2020 Season (Biz)

[Marion]

You should practice with your bow in case the situation happens again. 

I practice plenty. It's when it's a living breathing animal where things change. I can drill bulls from 50 yards and usually when I have a deer in range it's lights out deer. Just happened I didn't get many opportunities this past season paired with dogshit broadheads I never should have switched to and admittedly a less than perfect shot which with my old heads would have been plenty of blood and full pass through and it was the perfect storm for a lack of success

 

Call Me The Teflon Don

 

 

 

[BizCT]

5/18/20:

Heard gobbling starting at 508am. Knew it was like 100yds or so away on my level of land (not downhill).

I called back and forth for 30 full minutes. But I could tell he wasn't moving closer or father, but figured he had to be on ground by 540am. So I walked like 10 yards, stopped, repeat. Hiding behind trees. I'd call once in a while and he kept gobbling. I could tell He still wasn't moving.

When I finally got closer, I expected to see him on the ground but didn't.

Then he jump off his tree, but instead of down on my level. He landed above the steep rocks in powerlines and walked around. He never made another sound. After 1.5 more hours I walked up there but didn’t see him.

Close, oh well. Maybe I should have called less and maybe he would have come to me Eventually?

Pic of rocks he landed above. A yote, shed buck, and random frog I found




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[Pygmy]

Next time don't call at all until you are sure he is on the ground..By calling to a bird in a tree, you are encouraging him to sit up there and wait for the hen ( you) o appear, because that's the way it is supposed to work...

Since you didn't flush or see any hens, there is a good chance that you would have called that gobbler in if you had waited for him to fly down before calling..

Keep at it, Biz..This morning was a very good learning experience..

[BizCT]

58 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Next time don't call at all until you are sure he is on the ground..By calling to a bird in a tree, you are encouraging him to sit up there and wait for the hen ( you) o appear, because that's the way it is supposed to work...

Since you didn't flush or see any hens, there is a good chance that you would have called that gobbler in if you had waited for him to fly down before calling..

Keep at it, Biz..This morning was a very good learning experience..

Thanks, Dan. @turkeyfeathers and @The_Real_TCIII told me the same thing. Too bad they weren't up early enough to tell me. I had just assumed he was on the ground by 6am, but clearly i was wrong. According to your buddy @TreeGuy this Tom sounds mature. I sent him some gobble videos.

[The_Real_TCIII]

3 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

Thanks, Dan. @turkeyfeathers and @The_Real_TCIII told me the same thing. Too bad they weren't up early enough to tell me. I had just assumed he was on the ground by 6am, but clearly i was wrong. According to your buddy @TreeGuy this Tom sounds mature. I sent him some gobble videos.

I told you and  @Jeremy K two weeks ago that when youre sure the tom answered you, turn around and throw the call as far from you as you possibly can. Unless you can quietly destroy it. Jeremy followed directions and enjoyed a few days of being the most celebrated hunter in SKRE Nation

[BizCT]

4 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I told you and  @Jeremy K two weeks ago that when youre sure the tom answered you, turn around and throw the call as far from you as you possibly can. Unless you can quietly destroy it. Jeremy followed directions and enjoyed a few days of being the most celebrated hunter in SKRE Nation

The thing that threw me off was that this tom gobbled every 15-20 seconds so was it to me or to the woodpecker or just for fun? 

[The_Real_TCIII]

5 minutes ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

The thing that threw me off was that this tom gobbled every 15-20 seconds so was it to me or to the woodpecker or just for fun? 

Sometimes Ill call just as he finishes a gobble and if he chokes right into another one you know it was you

[G-Man]

Agree with pygmy, was always told few soft calls and then shut up to you know hes on ground.. then soft purrs and clucks and wait. Unfortunately the days of running and gunning to find active bird are well behind us, with so many active predators bird go quiet but still come . Or will go to where they are comfortable and sound off.

The new normal is getting very close when on roost , which may entail going in middle of day and clearing trail of leaves and debris so you can get under 70 yards quietly in the dark, and learning where the sound off on the ground and head there and wait in ambush. Many hear birds 100 yards or so and bird leaves , my suggestion is to sneak to where it was and call it was comfortable there and may come back if it believes a hen was left behind

[BizCT]

I need @blackbeltbill to call for me 

[crappyice]

I need [mention=5029]blackbeltbill[/mention] to call for me 

Don’t we all!

If I stayed put instead of trying to cut them
off where I thought they were headed after pushing those birds yesterday I may have had success. They were in the same spot I first saw them when I came back after my failed run and gun/bow!


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[Pygmy]

2 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

The thing that threw me off was that this tom gobbled every 15-20 seconds so was it to me or to the woodpecker or just for fun? 

He was for sure gobbling at your calling, but he also may have heard a hen that you not could hear...When a tom gets really cranked up on the roost, he often gobbles at anything and every thing..Crows, woodpeckers, even distant gunshots...As a general rule, he'll gobble on the roost for 20 minutes to perhaps half an hour...Gererally, shortly before they fly down, they'll gobble more often for a minute or two, and then go quiet for several minutes before they fly down.. If it is still and you are close enough you may hear their wingbeats as they fly down or hear them hit the leaves...Often you  won't but the gobble will sound  different when they  gobble on the ground....  It is tough waiting while the bird gobbles away in the tree, but you now know what may happen if you call to him on the roost...Don't be in too much of a hurry to start calling if you hear a change in volume of the roost gobbles..He may sound a lot  louder according to which direction he is gobbling, I,e, towards you or away from you...

Once  you are positive he is down, give a call..oft yelps, clucks, or purrs, whatever you feel most confident with...

If he answers your call, call back once more..If he answers the second time, put the call down and get ready...If there are no hens around and he is in the mood to come, he may come in quite quickly...Hopefully he'll gobble a few times so you can keep track of him, but don't count on it...Often  once they decide to come, they'll   often come in silent...Don't move anything other than your eyes  if you can help it, unless you are sure he is out of sight...Have your gun rested on your knee in the general direction you expect him to come...When he comes into view, you will probably have to move the gun some to get on him...Wait until his vision is blockd by a tree or something before you make your move to adjust your aim...No way will you get away with moving on an adult gobbler  wthin gun range unless his vision is obscured... Good luck

Edited May 18, 2020 by Pygmy

[BizCT]

1 hour ago, Pygmy said:

He was for sure gobbling at your calling, but he also may have heard a hen that you not could hear...When a tom gets really cranked up on the roost, he often gobbles at anything and every thing..Crows, woodpeckers, even distant gunshots...As a general rule, he'll gobble on the roost for 20 minutes to perhaps half an hour...Gererally, shortly before they fly down, they'll gobble more often for a minute or two, and then go quiet for several minutes before they fly down.. If it is still and you are close enough you may hear their wingbeats as they fly down or hear them hit the leaves...Often you  won't but the gobble will sound  different when they  gobble on the ground....  It is tough waiting while the bird gobbles away in the tree, but you now know what may happen if you call to him on the roost...Don't be in too much of a hurry to start calling if you hear a change in volume of the roost gobbles..He may sound a lot  louder according to which direction he is gobbling, I,e, towards you or away from you...

Once  you are positive he is down, give a call..oft yelps, clucks, or purrs, whatever you feel most confident with...

If he answers your call, call back once more..If he answers the second time, put the call down and get ready...If there are no hens around and he is in the mood to come, he may come in quite quickly...Hopefully he'll gobble a few times so you can keep track of him, but don't count on it...Often  once they decide to come, they'll   often come in silent...Don't move anything other than your eyes  if you can help it, unless you are sure he is out of sight...Have your gun rested on your knee in the general direction you expect him to come...When he comes into view, you will probably have to move the gun some to get on him...Wait until his vision is blockd by a tree or something before you make your move to adjust your aim...No way will you get away with moving on an adult gobbler  wthin gun range unless his vision is obscured... Good luck

very helpful. really appreciate it. where were you yesterday with this advice? LOL

[Nomad]

Come on up, you can shoot one out of the Subaru, when we make a beer run .

[Pygmy]

3 hours ago, Biz-R-OWorld said:

very helpful. really appreciate it. where were you yesterday with this advice? LOL

I was up on the property listening, and I don't have a smart phone....Heard NADA, except some owls, crows and couple of ovenbirds..

[crappyice]

Come on up, you can shoot one out of the Subaru, when we make a beer run .

The official vehicle of WNY hunters and lesbians everywhere else!!!
Not that there’s anything wrong with that!


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[BizCT]

5/24:

I sat in same spot as last time. Like clockwork at 505am I started hearing gobbles. 3 different toms. One from where I came in but far. Then one up in powerlines but far. The 3rd was below me. After calling back and forth, By 545am it sounded close. I stopped calling and waited for it to come over hill for a shot, but it never did.

I did see 2 does at 14yds and this lizard.

I think next year I need someone experienced to come with me so I can see how it’s done. They are clearly right in this spot all May long.





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[Steve D]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2020 at 8:45 AM, Biz-R-OWorld said:

did see 2 does at 14yds and this lizard.

That would be a salamander

https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/67022.html

[BizCT]

That would be a salamander
https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/67022.html

Yup.


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[Robhuntandfish]

On 5/24/2020 at 8:45 AM, Biz-R-OWorld said:

5/24:

I sat in same spot as last time. Like clockwork at 505am I started hearing gobbles. 3 different toms. One from where I came in but far. Then one up in powerlines but far. The 3rd was below me. After calling back and forth, By 545am it sounded close. I stopped calling and waited for it to come over hill for a shot, but it never did.

I did see 2 does at 14yds and this lizard.

I think next year I need someone experienced to come with me so I can see how it’s done. They are clearly right in this spot all May long.





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Def sounds like your on them. Every time you've been out. Do they seem to go the same way everytime after being in roost?   Maybe setup more on that area ....and maybe they are just henned up and follow the hens instead of your calls. Happens to even the pro callers.  (Which I am not). 

[BizCT]

Def sounds like your on them. Every time you've been out. Do they seem to go the same way everytime after being in roost?   Maybe setup more on that area ....and maybe they are just henned up and follow the hens instead of your calls. Happens to even the pro callers.  (Which I am not). 

They head to Stateland and private towards houses. I can’t get on other side of them.


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[Robhuntandfish]

Just now, Biz-R-OWorld said:

They head to Stateland and private towards houses. I can’t get on other side of them.


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One spot I hunted every morn they would gobble on the roost then walk away onto private land. I killed two gobblers there though. One I called a lot and must've pissed off the hens cause two of them came out right to my decoy with the gobbler in tow.  And the second was later in the season and he again went the other way but about 9:30 came back.  Maybe later in the morn after they have been with those roost hens the gobbler might be looking for some strange.  

[BizCT]

5/28: I tried again this morning. I sat about 40 yards closer to where they typically sit in trees. At 505am like clockwork I heard a gobble. It sounded farther away than normal, but maybe it's all the leaves on the trees. Heard this 1 tom gobbling from 505am till 525am. I did some light calling and scratching of leaves. No  change in sound from the Tom. He went silent at 525am, and then at 555am i heard clicking. Almost like a soft woodpecker, but maybe it was clucking? Anyway, I saw 1 turkey fly from a tree (about 75yds from me) down the hill. I thought it was going to land in another tree but it didn't. It was flying pretty high. Just a few seconds later a second turkey did the same exact thing from a tree right near the first one. I stayed till 730am, but nothing else heard or seen. It started to rain and I had to get to work anyway.

I never expected to hunt turkeys this year, but these 5 turkey hunts have all been exciting. Heard gobbles all 5 outings and a few times heard multiple toms. Seen turkeys almost all outings, but each time flying from a tree. One thing i noticed is that i had 0 turkey pics this year. In years past i would put throw & grow down in april for deer pics in the summer, but i didn't this year. In years past i would get lots of turkey pics in the spring between 7-9am. Maybe next year i should plant again to keep these turkeys closer to me.

[BizCT]

6/23: finally bought a cell cam. Spartan from@Phade. Couldn’t wait any longer so went in the woods and set it up on my acorn flat where I shoot most of my bucks. I don’t expect a ton of summer activity but it’s great come the fall.



While I was there I swapped out batteries on my other cams. Most were dead, but tons of deer pics. No turkeys, yotes, fox or bobcat. Strange but several bucks so I’m happy. Quite a few are branching out with brows already.

Zero pics of spotted fawns. I threw in one fat doe pic at the end for you doe lovers!






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[BizCT]

Thanks again @phade for helping me get this cam setup! I've waited too many years since the last one i got from you.

[BizCT]

Looks like a clean 6pt just strolled through an hour ago. Spartan Cell Cam




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