Boy Scouting

[FullChoke]

Weather Underground, my atmospheric authority on all things meteorological, predicts that this weekend will be groovy for preemptive sneakin' around in the ungreened woods here in MS. When I scout, it is usually to get an updated perspective on any changes to the woods. Oh, I love to hear a gobble or spot tracks and droppings, but I already know that turkeys are in the areas that I hunt, so I really don't need to see those. That's why I hunt these areas anyway.

Several of the WMAs that I terrorize are on a draw system for the first 2 weeks of the season. We should be getting notifications of the draws in the next few days, so that would put extra focus on those areas. A good walk in the woods with a map, compass, Sharpie and brush cutting tools makes for a great day in preparation.

Season starts soon. Cheers. 

FC

[FullChoke]

I went out scouting to a local WMA this morning and heard nothing that I could positively identify as a turkey nor trax/droppings. Vegetatively, it appears that we may be set up for an early spring as the daffodils are already fully emerged and I have heard reports that the dogwoods are already blooming in south MS.

I will be heading out to another WMA tomorrow morning to take the pulse of the feathered bretheren in that neck of the woods.

We are looking at under 4 weeks to the opener here. Cheers. 

FC

[FullChoke]

Headed out this morning and was greeted by the first gobble of the season at 6:05 am. He was right on that curve in the slough where I have found gobblers roosting several times in the past. He coughed up 5 gobbles and a different one gave forth a fine Good Morning well to the south on that same slough. Not the Broadway musical performance of the decade, but it does give me a good indication of where to start this year's trickery.

Cheers 

FC

[3bailey3]

Norman sounds like you listening right down the road! You been to that spot I showed you a few years back? I have not been out early yet but I have walked the two new places I can hunt north of canton, both look promising but one I have to go with the owner who wants to kill his first!

[FullChoke]

Actually, Dwayne, the first scouting trip that I took this year was down the road that I tipped you to where you went in and shot one. I didn't hear anything at that location. I again did not get drawn for any of the 3 WMAs that I put in for, including that one. I had some great hunts in that area last year but just couldn't close the deal on him. I hope that he survived.

The gobbling birds were at a different location.

FC

[3bailey3]

Yes Norman that was a great late season hunt, I have just not hunted the WMA's the last few years.

[FullChoke]

I am planning on sneaking in and hopefully listening at close range to Dr. Romeo whom I heard greeting the new day a few weekends back. I would like to be able to pinpoint the oak tree that he loves to snooze in so that I can arrange for a close encounter of the ME kind in about a week.

Report on what actually happened later tomorrow.

Cheers 

FC

[paintbrush]

It's still a bit early to start doing any serious scouting up here yet. Heck, it was -4 Wednesday night and -2 Thursday night! Our birds are still flocked up in their wintering grounds yet. Another couple weeks hopefully they will start to break up and get in the right mood for a little sparking.

[FullChoke]

A good turkey hunting buddy and I went out to a local WMA yesterday so that I could show him all of my hot spots (minus one!). I was very surprised that we were the only people on the entire WMA the weekend before the season opens. We spotted a nice gobbler crossing the main road right off of the bat and found some really good recent gobbler tracks at another location. He waypointed everything. We should be able to put together a hunt or two this season.

FC

[Sand Man]

I got out Saturday to scout some ground I picked up this year for turkeys as well as my deer lease.  I might need to load some more shells.    Turkeys are alive and well. They are still really bunched up. They gobbled decent on the roost, but shut up once they hit the ground. Saw a group of 80+ in a wheat field with 20+ strutters, another group of 40-50 with 15+ strutters, and another group of 20-30 with 8+ strutters. As long as I can keep 3seasons daughter from killing them all, we should be good to go.     Come on April 1st!