Pygmy

I plan to plant about 3 acres to soybeans this year. I have never grown them but I have been reading up on them. My soil is average clay soil commomn to the hills here in SW New York. My plan is to broadcast the seed ( ATV mounted seeder) and then disc it in with my discs on my Ford 9N. Any tips as far planting , fertilizing, timing of planting, or any other issue ? The ground had 12 tons of lime spread a little over a year ago.

SO, Moog 5050, did you buy that M99 yet ?

It depends on my setup. If I know or suspect that birds are roosted close to where I'm hunting, I go in in full darkness. You can get away with a lot under cover of darkness, as long as you're not crashing through the woods like a moose or shining lights around. If I'm just going into an area trying to hear a bird on the roost and then go to him, I get to my listening point about 45 minutes before sunrise. Year in and year out, I have found that turkeys USUALLY start gobbling on the roost about half an hour before sunrise. I like to be sitting on a stump listening when I hear that first gobble.

Very cool, Wooley.. I may have stepped close to many in the darkness..I seldom use a light when walking pre-dawn turkey hunting.. I HAVE nearly stepped on a couple in the laurel after daylight... Little buggers just lay there, but you can see thier eyes following you as you move around them.

He'll be a dandy next year...<<yawn>>...

Fine bird...Congrats to you and your lovely bride..

Heaviest was 24 pounds...Shot in Kentucky. Heaviest NY gobbler...22.5 pounds. Longest beard 10 3/4"...Never got an 11"... Longest spurs 1 7/16 "....Never got one 1.5 "...

He's about 3 times heavier than a redtail. I'm betting he'd kick the hawk's ass... I once saw a redtail hit an adult hen turkey right in the middle of the back. I'm sure he knew he couldn't kill her . He didn't even try to grip her with his talons, just dove in, whacked her in the back and flew off. Talk about one pissed off turkey ! A buddy of mine watched one hit a 3-4 pound turkey poult once. He couldn't get it off the ground. The rest of the turkey flock came over and kicked the crap out of the hawk. The poult escaped.

Damn !! I wish I was lucky enough to hunt in such a deer hunter's paradise.. Unfortunately, I'm going to be laid up with hemmorroid surgery that week, whatever week it happens to be.... CRAP !!! Probably missed my only chance to shoot a REAL trophy whitetail...

I have heard lots of birds gobble at gunshots.. Not recommending firing your shotgun to locate birds...As Growie would say.. Just sayin'...

Deerthug... In my 60 + years, I have NEVER EVER heard of a hawk taking a small dog. Coyotes, yes..Hawks..No.. How much does your doggie weigh ? Even a redtail, which is the biggest common hawk here in NY has trouble flying off with a cottontail rabblt, which weighs perhaps 2-3 pounds. The LAST thing I would worry about is having a hawk take your dog... I suspect that he's much more likely to be struck by lightning.

Get a LOUD, open reed call. Learn to growl into it so it it sounds like a REAL crow, instead of going TOOT TOOT TOOT like I hear many guys doing in the woods. As Lawdwaz says, nothing works all of the time, but there have been many times over the years when I was very glad to have mine hanging around my neck.

That's a HAWG of a gobbler for a NY bird...Nice spurs, too...CONGRATS !

Nice bird ! What a rope ! CONGRATS ! Where have you BEEN, Girlfriend ?

Congrats, Uncle Nicky... Of the gobblers I have hunted, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Those mountain birds are tough. As far as Osceolas go, I have never hunted them, although a good number of my friends have. They don't gobble a whole lot..Doesn't sound like much fun to me. I have killed easterns in a number of states but have never hunted another subspecies. If I were to hunt another subspecies, it would be either Rios , Merriams, or Goulds, because I have heard that they all LOVE to gobble.. If I go across country to hunt turkeys, I want to hear LOTS of gobbling...<grin>>... I have little interest in osceolas.

Congrats on a fine bird, Joe... You DA MAN !!

Congrats on the double...Cool story... By the way, you have better looking hunting partners than I do..<<grin>>...

I can "one up" you there.. I've never HAD a cell phone, and I remember when cannabis was called " loco weed"... I never tried any, though...And if I DID, I never inhaled, just like Bill Clinton...

It's really tough to analyze your situation without being there. You should learn where your gobblers want to GO. It is very tough to call them into an area where they do NOT want to go. Be happy you are having so much action..In the last two days I have heard only a couple of distant gobbles. Stick with it, Kid.. It's all part of the learning curve. Good luck..I look forward to your post when things finally come together and you kill one.

I agree with most of what you say, Ants.. I know NOTHING about the "chicks dig it" part. At my age I'd be lucky to have an old hen dig it....<<smirk>>...

By all means use it...That is what it was made for. It will be a MUCH happier rifle if you take it in the woods and maybe even shoot a DEER with it...<<grin>>... The only SAFE QUEEN I own is a twist barrel Ithaca Double that I would have to use black powder loads in. My Dad bought it used in the 1930s for ten bucks.

The 250-3000 is a great deer caliber and a classic in the M99 rifle. It was the first factory chambering to reach 3000 FPS ( albeit with an 87 grain bullet) whch was really sizzling 100 years or so ago when it was introduced.

As the previous posters have said, there can be many reasons why a gobbler responds but does not come in. Calling too much or too loud can hang birds up. Some birds have had bad experiences with decoys. Some have been shot at and hesitate to approach ANY calling. The list goes on and on. However, just to pick a number out of the air, I would say that 80 % of the gobblers that act that way do it for three reasons. Reason # 1...They are with hens. Reason # 2...They are with hens. Reason # 3...They are with hens. If you can manage to be in the woods when the gobbler is NOT with hens, most of the time you will find him to be much more receptive to your calling. It is easier said than done. The mythical time when all the hens go on the nest does not exist, at least not in legal hunting season. I believe that any individual gobbler is just as likely to be with hens the last day of season as the first day. Some hens mate but do not nest ( the SLUTS). Many hens get thier nests disturbed by predators and return to the gobbler for a time before re-nesting. There are ALWAYS hen turkeys available. Fortunately, there are periods of time when any individual gobbler is without a hen for a PERIOD OF TIME. The more time you spend in the woods, the better chance you have of catching that gobbler on the one day , or perhaps the one HALF HOUR when he does NOT have a hen with him. You will find him much more co-operative at that time.

Hehehehe.. Dirty trick on HIS part...Clever devil probably clipped it off with his scissors on April 30th.. Turkey beards are somewhat fragile..They can get caught in a tree crotch and pulled off, or many other scenarios.. He ain't legal without..His lucky day and cudos to you for being an ethical hunter.

Another turkey hunting legend gone..God bless him. Congrats on a fine bird, Lee.. That Burrville Bomber was made by Tim WHO ??....Hehehehehe.