2022 spring turkey

[kansasdad]

kansasson drove down from Kansas City to make a last gasp chance at getting a Kansas turkey. We hung out with the landowners when the two thunderstorm cells came over.

After the rains swept thru we saw two toms feeding and drying off in the ag field across the road. No dice on dragging them onto our side of the road.





Walking down the hill we saw a doe in the tree line. Walking over to where she had been standing, we found a very young fawn laying low in the wet tall grass.



We never heard a hen or gobbler, only saw the two distant toms but had a wonderful time hanging out together. We got to enjoy the deer activity, and …….icing on the cake, I nearly stepped on a quail on the way back to our cars. Three plus hours later and I think my heart rate has resumed its regular rate and rhythm.

 

[fleabagmatt]

We spent the long weekend up in the northern part of the state at my in-laws. I managed to get up into the woods on Sunday for one last ditch effort to find a bird. Well, it wasn't too serious an outing but rather a nice walk with my wife and the pup making some calls with the hope of getting a response. Didn't see or hear anything, but saw some signs on the old roads and meadows we checked out. Of course, leaving for home yesterday we saw a couple toms in a hay field next to the road. I'm pretty sure they were pointing and laughing at us as we drove by.

Two more unfilled tags for me, hopefully I can figure it out in the fall. I learn something every time I get out, so all the miles travelled have not been in vain. Now I get to focus on getting the pup ready for her NAVHDA NA test this summer.

 

[Gellar]

Cover crops here are very short - maybe 10" if that, and pretty thin. I doubt much nests in there. I don't know what the plants are. At least some of the common ones look like mustards of some sort.

I think they just use rye around here. The turkeys usually haven’t started nesting when they are working those fields. This year was different though.

 

[mdcrossbow]

I think they just use rye around here. The turkeys usually haven’t started nesting when they are working those fields. This year was different though.

The hens are nesting all I'm getting on the camera are toms and one lonely bearded hen. She like hanging out with this doe.

 

[Gellar]

I listened to an Iowa Dnr bio yesterday. In SE Iowa they trapped and collared 64 mature hens this spring. Only 29 of them even tried to nest. Of the 29 that nested 25 were predated. Of the 4 nests that are left 1 is in a bay field that will be mowed shortly, possibly this week.

I heard two gobbles on my walk Saturday morning and saw 2 Tom’s strutting in a field yesterday. Hopefully they are successful at renesting.

 

[BrentD]

I saw a poultless hen yesterday. Not a good sign certainly.

 

[Chad Gus]

My post season population count in my neighborhood: 15/20 adult toms, similar number of jakes and 75 or so hens. What i consider my neighborhood is approximately 3 × 3 mile area.
Still no poult sightings for the year, this is normally the time i start to see my first ones. I've seen freshly hatched poults in late july early August around here the last few years.
Still had toms gobbling and strutting, with hens last weekend by my house.

 

[mdcrossbow]

I haven't seen any Poults yet Hopefully there on there nest and should be seeing some soon.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I found these bad boys covered in cobwebs by the water heater in my local feed store.

For 9.99 a box.

 

[Chad Gus]

Seen my first poults of the year near my house. Only a few of them, but nice to see.
Also seen two separate grouse with chick's today as well.

 

[Hubby45]

My boy nailed his first Turkey on the opener. I called him in to 2 hen Decoys on a slate call. It was a perfect. Came zooming in and locked in on the decoys. My son (12) tracked him and let him get to about 15 yards and bagged him with a load of #4s from a 12 gauge 870. I had a front row seat to it all and it was pretty darn awesome. He was very proud of his mountain Merriam

 

[chiplu10]

bird numbers are down everywhere! Nebraska just went to a 2 bird limit.

 

[Gellar]

bird numbers are down everywhere! Nebraska just went to a 2 bird limit.

The mystery is why? It seems there is no one thing that the finger can be pointed out to turn the declining trend around. Predators, disease, nesting habitat, hunting, it’s all a piece of the puzzle.

 

[Stocker]

The mystery is why? It seems there is no one thing that the finger can be pointed out to turn the declining trend around. Predators, disease, nesting habitat, hunting, it’s all a piece of the puzzle.

I think it’s a combination. Predators and egg robber numbers way up with low fur prices, I’m not sure harvesting Tom’s hurts the population as much as that, I’m not a biologist either though. You can’t hardly throw a rock around here without hitting a skunk, coyote, or raccoon.


On a side note, my son and I saw a hen with 2 poults smaller than baseballs about a week ago. Smallest poults I’ve ever seen this late in the year.

 

[Gellar]

I think it’s a combination. Predators and egg robber numbers way up with low fur prices, I’m not sure harvesting Tom’s hurts the population as much as that, I’m not a biologist either though. You can’t hardly throw a rock around here without hitting a skunk, coyote, or raccoon.


On a side note, my son and I saw a hen with 2 poults smaller than baseballs about a week ago. Smallest poults I’ve ever seen this late in the year.

Considering you are from Nebraska, and I’ve seen how Nebraskans throw that is impressive that you can hit a skunk with a rock.

I went to a meeting in June and the turkey bio for Iowa was presenting. They were monitoring 65 hens of nesting age this spring. Only half of them tried to nest. Of the half that did nest less than 5 were able to hatch their eggs without predation. So that makes me ask two questions. Why did only half of them attempt to nest and what can we do to make the ones that do nest successful?

I have been seeing hens with poults that are about the size of large rooster. Usually they are in groups of 3-4 hens and a half dozen poults. A group of 3-4 hens should have at least 2 dozen poults.

 

[johnp]

I have been getting steady trail cam pics of a flock of 5 hens . Not a poult among them.
I am right across the Mississippi from Gellar.
A few areas of Wisconsin are doing just fine , especially in or near towns. My areas seem to be in a steep nose dive.

 

[TheTone]

Seems to be a very light recruitment year for all game birds around me. I’m seeing lots of hens with few or no poults. I’m saw some quail chicks last week that were still in the non flying puffball stage

 

[Chad Gus]

Seen 18 - 20 poults this morning with 3 hens, by my place. I know there's at least 3 other groups like this around, that I've seen here recently. I've seen 3 different tom groups as well, probably 25 between the 3 flocks. We're still doing good here, but our numbers are probably half what they were at its peak here about 15 years ago

 

[jjhill]

It’s time for to start scouting turkeys! My favorite time of year and I enjoy scouting as much as hunting the birds!

Last year was my toughest year of turkey hunting in a long time and the first time in 8 or 9 years I did not get my 2 bird limit here in Iowa.

There seems to be lots of birds on public and private ground where I hunt at. They are still in their winter groups and I anticipate they will be in their winter groups still when the first season opens on April 11. It is a 4 day season. I always hunt season 1 and season 4 which is April 27- May 15.

Looking back on my notes last year the turkeys started gobbling around March 1, and that looks to be about the time they have started for the last 5 or 6 years. As far back as I could find my notes anyways.

When I scout for turkeys I like to stop on the road where I hunt and listen from 5 or 6 different spots for a few minutes each. I note the date, time, temp, wind direction and speed, and any other conditions like clouds, rain or snow.
This year it will be important for me to know what the turkeys do after they come down off the roost because I won’t be able to hunt until I drop my daughter off at the school bus, which is around 7:30. But, I live within a mile of where I hunt on public and I am surrounded by private land I can hunt. Sometimes I will just hunt from my house although I prefer to save those birds for if my kids want to come along.

I don’t set up blinds. I run N gun for turkeys. Usually I will call for 20-30 minutes and depending on the reaction and move. It has not me in the rearend when birds come in silent, but for the most part I am successful.

Let’s talk turkey! Share your turkey stories, highlights, techniques or ask any questions you have!

View attachment 214082

I am wanting to hunt se Montana for turkeys on public property.. any suggestions on a good starting point would be appreciated..

 

[jjhill]

It’s time for to start scouting turkeys! My favorite time of year and I enjoy scouting as much as hunting the birds!

Last year was my toughest year of turkey hunting in a long time and the first time in 8 or 9 years I did not get my 2 bird limit here in Iowa.

There seems to be lots of birds on public and private ground where I hunt at. They are still in their winter groups and I anticipate they will be in their winter groups still when the first season opens on April 11. It is a 4 day season. I always hunt season 1 and season 4 which is April 27- May 15.

Looking back on my notes last year the turkeys started gobbling around March 1, and that looks to be about the time they have started for the last 5 or 6 years. As far back as I could find my notes anyways.

When I scout for turkeys I like to stop on the road where I hunt and listen from 5 or 6 different spots for a few minutes each. I note the date, time, temp, wind direction and speed, and any other conditions like clouds, rain or snow.
This year it will be important for me to know what the turkeys do after they come down off the roost because I won’t be able to hunt until I drop my daughter off at the school bus, which is around 7:30. But, I live within a mile of where I hunt on public and I am surrounded by private land I can hunt. Sometimes I will just hunt from my house although I prefer to save those birds for if my kids want to come along.

I don’t set up blinds. I run N gun for turkeys. Usually I will call for 20-30 minutes and depending on the reaction and move. It has not me in the rearend when birds come in silent, but for the most part I am successful.

Let’s talk turkey! Share your turkey stories, highlights, techniques or ask any questions you have!

View attachment 214082

Got any good starting points in south east Montana?