Tougher than woodpecker lips!

[JPH]

So far my 2008 season has been tougher than woodpecker lips! Bad weather, bad timing and bad luck! Anyone else having that?
 
Youth season was snowed out. My buddy missed four shots on Iowa's opener. I took my little girl out Saturday and it was so miserable she got an ear infection. I took my son out Sunday and it wasn't much better. We had a tom working and two jakes slipped in and busted us! I hunted Missouri yesterday. It was a beautiful morning but nothing gobbled. I had to come home early to care for my daughter (she is back to school today, thank God).
 
Don't get me wrong, I have been blessed with a nice gobbler of my own, but it has been uphill all they way. I'll be back at 'em tomorrow morning. Who knows? Maybe it will be one of those awesome mornings!
 
Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulders. [:D]

[tracebusta32]

Been about the same here JPH, an uphill battle for sure...I even took the last 2 days off which is something I never do ( I do feel guilty though and really should be out there) The birds seem to have started mating right when the season opened and haven't had to look for hens much since. In a few days though they should start gobbling more hopefully.

[Dank]

I can second that, especially the bad weather. it seems like all week long the weather is perferct only for a front to move in on friday and rain on saturday morning.

As far as bad timing, last wednesday afternoon i watched a bird strut three hundred or so yards in about two hours(from about 5 to 7:15) only for him to  make it to about 60 yards feed in front of me for about five minutes and then fly up and roost about 50 yds behind me...talk about bad timing.it would have been o.k. if i could have hunted the next morning!lol

[Fan Club]

Thanks for letting me cry on your shoulders

.
 
Hey, after all of those easy, unpressured birds you had last year, I'm sitting here grinning. As for your buddy that missed FOUR times, he might consider taking up tiddley-winks or the hula hoop. Sheesh.
 
I'm sure as the weather warms up, the turkeys will too.
 
Jeff

[Gobblerman]

I am sorry to hear that some of you are having problems with the birds this year, but I'm glad to hear that it is happening to someone else, too.  I have had similar problems both here in New Mexico with our Merriams, and in Texas for Rios.  I'm not sure what the problem is, but the birds have just been tough this spring for some reason.  Even though I have managed to take one of each so far, the number of gobblers that have expressed an interest in my calling is down considerably.  It is beginning to affect my confidence, which, as we all know, is never a good thing. 
 
I'm headed back up to the NM mountains to try for my second Merriams, and am hoping for a change in attitude from both the birds and myself.  ...And to top it all off, I just found out this morning that the National Forest where I do most of my hunting is going to be closed due to extreme fire danger on May 1st, cutting 10 days off of the spring hunt for us!  I wondering what else can go wrong?!
 
It's a good thing we have this forum so that we can all whine to each other about it.  Let's hope things improve for everybody....and if each of you could say a little prayer for rain in the NM mountains, that might help me out!
 
Jim

[Dank]

It's interesting to hear about other hunters all over the country and the fact that it seems to be tough hunting everywhere this spring. i've managed to take two birds, but from what i've heard from other hunters around my area not many have managed to get their first, with many not even hearing much. And Gobblerman, good luck with the rain.

[JPH]

Hey guys! Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone.

The thing is, I figured out what was wrong. I had used-up all the luck in my old hat! I put on a new hat this morning and everything changed.

I had a bird roosted before bed last night and the morning was glorious! He started gobbling an hour before sunrise and kept it up. I worked him for an hour after fly-down. He hooked all the way around me before coming in. The last 15 minutes were spectacular. He strut and gobbled from 100 yards to 50 yards. Then he got suspicious just like the old longbeard that he was. I dropped him at 40 yards. 24 lbs., 11.5" beard and 1.5" spurs!

I'm telling you, get a new hat. [:D]

[Gobblerman]

Heck, Joe, for a bird like that, I'll get a whole new huntin' outfit!  Congratulations on a terrific gobbler! ....hmmm, now where did I put that new cap?
Jim

[turk2di]

We all have years like that from time to time. Perhaps the rest of the season will make up for it!

[Dank]

ORIGINAL: JPH

The thing is, I figured out what was wrong. I had used-up all the luck in my old hat! I put on a new hat this morning and everything changed.

 
I'm glad to see i'm not the only superstitious hunter on the forum. I'll forget my shotgun before i forget my hat (literally, i've gotten a couple hundred yards from the truck to realize i left my gun or shells). Congratulations, sounds like it was a great hunt I sure hope my saturday turns out something like that.