Spring 2011 - Updates on hunting conditions throughout the state

[Turkeybuster]

Good assumption roughrider never thought about that. I followed the spring season since it started in Flordia and all of the southern states had the same problem early on and it seemed the latter parts of the season produced the most birds and better hunting hopefully that will be the case in Pa.

Jon

[hckyplayer8]

Didn't get out today cause of umpiring.

Crossing the fingers for gobbling to pick up.

Even if I don't shoot one, hearing and interacting with the birds is 3/4 of the fun.

[Turkeybuster]

I heard some hens on the roost early but no gobbling we had light rain all morning.

Jon

[hckyplayer8]

Went back to the place I hunted opening day.

A single gobble. Thats it.

Lots more sign there this go around.

Friggen horses and PGC trucks moving up and down the trail.

No wonder the birds are call shy there.

[roughrider123]

a Buddy of mine took a nice bird saturday. He hammered 2 hens until they came to him bringing along the gobbler with them. limited gobbling.

roughrider out

[BluMtnGobbler]

Went out last evening got one gobble but went away, called up 2 hens but that was all. Very limited gobbling.

[tex3012]

Was fishing the Lehigh two evenings ago and a group of toms were hammering right befor roost.. goes to show how turkeys can be so differnt one day to the next

[hckyplayer8]

Got home at noon, scarfed down a PB and Marshmallow sandwich and got out in the woods by 1.

Nothing talking or moving. Squalls of rain came and went and I worked my way out to a big field with thick hemlocks on two sides and the wide oaks that the birds had been roosting in on the other side. Sat on the field for several hours then worked my way back to the roosting area.

Nothing. Finally called it quits at 6 when the rain was here to stay.

[Trask Outdoors]

Report from NW Pa in WMU 1B.

Opening day had gobblers going crazy on the roost gobbling at least 30 times before they hit the ground. Continued to gobble once they hit the ground but it was obvious that only the bigger birds were talking then. They would answer every call but continued to move closer and then away and they closer and then away. I knew there were hens there and they would not leave them. Heard some gobbling from across the road and figured that it was the three jakes that I had seen over there the night before. Sure enough, they closed 500 yards across a field, gobbling all the way and walked right by at 6 feet out to the decoys. After lingering for a bit they headed towards the rest of the flock and out of sight. At 8, things went silent. I knew they were still there but they were done talking. At 8:30, I cutt and cackled up a storm and fired them up again. They were double gobbling and going crazy and I figured there to be at least 9 different birds sounding off. Finally one of the birds seemed to be closing the distance but circling behind. I got turned around just in time as he closed the distance fast. He come sneaking through and I dropped him at 15 yards. 20 lbs/9 inch beard/7/8 spurs.

Since then, it's been tough hunting.

Didn't get out again until the next Saturday and headed to a spot where I had watched a jake, longbeard and hen disappear into the woods just before dark. Got set up, waited and waited and waited and never heard a peep. Not a gobble, not any tree yelps, not a cluck, not a wing beat, NOTHING. I made some soft calls off and on and finally at 8 I heard a gobble up the valley. Kept calling but got no response. After about 10 minutes I heard another gobble a little closer. Finally I caught movement in the trees and a small jake popped out and started clucking. He hung around for a bit before wandering off and that was it. Not another gobble or turkey sighting all day.

Hunted last Friday until noon and only heard about 5 gobbles. They gobbled a few times on the roost and then shut up when they hit the ground and never heard from them again. Had another jake sneak in behind me clucking again and then wandered off.

Saw two gobblers and 3 hens heading into the woods to a known roost spot on Friday night so Saturday morning I arrived plenty early and snuck into position. As the light crept into the woods I heard the soft tree yelps not 100 yards from me. I answered back with a few soft yelps and expected a gobble at any minute. Nothing. The hens started getting more and more vocal and again I expected a gobble and again nothing. Finally they pitched out of the trees and hit the ground out in front of me just down over a ravine. Pretty soon a hen came walking through about 50 yards out and headed up over the hill. I soon caught movement to my right and saw a jake step out and follow the hen up the hill. All of a sudden some hens in the ravine let out a bunch of cackles and loud yelps and that jake took of at a trot right towards them. Those were the last turkeys that I saw for the day. The only gobbles I heard were around 11 when they apparently shock gobbled to someone shooting clay pigeons down the road a ways. Once again, no response to my calls.

So far, two afternoon hunts and only a couple of gobbles that I was able to elicit by owl hooting. Again, no responses to my calls.

Strange year so far but hoping that things start to turn around here for the final stretch.

[roughrider123]

Great report Trask, I got out yesterday around noon for a couple hours, saw a hen and heard nothing. The heavy sign of feeding before the opener is also gone. Time to hit another area..

roughrider out