Wisconsin turkey reports????????

[bmc]

I know you guys in WI only have a day and half under your belts but how about an update? There's a post already started in the WI forum "Turkey Action". Let's hear it guy's. I'll be hunting season E and it will take forever to get here!

Thanks,

Brian

[Hotspotter]

I made a plea to the Sconnies to share some info....we're dying over here.

11 days for me.

Joel

[Cooter]

I know of at least 5 guys hunting right now....2 of them I probably won't hear from until this weekend. The other 3 must have got skunked yesterday in the snow cuz I didn't hear a peep from them! Hopefully with the weather making a swing the birds will fire up.

[Super Black]

Dad's bird, a nice one again. He's lucky that way, or just has a good guide!!!!

[fishtrapgirl]

bmc,

Husband and I are going tomorrow and Saturday. We have both had to work and thats the only chance we will get to go. It's cold, theres snow, but we have been seeing tons of turkeys so I'm confident we can get a chance at one during our very short season. We'll keep you updated and post pics if we suceed.

fishtrapgirl

[Cooter]

Fresh report - those 3 clowns I know got a bird today, a jake. Had a hen and nice tom just out too far that wouldn't commit but a group of jakes came in. The other 2 are still hunting. When he registered his jake the lady working at the gaso said they had a lot of birds in this morning. However, my buds said there was very little gobbling where they were at, a few on the roost then done.

[bmc]

fishtrapgirl,

that's a bummer you guys only get 2 days to hunt, but best of luck to you both anyways. I'm pumped to get down there and see what happens!!! Keep me posted please!

Thanks,

Brian

[Cooter]

Well I know of at least 3 that were killed on Wed in the snow - plus my dad's neighbor is out in his yard cleaning one right now. I'm sure this weekend is gonna be end of the line for a lot of birds - nice weather plus the weekend crowd.

[fishtrapgirl]

Brian,

This should get you a bit more excited for your season to open.

My adrenaline is still pumping!

[bmc]

OH YEAH!!!!! A picture is great, but how about some of the hunt details??? I'm glad to see you two had some success with only 2 days to hunt. Congrats!!!

Brian

[fishtrapgirl]

Brian,

Not much for details but I/we did learn a valuble lesson. Basically all that happened was he flew down from the roost, strutted on the far edge of the field, after I called to him a little he made a bee-line for the jake decoy, ran into it, when it didn't do anything I think he realized something was up because he started acting skidish. Well as soon as he paused, I took all of his worries away.

The lesson I/we learned is don't worry if you don't get a bird the first day. Use the first day to roost the birds and once you know where they are roosting set up accordingly and get out there way before light. give yourself at least a good half hour. What you will hear in that time period is well worth getting up earlier. It is so cool the hair on your neck stands up when they start gobbling in the roost.

Anyway, good luck Brian, and whatever you do don't get discouraged. If you don't get one there is always next year, and remember that hunting isn't always about getting the game, its the memories you make while doing it. If you get up early and out in the woods soon enough you will make a memory that you will never be able to forget.

Good luck to you and your party. Tell your dad we LOVE our new bows!!!

[Cooter]

Just talked to my bud last night - he hunted all week in the Pepin area. He said Thurs and Fri were the most incredible turkey action he's ever seen...birds everywhere, gobbling all day long. They worked birds from sunup til 5 in the afternoon. Of the three hunting, only one got a bird though...lots of close but no cigar type stories but he had a great time and was excited even last night - isn't that what hunting's all about?

[bmc]

Anybody getting any more birds? C'mon guys, my season E is quickly approaching and reports have been scarce. Inquiring minds want to know what's happening. I'll be bowhunting in zone 19, south of Baldwin, WI.

Brian

[Deitz Dittrich]

Joel and I along with Ray Esboldt did some scouting.. We are also hunting season E.. joel and I will be hunting in the Grantsburg area, and Ray elsewhere... We located some birds.. spent quite a few hours sitting and listening... I dont do quiet well.. LOL... It will be interesting.. Good luck to you!!!

[bmc]

Thanks for the info. Deitz. Do you guys think most of the hens will be on nests during season E? I'm south of you guys a ways, so I know it varies from area to area, just trying to get a general idea. I've never hunted the area I'm going to be hunting, but from what the landowner, my brother, and the aerial maps look like, it's looks real good. Good luck to you guys as well.

Brian

[Deitz Dittrich]

Joel would be much better at answering this question.. I'll fire off an e-mail to him and see if he's home.. LOL...

[Hotspotter]

BMC:

Although I've never hunted this area before, judging from conditions at similar lattitudes in MN, it's almost a sure thing that most bred hens will be sitting on nests by this time period. At the very least, they'll be off laying/nesting by the mid-morning hours. We'll hopefully then see a corresponding peak in gobbling activity.

Even already, from our scouting in WI and what I've seen back home, many hens are acting solitarily....seen moving about and picking through fields by their lonesome in areas void of much gobbling and/or gobbling activity. Early/middle-May seasons are full of this type of hen behavior, and it's a positive signal.

Don't get too discouraged if they move away from you off of the roost. These are great "come-back-to" birds that you can keep in your back-pocket once their hens have vacated the premesis!

Joel

[Cooter]

I think Joel is dead on with the prediction. Last week we had a lone bird on the roost Wed and 3 on Thurs morning. By the time that 5th season rolls around you should have plenty of lonely birds to work. I've hunted WI for over 12 years now and have come to favor the 4th and 5th seasons. You're sitting pretty, dude!

[brittman]

I have hunted MN north of the metro in May the past six seasons.

I can tell you that in early to mid May, the birds gobble early, but are almost always running with a hen or two in the early morning. The hens do not always stay with the gobblers long. I have also called in the lead hen - gobbler in tow - twice the past four years. Once the gobbler came home with me and once he left with her.

I am also crossing the St Croix for the 1st time this year -

I have season F in the Grantsburg area. Prior year travels tell me they will be vocal the 1st hour of the day and then on and off the remainder of the morning. I look forward to your reports, but please do not provide specific info on actual locations on the message board.

[DRH1175]

I was out fishing east about 20 miles from St. Croix falls just north of 8. I saw several turkeys on my ride to the lake. I actually saw a hunter smoke one. Looked and saw 3 turkeys standing along a tree line and then all of a sudden to took off flying. Than Bang I heard the shot. Pretty cool I thought.