ready to Go,Opening day is HERE!

[eggshell]

Yipppeeee! Opening morning of Ohio Fall turkey season. Of course I'm on here because I woke up an hour too early to go to the woods, wonder why. After 42 years of doing this I still act like a little kid, go figure.

I hadn't done any scouting and nothing was on my calendar yesterday morning, so I went to the woods. I went to a piece of public ground that gets hammered in the spring, but ignored in the fall to see what was there. I try to stay away from my private honey hole early in the season and pick me up a bird off ground I won't venture to in spring. I found turkeys all right, just no gobblers. I spooked one bunch shortly after entering the woods and watched them sneak off, a group of hens and poults. After I topped a ridge in a big open bowl I spotted dark movement across the bowl and sat down. I was pretty exposed, but they hadn't spotted me. I sat and watched for a while as one old hen and 7 poults fed around. Then temptation got to me and I decided to call to them. I got a quick reply and they started my way. So I laid down. They slowly worked my way and I never called anymore. At 75 yards they all decided to fly up on a down, but leaning tree. It was like a game of king of the hill, as there looked to be four jakes and they took turns knocking the other birds off. One tried to bump momma, but a loud harsh cluck and he turned away. They were oblivious to me, I wish I had a video camera. For some stupid reason I decided to see how close I could get and I started a stalk. I got to about 45 yards and momma busted me. The next thing that entered my mind was, Bust em up dude. So a good commando charge and birds went in 3 directions. It wasn't long and momma opened the calling. Since she was above me and over the bench lip I snuck up the hill to about 75 yards from her. a couple poults flew in to her but most came walking by, but I wouldn't have had a shot. So I started calling and it went back and forth for an hour, but finally momma came looking for that one stupid youngun. In no circumstance would I shoot a hen who had successfully reared 7 poults, but one of her little boys following might pay a big price. I plan on passing hens and poults for a gobbler this morning, if I can fight off temptation, so there was little harm done. Last fall there was a group of gobblers in that same spot, so I hope to find them this morning. When I looked at my watch I was surprised I had spend 3 hours playing with those birds. I didn't care one bit as it was 3 hours of pure enjoyment. That's what is great about turkey hunting, most of the fun is before you squeeze the trigger.

[kygobbler]

Good luck to you this morning. Sounds like you had a good time with them birds. I know how you feel about being excited. I woke up early to do some squirrel hunting but mostly to do some scouting. I cant wait till the season starts in 2 more long weeks.

[Gopherlongbeards]

Good luck out there eggshell! You're right. The trigger pull, although important, is always kinda anticlimactic for me

[eggshell]

I just got in from hunting (noon) and do not have a kill to report. I never saw a mature gobbler. Right off the bat this morning I had two birds fly down less than 100 yards from me and they sounded heavy, so i'm thinking they were gobblers. After 45 minutes of gobbler clucking from me and no response or nothing spotted I figured they had flown to the corn field 50 yards from the roost, so I snuck over there to take a look and nothing. I made a circle and had one bird cluck back once, but never showed up. I had a hen answer once with what I call brood talk, so i moved past her. At 10:00 AM I moved to another farm. when I stopped the truck in the pasture and got out I heard leaves crunching and turned to see two turkeys walking away about 20 yards from the truck. I looked like hens. So I took the gun and circled ahead of where they were headed. Working back through the woods I struck an answer and 8-10 jakes show up. All were this years birds but were very nice size for early fall, I hod no trouble telling they were males. I passed on them even though they looked mighty tasty. For now I sticking to the mature gobbler hunt (a long beard or Jake 1/2), but it may not be too long one those plump jakes will look mighty fine. I may not get out again until Monday, but will post if i do

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Good luck Dana, those gobblers got to be around some place, you'll find them.

[ylpnfol]

best of luck locating those gobblers, i must say, you have more willpower than me.....

[eggshell]

Thanks for the good luck wishes fellas. Today was a so so day. The wind blew hard yesterday evening and was still breezy this morning. I was a little late getting in the woods and in my rush bumped a bird off the roost. I continued on to my predetermined site and got there just a little after fly down time. I slowly worked through the area and sat and called with no responses. I made a circle and come back above where i spooked the bird and ran head on into a flock. I had called from that spot earlier with no response. They all flew the same direction so I figured that was a waste, when i heard the melancholy yelping of a lost bird. I returned the call sequence and my new friend answered right back. I sat up in hope of a jake and a half (it was far to high pitched for an old gobbler), but low and behold a single hen showed up. I just put the bead on her head and yelled "BANG" for the fun of it. She putted and flew towards the other birds that had started calling by then. I got up and headed to the truck. I went to a farm close by and as I was driving in I looked over to see two long beards in the edge of the pasture and woods. I drove right by them and they just looked at me and continued feeding (they see cars all the time there). I went back the lane and got ready to slip back to the pasture when I hear the tractor start. The neighbor cuts hay on my cousin and it's his pasture the birds are in, he has the hay stored in the field beyond my truck. Here he comes right across the field at me, gets a bale of hay and takes it back and drops it to feed the cattle right beside the gobblers. Yep they disappeared fast. I went back two hours later and sat and called for an hour but no one showed up. My cousins and a friend that drives by that field daily told me those gobblers are there 2-3 times a week. So I'll be back there for sure, maybe even this evening. I tried two other spots with no replies or did not even see much sign. I walked what seems like 419 miles though. A nice plump young jake is looking better all the time, LOL.

[eggshell]

yesterday was a work day so i only took a short hunt. I ended up spooking the birds I was trying to get on without a bust so I quit and went in and took a knap before work.

Today I walked my behind off and found nothing until I came back by the neighbors pasture at my cousin's farm and sure enough there were those three long beards right out in the middle of the pasture. So I tried to call them across the fence with anything from clucks to the biggest turkey fight i could dream of reproducing. It is rather insulting to see three long beards rolling on the ground in disabling laughter. At best all I got was a what the h#ll look. Then on que the neighbor comes putting across the field on his ATV. He saw me pull in so I'm wondering if he is intentionally spooking the birds, so i won't kill them. I'm gonna have to stop and talk to him and see if he cares. He has let me hunt in the past. Still I will not cross the line without permission, I haven't asked because I figured sooner or later I'll get them on my side of the fence. Either way I may leave them for spring and just shoot a young bird somewhere if I get a chance, I'm getting tired of letting birds walk away.

[mark hay]

DISABLNG LAUGHTER,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,that's just downright funny .
I have complete confidence in your ability to fool and slay the beast , Dana.