Same Turkey

[hanshi]

I really enjoy seeing all these pictures of successful turkey hunts. :hmm: But I got to thinking. I'm now wondering if all these pics are of the same turkey passed around so everybody can have their picture made with one :idunno: .

I've been going for years with a skipped year here and there. True I may only go out a few times (half a dozen times a year for about three years straight) a year but even the law of averages says I should have nailed one by now. Never got a tom to come in but have had three (3) jakes come a calling :td: . And to make matters worse each time I was unable to take the shot for one reason or another . Major frustration. Don't believe me? Just look up "bad luck" or "cursed" in the dictionary; my name is under both :shake: .

Please, could I get on the list to get that turkey for a few hours so I can make some pictures? :surrender:

 

[silly goose]

Mr. Hanshi, I too am on that list. Season starts here on May 1st. I will hunt the month, and to be honest don't have a lot of faith that I will kill one. My calls sound good to me but seem to say "stop gobbling, now", or "run, run, run". I am at the point that if turkeys had teeth, I'd quit hunting from fear of being eaten by them.

 

[dbutch]

It's not always a slam dunk....pre scout..put the tom's to bed..I never use a decoy..work toms that have left the nesting hens mid to late day..change the way you have hunted them in the past....birds get call shy..found the later in the season I hunted the softer the calling needed to be..and less of it.Move...move ...move...wait wait wait..Silent tom's taste good too!
Around here the Big dumb Tom's get taken by the early youth hunters on public land...Go private if you can.
A weary tom is a trophy in my book!
Good luck have fun..don't give up! :thumbsup:

Sure others will chime in with help!

 

[majg1234]

sometimes just plain ole luck.the birds my grand son and I got I had hunt each of them for 4 days changing tactics as I went....messed up twice on the one I finally got :shake: then as luck would have it he just walked right in on me after two very soft purrs.been doing this for almost 20yrs and I'm far from figuring it out,BTW have hunted and additional 8 days now with nary a bird seen only 2 heard :idunno:

 

[silly goose]

The fun is certainly in the hunt. I usually go to the end, as long as it doesnt get too hot, just dont like the heat and bugs. I have a great time, the harvest is a plus, and a huge rush. :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[roundball]

Had one close just this morning no more than 75-100yds from where I sat down in the dark.
Light enough to see trees (but not sights) at 6:05...he started hammering at 6:15 and went on almost constantly...at one point I counted 18 gobbles in one 60 second interval...some double gobbles, and a triple gobble or two.

Twice when he paused long enough to take a breath I eased in a couple series of soft yelps...never even phased him...by 6:45-7:00 he was slowing down some and then at 7:15 he stopped abruptly...suspect he finally got a hen or two and got busy.

Stayed put until noon just making soft calls every 15-20 minutes by my watch in hopes he'd come looking when the hens went back to their nests but no dice...BUT...I know where I'll be Monday morning again...LOL

 

[hanshi]

I hunt private land and it's a fair drive from my house. It's far enough that "putting them to bed" isn't a realistic option. Now there are turkeys there and their scratchings are clear and easy to see.

On opening day, when I called up that jake, there was a fair amount of gobbling around but nothing I had permission to approach and nothing close. I saw nothing on my second trip. Season doesn't close until the 19th of May. Who knows?

 

[gjr902]

Welcome to the club. I've hunted birds spring and fall for 4 years now. I got a fall hen in 2010. Thats the only bird close enough to shoot at in 4 years. Our spring hunt starts May 1st. The birds were breeding in late Feb and it appears that they are done as there were no pictures on my cams this week. I'm expecting a lot of quiet in 10 days. Oh, they will answer my calls, but they wont visit because they have had all the hens they wanted in the last 8 weeks. Either Vt needs to move the season back to April 1st, or I'll need to borrow that bird for a few pictures too.

 

[roundball]

The birds were breeding in late Feb

Not an expert, just sharing some information I've read in articles / books by biologists on the subject of turkey breeding that you might want to check into about turkeys breeding early.
Its written that while early spring weather does get the long beards fired up and gobbling early, creating the illusion to us that the breeding cycle is starting early, they say that's not the case.

They say that the hens reproductive cycle is triggered by photoperiodism...lengthening of the numbers of hours of daylight as the calendar part of spring approaches...regardless of whether it got warmer earlier.
They say it's a built-in survival timetable to ensure an early breeding cycle is not started pre-maturely, to only then have the poults die from returning cold weather until normal calendar spring warms up permanently.

 

[lizz]

Hanshi.
If you can't put them to bed, when you get to your hunting area about 20 to 30 min before shoot time give them a couple of good owl hoots and see if they answer. If they do, get close but no to close and get set up.
This has worked for me many time when I've been in a spot where I wasn't sure where the turkeys were roosting.
They will make you pull your hair out at times, thats what make it fun.
Good luck and don't give up.

Don

 

[silly goose]

The birds were breeding in late Feb

Not an expert, just sharing some information I've read in articles / books by biologists on the subject of turkey breeding that you might want to check into about turkeys breeding early.
Its written that while early spring weather does get the long beards fired up and gobbling early, creating the illusion to us that the breeding cycle is starting early, they say that's not the case.

They say that the hens reproductive cycle is triggered by photoperiodism...lengthening of the numbers of hours of daylight as the calendar part of spring approaches...regardless of whether it got warmer earlier.
They say it's a built-in survival timetable to ensure an early breeding cycle is not started pre-maturely, to only then have the poults die from returning cold weather until normal calendar spring warms up permanently.

I'm not a biologist by any stretch, but I am a firm believer in what your saying. Mother nature has had a few years to figure this stuff out.

 

[sdhunter]

sometimes i think about leaving my calls at home and just bringing the decoys. I only hunt turkeys with a bow and dont call that much. I simply just put the decoys on a high and visible spot in a specified "strut zone". If i hear turkeys in the distance i yelp once then put the calls away for good. If the toms see the decoys they will come. I firmly believe that calls have spooked more toms than decoys.

 

[roundball]

I firmly believe that calls have spooked more toms than decoys.

I tend to agree...either from poor quality call sounds, or over calling, or calling too loud, etc.

 

[gjr902]

Yep, I agree with what you said roundball. I've also read about the biology of the birds.
I guess what I should have said was that my cams were showing me pictures of Toms strutting, hens lying in wait, and being mounted by the toms in late February (the last week), early March.

I can tell you that the turkeys are no longer sunning, and breading in my 2 fields. I truely wish Vt would move the opening day back 2 weeks. I think my hunts would be a little more exciting.

 

[gjr902]

Yes, calling is my downfall too. Too loud, to often.

This spring, soft tree yelps, soft purrs, and soft clucks. My plan= less is more and softis better.

 

[Richard J.]

I have killed many turkeys in my life. Used to just follow them around and calling at them. Back then no one would teach you how to call. If the turkey is far out call loud and aggressive. As it comes in call more softly. Learn to use feeding calls. Turkey never shut up. They are always talking to each other to keep track of the flock. he biggest mistake is talking to loud. As far as bad calling it in the cadance of your call. Turkekys are the worst callers of all. They never sound right. Each one has a different voice, but the cadance never changes. If you are using a box caller put tissue paper in it to tone it down. Do not press it in tight. Nice and loose so it doesent put pressure on the sides. When he gets near shooting range use a feeding call with it. Most hunters call way to loud when near shooting range. This causes them to hang up. Also poor hunting position will do the same. Good luck to all this season. My son (age 32 ) killed is first gobbler in Va.the first day of season. Real nice with a 10 /1/2 in. beard. The first time in all these years he didnt choke. I have called so many birds in for him in his early yrs. Always chokes. Now that is the fun of it. I make all his calls for him and he just couldnt slow down. No trouble with bucks only globblers. Again good luck to everyone.

RJ

 

[gjr902]

Thank you, I'll try the tissue paper in the box call and see if I can lean the feeding call.

 

[Richard J.]

From a good box call you can cant the lid and make quarter inch to half inch strokes. Just do it slow and it will sound like a feeding hen. You are just dragging the lid across and not trying to yelp or cluck. Hope this helps.

RJ

 

[lonehunter]

I have taken my fair share of Osceola's in my time, The one thing I have found especially with pressured birds is to find the birds (preferably on the roost) by owl hooting, Try to get as close as you dare without spooking them, Give them a few soft yelps, When he answeres your call put it away and leave it there.
If he hears you call and you dont come to him, sooner or later he will come looking for that hen he heard.
Most people tend to call too much, Cuz its fun to hear them gobble back.
In nature the hens go to the gobbler, When hunting you are trying to get them to do what is not natural for them.
Use their curiosity to your advantage.
Good luck! :v

 

[majg1234]

agree with most/all the posts here including roundballs' I've killed birds really late in the season by using only clucks and purrs from a Lohman "lucky clucker" call,this little call has accounted for the majority of my birds and most have been late April or early May here in SE Tn.This year is the first opening week I've hunted did this to make sure my grandson got to hear them gobble a lot and get a bird.I tend to hunt mid day and late afternoon as the season gets closer to the end.Don't know but I think during this time when a Tom "hears" the hen off the nest he thinks he may have another chance :grin: