Whats going on

[dutchhunter]

We are killing birds..lots of activity in the last week. It's such a pain to post pictures with a cell phone.

[singlemalt]

Where I am hunting it appears there are lots of birds. I am not sure I have ever heard so much morning gobbling. However they are not showing themselves in the fields much. My personal theory is that the late spring has left the woods very open. The birds have evolved their colourful breeding look and strutting to be visible to hens. With the wide open woods there is no need to go out in the field to feel they are being seen. I got a nice 22lb 10oz gobbler on Monday but had to wait until after 9:00 am for hi to come out. I expect we will start to see more normal field strutting next week when things green up.

[fratri]

I went out Sunday for my first ever spring hunt. Last fall I was unsuccessful: I knew nothing and learned a lot. On my way to the edge of some public land I heard a gobble. I setup my blind and began to call him in. Wind was strong and playing against me but after a little over an hour he came in. I dropped him when he got to 30 yards from my blind. I was rewarded with a nice 22lb tom with an 8 1/4" beard and spurs of 1" and 1 1/8" respectively.

That is great bird especially for a first ever spring hunt... Congrats

[jaycee]

Where I am hunting it appears there are lots of birds. I am not sure I have ever heard so much morning gobbling. However they are not showing themselves in the fields much. My personal theory is that the late spring has left the woods very open. The birds have evolved their colourful breeding look and strutting to be visible to hens. With the wide open woods there is no need to go out in the field to feel they are being seen. I got a nice 22lb 10oz gobbler on Monday but had to wait until after 9:00 am for hi to come out. I expect we will start to see more normal field strutting next week when things green up.

I do think you are right as this is what others around here are saying.

[tom gobble]

[QUOTE=duckslayer;1059700]Lots of reports of great birds being harvested and guys are seeing good to great numbers with lots of big groups of Toms. Guys just refuse to post there stories/pics on here........................

Anyone thats part of the contest should post there bird. Whats the point of the contest then. Next year im scrapping it, unless things change here

[eriedukr]

Got a nice tom wed. afternoon . Set out a hen decoy in a winter wheat field 15 yrds from bush line. Sat down and open a bottle of water. I usually wait 30 minutes to call after I set up to let things settle a bit. Well I had only taken two sips of water when in come two hen birds. They are purring at my decoy and looking around . They are so close that I was scared to even move my eyes. Then another hen comes in, then another. Four hens are 15 yrds from me purring and chasing one another. Then in comes a tom in full strut, along with a fifth hen and a subordinate tom with a nice beard but not displaying at all. Well they put on a dandy show for me. First time I've ever heard the "spitting and drumming " sound that tom's can make. They hang around for ten minutes. I'm real nervous as I'm afraid any movement will make them take off. They start to move away and as the tom turns and hides his head behind his fan I slowly shoulder my gun. A few of the hens catch me but don't raise an alarm, just look at me. When the tom comes off strut I drop him with one shot. 20 steps from where I was sitting. 20 lbs. 9" beard. longest spur just under an inch. Benelli Nova 12 ga. Win. Longbeard 3.5" #6, Carlsen's Longbeards choke tube.

[dilly]

[QUOTE=tom gobble;1059953]

Lots of reports of great birds being harvested and guys are seeing good to great numbers with lots of big groups of Toms. Guys just refuse to post there stories/pics on here........................

Anyone thats part of the contest should post there bird. Whats the point of the contest then. Next year im scrapping it, unless things change here

TG, thanks for your efforts. It's too bad, but people are just avoiding this whole forum because of the bullies who are dominating every conversation with their arguments and self promotion.

[bellerivercrossbowhunter]

Got a nice tom wed. afternoon . Set out a hen decoy in a winter wheat field 15 yrds from bush line. Sat down and open a bottle of water. I usually wait 30 minutes to call after I set up to let things settle a bit. Well I had only taken two sips of water when in come two hen birds. They are purring at my decoy and looking around . They are so close that I was scared to even move my eyes. Then another hen comes in, then another. Four hens are 15 yrds from me purring and chasing one another. Then in comes a tom in full strut, along with a fifth hen and a subordinate tom with a nice beard but not displaying at all. Well they put on a dandy show for me. First time I've ever heard the "spitting and drumming " sound that tom's can make. They hang around for ten minutes. I'm real nervous as I'm afraid any movement will make them take off. They start to move away and as the tom turns and hides his head behind his fan I slowly shoulder my gun. A few of the hens catch me but don't raise an alarm, just look at me. When the tom comes off strut I drop him with one shot. 20 steps from where I was sitting. 20 lbs. 9" beard. longest spur just under an inch. Benelli Nova 12 ga. Win. Longbeard 3.5" #6, Carlsen's Longbeards choke tube.

Way to go man. That's what it's all about.

I have hunt#2 on Monday hoping to use my last seal...

[toddy]

It's no surprise to me that turkey numbers and reports are down this year. As I previously reported, we had an almost 98% nesting failure in the north half of WMU 75 and 60 last year due to the record wet spring. I was seeing flocked adult hens by late July, with zero poults, so the second nesting attempt even failed. We had about 85 turkeys at our bird feeders (my house and my friends) and we counted one young of the year hen. The only standing crop left this spring are adult birds in my area. The biggest part of the spring harvest is jakes, which are almost completely absent in my area. There's a substantially smaller pool of birds to hunt this year, and the ones that are out there are educated yearling + birds. No silly jakes making mistakes at the decoys this spring where we're hunting. Anyone else seeing the same deal in their hunting area?

The winter a few years back really wacked the turkey population in the area I hunt. I have been chasing the same mature gobblers around since with no success. To be completely honest I haven't seen a Jake while hunting in the last 3 season. Time's are tough in my section of 68b.

How do you know there were 98% nesting failures?

[ninepointer]

Got a nice tom wed. afternoon . Set out a hen decoy in a winter wheat field 15 yrds from bush line. Sat down and open a bottle of water. I usually wait 30 minutes to call after I set up to let things settle a bit. Well I had only taken two sips of water when in come two hen birds. They are purring at my decoy and looking around . They are so close that I was scared to even move my eyes. Then another hen comes in, then another. Four hens are 15 yrds from me purring and chasing one another. Then in comes a tom in full strut, along with a fifth hen and a subordinate tom with a nice beard but not displaying at all. Well they put on a dandy show for me. First time I've ever heard the "spitting and drumming " sound that tom's can make. They hang around for ten minutes. I'm real nervous as I'm afraid any movement will make them take off. They start to move away and as the tom turns and hides his head behind his fan I slowly shoulder my gun. A few of the hens catch me but don't raise an alarm, just look at me. When the tom comes off strut I drop him with one shot. 20 steps from where I was sitting. 20 lbs. 9" beard. longest spur just under an inch. Benelli Nova 12 ga. Win. Longbeard 3.5" #6, Carlsen's Longbeards choke tube.

Great story and congratulations!
I know what you mean about fearing moving your eyes. When I have non-shooter turkeys or deer that are too close for comfort, I'll close my eyes altogether and only take the occasional peek.