2022 spring turkey

[Gellar]

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!

 

[pointingdogsrule]

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

Why isn't that yote dead???

 

[Gellar]

Why isn't that yote dead???

There was a tom about 75 yards in back of me that I thought was going to keep coming in. Just one of the many things that went wrong last year!

 

[np307]

I love turkey hunting more than any other kind of hunting. If hunting were outlawed I would go by a camera to shoot these things with. Its just too much fun. This year is going to be an interesting one with my current work schedule. No time in the mornings to get out before work and on my days off I've got the baby. Probably going to be a lot more mid-morning and afternoon hunts than I've done previously. Looking forward to adding those experiences to the morning hunts I've enjoyed.

 

[F250]

We head for Kentucky on April 17. Then the month of May in New York and Vermont. Just finished "building" an old 12 ga. Remington 870 Magnum I bought back in Jr. high saving money from my dairy farm job. I wrapped it in camo, got the receiver drilled for a scope, attached sling swivels, screwed in an Indian Creek choke (replacement barrel). The next day of decent weather will be patterning Winchester Longbeard #5s and Apex TSS #8.

 

[stevejfarms]

Gonna try a red dot this year, put it on yesterday. Found some longbeard xr’s in 5. I’m gonna take back the $11/shot tss that I panic bought when I couldn’t find the xr’s. Drove over to my trailer at Ky lake yesterday to clear some brush and fish today and tomorrow. They were out in force yesterday, probably saw 150 or so on the hour and a half drive. I love this time of year. Turkeys are probably my favorite hunt. Even when we’re busy planting I can hunt first thing and often have a bird down before seven. I’m not above going after a target of opportunity later in the day, given oppurtunity. I’ll park the planter for an hour if I have to . Such a rush when they put on a show at 20 yds.

 

[Stocker]

I used to guide and sell hunts here on the farm when we had a ton of birds. I had a repeat customer from California that was a good hunter. I’d been chasing a tom I nicknamed Turkasaurus for a couple years, he had at least 5 beards and stood out wherever he was. Something always went wrong when we were on him until one day. I was calling and California guy was with me, here comes Turkasaurus in….. running…. Comes in and proceeded to thrash the decoys at 15 yards and then got spooked and ran away without California guy shooting. I give the WTF face and he tells me the experience was worth it. I give out a horrible sounding mouth gobble and here he comes back and he kills him. I forgot the weight but it was 31 or 32. Most toms here are 25-28. I’ve got a ton of Turkey stories and hunted the hell outta them. Still one of my favorite times of the year.

 

[Gellar]

Gonna try a red dot this year, put it on yesterday. Found some longbeard xr’s in 5. I’m gonna take back the $11/shot tss that I panic bought when I couldn’t find the xr’s. Drove over to my trailer at Ky lake yesterday to clear some brush and fish today and tomorrow. They were out in force yesterday, probably saw 150 or so on the hour and a half drive. I love this time of year. Turkeys are probably my favorite hunt. Even when we’re busy planting I can hunt first thing and often have a bird down before seven. I’m not above going after a target of opportunity later in the day, given oppurtunity. I’ll park the planter for an hour if I have to . Such a rush when they put on a show at 20 yds.

I need to inventory my turkey ammo. I usually end up with 1 or 2 left from a 5 pack and feel like I need to buy a new box the next year. But it’s highway robbery for some of the turkey ammo they have anymore.

 

[Gellar]

Gonna try a red dot this year, put it on yesterday. Found some longbeard xr’s in 5. I’m gonna take back the $11/shot tss that I panic bought when I couldn’t find the xr’s. Drove over to my trailer at Ky lake yesterday to clear some brush and fish today and tomorrow. They were out in force yesterday, probably saw 150 or so on the hour and a half drive. I love this time of year. Turkeys are probably my favorite hunt. Even when we’re busy planting I can hunt first thing and often have a bird down before seven. I’m not above going after a target of opportunity later in the day, given oppurtunity. I’ll park the planter for an hour if I have to . Such a rush when they put on a show at 20 yds.

Kentucky lake, turkey, crappie. It can’t get much better than that!

 

[Stocker]

Sounds like you and I hunt similar. I’m not a blind guy unless I take my kids. Lots of times I’ll abandon everything but a hen decoy and make a mad dash to cut some turkeys off if they won’t cooperate. Coyotes have decimated our turkeys and turkeys are very leery of that. I think I’ve killed as many coyotes Turkey hunting the past 5 years as turkeys. Got a double last spring on a creek bottom, not 2 minutes after I killed them another one chased a group of jakes in the timber 300 yards from me.


Now that turkeys are harder to hunt it’s more rewarding though. We used to take it for granted because it was a slam dunk every time. Now my son is old enough so I’m more concerned about taking him than anything. We made a ~2 mile mad dash stalk on this bird last year.

 

[Gojo03]

Gearing up for this season.. What do you think about this 30yd pattern? Beretta A400 12ga, Carlson's Long Beard XR .660 choke, Winchester Long Beard XR 3" 1-3/4oz 5-shot

 

[cwitherow]

Been practicing on the friction call. Gave up on the diaphragm. Looking forward to using another $5 shell! Having a dedicated turkey gun is nice, especially with the addition of a little red dot.

 

[Chad Gus]

My favorite time in Wisconsin, hunting the spring turkey woods. Last year was fairly good, filled 3 of 5 tags, i missed one and screwed up on another one with my first tag. My Montana tag i only had the last 2 days of the season and i was focused on getting my buddy his first merriam's and i wasn't interested in shooting a jake, so that tag went unfilled as well. The wife got her biggest turkey, 25 lbs and double beard, long spurs. My son kept his streak of jakes going. He had 2 big toms at 6 yards and didn't shoot because there was a little bit of grass in the way. They spooked, and a couple minutes later i called in 4 jakes and he shot one of those at 30 yards.
Was hoping to go back to Montana, but after how i felt after my first time out looking for sheds and i don't think I'm gonna be able to do it. I was close to tears and almost crawled the last quarter mile back to the truck that day. Then the wife chewed my ass when i got back home and she seen me limping and hunched up trying to walk to the house.

 

[JimQ]

This will be my first year getting to hunt Merriam turkeys here in Montana as long as my MRI today doesn't show any serious damage to my knee. I look forward to busting a Montana Ridge Rooster!!!

 

[wihunter12]

Can't wait to hear the first gobble! Plan to hunt in WI for sure, but considering a trip to either WY or SD Black Hills this year. Hunted NE and the Prairie in SD before but the Black Hills has been on the list for a while. Need to do some more research to figure out if I will do Wyoming or South Dakota.

 

[kansasdad]

Get that permethrin on now folks. Sucking ticks suck!

 

[Mica Man]

Looking forward to mid April and hunting with my family and friends. Always an awesome time of the year to be in the woods. I plan on giving the old 870 a workout again as usual.

 

[Wild Bill]

Gearing up for this season.. What do you think about this 30yd pattern? Beretta A400 12ga, Carlson's Long Beard XR .660 choke, Winchester Long Beard XR 3" 1-3/4oz 5-shot

dead turkey 6 ways from sunday

 

[smw110136]

What's the best way to upload an iPhone video on this forum? I've got a turkey video from last spring that I think all the turkey hunters would enjoy.

 

[bowhuntmontana]

We have had a few warm days here and it has me thinking turkeys as well. I was out for a hike earlier this week and wet up a ridge I hadn't been on before and that gets almost no traffic. Got up on a bench and stumbled into a lot of turkey sign. Looks like a small winter group has been living on that ridge. Starting to identify other similar spots to go check on my hikes. Don't know if any of those birds will be close to those spots by the time the season comes, but it is still fun to scout. Not a high density of birds where I am, but small pockets here and there. But, if you can pattern them, you tend to do pretty well. For example, I have now killed 4 birds within 100 yards of where this bird died.