2022

[going4it]

Anyone been out? Any luck? Already 3 seasons in and way to quiet. Weathers been terrible. Looking forward to next week Thursday to Sunday on my uncles farm.

[leech~~]

I got rain and blown out season B, so my only change now is to try and pull something off on season F. 

[Wanderer]

Friends have been out and harvested a few but success has been running about 20%.

 

It’s been quiet around home.  I have two hens nesting near the house that I keep an eye on but I never hear them talk.  The Tom has only been with them once that I’ve seen.  The few gobbles I’ve heard were all distant.

[rundrave]

I am debating getting a late minute turkey hunt in out in the Black Hills. I wont be able to make out there until Memorial day weekend and hunt May 26-May 31

 

I have private land to hunt on as well as tons of public. I may give it a go but I dont think I will hear much gobbling that late in the year or if I will be able to call one in which kind of takes the fun factor out of it.

 

Spot and stalk out in the hills can be super fun but also super frustrating lol.

 

 

[Wanderer]

4 minutes ago, rundrave said:

I am debating getting a late minute turkey hunt in out in the Black Hills. I wont be able to make out there until Memorial day weekend and hunt May 26-May 31

 

I have private land to hunt on as well as tons of public. I may give it a go but I dont think I will hear much gobbling that late in the year or if I will be able to call one in which kind of takes the fun factor out of it.

 

Spot and stalk out in the hills can be super fun but also super frustrating lol.

 

 

I had a few hunts out there.  You describe  it pretty well.

 

I was happy to take a Jake that ran in on me as I was working a tom.  Bird in hand type of thing.  Plus it happened so fast after stretching the boot leather quite a bit for quite a few days.

 

Beautiful scenery.

[going4it]

We are just getting our butts kicked this weekend by the Wi birds. Started yesterday and knew where the roost was, trying to get up higher them then and another Tom was silent until we got within 50 yds and he let out a gobble. So we were stuck below and they went the other way. Heard them gobbling on another ridge so hiked up there and nadda. Ate and then they were gobbling on that ridge again so a few buddies tracked back up and nadda. I went to the other side and saw a Tom crossing a pasture so went booking to cut it off. Not enough time. Crossed 150 in front of me. Sat there for a while moved, because toms were in next pasture over. Go there and gone, then they tell me that 2 popped out where I just was. Today it’s hot and been pretty quiet. Fun but too hot 

[Wanderer]

4 hours ago, going4it said:

We are just getting our butts kicked this weekend by the Wi birds. Started yesterday and knew where the roost was, trying to get up higher them then and another Tom was silent until we got within 50 yds and he let out a gobble. So we were stuck below and they went the other way. Heard them gobbling on another ridge so hiked up there and nadda. Ate and then they were gobbling on that ridge again so a few buddies tracked back up and nadda. I went to the other side and saw a Tom crossing a pasture so went booking to cut it off. Not enough time. Crossed 150 in front of me. Sat there for a while moved, because toms were in next pasture over. Go there and gone, then they tell me that 2 popped out where I just was. Today it’s hot and been pretty quiet. Fun but too hot 

Sounds like me in my first few years!  Frustrating!

 

If you’re ever calling from one of your rest stops, don’t get up and chase gobbles.  Sounds like you have birds all around.  Sit tight, grab a sammie and a water and maybe a nap if you can knock one off in 10 minutes. 
 

Patience was, well still is, hard for me but it pays off when the birds are drifting around like that.  
 

Good luck tomorrow!

[leech~~]

6 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Sounds like me in my first few years!  Frustrating!

 

If you’re ever calling from one of your rest stops, don’t get up and chase gobbles.  Sounds like you have birds all around.  Sit tight, grab a sammie and a water and maybe a nap if you can knock one off in 10 minutes. 
 

Patience was, well still is, hard for me but it pays off when the birds are drifting around like that.  
 

Good luck tomorrow!

Same here, gets frustrating when you can hear and see them running around but can't bring one in. I would usually start on field edges in the morning then head in to the woods during the day.  One of my first years I climbed up on the top of a big ridge and called for a while with nothing happening. Got bored and start blowing Yankee doodle and screwing around with my mouth call when two Toms popped in and busted my!

Edited May 8, 2022 by leech~~

[Wanderer]

21 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 One of my first years I climbed up on the top of a big ridge and called for a while with nothing happening. Got bored and start blowing Yankee doodle and screwing around with my mouth call when two Toms popped in and busted my!

Year 3 for me I did about the same thing.  Frustrated with chasing and getting busted on bad set ups I plopped my butt down on a stump at the top of the hill and ripped into hard cutting on my slate.  Just grinding the h*ll out of it when a Tom came running in at 22 paces.

 

Long story short and 3 shots later he still wasn’t my first bird but he taught me the lesson I needed to turn my luck around from then on.

[going4it]

Never happened for any of us. 0-4. I had one come behind me and started putting when it saw something it didn’t like and that ended that. Had one roosted this morning at 150 yds away heard it fly down and that was it. They never gobbled once they hit the ground on any of the days. Did have a raccoon walk within 10 yards so at least saw something. Fun but frustrating that’s for sure. 

[Wanderer]

Bummer!  But it sounds like you had some action.  Is that it for you?  No more open season?

[leech~~]

1 hour ago, going4it said:

Never happened for any of us. 0-4. I had one come behind me and started putting when it saw something it didn’t like and that ended that. Had one roosted this morning at 150 yds away heard it fly down and that was it. They never gobbled once they hit the ground on any of the days. Did have a raccoon walk within 10 yards so at least saw something. Fun but frustrating that’s for sure. 

That suks. You know you can all try again during season F with the rest if us losers. 

What general area or zone were you in?  Just so I don't hunt there!

Edited May 8, 2022 by leech~~

[going4it]

It’s zone 1 in Wi. We def had fun and will be back next year again. Helps that the uncle joins the lottery with us to get us drawn. 
 

3 hours away and 3 year old twins at home, getting away for 4 days is about as much as I can get away with. I’ll take it. Early mornings 2 days was easy this morning though 3:50 was a challenge. 

[Hoyt4]

We have been having luck . I think we have harvested 5 birds off our south east mn place. Two form season A and 3 from season b. We are hoping to get some kids out some more. Out NE hunt went well we ended up with 6 birds for the 4 of us  archery only. I was thinking of heading back for my 3 tag if I buy one.

 

Next week heading for our annual WI hunt so I cannot wait this spring went way too fast.

[leech~~]

OK F season.

I have 4 Tom's patterned gobbling their heads off coming down a grassy over grow logging road every morning at sun up. Hope to knock one down tommrow. 

Thinking of just letting them do their routine with no calling and maybe no decoy. Thoughts? 

[Wanderer]

26 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

OK F season.

I have 4 Tom's patterned gobbling their heads off coming down a grassy over grow logging road every morning at sun up. Hope to knock one down tommrow. 

Thinking of just letting them do their routine with no calling and maybe no decoy. Thoughts? 

Don’t call if you don’t have to!

 

Just be there.  Good luck!

[leech~~]

I'm thinking if I use a decoy it will be a hen, and set down trail from me. Hopefully if they don't like it, they still maybe in front of me for a shot. 

The ticks are crazy must have found 50 on cloths and skin!

Field Tip: Don't forget to check under the band inside your hat!  Yes found one there too!

Edited May 19, 2022 by leech~~

[Wanderer]

16 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

I'm thinking if I use a decoy it will be a hen, and set down trail from me. Hopefully if they don't like it, they still maybe in front of me for a shot. 

The ticks are crazy must have found 50 on cloths and skin!

Field Tip: Don't forget to check under the band inside your hat!  Yes found one there too!

That’s not a bad idea for the decoy but honestly I’d probably skip that too.  Just let it be a normal day for them and be in their way.  I’ve had toms get decoy shy from hundreds of yards away.  Sounds like you have them pegged. 
 

If they don’t show and you think you have to call, you’ll probably have the opportunity to stick a decoy out quick.  I consider decoys a 50/50 proposition. I consider knowing a pattern 25/75 proposition in your favor.  But that’s just my opinion.  
 

Yep, ticks have been bad!

[rundrave]

Well got my tag in the mail yesterday so I am officially committed to head West next week to the black hills. Got multiple groups of birds roosting on our property out there and my Dad has a couple roosts located. Hopefully they stay in the area.

 

The price per pound  to tag a bird with these gas  prices should be interesting lol. Gonna pull the ATV's out too and just make a long weekend out of it. Hopefully the birds cooperate.

 

[Wanderer]

18 hours ago, leech~~ said:

OK F season.

I have 4 Tom's patterned gobbling their heads off coming down a grassy over grow logging road every morning at sun up. Hope to knock one down tommrow.

So…. What happened this morning?

[leech~~]

7 minutes ago, Wanderer said:

So…. What happened this morning?

Zip! Not even a gobble. I think they took the road out the other end to the highline.

Got a few more days to try.

Did put on some deet 40 and only a few ticks today.

So I got that going for me, which is nice.

[Wanderer]

2 minutes ago, leech~~ said:

 

So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Why does that seem so fitting in this scenario? 

 

Maybe call enough to get a gobble from the trees in the morning?  Or did you try that today?  Tough to resist when the call is right there, eh? 

 

Can you be there in the evenings?  If you’re close to the roost, they’ll come back.

[smurfy]

5 hours ago, Wanderer said:

Why does that seem so fitting in this scenario? 

 

Maybe call enough to get a gobble from the trees in the morning?  Or did you try that today?  Tough to resist when the call is right there, eh? 

 

Can you be there in the evenings?  If you’re close to the roost, they’ll come back.

does 10 am work!!!!!!!!! think thats what time leech gets up!!!!!!

[going4it]

spray your clothes, boots with this and you won’t have to deal with ticks. Good luck, let us know how it goes. I’ve got a hen eating in the backyard since 5:30 now it’s almost 8:30. 2 years she’s been around never a boyfriend around. 

Edited May 20, 2022 by going4it

[leech~~]

2 hours ago, smurfy said:

does 10 am work!!!!!!!!! think thats what time leech gets up!!!!!!

 

3:30 am this morning smart Ars!