Let's talk turkey >>>---->
Pennsylvania
Out to go prune my Apple and pear trees and saw about 80 or 90 turkey, in 3 flocks. The season can't get here fast enough. If we get anymore snow in the coming weeks. I'll get up and check out my local spots for track's. Ed
I'm happy seeing 8 or 9! They have been doing some gobbling and strutting.
Well, in 5D we have 0 birds, the feral cats and the yotes killed everything that was left, have not seen a bird here in years. Recent pic from 5D.
Went out for aride this evening. Saw no turkey by lotssss of deer.
We have been seeing various sizes of flocks pretty regularly around here too.
Feel blessed if you still have turkeys to hunt. They are quickly going the way of the pheasant. Turkeys are essentially gone in my area.
Where’s that Mike?
Saw 4 jakes last week..............
8 toms have been in the field next to the house for the last 2 hours.
2B here and have been seeing some decent flocks with fanned out toms this past week locally on my travels.
I'll miss this season waiting for my shoulder to heal up but I am hoping to be able to trout fish. I'll see what the surgeon has to say on my April 3rd follow up.
Thanks Mike- sorry to hear that!
I need to get out locally and start scouting....................
Hope you heal up soon Jim! Been there, done that................. ;-)
Thanks Perry my friend!
One day at a time....
Got this group this evening. Wish I had my binoculars as they all looked to be gobbles. But???
Won't it be great if Pa had a early archery spring gobbler season ??? Kinda like a few other states haven. What you think the chances of that ever happening and if not, why not? Thoughts??
Sarcasm, Pa will never have a archery season, Pa will never have a archery season that runs into the rut, Pa will never have a archery bear season. Ed
So some states have an archery ONLY Spring Gobbler season that starts BEFORE the Gun season opens?
Perry, I have not checked in many of years, but heres a few that did or do, have spring archery turkey seasons.
Kansas, nebraska, california, arizona. I think (?) theres others just dont remember.
Oh wow! I see a lot of guys on the Big Game Forum hunting Nebraska and Kansas but just assumed they were using bows in the firearm season...............
Only checked Kansas so far. Here's there season. Yes they have and archery only spring Turkey season.
Edit the 2023 archery season is April 3 to the 11
So far I'm 2 for 2 on checking for spring archery only gobbler season. Here's Nebraska
I'm slowly looking states that have a spring gobbler seasons. Add Minnesota to that list.
Thanks Ed. Nebraska looks good- you get a couple weeks before the guns start going off..................
I am SO ready for Spring.................Gobbler season! The last plowable snow we got I found some ice under the snow on my front deck and ended up at the bottom of the steps. : ( Last night we got a dusting of snow/ice and still sore from my last fall, I decided to avoid the front steps and go out thru the garage. All was good til I stopped for gas and couldn’t get that pesky little door open to the gas cap. But several minutes of pounding on it like a madman finally did the trick! Must have got the adrenaline going because it was about 5 miles up the road before I realized my finger was bleeding..................
April 29th can’t get here soon enough! ;-)
Tuesday this guy strutted from at least 7am till 12:30. Longest I’ve ever seen them out and first time in about 4 years there’s been a flock in this area. Had his way with numerous hens and fought often with the Jake.
nice pics! I'll be in Elk county PA for two weeks starting the 29th...can't wait for my semi-annual PA hunting trip!
Two dozen birds beside the house yesterday. Pictures on the way.
My power went off for 12 hours Saturday afternoon. One bird started to strut. They were in this field for 3 hours before they all left.
Went out looking for turkey last nigh, saw a few and heard a few. Saw this guy and put a stalk no him.
Edit,, for the life of me I can't get the pictures to turn.
I've been seeing deer and turkeys in the same field at the same time recently. And 4 gobblers at the end of that field in the pics above yesterday.
Looks good Art! Can’t wait to get out there..................
Haven't seen any turkeys in 5C for a while, but seen this running through town.
8pm- I got a gobbler roosted in my backyard gobbling his head off! I can see the silhouette in the tree and he must have gobbled 30+ times in 2 min! He is FIRED UP! : )
Had a hell of a time ordering my spring turkey tag. I had to login twice before it showed spring tag. Was beginning to think they move the deadline and I missed it.
Anyway seeing lots of birds, except on the opening day in 2 weeks. That day I'll see nothing. Last year was a bad year for me. Saw birds, not a lot. But the ones I saw would not come any closer than 30yds. This year pre season I'm seeing a lot more, than last year. So this year I'm optimistic. Got a new blind, I have 3. All for turkey, one I love 2, I hate. So this new one is #4 . Got an idea on doing a modification, so the windows is more like the one I love. The one I love has 2 windows in the corners and one viewing winow in each of the 4 walls. It a Double Bull, can't remember the model.
This Saturday I'm hitting big youth Turkey events called "Nancy's Vision Youth Turkey Hunt" up at The Outdoor Insider. The picture is the place it's at and it's a archery shop.
I hear you Ed! That’s why I always get my license/tags at an issuing agent. I stopped in Walmart after work for a second Spring Gobbler tag. Nobody around in Sporting Goods. Nobody working there could help. One of the workers finally texted a manager- and said all available staff that could help were in a meeting. WHO schedules meetings at 5pm when everyone is getting out of work???!!! After 3 pages and 3 calls to the Walmart operator and waiting there 30 min for help I walked out! I will NEVER buy another hunting or fishing license in Walmart EVER again! : (
When I walked out there were 2 guys waiting to buy ammunition. I told them GOOD LUCK!
This was the 3rd time it has happened to me!(waiting over 10 min for someone to show up to help)
A few thoughts, Walmart is never a good choice to purchase anything sporting, hunting related. When the machines do work, the help to get tags is sparce . And, untrained. Sorry, haven't stepped Foot into one in a long time.
Yeah, I know John- it’s just that I always have other stuff to get there and it’s nice (when it works) to only have to make one stop....................
But I will make the extra stop from now on!
A few times I had the same thing at walmart. Dont know why they sell licensees????? The online has always been good. Just would not show a turkey tag. Probably spend 5 minutes both times then 3rd time it was right there.
Normally I would of got it a month ago. But I was not sure if I would get to spring turkey hunt this year.
The Nancy's youth turkey hunt this Saturday. , is $20 bucks, includes lunch and a year membership in the NWTF.
I'm heading up to this Saturdays event around 9:30. If anyone would like to meet and go. Also if we know each other, I got room at my place tomorrow, friday night.
I remember when Walmart almost put Rubbermaid out of business, and the hassle of dealing with employees there forced me to never grace that doorway again.
I try to shop locally and even though it is not large enough to matter, that place does not need help from I.
Make it up to the youth turkey hunt today with another UBP life member. Turn out was good. About 350 turned out for the event, not sure how many kids signed up for the hunt. Here a picture of them and some of the birds.
WOW! That was a BIG event! Good to see stuff like this...........................I'll have to talk to you about this for next year.........................................
BTW, I went online and got my 2nd tag at lunchtime. Pretty easy. First time actually buying a license online....................................
Well tomorrow, opening day will be interesting. Heavy rain and it looks like a steady wind of about 18mph. I put an axe and 6 yellow tent stakes in my pack to hold the blind put, and hold my decoy from looking like a windmill or balloon. Now if the birds cooperate and arrow flys true. Good luck to those hunting with a bow and break a neck to those hunting with a shot gun. :) Man would it be nice if Pa had an early spring turkey bow season, like quite a few other states have... ; ) Hell I'd even pay a extra 30 for a early archey turkey stamp.
Good luck to all going to get soaked Sat-
Kill a good one!
Heard the first shot at 5:45. Seen two gobblers and a hen along with 5 other hunters. Then I knew what spooked the gobblers. Was a beautiful morning to be out.
Not much gobbling or shooting here. Precipitation was never more than a little mist at times.
Was gonna hunt at my wife’s cousin’s place (30 acres) but looked at the forecast and figured with the steady/heavy rain and wind the gobblers wouldn’t hear us trying to call from inside the blind. So I slept in and left the house at 8 to make the 3 hr drive down to my mom’s for the weekend.(was originally gonna leave after hunting)
About 9:30 I got a text that the gobblers had walked right thru the front yard(of course!) I said “DANG- we could have just sat on the (covered) front porch!” ;-)
I was doing stuff in the garage and basement this morning and I came into the kitchen to have lunch about 12:10 PM . Something made me look out the porch window first however and I saw a longbeard crossing the road followed by a hen He came up the driveway, turned left into my neighbors field and walked away along the plowed field. Prior to that, at about 10, I had been out changing seats in one of the blinds and I heard gobbling just out of sight near our new rifle blind.
Seen three gobblers fanned out in a field today along with four hens. Raining a little and them suckers didn't care that I was thirty yards away in the jeep.
Was visiting family in St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem the last 2 days. The LAST place I expected to see a turkey.......................... (walking across the parking lot ;-)
Yesterday it was deer! : )
I spend a lot of time in 5C where I live. We have some birds here and there but they seem to be in limited pockets.
I have 2 pair of wings in the freezer if anyone wants some for tradbow arrow making. (Not acquired with a bow however). LOL.
I’m a breast and thigh guy…… but when speaking of wings, I’m always in need:)
Both within a quarter mile of my house
Both within a quarter mile of my house
OK Dale, they will keep until we can hook up sometime, sooner than later I hope. There is always PineHill if you can make it this July. Or, I can meet you halfway. I am posting these pictures from where the feathers came purely for informational purposes. LOL.
Nice…. The feathers I mean:) I’ll be in touch soon as we are heading to Seneca at Niagara Falls at the end of the month.
Arg, congratulations!!!! Nice birds.
Finally had some action close to my blind last Monday morning. A hot tip from my niece about the location of some turkeys Sunday evening put me in a prime spot before daylight. This tom gobbled well on the roost then quieted down after a hen did a fly down cackle. I mimicked the hen and she eventually dragged him my way. Took him about 20 minutes to strutt his way within 25 yards of my jake and hen decoys. Then he must have seen something he did not like and turned to walk away. 30 yard shot in the back after I called to stop him. He didn’t go 20 yards. 18.4 lbs. 10.5 inch beard 1 inch spurs. My wife was excited to try another Steven Rinella/MeatEater recipe, so we made turkey sausage. Pretty tasty!
Way to go Curtis Its never easy, especially this time of the year. Good shot! I have been watching 3 jakes in the plowed field next to my house since I got up this morning. Maybe Perry can blow up the picture and post it later.
Congrats Curtis! Nice job with the bow! I’ve wanted to try that turkey sausage recipe after seeing it on Meat Eater................
Art has been teasing me every morning(and some afternoons) with turkey pics from the Keefer farm! I’ve only been able to get out once so far this season due to unforeseen family obligations. But I’m gonna make up for it this weekend! Headed out to Clarion County for the last 3 days of the season. I told my boss I might not be able to make it to the weekend if Art keeps teasing me! I might have to take Friday off and leave Thursday after work. My boss laughed.........................but I was SERIOUS! : )
Here is the pic Art sent this morning
Yeah, Perry, you need to at least give those jakes an education if not an invitation to dinner.
Yeah, Perry, you need to at least give those jakes an education if not an invitation to dinner.
Well, I tried my best but no luck! I picked the wrong blind/location twice and the only time they showed up in the field was when I was NOT there! We did have a gobbler gobbling consistently but sparingly for over 2 hours one morning but he wouldn’t come in. But we DID see something I’ve never seen before! Got a GOOD look at a fisher that walked past in front of us one morning. Pretty COOL! : )
And then on the drive home yesterday, I had the oddest thing happened to me. I stopped at the Clearfield exit on I-80 to get gas about 11am. It was very busy and kind of noisy and as I was pumping my gas I could have sworn I heard a turkey gobble! At first I thought maybe it was a turkey hunter being funny but looking around I saw nobody with a gobble call. At this point I wondered if my mind was playing tricks on me after 4 hard days of turkey hunting. But then I heard it again. WTH?! I glanced over behind the building to see if maybe a love-lorn gobbler had made his way into town “looking for love in all the wrong places.” Then there it was again! But this time I heard it clearly and it came from the back of a trailer being pulled by an SUV. I looked carefully between the boards on the trailer and I spotted a pet carrier. And you guessed it.................in the carrier it was a little hard to see, but I could just make out the silhouette of a turkey head! Apparently someone was moving and bringing along their domestic gobbler. It gobbled one last time and it’s owners gave me a smile when I laughed out loud! (Thinking to myself the gobblers are mocking me even on my drive home! ;-) If only the people knew the complete irony of the moment! : )
I was out a few times this season. First time trying it without a blind while using my bow. Got drawn on 1 as it followed a hen up a field edge. But she picked me off and they both got the exit jitters real quick, no shot.
This past Sunday we came home to a hen sitting in our front yard with wings spread out like an apron over her chicks. We watched them from our living room window as they walked around the yard. In the blink of an eye her head snapped to attention, feathers all puffed up, and just like that a hawk swooped down and grabbed a chick. They were tiny, palm of your hand small. The mom turkey took flight and actually rammed into the hawk mid air as it made its get away, but to no avail. The hawk scored. The whole thing happened in seconds. I barely had the words "holy chit" out and it was over.
Wow! That must have been something to see!
Nice story Rut. I got lucky last friday a finished the season with 2 birds. First Bird was a jake with a double beard. Second was a Tom with 12 inch beard. The tom caught me off guard. I had a bird going in front of me, but out a ways. I heard another bird gobble a few time behind me and what sound like across a road. The bird out in front was about 200 yds away and making slow progress and sounding off every 15 minutes or so.. In 2 hours he only closed the distance maybe a 100yds. All the sudden I saw movement to my left, I turned in the blind and saw a bird, it must of been the bird that was across the street. He came in quite and on my closed window side. He walked out on my side and to an open spot 50 yds away. He hit a road then came back towards my blind setup and right at me. I was afraid to draw, thinking he would see me. I think he was looking for the hen (me). He then turned and started to walk straight away, giving me a chance to draw. Unfortunately I hit him a little low in the back, maybe an inch or 2 above where the tail meets the body. He flew straightaway from me, down a old logging road and around a turn in it. I waited about 5 minutes, got out on my blind and walk down the road with "out" my bow. As I came around the turn in the road I saw movement it was he, laying just off on the right side of the road in some tall grass/brush. So I ran back and got my bow. I was able to sneak up on him and put a second shot on him, making sure he didn't go anyplace. After the second shot he made it about 4 feet. First arrow was like I stated earlier was low opening up it belly. If I waited, say 15 minutes before going to look, I'm sure he would of expired right where he was.
First bird double breaded jake.
Here's my second bird. The one from my above story. Also I tried to turn the pictures of them but It won't let me.
That’s a well earned double, Teeton. Congrats.
Way to go Ed! 2 birds with the bow is OUTSTANDING! Congrats!
Way to go Ed. Actually, to add to Rut's story, that Fisher came around to us twice. At least it looked like the same one to me. The day after He left there was a bird in range from my porch. It came right up the driveway and turned left.
Found this guy unable to keep up with mom and siblings, although they were nearby. Not sure what happened, it would not walk. Twice set it close to mom and she let me walk right up to her while I was holding the chick. Gave it 2 hours, but she was gone and chick still setting right where I put it. Boxed it up and took it to rehab clinic.
Must be something wrong with it. I saw my first poults of the year this morning. A hen and 3 of her young crossed the road in front of me this morning.
