I was out the other day and my woods had been tore up! I'm thinking the neighbors logging so many mature roost trees has pushed more flocks on to us. Man I'm hoping they are cleaning up some of the bug issues we have including ticks.
a friend who is a logger was marking trees with 2 others and they had 22 ticks on the three of them in 3 hours of marking trees.
I sure don't miss ticks. Where I grew up they were a regular occurrence, farm ground around 1700', but my property where I spend the majority of my time Spring through Fall is too high of an elevation for them apparently. It is 4200' and thankfully I just don't encounter ticks there. Same for rattlesnakes fortunately. I can remember having to treat the dogs when growing up, and we'd still have to remove a few ticks from them every week during the Spring and early Summer. I do see what looks like ticks on the deer that I take up there, but they are never attached and are pretty mobile. I think they are actually Keds. I really enjoy turkey hunting, they are so vocal and responsive to calls. Really looking forward to going out for them soon.
I came home with three ticks shedding hunting two weeks ago and there was still snow on the ground in spots. I hate them with a passion!
One never sees me out even on our long walks that my pants aren't tucked into my socks and I spray down. Then when coming in for the day or a few hours I fold pants down over socks pull my feet out and put that roll of clothes in the washer. Waking up twice with a tick stuck to me was two times two many.
It was so windy last night with torrential rains. It's going to rain all day. Man that brought out all the birds in the farm field including three lone Tom's. The once left from last year's group I think.I'm sure the working was easy today. What was that? ..geez One's not once and the worming not working. So much rain must have brought the worms to the surface
At least your out for your opener!! Still have 9 more days till I can get out. Keep soft talking as you walk back, he could be stalking you, never know when hes ready to play. Good luck , have a safe and successful hunt.
Have to wait until May 1 here. Glad weather is turning cold again actually hoping for rain/ light snow from now till then . It will delay their full breeding cycle. Birds here are so quiet by May 1 if the weather's been nice in April.
Our opener is this Friday. With the cold weather and snow we've been getting this week, plus this weekend being Easter, I probably won't get out until the next weekend. I have added Lucky Stops and some different components to my Hamskea rest, so I need to ensure BH's are still hitting with field points. My field points POI didn't change, so hoping BH's are still good too. Then I need to check where the Bull heads hit. They are 125 heads and I'm sighted in for 100 grain field points, so hopefully they are just a bit low. Friday after work I'll have a chance to check. Oh and sorry OND, but I'm hoping for that nice weather to hit right away since our season is here. Plus, I'm just plain ready for Spring t-shirt weather.
God bless ya, may the weather be great for all you guys hunting right now. Warm but not too warm and one or two evening showers so your walks In are silent. Few bugs! Here in NYS....let the cold weather come back. For a little will longer....we just had a down pour . , in the 70's and low tonight low 60's. But colder weather is in the forecast.
Today is the first day of youth spring turkey. Not too cold, windy, no shots heard yet. Then again really no turkey seen to speak of this year. Last year we had 3 big flocks. I didn't think winter was that bad...hmmmm also not one gobble to be heard either.
I tell ya what, I'm covered in them. I went to let the dogs out a little before 6 am this morning and I had 2 toms gobbling in my front yard along with 4 deer in my bean field. I waited for them to leave before I let the dogs out. They weren't liking that! It seems that my yard is a strutting zone this year. I've posted pics of them before but yesterday I checked a cam on my driveway for the first time in 2 months and found more. Also, the first regular turkey season started here on Wednesday. The weather has been bad and a couple guys I've talked to aren't having any luck. Here's a couple pics, these are just the toms. I have 8-10 hens hanging around also. Check out the spurs on that guy
Ha ha, yeah the older birds can get some really long ones. Personally, I shot a tom on my property a few years back that had 1 1/2" spurs. A buddy of mine showed me the spurs on one of his mounts that were 1 7/8" long. I have no idea how long they can get but those were the longest I've ever seen.
Saw my first flock of Tom's and Jake's. Chasing each other around the woods. At least 3 roped birds. Then later had a group of 3 hens come into where these birds were getting ready to roost. Season opens Sunday. . Wish I'd seen more hens, but know there are different groups in different sections of the hill.
I just saw on the hunting public a researcher say spurs don't actually tell age. I found that interesting . It was in their latest release.
That's funny, because around here most 2 year old birds have 3/4" to 1" spurs and the older birds have even longer spurs. Also, I've noticed that most of the birds with longer spurs are heavier in weight. Usually heavier birds are older as well. These indicators may not always be 100% but they are used as a rough guide around here.
That's what I always thought. I was surprised when Erin(?) was told it makes no difference. I could see where a really old Tom could have worn down spurs.
Oh had a great morning watching 4 mature and 1 Jake in full display with 6 hens. They were eating and scratching in an area they used a few years ago. I have an old brush blind in the area I haven't used in years. I have shot several from that spot in the past. It is near where I put in the border fence 3 years ago because of the old neighbours son( inherited the camp). He sits right on the line and put a stand there. I've been too busy to finish it so they all eventually went down the fence and crossed over. I have a roll of 6 ft chain link out there with poles to finish fencing up his back line that borders us. It drives me nuts when I'm sitting 40 yards off my line facing our land to look over in daylight to see he's sitting a few yards off the line facing me and our land NOT his. I thought he'd get the message when the fencing started going up but dang if he wasn't sitting there again last year. Any who these birds are great finding the Beatles hatches and will eventually move across the street when the grasshopper hatch happens soon. We have a crazy grasshopper hatch every year the ground looks to move ahead of you as you walk. Turkey love hoppers. They also eat the anemone flowers that are just starting to flower. Also right now there is a black slug everywhere in the leaf litter and around the leeks. Dang things stick to my hands and fingers when I'm digging leeks they look just like leeches...gross!
