Bowsite.com

Gobbling

The neighborhood flock here has been fun lately. Two nice toms and a bunch of hens. And every morning the toms are gobbling frequently now, and often strutting. Pretty dang fun way to wake up in the morning!

Are you going this spring to try for one?

That’s awesome. I’ve been watching lots of YouTube videos and getting excited about the green up and gobbling. I’m working off a knee injury from skiing and by working I mean not doing anything at all. I tried to get 12 year old into it this year but failed. I’ve asked a few other people but it’s too much work for some kids to do hunter safety, youth seminar, and get up at 4am. I’m happy I forced my older one during Covid!

Not these Pete. Barely legal in a few spots they hang, but for the most part, these are yard birds. But I hope to chase a few in Z6 and 9, maybe 5. I love turkey hunting. The last few years, life stuff just killed my mojo. Barely hunted. Last year I missed a nice Tom, but only hunted about 3 times. Just wasnt feeling it due to life stuff.

This year, I'd just like to take my kids. They will just be tag alongs vs shooters. But It would be cool to see how it goes.

Leaving in a week and a half to chase Osceolas in FL for ten days. Drew a few good quota hunts in some WMAs I haven’t hunted before. One is a three day hunt on 20,000 acre plus tract that only allows 15 hunters per day. This is absolutely my most favorite time of the year!!!

Have heard them on a couple occasions recently in central NH. Certainly nice to hear.

I saw two flocks in last two days . I'm getting interested. Might screw the X-Full choke back into the 20ga. this spring and get after them with my grandson. Saw both flocks late morning.

Rut - that will be amazing! Careful for the eastern Diamondbacks and Pythons!

Haha Will!! I have only ever seen one cottonmouth in all the years I’ve been going down. Plenty of gators and some big pigs but the number one biggest problem are the damn mosquitos. Thank god for thermocell and deet. Sat on a hill of fire ants once too. Florida is probably number one on my places I hunt. There’s just so much to do for the outdoorsmen. Turkey in the morning, fish in the afternoon and hog, coyote hunt in the evening. On days you don’t feel like going out there’s plenty of good southern cooking with ice cold beer to drink. I highly recommend it to anyone. Fairly cheap trip too if you hunt public

Anyone having trouble reading PMs. Coming up server error. I’m not ignoring you guys, just can’t read them.

I can’t wait to get out turkey hunting. I’ve never gotten one before, but I’ve been talking with a buddy who’s mastered it the past few years and gonna tag along with him one morning and see how it’s done.

Josh- the best way to learn is to first know where they are, second is to get in there and call a bit and see what happens. What I’ve learned is if you can get in a spot where hens are and call like a hen you have good chances.

Josh, Ill piggyback noob's comment. I find where you set up relative to the bird, often as or more important than anything else - assuming there are birds ha ha ha.

Setting up in spots that dont have obstacles between you and them is huge. Also, if you are calling, and one gets hung up, use your hand or a stick to scratch the leaves - as a turkey would while feeding. scratch, scratch, scratch, pause, repeat. Do that a few times, and then just sit there quiet for a few minutes. It's amazing how often that will entice a hung up or reluctant gobbler.

Have fun with it. Turkey hunting to me is almost the opposite of deer hunting - there is action moving, calling, etc...

Rut - that's a great point. The fishing in FL - fresh and salt - is amazing!

Me and my brother started turkey hunting probably 10 years ago together. We do not sit still. We run and gun all morning until we find a bird that wants to play. We get out before they fly down and try and locate some because often times we don’t have time to go the night before because of life and children. If I have to choose deer hunt or turkey hunt, it would be tough. I love the run gun and excitement of the bird coming in with a thunderous gobble lookin for his hen. Gets me all fired up. Currently looking for some land to hunt some birds on down here this spring.

MAPA - I'm the same. Mostly now, I go after dropping the kids at school for up to a couple hours. I'm not the guy who will sit in an area where birds frequent and spend hours there. I like it for the action. If they are not gobbling, I'm moving. And Ill keep moving until I find a bird willing to talk. It's not the text book ideal approach - but it's what I find most fun, and it's generally successful.

I love finding that old bird that makes you feel like you can’t do anything right but in the end you finally get one up on him. The bird that gobbles his head off on the roost then shuts up once he hits the ground. The bird that gets within 30yds of you but can never see and next time he gobbles he’s a mile away. The bird that has been called to so many times that he only shock gobbles to a crow call. The bird that if you call too much, too little, to loud, to soft, to often you’re done. Until days later you finally figure out every little thing that he does and likes. You have the perfect setup, he’s answering your every call and he’s coming in spitting and drumming, strutting and gobbling like the king of the woods he is. You give a little excited cut for him to pop his head up and take his picture with a little TSS to the head. Personally I think there’s no match to that feeling when it all comes together. It is an obsession!!! Oh, and I like the dumb ones too!!

Good stuff guys. Yea I definitely don’t have the time to figure out exactly where they are roosting. But I know some areas where they tend to hang out. Never really thought of the run and gun style, sounds like fun so I’ll have to give it a try. Are field edges a must? Or can you find success in the woods too?

Rut - those can be fun too. So long as I'm running and gunning to find him :)

Josh - the closest thing to a field I've ever shot a turkey in was a powerline opening. literally 99% of my turkeys have come in the woods. Fields are a classic spot, and if I had a spot that I hunted with a nice field, I'm confident it could be great, especially with dekes... But for my style, I'm generally hunting woods birds.

I’ve never killed a bird in a field…. NY this spring should change that. But never killed a field bird in MA. All woods.

Ok thanks, good to know. Woods hunting it is. I’m really looking forward to getting out for a few mornings this spring. Hopefully this is the year I figure it out!

Register here to reply to this topic