Help with public land in Mississippi?

[ShootingABN!]

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So I've hunting turkey's for thirty years in VA. We are a Military family and we are stationed in Biloxi MS. I've driven to some National Forest as far away as four hours. However I didn't hear a bird until last week. They are only gobbling on the limb max 4 times.

Pre season I was limited to scouting with satellite image. Once I put boots on ground I'd cover over six miles or more a day. With very little sign. I was looking at creeks, rivers, and a mixture of trees and cover.

Any help?

[ShootingABN!]

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How do you find turkeys on public land? Do they normally only gobble on the limb? Are they still with hens?

48 views but no one is commenting?

Thanks for any help.....

[HFultzjr]

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Have a read. Some suggestions here.
https://www.google.com/search?q=turkey+hunting+near+Biloxi+MS&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b
 

[SD_smith]

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Watch The Hunting Public on youtube. They just did a few episodes on public land in Mississippi and show a simple, but proven method of finding birds in the South East. Got to get out there and just spend time because eventually you will figure them out and then it'll be easy to find birds in the future.

IMO gotta get away from any roads and the people. I think National Forests get hunted too hard and 50% of the time it ain't the best habitat either. Your state has to have more opportunities public land wise. The Hunting Public guys specialize in hunting big pieces of public ground, but you'll notice they hunt LOTS of really small pieces.

[silvestris]

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Mississippi, especially South Mississippi, has some real problems, re: turkeys.  I am in the worst season in over 40 years.  In Southwest Mississippi I have heard only two gobbles on the same morning, one gobble apiece from two different birds, followed shortly by a shot for each.  This is in locations that I have had good success in the past.  I went back yesterday, hoping that they may have turned on, but, nothing.  Only saw one other hunting vehicle so apparently the word has gotten out.  I was in paradise in the 80s, now there is only desolation.  I can think of several explanations, but it is likely a combination of several explanations.  I don't see turkey hunting back anytime soon.  Near extinction is my conclusion.

[wchadw]

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try driving to the homochitto national forest.  should be an hour or so from you in SW Mississippi

[Cottonmouth]

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Try the Bienville National forest north of Morton. I heard they are gobbling there. Still good on private land I hunt.  Got one Saturday morning that must have gobbled 350 times.

[sasquatch1]

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try driving to the homochitto national forest.  should be an hour or so from you in SW Mississippi

This


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[silvestris]

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try driving to the homochitto national forest.  should be an hour or so from you in SW Mississippi

That is where I have been trying to find one.  It is like finding a dinosaur.

[wchadw]

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well, i have 2 suggestions...

1. ask around to friends, co workers, etc about somewhere closer.  you would probably be able to find some private or lease land closer where you can hunt.  There a lot of hunting camps that most of the members strickly hunt deer that will let you hunt turkeys or they may let you pay a partial membership to only hunt turkeys

2. if your only option is public land as late in the season as it is here in MS you probably won't hear too much gobbling.  here google maps i think would be your best bet to locate some birds.  try to find a patch of hardwoods with a water source close that is also close to some farm pastures or open areas.

[silvestris]

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I have been finding gobblers for over 40 years.  I believe Promos as well as others have been successful in turning deer hunters into want to be turkey hunters and the Utube videos and decoy manufacturers have turned them into turkey killers.  Just ruined a perfectly good sport.

[wchadw]

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try driving to the homochitto national forest.  should be an hour or so from you in SW Mississippi

That is where I have been trying to find one.  It is like finding a dinosaur.

It’s a big national forest and
I haven’t hunted that area in 20 years but the area between liberty ms and gloster ms there is a corner of the forest were there was always turkeys. Find the hardwood areas. Good luck


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[ShootingABN!]

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Thanks for everyone that took time to post. I love the hunting public YouTube channel. The mapping video is what I was trying to do when I was logging in all those miles. I didn't have the time to scout so I hope to start it a whole lot earlier next year. I'll also try for some of the WMA draw hunts.

The Homochitto NF is 4 hour drive, the Bienville NF is a three hour drive. I have been to the Bienville NF and that is where I spent three days hunting without hearing but one gobble one time..... Never could locate where he was using. No fresh sign anywhere..

I'm hoping next year will be different.

I'm still open to any help.

[LaLongbeard]

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Mississippi, especially South Mississippi, has some real problems, re: turkeys.  I am in the worst season in over 40 years.  In Southwest Mississippi I have heard only two gobbles on the same morning, one gobble apiece from two different birds, followed shortly by a shot for each.  This is in locations that I have had good success in the past.  I went back yesterday, hoping that they may have turned on, but, nothing.  Only saw one other hunting vehicle so apparently the word has gotten out.  I was in paradise in the 80s, now there is only desolation.  I can think of several explanations, but it is likely a combination of several explanations.  I don't see turkey hunting back anytime soon.  Near extinction is my conclusion.

I know a couple older turkey hunters that have shoe boxes full of beards and spurs and they haven't killed a gobbler in Louisiana in years. I think they are stuck in the 1980's there were lots of turkeys few hunters and expanding populations. They wore the gobblers out back then they have all kinds of stories about limiting out in the first 3 days of the season then driving to Mississippi and getting 3 more in 3 days, calling up groups of two year olds etc etc. Along about the late 90's early 2000's there success ratios took a sharp decline. As the gobblers adapted to the increased pressure and more and more people took up the sport they failed to adapt. One guy in particular told me this season he drove to a spot opening day and heard one gobble one time in a place that had 8-10 gobbling on opening day 1985 I had to laugh I told him this ain't 1985 and if you heard one you were in a good spot lol. I did not hunt the early days when the turkey population was high I learned to hunt pressured birds on public land I'm kinda glad I don't have anything to compare it to. There's some lean times in some of the southeast Mississippi and Louisiana for sure if you cannot learn to adapt you will be left bemoaning the good old days that are long gone. There's still gobblers to be killed even in Homochitto you just ain't gonna cut on a box call and have 3 run up to you waiting to be shot.

[mspaci]

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Im hunting public in Ct now just shy of 10 miles walked in 2 days. I have 1 located so far. Sometimes its just hard. Be positive, put some miles on & it will happen. Mike