TURKEY REPORTS - SPRING 2014

[TurkeyHuntPA_NY]

Hey Everyone!

 

With the youth season starting up this weekend and the main season to follow a few days later, I wanted to start this topic.

 

Report should include the following;

 

-What county, WMU, or region you are in (doesnt need to be exact we dont want to give our spots away!)

 

-What you're seeing, hearing, etc.

 

-I like to include when and how often they are gobbling, also like to know if they are henned up or you are seeing big flocks, bachelor groups, or lonely birds.

 

This can be a great tool for everyone, something that is nice to hear reports so us hunters dont get discouraged. We are all brothers and sisters of the turkey woods and we want to always help everyone be postive, because we all know that turkey hunting can be the greatest sport ever or the one that can make you so depressed you are ready to give up....all it take is 2 seconds to change an entire season!

 

Good luck all and be safe out there!

 

-Z

[MACHINIST]

Very cool,sounds like a great thread to compare what we are all seeing.I hope early Sunday am my little girl sees one flopping around at about 20 yards after her 20 gauge roars!!!

[vince1230]

7p a

Afton area so far seen one line hen pretty regular and today a flock of three birds one tom and two hens. In fall flock was about 15 or so. Unsure if lost birds from winter

[TreeGuy]

9h. 9m. 9f.

9h - backyard... Not seeing the usual flocks of years past. I think the yotes have pushed them away, but I am seeing lone hens here and there so I am hopeful for May 1st ! No gobbles which is good news to me, seems years past we missed the hottest few days.

9f. Huge flock, prob 30 birds. Great fall back on hunting spot, not sure if they are gobblin yet but I know I'll score at least 1 there.

9m. Seeing the flocks getting smaller as of last weekend, so it seems it may be time for them. Downfall here is too much country between my camp and the birds, but they do have a roosting spot which can get good once toms are hot.

We shall see !!! Good luck to the youth hunters !!!

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[ghug92]

4H 4J Albany county- Been seeing some lone hens and jakes. Gobbling some days and other days are quiet. Toms are strutting in the fields some days. Scratchings are also becoming much more prevalent. I agree that the season is going to be a little more "normal" this season. The weather pushed them back a few days, so the peak should be the first and second weeks of may! Can't wait to get out there!

[MACHINIST]

Saw the biggest stinking tom I have ever seen tonight while coming home.He had 2 other toms with him and he seamed noticeably taller and bigger.To bad he was 50 miles from my nearest hunting spot!!Other than that alot of birds in full strut and bachelor groups of jakes. Tommrorow morning I will be heading out before work to listen to the woods wake up and tray to pattern them a bit before I have to be to work at 7.If I can get some good pics I will post them up!!

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Still again this year with huge numbers. Record number of birds winter here every winter. Last Sunday there were 17 different bearded birds on the farm. Some with brushes all the way back to 4-5 inch stickers. Seems like the numbers just grow each year.The only corn,beans fields within 10 miles sure does not hurt i guess.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Seeing single hens in the pm. which, I assume are or getting close to nesting. No males viewed, but if the hens are nesting, I know there out there. 

[MACHINIST]

Saw 2 toms this am on my way to work

[asav2013]

Bout a week ago I had one gobble 5 times to yelping, 7m, tonight in 6s I saw 2 strutting with 10 or so hens, chasing hens around , I called to the hens and got the hens talking and the Tom's gobbled a few times but not hard like it's prime time, ..yet

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Edited April 25, 2014 by asav2013

[MACHINIST]

Went out tonight,didn't here or see a bird,Maybe a off night but do you think the cold does something to them so they are not very vocal?I will be out at first light to see what happens off the roost.

[MACHINIST]

Had 2 this am gobbling off the roost till around 635,thats when they hit the ground and went south.They were 200 yards from where I was last night right at dark and couldn't get them to sound off on the roost with my crow call.

[noodle one]

Here in 7S  I have been out for the last two week hoping to hear or see some birds . I have been out mornings and evening and not a thing. Every year I would see them crossing the roads, not one this year.

[wooly]

Can't shut them up here in 9H.

Lots of gobblers with no hens sounding off all hours of the day.

Birds are very responsive to any calls right now. I worked 8 different gobblers to my camera lens in the last 3 days.

[TurkeyHuntPA_NY]

Not seeing as many birds a s last year.....but i am hoping things change...weather will be rainy the first few days...we will see how the affects the birds behavior

[G-Man]

9W. Toms with hens off roost, satalite birds will come to calling and are kicked out around 830 am. I do have at least 1 nesting already she been sitting on nest behind. barn. For 3 days now.

[Hock3y24]

7s saw a lone hen in a field Sunday

[2012_taco]

9F, Went out Friday morning 1gobbler w/ 3hens and 1 jake. Sunday morning saw 1 nice gobbler w/ 6 hens, and 2 jakes. Both days gobbling from the roost, followed by shock gobbles from geese and crows passing by.  I don't call to them, only observe, I like to try to pattern them not educate them.

G-Man any youth hunters last weekend?

[Woodjr55]

Took my cousin out Saturday and Sunday. Saturday Saw a tom with Atleast 8 hens. Sunday saw the tom again then saw a tom with 3 hens in another field this was 9f area

[TurkeyHuntPA_NY]

Sounds like they are really gobbling on the roost, but they shut up once they hit the ground.

[RangerClay]

I took my 12 year old daughter out for her very first hunt saturday.  We were hunting in 7M near Hamilton. 

 

The weather was very cool and windy.  Preliminary scouting showed no birds in the fields as we were drove around for a couple days.

 

I have to laugh at myself.  I spent daaaaaaays getting my daugher prepped.  Shopping for youth camo (which is very hard to find this time of year btw), practicing with the shotgun, learning different commands, turkey calling, tick spray, good boots, you name it I waaaas ready! 

 

Or so I thought..........

 

About  45 minutes into the hunt we had a gobble and he was coming in.  I sat my daughter down, made sure she was comfortable and I sat right down behind her.  I started calling and after a couple minutes I heard a wimper.  Then a few moments later the words, "Dad I don't feel good".  Then came, "Dad, I'm gonna throw up".  Now I know she didn't eat well, no one can eat at 4:30 in the morning.  So I told her to relax and breath, it will go away.  Then came words my daughter never says, "I want to go home".  At this point I was stumped but I did not want her upset.  So we backed out so not to wise up the gobbler.

 

Come to find out after questioning, she told me that she was shaking all over and her stomach was upset.  Aha!!! Dr. Daddy has made his diagnoses.  What you have babygirl is a severe case of buck/turkey fever.  Made me smile.  I was so prepped for everything but I didn't teach her how to handle a severe dumpage of adrenaline. It rushed over her so fast, she got sick.

 

After some more breakfast we spent the rest of the morning just walking the woods together.  She managed to talk to a bird on her own but chose not to shoot it.  Next weekend I'm going to take her out again but she can sit beside me and together we will call in a bird that either one of us can shoot.

 

All in all, we walked two large pieces of property and saw or heard only 3 birds.  2 toms and 1 hen. 

Edited April 28, 2014 by RangerClay

[TeeBugg]

8f- was seeing lots of birds. Slowed down a bit as of late. Got up early saturday mornig and heard one gobble across the road from where i hunt. Gobbled a bunch on the roost then barely once he hit the ground. Seen 8 toms with about 3-4 jakes and a few hens dew days ago....again across the road from where i can hunt. Going to take a gamble an hunt 8p thursday morning. Havent had a chance to do any real in depth scouting down there.

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[TurkeyHuntPA_NY]

Thats great RangerClay!! Very glad to hear it was just adrenaline rather than her getting really sick...never want to hear those words come out of your childs mouth...you can tell her thats a good kind of sick and thats the only kind of sickness i look forward to getting every year!!! Nothing like it! I will be in 7M this weekend as well, but I will be down near Norwich. Good Luck to you!

[2012_taco]

took a walk this afternoon in Aleghany/Randolf area flushed 1 hen from a nest, and had 1 gobble to crows, going through my gear now, hope to be there on Thursday AM !!

[turkeyfeathers]

Heard two gobbles at 6:30 here in 9h. Shut down and nothing since. Getting mighty windy now

Brother in Akron same thing

Buddy killed one early in Bennington.