Season of firsts

[Farmboy27]

Season is over here in PA and I had a lot of "firsts" this year.  It was the first season in my "career" that I didn't find at least 1 box turtle while hunting. The first that I didn't come across at least 1 fawn. The first that I didn't call in any hens. The the first that I didn't hear a gobble after the first week. The first that I only heard 2 birds total in season. The first that I didn't kill a bird. And the first that I was actually glad when season ended. It's always been easy for me to get up and go hunting. Heck, it's always been harder to sleep the night before!  But over 3 weeks of getting up early to do the morning farm work, going listening for turkeys, and then heading for my "day job" without hearing a peep was starting to wear me down pretty good. By the end of the season it was starting to get pretty tough to crawl out of bed even on a Saturday to go hunting. So as I sit here eating my tag, I just have one thought. Man! Next year has to be better!

[Happy]

Have experienced the same feelings you are having right now. Hang in there. Revenge will be sweeter next year!

[Greg Massey]

Don't give up, just look at it being another year of experience and learning. Just wait until next year.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Hope next year is better for you!

[SteelerFan]

It was a tough one in PA for sure...

Gobblers will weigh more, have longer beards and longer, sharper spurs in '17 (that's what I'm telling myself, anyway  )

[jepcho]

That's tough man. It will make your first bird next year that much sweeter, I know that doesn't help much now though.

[maytom]

Same for me in NY. The fat lady has sung her song while I eat two tags!!!

[wvmntnhick]

Only 2 tags? I ate 2 for West Virginia and 2 more for Maryland. Mmmm,mmmmm. Tag soup is great. Next year, I'm killing a bird.

[bluegill68]

Hang in there friend, 2017 will be here before you know it. We all get a chance to take the ride you have been on, it happens.  You can blame it on karhma, a slump, bad luck, timing or a myriad of other causes but it does happen.

All I can tell you is what helped me, confidence in what I was doing, focus on the basics.  Find birds, learn where they are going and loafing adjust as needed.

BG68

[dejake]

I hunt northeastern PA, and it was a terrible season. Did manage to get one bird.  Called in about a dozen jakes, though, so there should be quite a few 2 year olds next year.

[markjm15]

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. In this case you'll just be more determined and crazy eyes to kill a bird next year!

[Tommy Strutsalot]

It was an extremely difficult year in PA, and I know a lot of people sharing in your frustration.  I feel fortunate to have set up properly on a hot one this year, and I was able to put my buddy in a position to miss one that was walking right to us   

I agree, it was by far the least amount of gobbling that I've heard.  It started getting to the point where I would expect not to hear gobbles, and be pleasantly surprised if I heard one. The 2nd day of the season, the 14th of May, and the last day or two were the only days I hunted that I can say the birds were truly hot.  I can't help but blame El Nino.  Every time that SOB comes through we have an awful waterfowl hunting season, followed by a silent month of May. 

Oh, I did find my fawn though 

[Farmboy27]

Thanks for the kind words guys!  I'm already done feeling sorry for myself lol!  Im already looking forward to next spring and my trip to Nebraska. It will be only my second time hunting outside of PA and my first since hunting rios in Texas in 2001. Besides, I don't really have time to dwell on this spring. There is hay to make, crops to spray, calves to wean. It's time to get trail cameras out, to start shooting bow, and hunt groundhogs.  Before I know it it'll be time to hang treestands. Then it's bow hunting, inline hunting and harvest time. That runs straight into fall turkey season and trying to get in alittle rabbit and grouse hunting. Rifle deer season is right there. After Christmas it's flintlock season, some late small game hunting and chasing the coyotes around a little. And then the weather breaks and it's time to start getting serious about the turkeys again!  Come to think about it, spring turkey season is right around the corner! And I have a lot to get done before that. I just hope I have enough time! LOL!

[renegade19]

Don't sweat it.  We've all (at least those of us who are honest) eaten tags.  They taste horrible and I don't ever want another.  But, I probably will.  Interesting about the turtles, I read somewhere that they're declining but I'm seeing more now than I have in a long time.  Good luck next year!

[JK Spurs]

It was a tough year in PA...agree! I had no problem finding birds but getting them to cooperate was impossible. Just had a lot of bad luck on my set ups. Look out next year....game on! I did tag two in Missouri but not to tag one in my home state sucks.