Ontario opening fall season a bust!!

[TurkeyJohn]

Well Fellas,

Was opening morning here in Ontario yesterday now that our Thanksgiving is over. Went to my usual spot to chase old Tom again for the fall season and didn't even get to see a turkey, much less play any kind of game with them. Didn't see any sign at any of the usual roosts that I know of, so not sure where they've all gone. I do know we've had a bumper crop of coyotes here in Ontario this year, so maybe they've been doing well at the turkey's expense. I did find out after that the neighbouring farm had taken their soy beans off and that the day before, the farmer whose property I was on, saw a flock of 60 over there. I do hope it's just a case of short term food chasing and not coyotes decimating the flocks, but we'll see.

As such, I do have another farm that I'm planning on visiting maybe tomorrow that doesn't have any cash crops right close and consistently has turks, so maybe I'll have better luck there .

I'll keep everyone posted on how I make out, good or bad and hope everyone else is having a great fall hunt.

Bad day in the woods beats a great day in the office,

[Duke0002]

Hope you get on them, TJ.

[turkey junky]

sounds like after turkey season you will have to go chase fur instead of feathers!!! i know that old B/S saying that coyotes have 2 eat also!!! but what eats coyotes???
my rifle has to eat also thats how i feel!!! near my deer/grouse grounds around aitkin county MN we have wolf & coyotes hunting game as well as people hay farmers & logers have seen both hunting deer/turkey in the area they say they chase game into open areas then spread out & send a few wolfs/coyotes around to the other end of the field from the maine pack & run the game back towards the pack like doing a deer/turkey drive/push so wear legal shoot to keep the predator population in control
good luck hope u get on birds & get to play the game!!!

[TurkeyJohn]

Thanks for the support guys. Not a quitter, so still in the game, I'll keep everyone posted. Raining here today so not out, but maybe tomorrow!!

[dewey]

Good luck on the upcoming hunts TurkeyJohn. How long is your season and how many tukerys can you harvest? Hens or toms?

Dewey

[TurkeyJohn]

It's only our 4th fall season here in Ontario, ony allowed 1 bird, but can be Tom or Hen. First season skunked, 2nd season harvested a real small Jake, more like a chicken in Turkey feathers, but last year harvested a nice young Tom, maybe 2 years old with a 7 inch beard. Had promised myself if i did get a Tom in the fall I'd do a full body mount. We moved this year so he's still in the freezer waiting for me to get my nerve up to do.

Good luck on your season too, but have to admit, I enjoy the spring season more.

All the best,

TurkeyJohn

[Turkeybuster]

GOOD LUCK TJ. you will find them eventually it can take a lot of shoe leather sometimes in the fall. Look for the feed and you will usually find the birds.

Jon

[TurkeyJohn]

New update, or rather, lack of one.

Morning started cool and drizzly under a full moon, but the old sun came up and burned the clouds away and turned into quite a nice morning. Got soaked scouting though and full of burrs, hate those things.

Didn't see a bird or hear one this morning. Glassed neighbouring soy bean fields, nada, corn field in behind not off yet, so can't see anything there. Lots of shooting all around, but assuming it was goose hunters as there was honking all around. Not sure guys, think I may have to try another spot. Seems a shame though, this farm has birds every spring, but again, this isn't spring. Wonder if the birds are travelling making the most of all the fields around full of beans, corn, and grain. I'll let you know how I make out at the new spot next week. Running out of time though, our season here is only 2 weeks in the fall, may be eating tag soup.

Hope some of you are having better luck,

TJ

[Turkeybuster]

Birds do travel a lot in the fall and with all of the agriculture in your area they could show up anywere. This is the reason fall turkey hunting is not as popular as the spring season you really have to work at it. In Pa. fall hunting has dropped off considerably making matters all the worse as there arent many hunters in the woods to break the flocks and to keep them on the move. In the area I hunt it is steep hardwood ridges and little farm land. The birds feed on mast, insects, grubbs and wild grapes. And if you have a year with a good mast crop the birds stay on the move. I have hunted days and weeks at a time trying to locate birds to no avail always a day late but then on a given day it is all over in less than a heartbeat. That makes it all worthwhile.
We have a good mast crop this year so it looks like I will stay on a first name basis with the L.L. Bean boot shop. Persistance will pay off in the end GOOD lUCK TJ.

Jon

[TurkeyJohn]

Another day another bust in the Ontario turkey woods. Tried a new spot this morning and same result, no sign, not a sound and not a look see at any turkeys. Have one more spot to try and the landowner hunts deer so has game cams set up and says there's turkeys there so we'll see how it goes on Thursday. Frustrated, but it's hunting, not farming after all. Lots of geese flying over, but glad to say haven't heard or seen a coyote either. Good luck all,

TJ