Turkey activity
Pennsylvania
I was out scouting for youth turkey day this morning, north central PA. Appears they are still in the winter groups, I saw one group of 20 and one of about 40 birds, both groups having several long beards. They are usually broken up into much smaller groups around here by this time of the year.
What are they doing in your area?
Anybody hunting turkeys with a bow this spring?
Seeing lots of big groups in the mornings and smaller groups later in the day. Lots of fighting going on yet figuring out pecking order.
I will be bow hunting turks this year.
Saw a big, lone gobbler out strutting in a driveway on my way home from work yesterday afternoon. Westmoreland Co.
NW Pa. still in groups. But they are getting hit by cars on I-90.
Haven't been out scouting yet.
I bowhunt them every year .....................................and every year they seem to elude me! ;-)
Have not heard a gobble yet. Which is really unusual, as the winter flock normally goes nuts with morning turkey talk end of Feb and all thru March. Gobbler was mating a hen on 3/15 here in northern Monroe county.
S.W. PA they are breaking up into smaller groups, seen some strutting and have heard some gobbling. But over all not seeing many birds.
I saw one on the road yesterday. It was 1/16th inch thick and 15 feet long.
Coal truck caravan vs. turkey..............no contest.
We did some mid-day scouting yesterday in 4A. A new farm that my brothers and dad have never hunted but have the opportunity to this year. Steep up and down country with a few small fields. We saw some scratching all over and most of it appeared to be from smaller groups, 2-6 birds. Did not hear any gobbles during the 4 hours we were there, though we didnt necessarily expect to.
I will be bowhunting them this year as well, though i may hunt more with the gun this year than i have in the past. Good luck to everybody
Saw a group of 30 a couple weeks ago. Yesterday i had 7 toms and 4 hens out back where I hunt.
Yes on bowhunting them and haven't used a gun in years.
Was out today looking over 2 of my spots. I didnt see any, but both spots had scatchings and my all time favorite, I found 2 spots where they were dusting. Season cant come soon enough. I hope to have a lot more time next spring and get back to hunting in other states.
Was watchin this guy this morning. This is where i bowkilled my PA bird last year. Couldnt hear them gobbling, the road traffic is loud as a busy highway runs thru the middle. C’mon first week....
Cant rotate pics anymore?
looks like you’re all set Justin..................... ;-)
Bird was just gobbling this morning within range of the house.
Within BOW range Art?! ;-)
Of course, up near the trailer. Got a field plowed today too. Going to put in some good clover.
While fertilizing the yard this Good Friday morning had a gobbler and hen come with in 30 yards of me. Might have to approach this turkey hunting a little different next week:) No camo, wear blue jeans and a white T shirt. I know one guy that says he is going use his zero turn mower. Overall still not seeing many birds.
Sounds good Art!
LOL Hawkeye! : )
Good luck to the kids today
Notice the extra neon yellow color on the side of this turkey?? Was angling forward, went about 10 feet. Waiting for his buddy to leave now, more pictures to follow.
My sons first spring bird with the bow. 22 pounds, 10 1/4" beard, 1 1/8" spurs.
That kid is a killa. Congrats
What a great looking morning there. Nice bow too. Congrats to your parents.
I had a jake walk right up to my dog fence about an hour ago. Sling shot range.
Bow range for rut nut.
Come on, Art. Rut-butt is a heck of a shot.
Way to go Gene. Bet he was excited! Congrats to you guys!!!
CONGRATS huntinelk and Jr! Love to see these pics! : )
LMBO Roy!(and Art ;-)
Thanks for the comments.
Yes, he was very excited and happy. It has been very rewarding to see him progress in his hunting accomplishments, he is light years ahead of where I was at 14.
Deep fried turkey chunks...they came out very good. We did the frying in the garage...mom didn't think it was a good in the house project, for some reason.
Looks like rain the next two weeks in NW Pa. going to be a wet Turkey season.
Hooefully it dries out before the poults hatch. Dont want two rough hatches in a row
I was thinking the same thing Justin...............
Gene- never thought about deep fried turkey CHUNKS- thanks for the tip! ;-)
Had a great day Saturday even with the wind, but no shooting. Was still talking with a gobbler at quitting time, and he evidently knew the property line. Wasn't much shooting compared to last year though. And now the Amish are leasing property and posting it. So much for another hunting area I had permission for.
It's 10 til 9 PM Sunday night, I'm reading a turkey hunting thread, and all of a sudden, there's a picture of "deep fried turkey chunks"...
Do you know what it's like to see photos of "deep fried turkey chunks", when it's a handful of minutes before crashing for the day, and you're as hungry as can be?
And I imagine, huntinelk, you'll let us know HOW GOOD they were...
Sigh...
Anyways, congrats to your Son!!
Hawkeye, do like they do.. Just go where ever you want and when caught feign a communication problem. And that pesky license thingy they play dumb to..
We are both dreaming, i dont know if hers have turkey fans strutting towards her, but mine sure do... Hopeful to wake her up to watch her first gobbler work in acoross the field...
We are both dreaming, i dont know if hers have turkey fans strutting towards her, but mine sure do... Hopeful to wake her up to watch her first gobbler work in acoross the field...
Independant female day out here today. 5 diff hens came from 5 different directions, 3 of em teaming up to get pissy with the decoys. Just waitin on a red head to show up....
Two of us in the blind. One of us has been up watching anyways...;^)
Couldnt be more proud of my girl. The composure to NOT pull the trigger when 4 longbeards and 2 jakes are at the decoys and she doesnt have a clear shot at just one. Bittersweet for sure, but the excitement as the birds were coming in will be something i never forget. It wasnt meant to be on this day, but i certainly wont ever forget what WAS meant to be. Great experience for us both.
On a side note, learned i am a billion percent less calm and cool when im trying to get someone else through a shot sequence on an animal.
Very cool. Congrats to both of you.
LOL Justin! : )
Great pic! And great restraint on her part to wait for a clear shot! You taught her well!
That picture needs to be framed on the wall. I miss those days.
Great experience and I also miss those days!!
Turkeys have gone the way of the pheasant in my area. Fifteen years ago they were everywhere. Now you feel lucky if you see one.
This guy had a hen this morning, couldnt budge him from her. I believe he is 1 of 2 longbeards that i tried calling across a highway last week. Traffic was heavy tho and after they came to the edge of the road and backed iff a few times, i musta said something right and he got the courage to step up onto the shoulder of the road....thats when the tractor with a dozen cars came up the road and blew them off for good.
So, 2 hours after i leave the strutter and his hen this morning, i was heading back to work and there along the roadside was the hen, laying dead.
So, tomorrow i will set up before light and see if i cant make him think that his lady came back. Im undecided right now tho, whether im setting up with the bow or if i will have the gun. Its been a long season with 2 unfilled tags so far and my family sure does love eating wild turkey.....
If you want a real challenge Justin...............................................leave the weapons at home. See if you can call him into traffic and get a Toyota to do the work! or a Kia...................or a Subaru...................................... ;-)
Fresh meat in the cooler. Was a picture perfect morning. God is good
I need to change locations. No sightings, no gobbling.
AMEN! Congrats Justin! : )
Congratulations Justin. I've been among them but hard getting a stickbow shot with out a blind especially when the hen comes in first:(
This has been the most difficult season I have had yet. I'm not the best turkey hunter, but usually I'll call in at least one or two (only to have them hang up). This year between the weather and lack of gobbling I'm pretty much frustrated.
I hope tomorrow is better.
Been hearing that from a lot of ppl
Not a gobble this morning....
I've had a usually good year getting into gobblers even areas I never hunted before. And some Have still been gobbling at noon. Have not seen many hens though.
Northern tier dead silent for miles and miles. Usually a sign of very high mature bird population. Don't remember which season about 4-6 yrs ago?..but best gobbling activity was about three weeks after the season closed. and I saw quite few strutting birds on my day off July 4th. Same small forest openings with hens with fully feathered poults. Any gobbles I have heard (8 mebbe total, were so muffled they would not be heard by humans more at more than couple hundred yards at best. Hen talk is so sparse and subtle one is left wondering if they actually did hear one. This I believe here in the big woods to be a result of intense hunter pressure early when the birds could still see and hear for miles from the roost for lack of canopy leaves. And most folks call WAY too aggressively and too LOUD for such conditions. Lotta folks don't understand the softest cluck you can make can be heard easily by birds a half mile away..and if you have a penny in one of your back britches pockets...they know precisely which pocket it is in.
LOL! No doubt, Ed.......................................I call very sparingly, even when hunting private ground anymore. And I have learned that just because you don't hear them, doesn't mean they're not there! Have had too many birds come in silently. In fact the last 3 years or so, most of my hunting has been during the last half of the season. I find a lot of guys have given up by now, so less competition. Plus once the hens start nesting, less competition from them too! ;-)
