PA GOBBLERS

[JeffCoHunter]

Attached are photos of 2 gobblers I killed this week in PA.  They were both taken from the same area, one on Wednesday the 29th and one yesterday the 2nd.  The first had a 10 1/2" beard, 1 1/8" spurs and weighed 20 lbs.  The second had a 10" beard, 1 1/4" spurs and I am not sure of the weight because I dropped him off at the taxidermist on the way home from the hunt! 
 
I am really happen with how my season turned out this year and I feel like all the time I put in scouting really paid off.  After a disappointing opening day, I still felt confident because I felt I had a real strong preseason and hand worked real hard preparing.  Turns out the confidence was justified and the strong preseason paid off!!
 
Looking forward to going along with my dad and other hunting buddies on some hunts and maybe doing some camera work the rest of the season!!
 
 

[trkynut54]

Nice birds, congrats 

[mark hay]

good job mister JEFFCOHUNTER

[JeffCoHunter]

Thanks guys!

[Turkeybuster]

Congrats. JeffCoHunter It sure has been bad in our area the birds shot up the beginning of the week and stayed that way hope for a better week this week.

[MAKEemQUIVER]

Way to go, it makes you feel good when your hard work pays off. Sure sounds like yours did. Welcome to the site.

[rsmithpa]

Congrats on your great week! I got one in PA this week and I am looking to fill the second tag.

[mossbergboy]

those are two good 3 year old birds congratulations

[Cut N Run]

Scouting pays big dividends.  I'd rather have some idea of what's going on before it is legal to hunt, so when the time comes around I don't waste valuable hunting time trying to figure out what the birds are doing. Sometimes youy have no choice, but odds of success go way up if you know something in advance.
 
Congrats.
 
Jim

[JeffCoHunter]

Jim,
 
I agree totally with what you said about the scouting.  I am not trying to sound like I am the best turkey hunter out there just because I had a good season this spring but here are some general observations that I have found to be true.
 
1) Just as you mentioned, many guys either do not scout, or scout simply by riding around and listening for birds to gobble on the roost.  Then they have to spend a significant amount of their mornings patterning birds once the season arrives.  The real key is to pattern their habits before hand because in areas of high turkey populations and plenty of hens, you have to know where the birds want to go on their own because it is hard to pull gobblers away from hens and out of their normal patterns. 
 
2)  While you need to be an adequate caller, calling isn't everything and just because you can call good does not make you a good turkey hunter.  I feel knowing the best place to set up in a given area is much more important than being able to call good.  It goes back to point one, if you are where they want to go, you do not need to be a calling expert to bring them to gun point.  If you are not where they want to go, you are not calling them away from where they want to go, especially if they are with hens.  I will be the first to say that I am adequate but not that great of a caller but truthfully, I am not losing any sleep over it.
 
Just thought I would pass along some of the key philosphies that guide my hunting approach, the main one being: rely heavily on scouting. 
 
JeffCoHunter