In the last week or so the turkeys have really started to move into their usual spring haunts. Most of these spots there won't be a turkey from Nov. till about now.
But it seems every year they show up in early April.
We have wait till may !st till we can hunt here in NY. But I really enjoy scouting every morning in April.
Last week....15 degrees when these birds flew down. They just hunkered down trying to stay warm.....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060967ts1.JPG)
Last week as well...warmer morning...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060968ts2.JPG)
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A LONG, longbeard!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1060973ts4.JPG)
With his 2 buddies...
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This morning...subordinate bird...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070029ts6.JPG)
How about a close-up...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070034ts7.JPG)
The strutter...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070035ts8.JPG)
More coming....
Both of them....
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070037ts9.JPG)
Another spot this morning. Two gobblers and a couple hens...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070046ts10.JPG)
Also this morning, another spot where I can't hunt...Dang-it!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070048ts11.JPG)
Fun stuff, I love tryin' to figure these fellas out. Right now May 1st seems like it'll never get here :pray:
Like I try to do every year, I'll try to update this thread when I can till our opener...
Nice Curt!
Our season comes in the 21st and I've been watching a few myself. Hoping to get my first trad bird this year. The ol' smoke pole is getting to easy.
Great photo's Curt! Nothing like seeing them to get the blood pumping.
When I had permission to hunt one of the many apple orchards for turkeys near Gardiner, I scouted many times before the season and was able to sneak up on a bunch of birds many times unnoticed. Come opening morning there was 6 other trucks on the 40 acre apple orchard. I packed it in and left immediately not worth the danger.
Nice pics. I have been seeing a ton of birds lately. Lone hens, strutting toms, couple of jakes flew over the thruway this am on my way to work. I heard atleast 4 different gobbles as I walked to my car in my driveway this morning...
But the stripers are already showing up too... :goldtooth:
wow! that's lookin' good curt!!!! :thumbsup:
Good luck Curt looks like you got a good start on figureing them out.
Big boys in the mist! doesn't get any better than that.
Just got back from a week in Kansas bud. Had a great time, but a little early to my way of thinkin. The gobblers were sounding off on roost big time, but pretty well shut up after fly down.
Mostly jakes, gobblers and hens running in their own little groups.
I could hear no less than 8 different gobbles every morning.
No cigar this year, but good times none the less.
Still have some hunting to look forward to here at home if my back doesn't get too weird on me. :thumbsup:
Curt...i have the same deal here ...I think the easter bunny drops the turkeys off every april...then they stay until november and are gone back to the farm fields. I'm surrounded by heavy woods and lots of swamp....they love to pick bugs off the skunk cabbage as soon as it starts popping in mid april...good luck with your season and thanks for the pics.
Hit 'em hard, Curt!
Great pics Curt. I have been able to hunt since Monday April 5th. SOOOO close today on a great tom but got caught drawing. Good luck!
Things are defiantly ramping up in central PA as well. Heard at least 7 both mornings over the weekend in a section of one of the ridges that's known for holding a good number of birds. Yesterday AM I heard the lone gobbler that populates a different section of the same ridge a couple miles down. I suspect that he's not the only one, but he is the boss.
Headed out in a few minutes to check out a different spot.
Nice pics ya got there. I've barely seen a turkey in the past month until this morning. On the ride home from work I saw a mess of toms struttin'
I had to stop to keep from running over 3 big boys this morning a mile from home.
Yup, time to start scouting. The birds up here in Maine are just starting to break up out of winter patterns, even though it has felt like late May.
If only these knew their fate.....
Well, I did go to the different spot I mentioned earlier, and had a heckuva morning.
This gobbler spent the better part of 15 minutes within 30-35 yards of me, with nothing but air between us. Me moving to get the phone into camera mode didn't spook him, neither did my hollering at him.....tho he did get into a shock gobbling frenzy.
He's the black blob more or less in the center of the video; make sure to have the volume turned on.
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/sj_lutz/2010%20Turkey%20season/strut.jpg)
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/sj_lutz/2010%20Turkey%20season/gobbling.jpg)
(http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/sj_lutz/2010%20Turkey%20season/th_VID00005-20100408-0738.jpg) (http://s274.photobucket.com/albums/jj269/sj_lutz/2010%20Turkey%20season/?action=view¤t=VID00005-20100408-0738.flv)
sj_lutz.....Hilarious!
Had a lone hen 2 mornings in a row just 15 yds from my window while on the 'puter checking out the turkey threads (I live in a log home nestled in the woods). Almost like on cue!
I've heard some clucking, but no gobblers yet....
Great pics Curt. I can't wait to get after them. I fly out to Louisiana in the morning. Will take some pics for all of you.
Our season opens April 15. They've been gobbling and carrying on. How long are they in this frame of mind? Hope they are still looking for hens when the season starts....
I haven't even got to get out yet :bigsmyl:
Tracy
Nice pics Curt. Our season starts April 14 and runs for 6 weeks, Wed to Sun only. I have a tag for the 4th period May 5th to 9th. Our state is also broken down into 7 different zones. Mine is in zone 2. The DNR also has over the counter tags available for a few other zones for the late 5th and 6th periods.
Nice pics Curt. I can't wait until the 1st too.
Great pics Curt. Looks like its shaping up to be another great season for ya. Looking forward to the stories and hero pics.
Looks like it is shaping up to be another great season for ya Curt.
Chris
Looks like you have a great spot to bag a turkey. Do hunt them with archery gear only or do you also use a shotgun? I had a bird fly over the road on my way home. There starting to move here too. :jumper: :archer2:
..I'll take a "smoked drumstick" please !!!!!
You have too much fun there with those turkeys.Maybe next year.
I'm remodeling a building to move my taxidermy shop to. Wednesday a buddy and I took a load of lumber up and there wer 15 birds in the field by my shop( 4 or 5 gobblers). I can hear them gobbling from in my shop. I love it, can't wait 'til its done and I'm working up ther regularly. I'm going out in the morning scouting. They've been gobbling and strutting around here for a while now,
Snag, Sounds like you are hittin' it just right...
WC, Yes, only with the bow, kinda obsessed with these critters...
Flew down surprisingly early on a damp, dreary morning...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070057ts12.JPG)
There's a "bearded lady" (and a well groomed one)out there with this big fella...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070058ts13.JPG)
Foliage seems way ahead of schedule this spring. Usually looks like this right at the start of May...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070063ts14.JPG)
Peach trees are blossoming way early as well...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070064ts15.JPG)
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"Cross Roads", a name he earned after the first two times I saw him...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070069ts17.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070071ts18.JPG)
He wasn't alone though...
More coming...
He hung around out in the orchard till the "3 Stooges" showed up. He seemed to know he was outnumbered, probably from previous encounters...he went into the woods...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070082ts20.JPG)
"3 Stooges", I believe 2 yr olds...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070084ts21.JPG)
Then came 4 jakes...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070089ts22.JPG)
All disappeared into the woods following Cross roads.....
I have a few more pix from this morning I'll try to post later...
Nice pics Curt. I'm upstate from you in Cortland County. I'm in the woods almost daily as a timber buyer and have noticed the pace has picked up a fair amount in the last week. Hearing birds gobble up into the middle of the day and seeing hens on thier own. Looking forward to a good season. Thanks for sharing.
Brad
Spitting, gobbling and beligerent this morning.I yelped at them with my siren and they still wouldnt vacate the road, all it made em do was gobble at me.All with hens.Ill try and post pics after work today.
Looking forward to it Izzy. Nice pics Curt. They make me feel like I'm back in the Hudson Valley!
Go get 'em Curt! Good luck on May 1. Lookin forward to more pics!
Nice pics Curt.Looking foward to details.See you in the a.m.
This past Sunday, "Guapo"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070099ts23.JPG)
"3 Stooges"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070107ts24.JPG)
This morning, left to right.."3 Stooges", "Nacho", "Rightside Clyde", "Crossroads", and "Guapo"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070133ts25.JPG)
"Crossroads"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070141ts26.JPG)
Awesome pictures, thank you for sharing. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
"Game on!" What a beautiful setting to hunt turkeys in. 3 Stooges...that's funny! Just got invited to hunt some private land up a valley outside of town that has not been hunted. The landowner owner what those "darned turkeys" out of there...I'm here to serve! :thumbsup:
So it's been rainy, windy, in the low 50's during the day. By this weekend it's suppose to be nice in the mid 60's. Will they be more active will this warmer and nicer weather?
It's on here Monday morning....!
Great pics Curt.
(http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o244/2crazyboys_photos/dscn1331.jpg)Curt, those pics are awesome as usual.Despite the "Pristine" setting in this background setting in these pics I saw this old boy yesterday in a bowhuntable area! Another bachelor group of 4 are in the same are. (http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o244/2crazyboys_photos/dscn1334.jpg)Hes pretty brave, we'll see if hes like that face to snood wth a bow in my hand.
Izzy, break out that red block pattern of camo of yours. Curt, you guys have some amazing pictures. Our season opens monday and I can't wait. Keep the pics coming. :notworthy: :campfire:
Nice pics Curt. Looks like a beautiful property. Good luck Buddy!!
Snag, It sounds like you'll have a great weekend!
John, Good luck my friend!
Izzy, That's cool bud, some of the best areas are overlooked by most.
Thanx Mike :pray:
This morning...sunrise over the mighty Hudson River...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070149ts27.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070150ts28.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070152ts29.JPG)
Curt :thumbsup:
That is some beautiful country and downright amazing pics of turkeys!! I'm heading to WV in a couple weeks to spend a week chasing longbeards. I don't have a blind or decoys but I'm gonna try my luck with the longbow the first 3 days. The yotes have really thinned out the turkeys in my area but I did find a little sign when I was home last week. Thanks for sharing brother!! It's been about 8yrs since I've turkey hunted and you're pics have really got me fired up to chase them again!!
Izzy,
Hide in one of those offices. It'll be like a blind but you dont have to set it up. In fact you can just wear your work clothes instead of camo.
Dang Curt, those river pics are too, too much.Thats something that takes a sharp eye to set up and capture.
Charlie, thats not the PD but its not too far from there.I'm gonna hunt there for a couple of hours on mornings that I have to work.
just got back from hunting Rock Island county, Illinois. 3 days with no gobbles and only 1 hen sighted. was really worried as I only saw the one hen daily. BUT, on the fourth morning I had a tom right over my blind. Didn't know he was there till he gobbled, and had'nt sounded off when I checked the night before. Anyway, after fly-down, he answered my clucks and almost ran by the blind. he was 12 ft away when I shot. short recovery. 22 lbs. 11" beard. 1 1/4 spurs. finally broke my streak of bad luck. AMEN! Lots of birds everywhere after the fourth day. Guess they finally moved back to their breeding grounds.
Congrats Larry! Great bird :clapper:
With the rain this morning, it had the turkeys out in the open and very visible.
Got some cool pix although the lowlight,cloudy conditions weren't great for pix.
I'll get some up later....
The rain had the birds out in places they usually don't go while seeking open areas.
Some "urban" turks...The gobblers seemed to be running in "3's" this morning, all diff. spots and diff. birds...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070157ts29a.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070160ts31.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070162ts32.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070168ts33.JPG)
This bird is hangin'in a great spot for killin'...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070170ts34.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070171ts35.JPG)
2 jakes that have been hangin' with him...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070175ts36.JPG)
Lots'a turkey food around this time of year...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070180ts37.JPG)
Peaches...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070182ts38.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070186ts39.JPG)
Fixed up a nice natural blind to try with the ghillie suit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070187ts40.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070188ts41.JPG)
That is some beautiful stuff right there. Can it get any prettier? We don't see stuff like that around here. I obviously need to travel.
Stick'em!
Nice pictures Curt.I love the graveyard shots.Creepy.
Apple trees are in full bloom...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070214ts42.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070216ts43.JPG)
Yesterday afternoon, "3 Stooges". Saw them again this morning, and this evening right before they roosted. Too bad tomorrow wasn't opening day!
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070223ts44.JPG)
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• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/P1070231ts46.JPG)
Foliage is thicker at a this time of the year than I've even seen it....a good 3 weeks ahead.
May 1st can't get here quick enough!
Great photos Curt, good luck with them.
Curt, I know it's too early to be "totin" one of your trusty KwykStyk's but what camera are you using to get those spectacular shots? Very nice :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Wow, what a beautiful place to hunt. I can never get enough turkeys! Thanks Curt.
Yellow dog, it's a 3 yr. old Panasonic TZ-3 little pocket camera.
I believe 7 or 8mp's, but has a great 10x zoom!
New model out now, more mp's, and higher zoom...less money as well! It'll be my next camera :thumbsup:
No complaints at all with this one though...
Thanx, the Hudson Valley is a very beautiful place both spring and fall!
Great pics.
Oh man, Guru, those are some sweet pictures. Loved them all. Thanks for sharing.
Wow that is Just plane Awesome.
Beautiful pics, Curt!