Tough opening week in NY

[turkaholic]

After 365 days waiting for NY to open, did we get screwed over. Almost everyday it rained, sometimes hard. Wind, one night ,we had winds up to 80 mph. Slugs were attaching themselves to my boots. Rain gear every day wet calls,soaked vests gotta love it. Most mornings if you were lucky you got one, and I mean one courtesy gobble. Except for one day, it was partly cloudy and warm. On that day I managed to have an awesome hunt and got a nice long beard on state land. 21 1/2 pounds 1 1/4 " Spurs and 10 1/2" beard. Taking a few day to recoup and heading back up for another week or so, BUT the weather will still be awfull. What can you do about it ? Nothin ,just shut up and hunt. Two birds for me so far. One in CT and one in NY.

[lunghit]

Where in NY are you hunting? I was fortunate to take a nice bird opening morning right after sunrise in Chenango county. The next day I had a few gobbles but couldn't pull them from the hens. Kind of glad I didn't tag out on day 2 lol. You were not kidding about the rain and wind. The night of May 1st I swear a tornado was in the area. Never heard anything like it before.

[arrow1]

I couldn't decide what was worse the wind or the rain ...hate them both when chasing turkey birds.

[arrow1]

OH! Forgot to mention...snow in forecast for tomorrow morning.

[mikejd]

It was just snowing at my camp a few minutes ago. 3 of us haven't heard a gobble yet. My road is a mudfest. Hope the weather changes. Doesn't look good.

[CrustyRusty]

Didnt even hear a bird or a shot opening day in madison county.  It was sunny but very windy.  That night bad storms came through and I slept in a bit.  Woke up at 545, drove to my spot, in the woods by 6, decided to make a call and the woods lit up.  Out of the woods by 615...had 5 toms within 30 yards and shot the biggest one.

Yesterday took my son-in-law out for his first time in Dutchess county.  Called in a huge tom and 6 other birds of various ages and not one gobble.  Weather has surely sucked this year but its the best opener ive seen in years.  I could have easily shot a less dominant bird after he nailed that tom, but he was so excited and I didnt want to rain on his moment.  What a great memory.

[tha bugman]

I couldn't decide what was worse the wind or the rain ...hate them both when chasing turkey birds.

The wind


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[BABS9]

First three days were real hot for me lots of gobbling. A lot of jakes though. Since then I haven't heard a thing. Rain has been terrible as you all know. Flooding has made some spots unhuntable. I'm in Niagara county and live very close to Lake Ontario shore. Water levels are becoming a major issue as well.

[lmbhngr]

I'm tagged out. Otsego county

[lunghit]

Going to camp tonight and will be trying to fill my last tag over the next three mornings. So far things have been good.

[turkaholic]

I hunt in the Cobleskill area not far from Cooperstown. One day moving from spot to spot I saw 15 long beards on the roads. There is a good amount of birds around, when they begin to gobble it will get good. I'm in CT this morning birds gobbling here pretty good. Leaving for NY camp this afternoon, hoping the weather will be a bit nicer this week. I have not had any jakes show their faces, but I love to see them. I had a lot of jakes around last year.

[mspaci]

I was home with a bird & drinking coffe at 6:45. Had friends tag out day 1 & 2. Rain ever since. Mike

[culpeper]

Babs9, I live in Niagara Co, but cant find anywhere to hunt in the county so I hunt Chautaqua and Genesee Co's, yeah, the weather has been remarkable, sat in the rain and wet snow yesterday and my success was getting soaked and chilled to the bone.  Gobbling has been almost non-existent,

turkaholic:  Cobleskill huh,  I know of 9 long beards who took a dirtnap's over the past 4 days in that area....seems to be A LOT of birds and plenty of gobbling, you are fortunate.  It has been a good area in the state for some time now.

mspaci - where bouts you been hunting?

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Got a jake today. Only have two days left to hunt for sure and if I'm lucky I'll be able to hunt the last week. I spent 8 solid days in all the weather and today was the first day the birds turned on big time.

[lunghit]

Filled my second tag yesterday morning with a nice bird. Got to watch him and another big bird for over an hour following a hen in a field. She finally led him towards my decoys and he broke off for a closer look at my DSD jake decoy. 10" beard with 1" spurs.