Opening day is the 16th. 100 percent chance of Thunderstorms starting at 500 am. I going.

Best of luck!

Please post some pics

Just got in. I got 4 hens inside 20 yards. There were no Toms or Jakes to follow. I did not even here a Rooster sound off let alone a gobble. I also only heard 2 shots.

I did have the Easter Bunny hop in my lap. Four geese landed in front of me, and had 5 unidentifiable ducks fly past.

Oh, I also had 4 deer 30 yards away. All in all, I call it a good morning.

Hopefully, some turkey schnitzel and dumplings can still be had.

Round 2 goes squarely to the Turkeys. I called a hen within 50 yards. She had no Tom with her. I got another hen to cuss at me.

Finally, I saw them. 150 yards away two big WallyGobblers. I did not call once they hit the field. They never got closer then 150.

I have not heard one gobble, no shooting. These two never fanned either.

I know they did not see me. 2;30 until 7:00 in the field. I have not heard a gobble all Spring. Very glad to have seen them.

Seeing your post stirred myself to ask something I have not got around to before. Most of the books I have with articles on shotgunning in the USA make reference to turkey hunting and the specialised loads needed and difficulty in taking these birds.

Question, why are turkeys seemingly so hard to kill needing heavy loads of large shot, a 12G 3.5" shell of BB's or even heaviest load in 10G being the top loads to kill turkeys?
The largest gamebirds I have shot are Canadas and Black Swan and I have taken these birds easily enough with 32gm #7 or #6 shot. Obviously the small shot and dense pattern works well on head and neck shots, why would it not be so with turkeys too?

Is the range a big factor in turkey hunting, the head and neck often hidden as per the image in this forum heading, or a combination of factors not applying to other gamebirds.

What makes turkeys so hard to kill?

KY does not allow shot larger than No. 4 shot.

Turkeys are big birds. When I was growing up KY would not allow anything smaller than 20 bore. Now, with Tungsten loads, KY has legalized all bores from 410 to 10. A lot of folks are shooting tungsten No 7s and tungsten No9 now good to at least 6” yards with massive pellet count.

At 20 yards, you can kill them with rock salt. You have to break the neck and/or smash the brain.

I killed a big Tom at 42 yards with 7 1/2 lead at 1330 FPS. I did that on an accident, but it worked.

In lead, I have always used No 5, 2 ounce, 10 bore to maximize pellets down range. On close it beheads them literally. This is unnecessary, but I like it.

I killed one at 42 yards with 3 inch, No 5, 20 bore at 1185 FPS. Another with 2 3/4 inch, Mo.5, 12 bore at 1330 at 52 steps.

In Bismuth, I prefer 12 bore, 3 inch, No.4, 1 5/8 ounce load same pellet count as lead 1 7/8 ounce load at 1350 FPS. I shoot bismuth in my doubles as we have sopped using lead.

I have a triplex load of tungsten 12 g/cc 5,6,7 loaded by Hevishot at 2 3/8 ounce load for my 10 now.

A lot of folks hold down on the neck. The guns pattern should decide, but I prefer more shot in the head. The head and neck will brace against the chest. Most only shoot with the neck extended. I do not care. I get the bead to the head, neck juncture and kill him.

I do not think turkeys are hard to kill. If stretching past 40/45 yards, you need a lot of pellets to get the pattern you need. When I was growing up. My Dad and Uncle wanted 11 Mo. 5 pellets in the neck / head. Now, folks want more.

Saw the same 3 hens and no toms today. Taking my brother fishing next weekend. Season goes out first week in May. Still have not heard a gooble. Fall and winter seasons we can shoot a hen. Time will tell. Right now those toms must think they are Ukrainian. They are being stubborn.

Even the lead and steel guys are not shooting BB at turkeys.

Was in TX hill country last weekend.....shot a nice Rio. Took me 3 mornings.....birds were totally unresponsive to calling and saw zero hens other than by themselves at a feeder. Heard they were "easier" to kill than easterns.....I say BS (having killed a pile of those)!

Good luck all!

Today turkey opens in Missouri. I do not know why it starts so late here. Hens are already laying eggs. Youth get an earlier season and I only heard one person shooting that weekend.

Turkey numbers are down in my area and have been declining for several years. No quail either. Habitat and local development (very rural ranch country here) have not changed but the predator load is much higher.

I'm in my ninth year here and have never hunted these turkeys.

I think the wet winters are hurting as well as predators. We open late in KY as hens are nestled up on eggs, but I have never not heard toms sounding like cannons in the morning until this year. Last year was my best year in terms of birds seen, gobbling, strutting. We killed two big beard toms between myself and another hunter.

I keep an eye on the hatch on my farm. Very few are surviving for the past 3-4 years. Only 2-3 out of the hatch.

I have stopped hunting hens in the fall.

My father and Father in Law could and can tell stories of wild quail coveys up to 14 birds a covey, and ruffled grouse out the back door.

All gone. This makes me concerned. I did not hear any gobbling scouting before season. Only saw one fanned out back first of March. I did see that Tom on Saturday.

Taking my brother fishing this Saturday.

Population's up here....just went to 2 spring birds. Cyclical is my guess because this is the first I've heard of population issues.

Fact remains.....every single one of us needs to do our part in predator control.

quote:

Originally posted by Bull Sprig:
Population's up here....just went to 2 spring birds. Cyclical is my guess because this is the first I've heard of population issues.

Fact remains.....every single one of us needs to do our part in predator control.

I trap predators year round since I raise poultry. There are five turkey vultures in my front field right now feeding on the latest possum.

I'm the only one that traps. Surrounding landowners run corn feeders year round hoping they will grow a 'monster buck'. They only grow hundreds of coon and possum. I kill dozens of them every year. Only had one hen with poults last season. The lowest ever.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:

quote:

Originally posted by Bull Sprig:
Population's up here....just went to 2 spring birds. Cyclical is my guess because this is the first I've heard of population issues.

Fact remains.....every single one of us needs to do our part in predator control.

I trap predators year round since I raise poultry. There are five turkey vultures in my front field right now feeding on the latest possum.

I'm the only one that traps. Surrounding landowners run corn feeders year round hoping they will grow a 'monster buck'. They only grow hundreds of coon and possum. I kill dozens of them every year. Only had one hen with poults last season. The lowest ever.

Nice work. Those coon foot traps couldn't be any easier either....the ones they stick their paw down in.....looks like a tube. Trapping yotes and foxes a bit more involved as you know.....my own trapping experience is fairly limited because of where I live and other time commitments....like work hahaaaa.

quote:

Originally posted by Bull Sprig:
Population's up here....just went to 2 spring birds. Cyclical is my guess because this is the first I've heard of population issues.

Fact remains.....every single one of us needs to do our part in predator control.

Our bag limit has actually been decreased. I read numbers are down across the SE/South.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:

quote:

Originally posted by Bull Sprig:
Population's up here....just went to 2 spring birds. Cyclical is my guess because this is the first I've heard of population issues.

Fact remains.....every single one of us needs to do our part in predator control.

Our bag limit has actually been decreased. I read numbers are down across the SE/South.

Don't worry....the South's gonna do it again! Or so I hear....

Good luck this season. If I could figure out how to post a pic here I'd post up my Rio.

Congratulations on that Rio.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Just got in. I got 4 hens inside 20 yards. There were no Toms or Jakes to follow. I did not even here a Rooster sound off let alone a gobble. I also only heard 2 shots.

I did have the Easter Bunny hop in my lap. Four geese landed in front of me, and had 5 unidentifiable ducks fly past.



Oh, I also had 4 deer 30 yards away. All in all, I call it a good morning.

Hopefully, some turkey schnitzel and dumplings can still be had.

Nothing wrong with that morning. Old Tom will show eventually. Enjoy nature, peace and quiet.

The landowner on my south border owns 200 acres but he sets up a pop up blind at his full time corn feeder positioned near the property line. I can see his set up when I go mushroom hunting. Apparently he is not seeing any turkeys this year. No shots so far.

Morels are popping though.

Other places can do what they want. KY does not allow bating fir turkey. We do allow bating for deer.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
Other places can do what they want. KY does not allow bating fir turkey. We do allow bating for deer.

Baiting during the hunting period is illegal here for deer and turkey. I know he is still feeding as I can hear his spinner when I am over that direction. Goes off at 1535 hrs every day.

You would think that would do it for him.

I think you would love turkey hunting. It is elk hunting and deer hunting kind of combined.

Turkey Schnitzel from the breast

Homemade turkey dumplings from the legs snd thighs.

Oh, I am sure I would enjoy it.

It's a busy time of the year though. I am pounding fence posts today even though I am too old for that kind of stuff. Deer keep wanting to eat off my little fruit trees. Bitches.

Take care Ms. Ann. I do not care what anyone says, you are good people.

I pulled out for work today at 7:45. Three big Toms all alone were in out bottom field far right corner. Work saved them.

Still ain’t hearing any roost gobling nor strutting. Maybe Saturday morning.

I am taking my brother fishing. But one quick March before heading for the River.

My son went out on Saturday. Called a couple of times, nothing. Waited and stayed in his blind for 3 hours. Called a few times, still nothing. Got ready to get out of his blind and was standing up when just behind his blind a turkey gobbled. Scared the daylights out of him. He sat back down and the turkey came in front of his blind. Five yards in front of he shot it. He got up ready to get out of the blind and another turkey ran from the back of the blind. That turkey, mad as hell. He the started scratching and kicking the dead bird. Steven had to yell and scream at it before it strutted off. His turkey had a 9 inch beard. Who knows if they are smart or dumb as hell!

I head out tomorrow to hunt turkeys in the Thumb of Michigan. The last 6 years I’ve bagged 6 Gobblers. I’m a mediocre Turkey hunter at best but the local guy I hunt with is a real Turkey Assassin.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
You would think that would do it for him.

I think you would love turkey hunting. It is elk hunting and deer hunting kind of combined.

Turkey Schnitzel from the breast

Homemade turkey dumplings from the legs snd thighs.

A cop I used to work with said hunting spring turkeys was like hunting for a 25 pound elk. Totally agree, except toms don’t gather herds of hens.

https://apis.mail.yahoo.com/ws...nailFails=true&pid=2
https://apis.mail.yahoo.com/ws...nailFails=true&pid=4
Alabama gobbler. Good fiend of mine's son, Kyle got this one the last day of the season. 11" beard , spurs were just over 1", curved and sharp as a nettle.

Big Southeast flooding storm worried the last weekend here.

Thank you for sharing that Alabama Tom.

My 2022 Michigan turkey hunt lasted all of 3 hours. The local guy I hunt with had patterned a Longboard and knew where he roosted every night. We set up a popup blind about 150 yards from his roost and stuck a hen decoy 20 yards from the blind. He started mouth calling and the gobbler immediately responded. He slowly appeared from the opposite direction we had anticipated so we had to rotate our chairs 180 degrees. It turns out he had two hens in tow so he took his sweet time to come into range. When he got to 25 yards rolled with a load of #5 shot from my Nova 12 guage. He had a 10” beard and 1 1/4” spurs. I’ll email a pic for posting if someone will PM me their email address.

Congratulations on your turkey!!! At first I thought you were referring to the mid-term elections lol.

Bud Meadows great to here. I hope someone will get those photos up.

I’ll attempt to download my Gobbler picture:

https://app.photobucket.com/u/...8a-91b8-17d62e8c038c

My second posting dated June 17 was successful. Click on it and you’ll see the biggest gobbler I’ve ever shot. He has two beards, one 10” and the second 4”.. I didn’t weigh him but he dwarfs the 23 pounder I shot in 2021.