Almost there

[Gopherlongbeards]

Well a little over a week to go till fall season opens up in WI, excitement and anticipation are beginning to reach critical levels. Will be out scouting a couple properties this Saturday. Time to get the gear back out and retreat everything with permethrin for the fall. Long range forecast looks like upper 70's low 80's for opening weekend. quite a bit warmer then I'd like! With the drought it appears the trees are a good month ahead of schedule. A lot of color on the birches and maples already, with a considerable number of leaves in my yard. I wonder if the acorn crop will drop earlier as well? should be interesting to see. A lot of crops coming out already too.

[charlie elk]

I wonder if the acorn crop will drop earlier as well?

Yes indeed the oaks are masting in much of the woodlands. So far the turkeys are ignoring them favoring an abundant supply of hoppers and crickets. Some birds are loafing around in the bean fields, mostly bugging, I think.
Woodland underbrush is very thin due to the drought this year, should be much easier to see the birds on approach, but we must remember that is a 2 way street.
Deer are out all over the place at times it seems there are more of them than turkeys.
There is a large number of small, grouse sized poults, some even smaller; hope they grow fast.
Many migratory birds have left already and it looks like some of the northern flocks are arriving; what do they know we don't?
Looks to be great opening weekend.

But this weekend we have to butcher pigs, they too are ready early this year. (We purchase all of our other meat on hoof, direct from the farmer.)

[WillowRidgeCalls]

The acorns are dropping all around this year already, every thing is early this year so far. This year has been strange for poults, I'm seeing all sizes, from birds that are almost full grown to birds that are just about hen pheasant size. This has been a great year for young birds, so the next couple years should have good population growth, unless we get bad winters to follow?

[Gopherlongbeards]

Well scouting went well this morning. Got to three of the properties I plan on hunting this fall. All three are holding at least 1 flock. Was able to nail down current roost areas on two of them, so I know where I'll be next weekend. Took some time to look the roosts over and locate good setup locations to minimize bumbling around in the dark and flushing birds. One flock appears to be Longbeards or jake and a halfs, the other two are brood hens with poults. One of these two is particularly large (15 birds! I counted!), it must be two hens with their poults, but the poults are as large or larger than the brood hens. Not the case with the other group. The hen is small, and her poults are grouse sized.

[charlie elk]

Sounds great! Are considering buying more tags before Saturday?

Mind if I throw another idea into the hopper?

nail down current roost areas on two of them, so I know where I'll be next weekend. Took some time to look the roosts over and locate good setup locations to minimize bumbling around in the dark and flushing birds.

You might want to consider, if you can get there Friday evening; busting the flock after they roost when it gets dark. Then return to the roost tree Saturday morning and call them back.

[Gopherlongbeards]

Think I'm going to give it a shot without busting them off the roost first. The longbeards / jake and a halfs are feeding in a bean field just up the hill from there roost area (saw them out there a couple hours after flydown), so I'll set up close to the roost between them and the bean field. I'd rather not give them a reason to switch roosts if I can help it. While scouting today I did a bit of cold calling. Had a hen respond so I grabbed a seat quick and had a nice little chat with her. She ended up bring her poults over for a look see. Was a really cool experience. first time I've ever heard live kee kee's and kee kee runs in the woods.

I have two tags already, so probably won't pick up another until I fill one.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

While scouting today I did a bit of cold calling. Had a hen respond so I grabbed a seat quick and had a nice little chat with her. She ended up bring her poults over for a look see. Was a really cool experience. first time I've ever heard live kee kee's and kee kee runs in the woods.

Be carefull calling out of seasons, I know it hard to resist, but all your doing is educating the birds you want to hunt. If they come in and don't find what is doing the calling then they start to ignore that calling. Birds can tell the differance between birds by the sound of their voices, that's how they tell the differance between one bird or another. If you must call then keep calling as your leaving, so the birds think that the bird they heard moved on when they couldn't find it when they came looking for it, they can hear you leaving, trust me. Every call makes it's own certain sound and birds can tell the differance between them, we might not be able too, but the birds can. That is why if you have to reset up on a bird your better off switching calls, because there was something about that call that the bird didn't like and committ too. A bird know every bird in that area by it's voice, and when a hunter comes in to hunt, you become a new bird in that area and they come to check you out.
Never use the same call you plan on using for hunting if you must call before your planning on hunting that area.

[charlie elk]

Think I'm going to give it a shot without busting them off the roost first.

Sounds like a plan, I just throw out ideas, there are many ways to hunt turkeys which of course is what makes it fun.

While scouting today I did a bit of cold calling. Had a hen respond so I grabbed a seat quick and had a nice little chat with her. She ended up bring her poults over for a look see. Was a really cool experience. first time I've ever heard live kee kee's and kee kee runs in the woods.

Love it when that happens, it is blast; nice to hear about first timers impressions of all the many things they discover in the fall but be warned if you do too much fall hunting (not sure how much that is) you'll run the risk of getting more hooked on the fall hunt than the spring.

Whether to call out of season or not is a hotly contested issue among turkey hunters. I fall in with call anytime camp and the more the better. I had no human calling mentor only the turkeys, so when in doubt call away, I call to turkeys all times of the year and they respond teaching me a lot about their language.
I respectfully disagree with those who think there is such a thing as a call shy turkey.

[ylpnfol]

dadgummit, i'm jealous as hell i have to wait til the end of october, unless you consider bow hunting [oct. 6 ], of which i have 2 chances of killing one [ slim and none ] wishing all you guys the best of luck.....

[allaboutshooting]

We have to wait until near the end of October for our 1 week fall season. I look forward to it every year. It's really become a favorite of mine. Doris and I go together and that makes it even more fun.

Thanks,
Clark