[ericjames]

I just got back from listening for the first time of the year. I didn't hear any gobbling this morning. I know there is gobbler's in the area because I saw 2 yesterday evening about 5 crossing leaving the field. Maybe they will start in the next few days.