Scouting

[FullChoke]

Well, we had a pretty nice day today, high in the mid 60's with a nice breeze out of the south, so I took off to my favorite WMA to do some scouting and clear access trails. While out wandering around I busted 3 turkeys off of the roosts around 10:00 am! At least showed me that they were in that area even if they were sleeping in late. On the drive home I came past a field that I shot a bird out of several years ago and lookie here, there were 25 turkeys out in it. Appeared to be just hens and jakes, but that is still a great sign. All in all a fun time to be out monkeying around in the woods. BTW, nothing looked like it was ready to bud just yet.

[surehuntsalot]

glad you had a great trip out scouting,hopefully it will be a great area for you.

[jakesdad]

Upper teens low 20's here today.2-3" snow and about 1" sleet/ice.Calling for 4-8 inches more tuesday with highs in the teens and single digits/below zero for lows..................may be a while before I get to do much scouting.And nothing looks like its ready to bud here either

[FullChoke]

glad you had a great trip out scouting,hopefully it will be a great area for you.

Steve, I think you know which WMA I'm talking about. 

[surehuntsalot]

glad you had a great trip out scouting,hopefully it will be a great area for you.

Steve, I think you know which WMA I'm talking about. 

got a pretty good idea there Mr. Norman

[Hooter]

Thats funny, I did the same thing today.   
Took my Honda 4 stroke trimmer, with a cutter blade, and headed out to clean up some of my Turkey walkin trails.  The high was 60 today, so it was so nice to able to get out in a T shirt. I had intended to pick up my Duck Dekes from my swamp way back in the timber, but the ice was still thick enough to walk on.
Did not see any Turkeys or sign, but they will be in there soon.

[Eric Gregg]

The warm weather Saturday was a tease. I hope this cold weather will push through so I can get out there

[FullChoke]

I went out this morning to a WMA to do some scouting for the upcoming youth week when I get to take my grandson out hunting. In the dark, I made my way down a powerline to where I wanted to sit to wait for the woods to wake up. At 6:15 the first gobble of the morning rang out about 200 yards away straight in front of me. Three Toms roosted on the same slough would gobble together and they sounded off with 51 gobbles before they settled down.

After 35 minutes of silence I figured that they had moved out of the area so I got up to cross the powerline to find their roost spot. I took one step out in the line and there were 6 hens looking at me from about 200 yards away. They didn't scatter, so I eased back into the woods and sat down again. I realized that they would come much too close to me where I was sitting so I got up and backed away from the clearing and just stood there hugged up against a tree. The hens came to about 50 yards, fed a while and then turned and went back the direction that they had just come from. While still hugged up against the tree, I watched until they were about 100 yards away. I turned and looked around the other side of the tree and there were two longbeards standing not 20 yards away from me in the middle of the powerline. One of them had seen the tree move and stiffened up, but never really sounded the alert. The other one walked on past him and then another one and then another one. Once their little Mardi Gras parade had ended, I had watched 8 longbeard gobblers file past me at 20 yards heading down the line towards the ladies in the distance. I waited until they were about 200 yards away, picked up two sticks and holding them in my hands like two front legs, leaned over and casually walked across the powerline doing my best imitation of a deer. The ruse seemed to work and once in the woods on the other side I easily found the slough that at least 3 of this Band of Brothers had used that morning to roost over.

I'll go back again to check on them next weekend. I can't wait for Youth season.

FC

[surehuntsalot]

went out scouting this morning at the camp,first stop was the power line,27 hens were feeding on it.(not one gobbler in the bunch)Next stop was the gun range area,several sets of tracks and 3 long beards were seen.Over the course of the rest of the morning saw some more birds and sign.
I'm afraid that it's going to be a hard,tough season,from the number of hens that were seen during deer season and today,verse the number of gobblers,I'm thinking that they are going to be henned up something terrible.I guess we will find out.

[FullChoke]

Steve,

You may have better luck later in the season down on your club. Once the hens have been bred out (if that is actually possible) those loverboys may be easy pickin's and not so choosy.

[FullChoke]

This morning I went back into the same area as last weekend. At 6:04 one got started up and then another one on the other side from me. The two of them had a gobbling shoot out with the grand total coming to 86. They may be starting to get on each others nerves right about now and should be breaking up soon to amass their own harems.

[surehuntsalot]

lucky you
I went scouting this afternoon,watched 1 long bearded son of a gun with 13 hens for close to 1-1/2 hours.
They fed into the woods and I heard them when they flew up to roost

[jakesdad]

I'll be so glad when it warms up here in NE missouri;but have been getting some camera pics.Got 3 strutters and about a dozen hens on film from yesterday.

[FullChoke]

I slipped out this morning for one last Pre-Yute hunt scout of the birds. I eased up to this particular slough, sat down and the music started at 6:06. Two birds were roosted together and they would gobble in unison. I heard 24 gobbles before they quieted down, but not before I figured out where the Chap 'n' I will be a-hunkered down next weekend. Since they were gobbling together, these are probably two of that trio I heard a few weeks ago that roosted together and would gobble right on top of the other.

Walking back out, I bumped a flock of about 6 hens who were cutting through a stand of planted pines on their way to some breakfast scratching. BTW, our woods are starting to bud and bloom all over. It doesn't mean a flopping bird is guaranteed, but things sure are looking good for a change.

[Eric Gregg]

Norm,
It sounds like opening day your neck of the woods is going to be really active early. That is going to be awesome.