May turkey action

[jdime]

The word I've gotten so far is that many hens are now nesting and getting a Tom in May could be very tough.

I am new to turkey hunting, but last year in early May I was chatting frequently with Toms and I got close to a few.

What do experienced hunters think about the odds of bagging a tom come May 8th (season E)?

[Whoknows]

Late season is all my group ever hunts(season G). Nesting hens equals less competition for gobblers still searching for active hens. One tip for late season gobblers is they generally quit gobbling the minute there feet hit the ground. Position yourself in an area you've seen birds while scouting and call softly every 15-30minutes. I'll bet you'll still have plenty of action.

[jdime]

Thanks! Three days in the woods is a great time anyway, but it's good to hear there's a chance. I though they might still have some hormones running through them.

[Musky Buck]

You have a great chance, especially if you can pattern a tom, for the past 6 weeks including today, have a Tom and a few hens roosting in the same place and walking the same route every day, there is no doubt I could get in position on him, every AM to work same scenario, also like stated 0 competition for the Tom looking for another hen, good luck and yes they may not come to a hen/calling sequence as well, but if they don't and if you see a nice tom, try to figure out his route and be mobile, last Sunday that tactic put me on my first ever Tom and the only year I tried it, but he wouldn't decoy whatsoever so I made a move in a hurry and got that deke on his route, then he investigated, you can do it and check yourself for ticks.

[brittman]

Hens on the nest could help, not hurt.

I have noticed that many a gobbler roams more. It can be harder to pattern day to day, but then you also have a better chance of a roamer stumbling in. Last spring in farm/woods country we watched a pair of Toms walk over 3 miles mid day. They entered a patch we had permission to hunt. Next day my buddy was set up there. Nothing. When we met up the pair was in another field close to where we saw them the day before - but opposite direction.

I have also seen where a Tom has roosted near a spot where I was calling the day before. Curious if he was coming in, but I gave up too soon. I never saw them, nor they spotted me. Tom came a calling and decided to wait in that area for the hen to return ??

Just remember that quite a few gobblers have been killed. The number of birds you hear may not be the same as if you scouted a couple sunrises before Season A started.

[Wanderer]

I like the late seasons also and now consider anything in the first four seasons as "early". Just lately and especially today around our house the birds have been very active. Before the rain hit here today they were strutting and gobbling through the Noon hour.

I cancelled my usual turkey hunting plans to the SE part of the state due to too many other plans but will buying a late season tag and hunting around the house now that I just confirmed permssion with my neighbor. I'm looking forward to it.

As stated earlier, get in an area they've been frequenting and be subtle with your calling. One will probably show up sooner or later.

[jdime]

Thanks all. Wednesday night I'll be out in the woods. I'll have three days.

[nbadger23]

This is obviously a different year, and all properties are different, but the first 3 birds I killed were during season G and H and all 3 came in hot as hell to calls early in the morning. I think they were so glad to hear a hen who was "willing" at that point in the season that they were all fired up but who knows?

[jdime]

Well boys, I didn't shoot a turkey but I had a nice quite three days in the woods. Had one loud gobble maybe a hundred yards away but he never appeared. Had a hen walk 20 feet past me but she had no beard (I looked closely)

Thanks for all the help, I did feel confident while I was out there.

[Wanderer]

I'm glad you had a good time! I wound up hunting two evenings and one morning during the week last week. I worked the same bird each time and couldn't get him away from his roosting area and strut zone for nuthin. Once again, aggressive calling wasn't working for me.

Friday night/Saturday morning he roosted in the area I was calling from the previous times and I was lucky enough to NOT go back there. I circled the area and came in on the side he liked to travel the most. I called lightly and waited him out. He eventually swung by me but cautiously and just a little too close for his own safety.

He didn't have any hens with him so I was a little surprised he was so unwilling to come in but he proved to be an old bird, and wise one. 1 3/8 spurs and 10 5/16 beard.

It's all good in the turkey woods. I felt lucky to even be able to hunt this year. It was good you got to have a couple memories from the season.

[DonBo]

Nice bird Tracy. WTG! Pics???

[Musky Buck]

May turkey action, last night 2 toms gobbling and fluffed, they were really talking, wish I could over the counter, it aint over yet, pattern a bird and you're good to go.

[Wanderer]

Nice bird Tracy. WTG! Pics???

Thanks Don! He was a trophy to me for sure. I'm trying to get the pics to save to my PC from Email but it ain't working out. Don't know if that has anything to do with them being taken with an iPhone or not.

I doubt you'll see them before next week at this rate. I need to go to bed so I can get up at 2:30 and head to Red Lake in the 'morn. I got my bobber and double top secret hook ready to go!

[Sturg]

I had my first encounter with a tom in shooting range on May 16th. I took my 10 yr old grandson to WI for the youth season in April. No birds seen. One tom heard fairly close. Next we had the E season. We did 32 hrs in the in the blind during 4 different days. We saw two different toms while changing locations but both were over 200 yds away and neither responded to calling. We had 4 different hens come into our decoys but no jakes or toms. The kid was a trooper and never complained! I hunted the F season and had one more hen into the decoys but no encounters with toms. They would gobble on the roost, again sometimes mid morning, then silence. I switched to MN bowhunting and scored on my second hunt 55 hrs/3 seasons/ 11th trip/one opportunity but it was sweet. Next up the grand-daughter gets her turn in MN. The picture below is the tom I took right after the photo was taken. He strutted for about 10 minutes before he moved into my shooting lane.

Sometimes it comes down to perserverence! Good luck to all still out there

[DonBo]

Way to stick with it Sturg. Sometimes it just gets down to time spent in the woods.

BTW, great photos!