Who isn't traveling for Turkey season this year?

I took a drive down to Deckers last Wednesday to wet a line. It was as busy with fishermen as the busiest holiday weekend I've ever seen, pullouts that maybe have 1-2 cars on a typical Saturday had 4-5 cars, just crazy...
I have seen a ton more people outdoors in my neck of the woods also. People are getting bored.
 
I have seen a ton more people outdoors in my neck of the woods also. People are getting bored.

It really suck when your trying to sneak around towards birds and have 40 atv's flying along every ridge with a trail
 
unfortunately we've had to cancel our Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, and Kentucky hunts because of the chaos. Hope Indiana is good to me!!
 
Hunting within an hour of the house each day with full kit. Like most folks the only interaction is getting gas. I do miss dropping off goodies to private land owners though. I think I owe them all dinner when this is all over with.
 
Dead gobbler in the Ramparts (in the spirit of the thread - as the crow flies - it expired less than 15 miles from my front door, although it’s a 30m drive and a few hours of hiking) for my daughters boyfriend today. Shockingly easy to maintain distance tromping 12.9 miles RT in rotten icy snow and deadfall. Was his first bird, and the first time he’s heard/seen two of them gobble over eachother every time I blew the call once we found them (there were two together, the other one bolted at the shot). The look on his face was something I will never forget

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Really a cool moment. Warden also stopped by when we were back at the trucks Celebrating with a beer and said it was the first bird she has checked this season and the first she knows of in the area. Public land gobblers in Douglas county are like unicorns :)
 
I have been very grateful for the local turkeys around Sacramento, CA my home city. I have hunted 5 days so far this season and have been able to keep appropriate social distance during this crazy covid time. I have even managed to find a few new spots and have had my best year to date turkey hunting. These outings have been keeping me sane and are a great medicine for cabin fever. I have 7 spots within 40 miles of home, and the amount of birds has been outstanding on both public and private lands. I think the hatch in 2019 must have been pretty good to produce so many jakes this season. Anyway, I'm kind of regretting being at my spring limit already, oh well guess I'll start fishing.
 
I normally travel to Kansas every year for a private land turkey hunt on family and friends farms. Not this year with the pandemic they are requiring people from a few states to quarantine for 14 days before hunting. My state is not included but decided it's just better to stay home this year then risk any spread of the virus.
I'm planning to hunt private land in north central Kansas the first week of May. I purchased my nonresident Turkey tags just before the state suspended sales. Unfortunately my regular partner did not.
I'm looking for a dedicated Turkey hunter with tags to join me.... No cost for the hunt. I hunt 3,000 acres in Unit 2 that belongs to family friends. Share cost of motel and SUV rental.
Zero cases of Covid-19 in the county I hunt. Can't imagine anything safer than hunting in the wide open country air.
Anyway if anyone is interested please message me ASAP and I can fill in the details. Thanks
 

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I'm planning to hunt private land in north central Kansas the first week of May. I purchased my nonresident Turkey tags just before the state suspended sales. Unfortunately my regular partner did not.
I'm looking for a dedicated Turkey hunter with tags to join me.... No cost for the hunt. I hunt 3,000 acres in Unit 2 that belongs to family friends. Share cost of motel and SUV rental.
Zero cases of Covid-19 in the county I hunt. Can't imagine anything safer than hunting in the wide open country air.
Anyway if anyone is interested please message me ASAP and I can fill in the details. Thanks


I hope you come and have a great time @Manybeards. A quick look at the Ksoutdoors.com guidance still shares the link :

(https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http://www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus&data=02|01|[email protected]|ca58c82c6595438e31a308d7d65e891d|dcae8101c92d480cbc43c6761ccccc5a|0|0|637213573829276045&sdata=+87PBZomRmfqr0Pnff2hBc/pNcdmVRwMAfX+XZo02Ng=&reserved=0 )

List of states: https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/...-Related-Quarantine-Table-PDF---4-6-20?bidId=

which lists a quarantine requirement for certain Covid-19 active states. Sharing a rental car and a hotel almost certainly will break the physical distancing requirements that are placed statewide, but may be no longer in place after the May 3rd stay at home order is lifted (and not extended)
 
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I plan on traveling to SD in a couple weeks for a solo hunt. Its interesting how in watching YouTube shows, listenting to podcasts, etc- folks are taking such different stances on traveling. Many are still doing it like Pinhoti, Catman, Shane Simpson, THP, etc. Others like Meateater have made it very clear they are not traveling out of state at all and have said 'dont ruin this for the rest of us'.

Obviously there are some state restrictions that dont allow NR hunters at this time or have 14 day quarantine measures. Certainly if one were to proceed you would have to make some modifications to your trip around social distancing, lodging(most campgrounds still closed) etc.

Some folks are noting a large increase in hunting pressure due to covid and many people having more time but I certainly havent seen that. I hunted a week in WI and saw one truck in 7 days.
 
I'm planning to hunt private land in north central Kansas the first week of May. I purchased my nonresident Turkey tags just before the state suspended sales. Unfortunately my regular partner did not.
I'm looking for a dedicated Turkey hunter with tags to join me.... No cost for the hunt. I hunt 3,000 acres in Unit 2 that belongs to family friends. Share cost of motel and SUV rental.
Zero cases of Covid-19 in the county I hunt. Can't imagine anything safer than hunting in the wide open country air.
Anyway if anyone is interested please message me ASAP and I can fill in the details. Thanks

Where in unit 2 do you hun near? Just curious as I hunt Hill City
 
Kansas suspended the sales of non resident tags. If you all already have a tag they are asking you to quarantine before hunting.
A lot of grey area in the 14 day quarantine. If you are hunting by yourself, you essentially are quarantining yourself. Such a unenforceable rule anyhow. I cant imagine many are traveling to the state of choice, KS for example, quarantining themselves in thier car or something for two weeks and then going hunting for a week.
 
Some folks are noting a large increase in hunting pressure due to covid and many people having more time but I certainly havent seen that. I hunted a week in WI and saw one truck in 7 days.
Where I'm at in WI, it's just the opposite. I've heard more gun shots this year then the previous 20 years combined. Every morning but one, there's been multiple gun shots.
 
I had to cancel an early trip to SC. I’ve been hunting in northeastern NC but not quite as hard as usual. I made one swing up to VA and will probably hit that again the last week. I’m holding one tag in PA and hoping I can make it....probably not buying the second tag there. Maryland was a hope but probably won’t happen.🙁
 
Had a trip planned back to Missouri to chase turkeys and fish with my dad & brother, as well as meet my new niece. Maybe try looking for morels, too.

Unfortunately, work was going to make me quarantine for two weeks after I got back, and I just don't have that kind of vacation to burn. So here I sit...

And the Merriam's that I've been chasing around here really don't like to talk. Need to go find other birds.
 
Where I'm at in WI, it's just the opposite. I've heard more gun shots this year then the previous 20 years combined. Every morning but one, there's been multiple gun shots.
Just depends on where you are I guess- higher pop density around Clark County. I'm in NW WI and hunting pressure isnt any different then any other year in the public areas I've hunted
 
In a general sense, how is Public turkey hunting in NM? Similar to CO?
I'm debating on a trip.

I've been passing through your town most afternoons the last two weeks (I'm not far away). Deckers looks like a mid-summer Sunday afternoon every night. My daughter stopped @ Bud's burgers for takeout recently and said they're still just as solid as always.

We were planning to hunt Ft Robinson but didn't buy tags before NE closed that down. Also had loosely planned to head to NM. That's out now as well. May get down to one of my spots by Westcliffe, but even that seems like it's suspect.

See you in the foothills, Luke :)
 

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