Warm weather and they are getting fired up...out by the gypsy blind I was in the garden working. I have two 8x8x10 timber that had some slight rot starting. I told hubby not to toss, I'd use them. Well I had a pop up I used between my grape vines I decided to make a permanent structure. I dug holes amd set the poles in the same spot. Right behind one of the mulberry and beteen grapes. I also took and pulled nails from the untreated wood son gave me from his home remodel. 2 were 8ft 4x4 made from nailed 2x2's. Those will get cut to 6ft and placed at the corners on concrete blocks of door end. He also gave me two doors I have enough wood to finish the frame and I have metal roofing. I just need to decide on siding. SOoooooo, I'll have a new rain proof blind for turkey season. One I can sneak through the cover of the garden to get to.
Taking the dogs out for runs has given me great scouting. The turkey have been all over the place ,both sides of the road scratching up the woods. May 1 here when does your season open?
Jealous! Scout alerted me to a big ole single Tom strolling up my trails past the house this morning.
The are starting to gobble and strut here, my daughter who lives in an ag area said she's been seeing/hearing them for about a week. She sent me a pic about 4 days ago of a whole flock in her yard with a couple Tom's strutting.
Have yet to hear a gobble, have a flock of 30 plus hens and jakes coming thru, had a group of 7 Toms come thru in January. Saw a strutter last week, couldnt get picture. Last nite spotted hens running in, they love the black sunflower seeds, then spotted the fan of a strutter following the flock, 3 Toms joined the flock. View attachment 174554 View attachment 174554
Today I followed turkey tracks when running the boys. They traversed the entire width of property past 4 blinds. Also deer tore up plots, WW
Not great pics, some were only 50 ft from me as I opened the door, but 29 in flock slowly making their way past the house headed to our place across the street...ww is calling and grubs . This from the amount of crow on the plots. I opened door and called. At least 10 of them all fanned out to gobble.
I was wrong two separate flock . They split and one is across street and the other headed to the woods behind the house. Then watched bus going down the hill and had to break for anther flock 500ft or so down the road crossing to lower plot. Couldn't see how many. They are strutting infront of my red chicken coop blind.
Just watched at least 12 turkey fly to roost against a crimson sun set right out the computer room window. Great watching them trying to balence and hopping limb to limb for a good nights rest. Winds picking up and those tails are just a flipping. I'll have to keep the boys on leash in the morning for their potty break. Man what a sight.
Finally heard flock wake up last week, love hearing that 1st Gobble! Flock here has broken up and got back together at least twice, missing some, guess they headed to spring breeding grounds. Good luck OND, I dont hunt these birds, will be heading to Jersey April 22nd.
Well 6:45 the first Tom dropped right in plot behind the house. Strutting immediately. Then I watched all the others drop down and come up to him. I have 3 brush blinds set up there and in a line going out through the woods. They went past all and are struttng infront of the last one right now. Pretty far down but I can see his bright white/blue head clearly against a huge fan. Surprised they are still insite with the amount of noise hubby's making headed out to work. Out on trail plot but none of them have anything growing right now. Our woods do have some sort of beetle that attract the turkey every spring in this area. Tiny shiny blk. ones. That and I think maple seeds trying to sprout. Man he is a big tom. Just watched him breed a hen. Wow it's really cold out there. He just breeding another. Here comes another big tom fanned out Oh ya here's vthe fight. That didn’t last long a blonde coyote is running them. SOB NOPE...nieghbor released his dog! He ran right straight home when I yelled. Bad enough he feeds everything, he heard the turkey up here and let his dog loose. A-hole! BTW It's never loose, you've heard me talk about how he has it tied out during deer season, when he's not hunting . To bark none stop at his other nieghbors dog that'qs also tied out , barking. First time I've seen him on our place
Holy cow! So cool In the time it took to type that, they are back, a bit farther out but back and strutting! I'm learning a lot this morning. This was always a favorite strutt zone until a few years ago and a bunch of logging around us and big increase in coyote. They howl right behind the house several nights a week. It looks like they could return to an old pattern. Fingers crossed. Hopeful nieghbor heard me yelliing, his dog sure did.
Have them at the glass entrance at work every morning Toms fired up, I could kill one with a broom stick.
The last poor hen that big ole tom bred , walked away wobbly on her feet when he let her up. He literally looked 3x's her size. Temp this morning was 23 with a heavy frost. Thinking a tad early for viable eggs.
Birds have not been back since the whole dog thing, even though they had originally returned right after Sort of good news sanctuary land above us had a lot of shot gun blasts right up in middle of the sanctuary. Apparent sighting in their guns. I'm now keeping out of that area until I get a bird. Hopefully they feel safer here
