Where'd the birds go? Weather and Beans vs. Corn

[jdime]

In a couple attempts so far I've only seen a Tom on the adjoining property.

Are the birds likely to stay put when it's so warm?

Also the field where I saw so many in the spring had leftover corn. Now it's soybeans that were recently harvested. I wonder if the soybeans won't keep the birds around like the corn did?

[Leaddog]

Nearly all the birds I've been seeing have been in the beans. They were in there before it got picked and now still. Birds are moving in and out nearly all day. On the other hand, the hay field had all the activity last year, now, nothing.

And the toms are grouped up without much interest in additional company. Tomorrow, I hope to be in just the right spot!

[DonBo]

Good luck! Glad you're in a pocket that still has some birds.

Here in the metro, I've seen very few. I believe between last winters snows and the cold wet spring during the hatch that there are not many birds left anywhere in the upper midwest.

[CJH]

Here in the metro, I've seen very few. I believe between last winters snows and the cold wet spring during the hatch that there are not many birds left anywhere in the upper midwest.

There were 8 of them in my backyard the other day in Burnsville! So there are a few left.

[Archerysniper]

My daughter has the project at kindergarten with the leafs tomorrow so we went back buy my food plot to the only maple tree that I know of around here for some purdey leafs, as we round the corner their are 8 big beard draggers standing in the food plot eating the rye that's starting to come up.

[sconnieT]

I've been seeing a flock of 15+ in Roseville near Snelling and Hwy 36 for the past month

[Cheetah]

SconnieT, where at exactly? By the mndot building and the golf course? All I ever see out there are a gazillion geese. I'll swing by and look for the turkeys though if you can point me to them. Maybe get some decent photos.

[bigbucks]

Put the sneak on 5 or 6 big gobblers on Friday night. Came up on the top of the ridge they were heading for. I was belly crawling (private land no one else hunting there) from the other side, knew they'd be right below me & close. They came over the top about 40 yards to my right. Ever tried to roll into shooting position over your right shoulder, as a right handed shooter from your belly to shoot walking turkeys that have already seen you? It didn't work out to well... I took one feather off one, but obviously didn't hit him with many BB's & none in the head or neck. Pretty frustrating, but very exciting. Sat up to ambush them there with my son & the blind last night. When I was officially turkey hunting naturally deer came out... Nothing I would have shot anyway, but I'm just saying. I started out bowhunting Friday night when I saw the turkeys...

[Leaddog]

The seven "Beanfield Boys" (5 superjakes and 2 toms) went missing after Wednesday afternoon. They showed up again Tuesday evening. When they moved down the field, I rolled through the fence and glasses them as they left the field. The next morning I was set up about twenty yards from their exit point. About 9 AM they became the "Beanfield Six!" after one tom went down.

All the hens/jennies I saw the first week have been no-shows, too.

Good Luck!

[bigbucks]

Going back out again with my son tonight, his third fall hunt this year I think. It's been too painful to talk about, we translate I, REALLY blew it on Sunday morning about 8:30. We're sitting in the blind, he's sleeping, he's in Jr. High & just starting to grow, likes to stay up late, you know what I'm saying. I'm dozing a bit, haven't seen anything. All of a sudden a fat little forky's standing in front of a nearby tree stand. Didn't see him enter the picked cornfield. He's just standing there, then he spooks towards us & goes by at a trot, less then 10 yards. Blind's been there for a few days, so he doesn't pay it any attention. He's looking back over his shoulder up into the woods. I'm thinking, sure I'm turkey hunting & here comes a big buck. I should be sitting in that bow stand!

Shortly two toms are coming down to the field edge, they're probably 2 year-olds maybe big jakes. They feed out, I wake junior up & we ease our guns into position. He's never shot at a turkey or much else before & has a 20 gauge, so I want to make sure they're close enough. I figure they're about 50 yards, but I didn't think to bring the range finder with. I knew I could kill them there, but doubted he could. One comes closer, I tell him when it gets in front of those busted up corn stalks it's close enough. Soon it is in front. Get your bead on him. Have you got it on him? I can't there's grass in the way. That doesn't matter if you can still see his head. Turkey keeps moving, now second bird's also close enough. I tell him get on the second bird as it's to our right & he's on the right being left-handed. I'll take the first one, he's slow about getting anything done & the first one walks past the blind to where I can't see him. Just wait let me switch windows to get on him. Can't see him, then the right one starts to go away, [PoorWordUsage] he must have seen my gun move. Can you see the one I was going to shoot? Yes, shoot him. He starts walking fast right back past the blind. He shoots, immediately I know he missed. I whip my gun up into that window & swing on him as he disappears behind the grass boom! Couldn't see him for a second thought I might have rolled him, then I see them both fly up into the woods. That's when I notice the new gun port in the blind...

Apparently as I swung on him my gun hit the edge of the bottom of the window V & the barrel came just behind it. Now I have a fractured blind pole & like I said an extra hole torn in the blind. That now makes me personally 0-2 on toms this fall. Never missed a turkey in my life before that, but when they're starting to vacate things change.

I'll try to take some pics of the hole & post them. Hopefully with a good report tonight, his last hunt as he'll be gone to a youth retreat over the weekend.

The really kicker is when I thought the turkeys were 50 yards I stepped it off at 35, they were toast if we'd just shot then...

[bigbucks]

No dice, couldn't get there early enough. Saw one gobbler right after it walked by the blind & we were about 300 yards away yet. They've been logging the popple off back there so lots of commotion they wound up loading logs until about 5:35, too late.

[Musky Buck]

Got the shaft, here I go yesterday and grab my tcam, hoping for bucks, I mainly got tom turkeys galore on it, the spot where the camera was is deep in a wet swamp, my dad never got a bird so I wish I would've got the camera sooner for his sake, wow turkeys in that rat hole really now. And to top it off some form of an animal just mauled my camera and busted up the straps to it etc.

[DonBo]

Not surprising really. Turkeys love to roost over water, they seem to feel safer from predators there. Also with as dry as it's been, well, they need water every day.

Still, too bad you didn't check sooner, would have been nice to take advantage of that. Stow that info away for next year.