Breeding over?

[DonMcJr]

Ok So Michigan has this almost a month long season May 6-30th. I've hunted it 2 years now. All last year Hens. This year so far no birds.

Both years, early April I called a Tom to my backyard. Just once each year and a bunch of turkeys in the area so I'm not educating them.

I'm thinking the Season is too late and all the Toms are tired and Hens are on nests already.

Thoughts and tips to help me get a bird this year? I'm on my own land and have about 4 acres food plot and 4 acres woods with a small creek in the woods.

[ticklishtompro]

Unless MI is way ahead of us over here in WI, which I wouldn't think it would be, but I could be wrong, it is just starting to get really good over here. More hens are finally sitting on nests. The toms are always ready to go the more hens on nests the better! Do you see birds out strutting anywhere around you? That would be a good indicator if they are completely done, and no gobbling anywhere? If not then you have to hunt there feeding areas.

[turkey junky]

i agree im in MINNESOTA unless MI is way ahead of us over here in MN & WI i hunted both states that things are just starting to heat up due to the high number of hens either on nest or in the process of make n a nest & that leaves the toms that already had a taste looking even harder for that last hen looking to nest/breed...

i favor hunting in the late season when its like this hens nesting toms looking to play still... i has worked for me out west & here at home i call in way more single toms looking late season... plus no loud mouth hens to compete with what more can you ask for...

id say cover some ground & find the birds that want to play the game even if that means hit n some public ground with birds as its late season & most wkend warriors have long moved on to fish n & BBQing over here in MN/WI & that leaves prime hunting grounds open to us harcore late season turkey hunters

[DonMcJr]

Finally saw a group with a strutter yesterday morning across the road from my property. Tried to call them over but the road is pretty busy.

Private land only license. I'm limited to my 6 acres and my neighbours 5 acres of woods.

I'm hunting my food plot with clover and Buckwheat. Dad is in woods by a small clearing.

Not even hens walking and eating in the food plot like last year.

The kicker... Had 3 hens last year had 5, 9 and 11 chicks and they all survived and Hung around well into winter.

Now... You'd think more turkeys to be seen this year but nothing.

[FyRe610]

Season in OK was abnormal too from my experience and pretty much all the other hunters i spoke to. The warm winter and rain really greened up the country at a usually early rate. This seemed to scattered the birds to the wind and the usual tactics of sitting on the old deer plots and waiting for feeding birds was mostly a waste of time. I think only 1 of the 8 or so birds taken by me and the guys i hunt with were taken by walking and calling and finally picking up a hot bird. With only 11 acres to play with that is gonna be rough for you, i was covering probably 200 or so acres in a zigzag pattern and would only hear maybe a couple of birds a day that were within the area im allowed to hunt.

Id just stick with it, i was in the woods for 6 days, all day before i finally got my first bird, then about 4 days later i managed to get my second at the same exact spot, it must of been a popular turkey spot i guess!

[turkey junky]

OK season was roughly 2-3 wks ahead of time thus leaving the birds already spread out & hens looking for a quit spot to nest... the 1st 3-4 days of the season was great birds gobbleing every wear but after a horde of hunters hit the woods the 5-7 days we quit as all hell & had everybody complaining but there was tons of birds in the area i think they just were on to the hole hunting/being shot at thing... i was able to call up & kill a gobbler my 2nd day on a late evening hunt, i also was able to locate call in damn near harvest 2-4 longbeards on that hunt but they just were lucky & them rios have the walking gene & it is not very common in my experience to call up & pull in a OK rio on a rope/string they are tuff weary birds that get hunted extremely hard out in west OK public land... so the norm out there is strike a gobbler get a idea of what way they are traveling & try to cut them off then maybe try again to call them in the direction they are going already... hard to do!!!

so you can not go by a MI tag that allows you to hunt public land DON MC JR???
if not then id say your guess is as good as mine on what to do if there are no turkeys on your land & you cant hunt else wear what can i say your in trouble!!!
id have to go try & stretch my legs at a bigger peace of property & i would keep that in mind for next season as its never my best bet to put all my eggs in 1 basket & only hunt 1 field/area/spot... more land more chance of find a bird that wants to work... it really dosent matter what kind of food plot you have for turkeys there is no for sure things in the turkey woods & if u are in a some what urban area them turkeys could be live n of bird feeders like they do around my home... lol get out if you can & hit some prime public land that you know holds birds & chase em around you never know you mite get lucky??? id go crazy if i only had 11 acres to hunt...

good luck & hope it works out 4 u & ur dad

[DonMcJr]

I'm trying something different and... I have 5 Turkeys in the field! A little shelled corn and gamebird feed does wonders!

Got ya! LOL!

5 decoy turkeys and no bait LOL.

Figured I'd put out 3 hen and 2 Jakes and maybe that will work if I think I am overcalling I won't be with that many decoys...ha ha
Really I now have a Hen that can be seen from the field I saw them yesterday and 3 hens and 2 Jakes in my secret setup in front of me.

Hope it works cause I have the video camera rolling too!