|
|
|
Explorer
 
Group: Moderators
Last Login: 9/8/2010 8:09:28 AM
Posts: 49,
Visits: 95
|
|
Where are all the pics and stories? Start posting! I'll be posting the sad tale of my opening weekend within the next couple days.
_________________________________________________________________________________
"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Gandhi
I'm in a fowl mood from Thanksgiving through January.
"On the conservation front, without productive, sustainable agricultural practices, sound land stewardship strategies and science-based habitat management, the quality of life for all of us would rapidly deteriorate. We must find ways together now to maintain and improve the land, maintain and increase access for hunters and ensure the wild turkey is never again in danger of disappearing." - George Thornton, CEO, NWTF
|
|
|
|
|
Oldtimer
Group: Administrators
Last Login: 1/25/2012 1:19:12 PM
Posts: 330,
Visits: 1,080
|
|
Weekend #1 for me was probably the best weekend I have ever had an didn't come away with a bird.
Saturday opened up for me on a friends lease. I'd never hunted this place before but gave me a direction to head towards and I was on my own. I started off on the edge of clear cut and clucked pretty early after sunrise hoping to get an answer. Sure enough some hens chimed in on the opposite side of the fields. After a few minutes I realized they were farther in the woods so I took off to the other side only to make it half way before I saw a hen fly down about 100 yards from me. I was lucky enough that I was next to a lone tree and was able to sit down right there. The bad thing was I didn't have any cover at all. For the next hour I had a few hens around and could hear a gobbler in the woods. I was able to get a glass call out and clucked and yelped once the birds that were in the field moved away. I was able to call all the hens and two gobblers out of the woods and straight too me. Unfortunately the bigger of the two toms never came in real close. He did get about 30 yards from me but I couldn't shoot as I had 8 sets of eyes looking in my direction. I had to wait till they passed to get a shot off. Too bad, because as they were moving past I tried to hit the bit bird and flat out missed. Looking back I should have let them go moved about fifty yards and went back to calling.
Sunday was slow to start and only took a couple mouth calls and a aluminum call and composite striker to the woods due to the rain. Didn't hear or see anything until about 9:00. Heard a yelp and I matched her. Shortly after I found myself covered in hens. Was able to call a few jakes up as well, but let them walk to get bigger and hunt in the future. I think I ended up seeing about 18-20 birds on Sunday. I'm sure some of them I saw more than once, but it was a huge flock of birds. I saw one nice gobbler in the mix but couldn't pull him in close.
It was a great way to open the season, and can't wait to get back to it again.
|
|
|
|
|
Explorer
Group: Moderators
Last Login: 9/8/2010 8:09:28 AM
Posts: 49,
Visits: 95
|
|
Geez, what kind of turkey hunter shoots and misses?  More on that later....
_________________________________________________________________________________
"Be the change you want to see in the world" - Gandhi
I'm in a fowl mood from Thanksgiving through January.
"On the conservation front, without productive, sustainable agricultural practices, sound land stewardship strategies and science-based habitat management, the quality of life for all of us would rapidly deteriorate. We must find ways together now to maintain and improve the land, maintain and increase access for hunters and ensure the wild turkey is never again in danger of disappearing." - George Thornton, CEO, NWTF
|
|
|
|