Wisconsin Turkey Hunt 2017
Wisconsin
The clock is ticking Gentleman and we haven't seen much for any "turkey talk" on here. Anyone draw a tag? (LOL).
I'm first looking to the "Youth Hunt" and think I have a pretty good youngter lined up. The landowner called and said he has been seeing some nice Tom's so I am excited! I have the "Double Bull" on stand by" and I'm ready!
I haven't been out to hear any turkeys...They "gobbling" yet?
I've been watching YouTube video's and that sure gets the engines torched!
What are your plans?
1st and 4th for me. I've been seeing some giant Tom's lately. Can't wait to hear those early gobbles!
I have not heard any gobbling or seen any strutting yet. Scouted some and didn't see any sign where I know they show up sooner or later. Still seeing Tom's in bachelor groups. Something has to give pretty soon.
!st and 4th for me also. Zone 3. I have a few farms that let me hunt. Set my tents up Tuesday. Get to bed early and hit it hard.
What heads you guys like for turkeys?
3rd and 4th for me. This will be the first year of hunting them exclusively with the Bow. Can't wait!
Tweed - For me it's always been the "Rage" broad head or the NAP Spitfire - I know many here would rather shoot with a fixed blade on turkeys - Some guys (I never have) shoot the Large "Head Chopper" blades and take turkeys by beheading them.
I'm not that skilled however!
Turkey decoys I've bee using the Avian alert hen and the Jake along with the "Pretty Boy" Gobbler with real full fan. The wife and I both scored on that combo in the same spot - different days!
Having the skill to decapitate the bird sure would be awesome. I think any other way I'd personally be concerned about the bird taking off with my arrow.
I also use a Rage. I was 1 for 2 last year. First bird I hit broadside and it ran away laughing with my arrow. The second I hit the base of the neck and it didn't go far.
I still struggle somewhat from the outline of a turkey and the kill zone. Quite a few years me and my partner were out and I was sure I smoked a gobbler good - after many hours of searching - he was gone. So many feathers - you gotta be sure! After replying it - I hot to low. Live and learn I guess.....
I haven't had good luck with mechanicals but I am down to 50 pounds. I think part of the problem was I used to aim at the wing but where the wings attach. Would bounce right off. I know guys that have great luck with the Rage heads. I know one guy that uses the head cutters with great success also. I can't seem to get them out of the blind window without hitting the edge. His birds are dead right there. The main thin is to keep your decoys close. My average shot is 13 yards. I just mainly use my G5's & keep re sharpening them. Now I bought a jig for sharpening my Slick Trick Blades (yes it was from RC) and they fly the same as the G5's. Another good point is to stay away from the front. That breast is huge & won't get you a bird. I go straight up from the leg and have taken 60 birds in 3 states with my bow.
Good advice whitey (albino)
Aiming at the area where the wing meets body, you've had them bounce off?
Zone 3, first and 3rd season, Quite a few around
Toms have been strutting for a week now by me. Lots of jakes sparing. At least 200 gobbles before 8am this morning. I have taken allot of hunters that have not been very successful and showed them a few tricks of the trade and they have connected. I'll be out in zone 3 week one with another hunter that has yet to connect. I have two tags for zone 2, one tag for zone 1, one tag for zone 3 and one tag for zone 4. Plus a Go Pro and a handheld Sony video cam. Most of the time I just shoot the toms with a camera unless they are over 25 pounds. Then they go home with me in the truck.
Got 3 Illinois tags and 2 WI so far. Hopefully one more tomorrow. All late season. I was deer scouting public around Springfield 3 weeks ago and from the parking lot heard gobbling. Glassed 5 toms harassing 15 hens full blown strutting and all. Went on for 20 minutes.
Just throwing this out there. Nobody is hunting our farms this spring near Fairchild. If someone wants a hunting spot (turkey/coyote only) I'd be willing to give you full run of the farms. I'd like to see someone kill something off of the land. It's a couple thousand acres not contiguous. Just outside of Fairchild. I don't remember what zone that is but knowing the name of the town you should be able to figure it out. Pm me if interested. Current bowsite members and family only.
Nice to know they are gobbling - I need to head out early and do some listening! Hearing the gobble is a BIG part of the hunt for me.
Tweed, Yes I have had mechanicals bounce off. Those feather stems (technical word) right where they go into the body are like pencils. A regular Broadhead would zip right through. That was a Rocket 3 blade. Some of the newer 2 blade models might get through. Raspy, dang still nothing by me in Columbia County. I can't wait to hear them again. Dad, great offer. I have hunted Bear in that area. I lost my 44 year lease & am still scrambling for Turkey spots. Will have to see what Turkey zone that is.
Albino, The land is no longer available. A fellow bowsiter has taken me up on the offer and he's got a wife and a student who are going to hopefully kill some monster toms out there. If you're looking for a new deer lease I do know a non hunter who owns a lot of property that I can put you in contact with. Pm me if you want me to make a call to him.
Thanks Dad, I am working on a spot here but will let you know. Looked like the Fairchild area is close to the border of zone 1 & 3. Good luck to the Turkey hunters. No youth hunters for me this year with no land to take them to.
Going out for the first time in May for turkeys on some public land. Looking forward to it and hopefully I can connect on one. Otherwise, no time in the woods is wasted time.
Anyone have any beginner tips?
It's not difficult. Just scout. Observe where they like to frequent. Set up on dust bowls. Just be aware pressure on public will condition them real quick to avoid decoys and often even blinds. All depends on pressure so don't be surprised how they react if they see something they don't like. Stay concealed and you are good.
obo, go into youtube and type in 2017 turkey hunts. You will see what guys are doing in the South already and their successful hunts. If you need help with calls and how to use them, youtube again is an excellent choice to learn things. Good luck.
Thank you for the responses. Been doing a lot of reading and YouTube watching when I get a chance.
Going to get an owl hooter or a crow call and spend a little bit of time locating some turkeys early morning/late night. Then, I will go from there.
Out scouting some public land in Sheboygan Co. Came across several groups of hens with one or two Tom's strutting. And 2 bachelor groups of Tom's. Yesterday they were gobbling hard on the roost. Have tags for weeks 3,4,5 and 6 in zones one 2 and 1.
Should be bow hunting for turkeys right now. Some yrs it's cold but it would still be fun. Seen multiple birds today with Tom's strutting.
Was driving up hwy 25 in the south part of Buffalo county today. Saw a flock probably 300-400 yards away in a field up against woods. About 8 that were not in strut and one big one in strut. It was the first time my wife saw a turkey in strut. I think they were on public land. If anyone has a tag for that area PM me and I will give you a more specific location.
Jeff - If your in Buffalo County - make sure you don't shine deer....apparently they have an County ordinance that prohibits that activity! But based upon a recent post - I don't think you'll have to worry...LOL
BT, you are correct, I am not at risk of getting any hunting related citation in BC including that county shining ordinance. It has been in force for quite some time. I have not hunted BC in probably 10 years. Just got too hard (impossible) to get on private land with just a handshake and being willing to help with chores. Public land got too crowded with small game hunters that come down from the EauClaire area and would stalk and even raise their gun on my deer decoy when gun season was not open. So, now I just drive thru BC. Plus soon Minnesota merchants can sell liquor on Sunday so I won't even need to make an emergency liquor run to Nelson on Sundays. ;-)
I finally heard a Gobble yesterday. Maybe time to start using my hearing aids but then I would have to listen to my Wife.
Been thinking about picking up 2 DSD decoys. However, others keep telling me to be careful because public land for turkey hunting can be dangerous with decoys. Any thoughts on this?
Worst comes to worst, I'll see if I can find someone to lease a property from for a couple days if it's truly that sketchy.
I wouldn't worry at all about that obo. When was the last time you heard of someone being shot during wi turkey season? I've never heard of it happening.
obo - I am glad you brought this subject up!
It happened about 5 years ago to a friend and a member of the Forestry staff in my County.
He is an "avid" turkey hunter and I mean "avid"..... He breathes , craps and eats turkey hunting 24/7.
Anyway - on this particular day, he invited a friend down from northern WI to hunt turkeys. He had no tag for that particular time period but offered to call for his buddy!
Once the friend arrived, they roosted some birds and hit the hay early for the next morning.
At daybreak the turkeys started gobbling hard off the roost ,just as they planned. However, being turkeys and doing what turkeys do, they flew down and walked off in the opposite direction. No amount of calling would turn them and soon all was quite.
The two hunters decided to "cut the pie" and take a new position on the birds on an opposite ridge.
Once in place, my friend took a position against a tree and some twenty yards off, the shooter took a position nestled down by the trunk of a large tree. The two were in position for some time when the turkeys fired up and started drawing in closer.
As my friend was doing all the calling he was focused on the direction of the approaching birds,
Suddenly, he later told me, it was like being hit by a dump truck. He said he went flying away from the tree and smacked hard into the ground hard. He was dazed and for sometime had no idea what had happened. There was no immediate pain. He had been shot by his partner who was hunting with a 12 gauge 3" shell and #5 shot. It took him quite some time to realize he had been shot. He staggered through the fields with the help of the shooter to a house. Medical personnel met him there.
Long story short, over 30 pellets from his friends shotgun entered his upper body and face. He still to this day has pellets in his body that could not be removed. He saved all the pellets that the surgeon removed. He almost lost his sight in one eye but more importantly, he almost lost his life! He has recovered, continues to work hard and hunt even harder after a lengthy hospital stay.
Safe Hunting!
Crusader - Very true. Just been hearing a lot of stories left and right of close encounters. How hunters come in to calls and end up stalking other hunters. Trying to avoid that.
Bloodtrail - Wow! Thank you for sharing that. That's a bit scary and I'm glad that individual was able to recover.
Crusader Dad, I just did a search on the web "Wisconsin turkey hunter shot," because of your statement. It happens more than I thought. Sad stories.
Raspy, I checked it out as well. The story about the sheriff is a pretty good one. Two days after being shot, he goes out and kills a bird! He is truly one tough guy.
I remember a case not to many years back, where a squirrel hunter accidently shot a young man. (This occurred out of State) - He left the subject for dead (not hunting together) and went to a birthday party. He was later arrested by authorities. The shooter was a teenage boy.
The spring hearings on April 10, Monday night, has an extension to fall turkey hunting as well as ALL over the counter tags. No sending in 3 bucks or standing in line on the computer like the spring tags. There is a number of deer hunting questions also. I filled out my answers to the 88 questions (mostly fish questions). I'll transfer my answers over to the official ballot and be out of there in fifteen minutes. Its worth looking at.
Got some scouting in yesterday. (Wednesday) Did find some birds on public. Also found more ticks than birds. They should be thick by the Third season. Thought my back was getting a little better from all the PT but that didn't last long. Sucks to get old. I just hope the Turkeys don't hear me whining over the buzz of mosquitos. Gotta love it.
