Team #9..."Dead Gobblers Don't Lie"

[Fan Club]

So far my experience parallels yours Murray.

Arrived Monday night in a downpour. It rained all night and finally quit at 9:00 am Tuesday. We hunted until 1:00 pm quiting time. It was 46 degrees with 25 mph winds out of the north. I saw one hen. Today (Wednesday), again 46 degrees overcast and north winds gusting to 25 mph. I saw two jakes. Three turkeys in two days on a 450 acre farm that I know like the back of my hand. No gobblers.

Missouri DNR says 4 poor hatches in a row beginning in 2007. The locals add that there are a record number of bobcats around. Swell. The weather is supposed to improve to 70 and clear by Friday but the winds are supposed to stay in the 20 + mph range. All I know from what I've seen so far, we have more turkeys than this in Michigan.

Looks like I'm really going to need the turkey gods to smile on me to have any success. We'll be back out there at dawn.

[SpitnDrum]

Sounds like you need the luck Jeff.Is it me or does it seem the northern parts of the country are staying much colder much longer this year?

[NMblackgold]

ORIGINAL: NMblackgold

Will check back in after that.

Hi again team, I am in between gigs so have a moment to check in, i was able to take two birds in TX, now back home finally for a day in my own bed. On to the next gig tomorrow in NM, will be out of range for a good long time. I will get back with you all then.

My best

[Fan Club]

ORIGINAL: SpitnDrum
Is it me or does it seem the northern parts of the country are staying much colder much longer this year?

You're correct Shane. Here in northern Missouri the trees are all still bare. Zero foilage, it looks like it could be February. Saw four hens and four jakes yesterday but no gobblers. At least saw some birds in spite of the 30 mph winds.

Today the sun is finally out, temps in the 60s but no birds. To say I'm bummed out is an understatement. I,ve been in Missouri 4 days and have yet to see a strutter. I walked the length of the 450 acres today at noon and didn't see a single turkey. Just unbelievable. Tommorrow it's supposed to rain. Swell.

[DonMcJr]

It's Been Colder up here in Michigan... But we are used to that last year it was 82 degrees on April 1st!

On a better note...My season Starts May 2nd not May 3rd so I get to start hunting Monday Afternoon after work!!!!! Gonna be using my crossbow for the 1st time (For Hunting, I've Practiced of course!) as I just got it a few months ago.

Good Luck Everyone and I hope the Hunting gets better, The last 3 weeks my Trail Camera's haven't seen very many Turkeys so I may be having a tough way to go too!

[Fan Club]

Well boys, it pains me to post this but I got shut out in Missouri for the first time since 1994, the first year I went there and we hunted public ground. It's especially painful since this is the first contest and I wasn't able to help the team. In the end, the lack of turkeys and brutal hunting conditions were just too much to offset.

Last year I estimated that there were only 33% of the turkeys on the 450 acre lease that we had only 5 years ago. With four poor hatches in a row ('07, '08, '09 and '10) and the area overrun with bobcats, I now estimate less than 20% of the once booming turkey population remains. Add to that sustained winds of 25+ mph for the entire 6 days I was there, temperatures in the 40s and zero clear mornings. Compound that by zero foilage...the turkeys that remain stayed in the ditches and low areas and could see you from a thousand yards away.

We went six days without seeing a single strutter. NONE. Only 1 tag was filled out of 8 and that was pretty much a bushwhack right after flydown. I saw less than 2 dozen birds in a week, when each of us used to see 4 dozen a day. We deducted that spring is so late in NE Missouri that the breeding hasn't even started yet. With no strutters to go after, no gobbles to follow and no turkeys in the fields it was like hunting ghosts, I now know what it must have been like 30 to 40 years ago before the national conservation efforts paid off.

I think I can safely say that we now have more birds in SW Michigan than remain in NE Missouri which literally used to be the mecca for wild turkeys in this country. It's a real shame as I can't justify the expense of going back there and appears to be the end of an era. Do me a favor and please don't ever take the turkeys in your area for granted...it can all change in a short span of time and it's a sad situation to witness. For those that imagine the NWTF's mission has long been fulfilled, think again. If you're not already an NWTF member, please join to do your part in helping preserve this hunting heritage.

My Michigan season starts tomorrow so I still have faith that I'll tag a bird here. Cheers.

[DonMcJr]

Howdy team! Our team 9 section is pretty dead...how about if er all start a thread there and talk about how our season is going or how it turned out? I have a thread going with pics and videos...have to take a short break cause my wife had shoulder surgery yesterday but she's feeling better and I might get to get back at it tomorrow and I have til the end of the month to hunt...

[NMblackgold]

Don, all that pre-hunt anticipation and enthusiasm wears off pretty quickly after the first two or three days of butt kickings....

[DonMcJr]

Yeah I hear you...I'm still trying...have til May 31st... All Hens coming into my field and no Toms...[:@]

[Fan Club]

I'm still at it boys but no gobbler yet. Just finished the third weekend of hosting turkey camp and the boys from Indiana each went home with a Jake and it was my priority to get them eacha bird. Had a lot of fun!
 
As for me, nothing but tough old birds left round here. The easy ones went home in the back of somebody's truck. The ones left run the other way or hold their ground when you call. Had one today stand on top of a hill 55 yards away for over half an hour. Pulled the two jakes and two hens to the edge of the field, mere yards away twice and he still would not budge.
 
We'll stay after 'em until the 31 st!