Hi all, new here. Ive been out 5 times this season and let me tell you this. They were gobbling good saturday. I was hunting in CT but I plan on making it up to NY in the next few days.
Before this, I wasn't hearing much on the roost or on the ground. The one bird I have taken this year was so henned up that I put a stalk on and luckily got within 25 yards and used a large tree as cover as I drew my bow. I will chalk that one up to luck.
My usual hunting area is devoid of birds. Im thinking it could have been from Hurricane Sandy. Tons of large trees fell in the roost area. I scouted it and hunted it twice. Not a peep and I only found a hen track a couple weeks before season where i normally see hundreds of strut marks and gobbler tracks.
Anyway, this weekend they were hammering all around on THE ROOST. let out a small tree yelp and 5 minutes later a coyote sneaks to 15 yards of me looking. Not good. Didn't hear the birds after flydown and I was within 100 yards of them. around 1030am I decided to walk a bit and call, no sooner was I 15 minutes into my walk that I noticed a large yote pop out of some swampy, skunk cabbage to my left at 20 yards. This was a big yote too.
Never have I had so many encounters with coyotes stalking my calls. I used to hunt about 20 days a season up in upstate NY a few years ago and NEVER saw a coyote stalking my decoys or attempting to come in. I only saw them in the fall from distance.
Im not saying thats the reason this season stinks, Im just giving a number of factors I have seen personally.
I feel like these last 11 days of season are going to really heat up. My fingers are crossed.
