Doing my test run before SUNDAY. You could hear a pin drop the woods were so quiet until 5:15. Well they were everywhere but mostly literally over my head. Had one particular loud bird I could see roosted 40 yrds away . Then had a blonde coyote come through right past me 2 of the Tom's flew down and displayed then a dark grey feral cat chased them off after stalking them. That got all the rest to fly down hill into the new cut area. Those 2,Tom's did come in for pics first.
So today I got the Gypsy blind set, opened Windows and swept the floor. I'll be out there in the morning to check that side of the hill. I can't hear gobbles there from the house, but have heard hens up on the neighbours land. I haven't seen a single bird in the farmers grain fields out there. This surprises me. I also haven't seen the scratching there that I have from this morning's ridge. Good to check out both areas before season. You never know what pressure each area will have causing the Tom's and hens to move. Like deer hunting ,EVERYONE Turkey hunts here. Man I forgot how early 4 a.m. is when slow walk out through the woods in the dark to beat being seen . I can't believe as noisy as I was getting to the blind I wasn't busted by the hens in the trees directly next to the blind. Then having to flip the windows up and out securing them open. Sprayed all the hunting gear for ticks with Sawyers. Set on that for the season.
Good luck OND, I am struggling, 2 trips out and haven't even seen a Tom. Birds are still henned up not gobbling a lot. Shoot the coyote.
Wish I could have and that cat,but illegal here. Thanks to you as well. I just sat and listened and will just sit and listen tomorrow morning as well.
One gobbling down the hill. Probably close enough to call out of swamp if I hunted my far line area. Then one above me on the next hill over. The chicken farm had a tractor brought up and spray truck. So I know they worked in their grain field yesterday. Just had a big single deer get out of it's bedding 60 yrds away.snorting as it faced the gully then did a slow high step out the the beef farmers field . Big Ole butt on it BTW...34° and my feet are freezing....lol Though nice to be in a blind with leather office chair that I can put my feet up and stretch out... sounds like a gobbler may be headed up the hill yep sounds closer.,
Some morning pics as I wait out this bird to see what he is,jake sounding. There are no birds in farm field. The major green you see in my woods are leeks. Timing to see how long it takes him to get here ,that is if he does ,much closer now.
Second I posted that I see a,single hen running from the gully area up through farm field like her tail was on fire. Same area the deer was just snorting at before it left. Now the Tom's quiet....hhhmmm I can't see a reason
Well I know where I'll be in the morning. My comfy blind will have to wait for another day. Next post will be of a bird....let's hope it's not the end of May......another beautiful sun rise. Git to go work to do and feet to warm....
All set ready to go. I hate mice! They got to 2 fans. But pieced some together and my wing s were in a crate. He doesn't look like much close up but in the breeze he looks pretty good from a distance
A nice 6-7 mile walk in the woods…finally found a well scratched up area but didn’t hear a single turkey this morning…
I went out to set my turkey seat up early and get an area set to put out the 2 hens and Jake decoy. I'm taking a chance going in closer to where they flew down the other morning. The trails are pretty clean so I'm hoping it works. So many guys are sighting in their guns all around me today. Man tore up with blk. Flies out there I have the thermacell ready to go . With two pads and tanks. The entire wood lot is just tore up.
Thanks! I can tag one more just not today. It almost worked the way I expected. That said I was nearly under the hens and the two gobblers were right over the blind I took pics of them from the other day. That was 40 yards behind me. They gobbled their heads off and then pitched down hill behind me . The hens landed right in front of me and went directly to the hunters camp. I sat tight hoping others would follow and come back up past me. One lone hen did. That gave me hope. Then a Tom showed but he went behind a dead fall 25 yards away . Then I heard the drum . I slowly looked over my shoulder and this guy was in full display coming at me. 18 yards when he came out from behind a tree and he was dead before I could kick the shell out. 9 " beard and 7/8 " spurs. He is 22# Someone else just got one as well so two off the hill.
Lol It means this dang thing can not recognize the word Thermacell. That is unless I type it then go to the word bar and click what I typed. ..fixed it. Didn't need it though it was cold enough out that I had on 3 layers , baklava and cap on and my 1200 gram boots with rubbers over that. I was still shivering before the birds flew down at 5:30 .
Congrats OND on a nice bird. You sure had it all figured out after all your scouting. Enjoy the meal.
Thanks, I have to admit it is a perfect roost area and I have taken birds there every year for 20 years. The neighbours logging down below did change their fly down pattern though. They normally fly straight down the middle of us to where all the creeks start. Then come back up now they fly down off the north/ east side and come back up. The ridge is crescent shaped. I was happy to see more hens this morning. I was getting nervous.Our daughter came up.to shoot pistols with Dad yesterday. she showed me a pic coming up our hill.. late morning 7 Fox kits running up our road towards the house...some brown, some just getting colour all the size of house cats. Two adults were in our woods. Not good for the turkey.
