Now that my confidence in my set-up is at an all time high, I have other activities requiring my attention in preparation for turkey season.
1. More focus on practising at 15 yards and under
2. Practising out of my blind featuring different scenarios.
3. Brushing up on my trumpet and/or wingbone skills.
4. Developing some new and different strategies which I will commit several hunts to.
5. Off course scouting and scouting an patterning and patterning which continues throughout the season.
6. Prepare myself again to face my favorite hunting adventures.
I am gradually getting more pumped each week.
I would suppose there are many others with growing anticipation.
"I would suppose there are many others with growing anticipation."
Yep....just got to get a place to hunt nailed down & scouted, practice from the stool/knees in a ghillie, get some new diaphragm calls, and wait to put the final edge on the chosen broadheads. Cluck, cluck, putt.
I have already started washing and packing my clothes in preperation for my 2011 4 state turkey tour. Last year was awesome and I hope this year is just as good. I have been seeing lots of longbeards here at home and the people in the other 3 states that I hunt with say things look good there so I am fired up and ready to go.
La. bowhunter -- I too, am a trad archery addict but also a trad turkey addict. The withdrawal symptoms after turkey season are agonizing.
The only relief is to injest more trad archery.
My wife is going turkey hunting this year with me and her new NAT. I am trying to figure out what works for a two person quick to set up blind. Any suggestions? Spring turkey hunting has become more fun for me than deer hunting. I hope my wife will agree, so I will need to do a little more planning than i would do for just myself.
pavan - One consideration is to procure extremely quiet, yet stable and comfortable seats. Quiet not only when just sitting and shifting but when folding and setting in place. Many times even if hunting alone in the blind I fold up and move my seat out of the way when preparing for a shot and allowing me to be further back in the blind.
When hunting with others, I almost always fold up my seat and position myself such as to provide the shooter with addtional room.
Larger blinds may resolve the closed quarter's issue but having a good seat is a must for me.
I suppose doing a back flop off my Niftyseat would be counter productive in a blind, besides the girlish scream i let out every time it happens scares away all living creatures from the area. I need a tree behind me to prevent that. I would have to get another Huntmore.
I am getting pumped also. Deer season is over so bring on the birds. I hope to get a few in front of some kids and my wife. I would like to get a trumpet call.
yup; here also. i am fortunate in that i have a friends farm to hunt "the bird" on. matthew; what is a trumpet call, and where would i get one?
(http://images.imagelinky.com/1294775077.ppt) (http://images.imagelinky.com/1294775077.ppt)
Snow leopard-Trumpet calls operate the same as a wingbone.
Advantages - Pressured Turkeys a more likely to respond to a unique sounding call that is realistic and doesn't sound like another hunter. Most of other calls seem to have a certain amount of sameness. If your calling competency is weak, birds have proven to still come in. Called in 13 birds my 1st attempt years ago, when i was horrible, and managed to arrow one. Called in ~7 birds my second hunt w/o a shot and the scored on the next outing. Have been succesful guiding for clients on unpressured land as well.
Disadvantages - May be quite a challenge to master. Rquires hand movement, however not a factor when hunting out of a blind.
Trumpet calls are like bows. Many have their favorites and their expense may be low and up to several hundreds of dollars(and even much more). Google 'turkey trumpet calls' and you will find many.