Spring 2011 - Updates on hunting conditions throughout the state

[tex3012]

Tuesday morning.. took my dad out for a early morning hunt.. we went to a local place where we can set up decoys in a field that was he doesnt have to walk all over the place.. sun started rising and a tom accross the field gobbled.. wasnt long before he shut up to come off roost.. long story short he did not come in to range.. but all they turkey purring i was doing did attract a coyote.. me being more mobile, i heard something comming in and already was turned around facnig behind me.. my dad has a bad back and neck so he couldnt turn on the coyot.. being setup in a huge green thick bushy area this coyote came 8 paces from behind us.. there eye sight is so amazing, as soon as we locked eyes he burned a hole right through me and was gone before i could even tell my dad what is was.. amazing creatures.. if only i wasnt tagged out yet i wouldnt been throwing some 5 shot at that boy for sure !!!!

[roughrider123]

Glad to see someone is still posting here Tex, things must be real tough out there right now. Another week and we'll turn out the lights on the pa forum. I was out last Thursday and blanked on birds as I heard nothing from an area holding 7 birds the tuesday before. I believe they have moved out.
I hunted friday in my old reliable spot. I crowed at daybreak and got nothing back. Owls chimed in and they also had no luck raising a bird. At 10 minutes before sunrise I headed back toward the truck and as I got back on the other side of the swamp a gobble from the side i was at. I headed around the swamp the other way and he is starting to warm up. I get within 150 yds and he is going off every 30 seconds, get to 70 and he is cranked. I set up just below him so he never saw me and made one call and he shut up. I parked there for an hour purring and clucking softly, unfortunately for me someone else showed up and showered him will loud yelps every 15 minutes. He never gobbled again. Day over.

roughrider out

[tex3012]

@Roughrider.. that sounds like a rough bird.. so if i understand correctly you never made a call untill you got setup and the entire time you were closing the distance he was gobbling on his own ??

if this is the case i dont even know what to think as far as calling that bird in.. seems as if hes been educated.. one thing i would try is to setup exactly where you heard him way before hes in that area.. setup either a blind or some camo berlap or just inprove a blind to conceal your movement and hunt him like a deer.. try to leave the calls at home and hunt him like a deer.. id even be afraid of using decoys being that he might know this trick already.. yea it doesnt sound fun not making him gobble call call gobble gobble but hey, a dead tom is a dead tom..

i shot my biggest bird ever doing exactly this.. he was a big ol boy that knew all the tricks except this one !!!!
 
 
 
 
 
one more thing.. iv heard some hens in the woods that sounded worse then a beginner caller.. never take for granted that every hen sound in the woods is another hunter. even if it is, mimic exactly what the other "hen , hunter" is doing. same loudness and a little more aggressive. if its a hunter he would most likley do the same thing back at you over and over.. if it was a hen, she will repeat you then add some more.. also she will try to cut you off.. also you want to cut her off and or cutt off the other hunter.. if the tom hears your two fighting, and hes henless, he'll come to the more aggressive dominate "hen".. so basically as your acting like a real hen, your telling that other "hen,Hunter" that this is your tom and your territory.. use that to your advantage...

[hckyplayer8]

Glad you guys are hearing them. Outside of seeing that one and a few petty roost gobbles, nada.

Spent last Sat hunting the spot where I saw that Tom, saw 2 hens but no tom was with.

Monday I had to go in for Jury Duty selection and thanks to having college finals, they didn't select me so I was able to head upstate and hunt with my buddies in Potter.

and thats where the woes begin.

Between the two spots we hunted Tuesday and today, I covered approx 12 miles.

Nothing. Not one gobble. Just one hen.

Meet a guy whose been hunting the area for all ten days. He hadn't heard a single gobble. The trees don't even have any buds on them up there. I wonder if the seasons even began? Just odd considering the past 3 days up there have been heaven on earth. Not one cloud. Hardly any wind. Lows near 40 and highs near 75.

Just don't understand.

[BluMtnGobbler]

Saturday my brother-in-law and I had 2 coming in to about 60 yards then they turned and went around us and they were gone. Only heard 1 hen. By 9:00 woods went silent

[Turkeybuster]

I didnt hear a bird Mon. Tue. I was very close to a roosted bird and I didnt call until he hit the ground he responded but walked away. Thismorning my buddie tried to work him and he did the same thing to him seems like the only game in town at this point so we are going to try him again tomorrow. We didnt hear any other birds this week and the weather has been very nice.

Jon

[Turkeybuster]

Didnt hear any gobblers today but called in hens maybe tomorrow.

Jon

[hckyplayer8]

Didn't get out Thur or today.

If I don't have to umpire, I'll make due of the new full day regulations tomorrow.

[Turkeybuster]

I head the old bird and a jake today they gobbled a few times on the roost hit the ground and shut up.
They still have hens with them there's something wrong with this picture this late in the season.
Gobbling is almost nonexistent at this point hopefully it will improve next week until then grit your teeth.

Jon

[roughrider123]

Just an educated guess by myself, with all the rain in april I think lots of nests were abandoned and hens have started re-nesting. With the good weather this week, It might turn out somewhat better next week for gobbling. Read your game laws guys, extended hours start monday, not saturday.

roughrider out