Scouting

[airedale]

Last fall while Deer hunting I found a group of mast trees that were untouched by the Gypsy Moth blight that hit this area, these trees, Beech and Oak had a decent production of mast and getting hit hard by both Deer and Turkeys.

I checked it out a couple of days ago and when walking in I spotted a parade of eight or nine Turkeys moving up the side of a hill away from me, they had been in that mast grove and had the ground tore up scratching out mast. With my binoculars could make out at least two Jakes and a boss Tom so I am encouraged. There is an ideal spot where I can setup behind a big old tree trunk smack in the middle of that feeding area. So if I decide to get my ass out and hunt I am thinking if I have an opportunity I would kill a Jake over the one boss Tom I saw and leave him for breeding purposes. If I happen see more than one mature Tom in that flock I would take one if a shot presented itself.

Al

[Danny]

we had zero Beechnuts last year

[airedale]

Took another walk back to this same spot talked about above and saw 5 Turkeys, 3 Hens and 2 Jakes, looks like the LC Smith double may see some action.

Al

[mpavlus]

Scouting looks encouraging so far.

[Grouse]

Not far from my home is a spot my friend keeps his horses.  Two years ago he turned me on to a field that always has turkey in it at dawn.  They roost in trees just across the stream that flows along one side of the field and fly down into the field every morning.

I went there at 5:30 AM on Friday and as if on cue, they flew into the field at 6:00 AM.  Three Tom's and about 9 hens.  

There is some farm equipment on the edge of the field withing 50 yards of where they like to be and he said just sit near it and you're good.  That's how I got one last year and the year before.  I think that's what I will do this year, but I can't get there on the 1st until 8 AM.  If that doesn't work out, I will be there at 5 AM on Wednesday.

There are other areas around the farm that offer some possibilities later in the day if the first sit doesn't produce.  We will see if I get lucky.  So, far it looks to be a wet day on Wednesday.

[Grouse]

I went by the farm today at 8 AM to see if there were any birds around.  There were none.  They usually hang around the area with the hens until 9 AM or so.  The sun was shining there at 8 AM too. Maybe someone else hit the field at dawn and scored, then left before I got there.  There was more than one Tom there though, so maybe Wednesday will still be productive. Sadly, the weather looks terrible for Wednesday morning.  Not sure if I want to get soaked trying for one.  The rest of the week looks lousy weatherwise too.  Just another typical turkey season for me.

[Grouse]

Well, the hunting pressure around the farm has calmed down a lot and I roosted a nice bird last night.  The Tom was all alone and I saw no hens anywhere.

This morning I set up at 5 AM about 75 yards from his tree roost across the stream.  He gobbled about 2 dozen times at dawn and then flew off in the other direction into the woods, rather than down into the field I was near.

Calling never even produced a reply after he flew down.  Maybe give it another go tomorrow morn.

[Grouse]

I went out to the farm again this morning at 5 AM and that Tom was in the same roost tree.  I set up my hen decoy in the field before dawn and settled in to wait for the Tom to wake up.  A few clucks at dawn got that Tom hot and he gobbled his head off.  He flew down near the decoy and trotted over to it quickly.  He was only 20 or so yards away when I pulled the trigger on the Mossberg 835 pump with a load of Federal 3.5 inch #5 shot and an extra full turkey choke in the muzzle.

The excitement was heart stopping.

Guess why I don't have a photo to post.

[Grouse]

I wish I could, but I missed.

The bird was so close my pattern was probably 3" across and I think I must have pulled it to the right when I fired.

[airedale]

Some interesting changes in the flock's pattern mentioned above. Early in the Spring they were hanging out in an area about a half mile from where I live mainly because of what I believe was a good source of food for them. Probably the most Turkeys I have seen around here in several years, a decent size group consisting of 5 or 6 hens, a couple of Jakes and a boss Tom. In the woods I never positioned myself for a sure shot, they always seemed to be just out of range and those Toms could not be pulled away from the hens.

Once the temperatures warmed and things started to green up they migrated out of that area and started showing up in the open pastures on my property pretty much the same as the group that hung around here last spring. It would be easy for me to kill one now but not my cup of tea, it would be almost like shooting barnyard Turkeys now. They are roosting a couple of hundred yards away from my house and fly down at daybreak in pretty much the same spot every morning.

Been in the woods Deer hunting and have seen Turkeys fly up into their roosting trees several times but just before dark the other afternoon I got to see something a bit different. The sun was down, almost dark and there were two birds out in the middle of my pastures walking toward the woods. All of a sudden they bolted into an all out sprint and lifted off the ground like a couple of B52s and flew into the woods to roost, it is a wonder they did not break something crashing into the tree tops.

A couple of photos below

Al

Edited May 23, 2023 by airedale

[airedale]

Out in the pasture right on schedule. The flock's numbers have been dwindling, been seeing just a couple of hens and this jake for the past few days. Hoping all the other hens are now sitting on egg clutches, the other two Toms may have moved on or maybe a hunter scored on them.

[LET EM GROW]

I got out yesterday and saw way too many hens out and about together, not being on nests or with poults. Was quite sad. All with Jakes as well 

[airedale]

The Turkeys hanging out in my pastures give me a chance to fool around with different calls and see what kinds of reactions they produce. The one that has been getting the best responses is a simple Quaker Boy easy yelper, I guess one  calls a push button type.

I do not have many Toms hanging around but there are several hens and they and the Tom come looking pronto when I give a few yelps with that call. I have a pile of calls that sound pretty good to my ear but the Easy Yelper has been getting the best responses from the Turkeys around here.

I ran one old hen ragged, I had her running around searching in circles trying to find me yakking her butt off the whole time.

Al

[Grouse]

[mpavlus]

Heard lots of gobbling this morning. Checked scouting cameras. Looks good so far.