Well, 4:30 am comes early for a turkey hunter two mornings in a row. The 45 minute ride to the farm with eyes that are still asleep on winding Ky back roads isn't much fun either. All this was followed by a mile long walk with 80 pounds of stuff on your back.
Heard 6 or so different gobblers in various directions on opening morning but none would come my way. The winds quickly picked up and I soon found myself tired of holding onto my blind after a few hours and both days left for the 45 minute trip back home earlier than expected. My only action was a lone hen feeding through the decoys on day two at around 8:30. I just knew any minute her boyfriend would pop his head over the hill behind her but it never happened.
Sorry for all the negativity and even after hearing all the shotgun blasts I am still proud to be a bow hunter and have an opportunity to do what we do. Oh well if it were easy I would have to resort to spear or dart gun and I'd hate to give up all my bows.
A Kentucky morning with its woods waking up sure is a beautiful site.
I am coming back you tree buzzards!
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I have yet to tangle with the thunderchickens this spring, but look forward to this weekend when I will finally get my chance. Keep at them and make one pay for those early morning risings. Ain't turkey hunting grand?
Good luck on your redemption trip TJ! I don't get to start until May 2nd. And I am not even ready yet,lol. I got everything except a call so far and I have no idea where to even start with one of those. I have been reading up on how to make one online because it is a whole lot cheaper but no luck so far! Anyways, gool luck on your next trip after them, Mike.
Great pics TJ. Keep your chin up bud, only a matter of time for you. I am quite sure there will be a new post from you soon with a hero pic in it.
I'm with ya TJ. But I did manage to put a bird to bed Sat and have him fly down nearby Sun morning only to have a hen come steal him...oh yea, I mmmisssed a jake Sat morning at 8 am after catching my blind with my top limb. My boy got a show though. These birds are my nemesis. I am ooohfer in 4 years of stickbow hunting :) Keep after it pal!
Turkey's sure seem to win more often than not with me. Looks like you have a problem I face every year WIND! It's always bad in the spring here,your doing good to go a half day without 40+ mph winds. Good luck and stick with it keep us posted. :coffee:
I'm not trying to be a smart @#%& but get rid of that 80 pounds and get a ghillie and go to those gobblers. In stead of waiting on them. I arrowed 12 gobblers with self bows.
I never unstood the logic in waiting in a blind for a gobbler when he's headed the other way. Through TV and ads people think blinds are the only way to hunt gobbers WITH A BOW. YES THEY CAN WORK BUT AND THATS A BIG BUT.
SORRY I MUST BE A LITTLE SLOW. I JUST DON'T GET IT.
Roy, I agree. But the farm I am turkey hunting is very small and when they get out of this back field I can not follow them to far until they are on someone elses property. Believe me if I were able to chase them I definitely would.
This place is loaded with birds and its just a matter of time.
You have a nice looking outfit TJ. That definitely looks like some good turkey ground. Unfortunately, weather can sometimes play a big role in the turkey movement. I can hardly wait for my opening day of April 28th. Got to keep practicing!
Bernie Bjorklund
NC Iowa/SW Wisconsin
Stay with`em Brother. I`ve been lucky and arrowed 2 so far this year. 3 is the Ga. Limit and I`ve never done it. I just got home from from a 7 hour sit. Hens are nesting here and Birds are call shy so I sat up on a field edge where I killed my last bird. Its tuff down here this late.....but beats work.RC
I've a taken fair number of birds using both methods, blind ambush (with and without decoys) and Shaggie suit assaults. Nothing is as heart pounding as sprinting ahead of a gobbler, becoming an instant blind, and arrowing him as he follows a hot hen down an old logging road, however blinds are consistantly deadly if you can setup on travel routes leading to strut zones. In that situation decoys are optional. Let the hens drag the old boys by your ambush spot. Recently I've gone more and more to the Shaggie suit. Too many years of "run and gun" with a heavy DB blind have taken a toll on my old knees.
Ohio opener and I saw 1 gobbler with 11 hens. Fun to watch even though they didn't come to my setup. Keep after them Tom, bad day hunting better then working.
Tom
I understand your point of view all to well. The property I hunt is very similar...small but lots of birds live/pass through. However lots of surrounding propertys hunt as well, and worse than that, lots of them ask us to hunt. When we politely say no, they tresspass. Caught one the other day...could see them from the blind sneaking through (spooked bout 8-10 birds that were headed our way) but we could not catch up with the law breaker before he got away. The birds have all but moved on to places where they are not hassled. Like all hunting, it can be very good or pretty dang tough!
Keep at it, like you say it is still very cool carring a traditional bow into woods regardless.
Oh yeah, same here Jake. Everyone around here turkey hunts and I had guys on three sides of me. None of which were much over 500 yards away.
Man--turkey hunting sure is "fun"! We got up at 3am today (opening day in Mich), left at 4, and drove for 1.5 hrs. During this time, it was blowing, raining, sleeting, and snowing. And oh yeah--the weather people issued a Winter Warning. After a 20 min walk through the muddy fields, we were ready to go. Soon, 2 or 3 gobblers began talking, but none would come in. We did have a hen show up, but that was it. Now--we have to wait for the weekend.... Man--turkey hunting sure is "fun"! Good Luck!
You know the past 5 years it has been actually rather easy (I use that word loosely) to get a turkey on the property I hunt...but this year there are far more hunters than I have ever seen and I can't recall any brave enough to jump the fence until this year.
I know how you feel. The opener on Saturday was a wet windy mess. The farm I hunt on is only 40 acres so if you don't get one off the roost it's best to just sit and wait. Looks like the weather is going to be pretty bad for a while. I have next Monday and Tuesday off so I am hoping for the best.
Maybe I'll take my camera along and do a little hunt along.
Hunting pressured lands always ups the annie.
So far the birds are winning, however I am accustomed to playing the percentages and keep rolling the dice. Oh I may score but you can be relatively sure I was out there every opportunity possible.
Birds on the public land I hunt are already showing signs of shying away from both blinds and dekes.
Have faith!!!
In the same boat. Had one at 40 last Saturday but after going around him to close the distance, he came in too fast. Locked up looking for the invisible hen. Rest of the ten days has been lots of walking and not much gobbling.
Good looking set up.I'm sure you will get one in range before its all over.The weather has deffinately made things tough.
What is that strutting decoy?Is that one of those Killer B's?
Bill
Hunt hard for a Tom...Tom :D
Hang in there my friend. I called 4 toms in off the roost monday morning. They were about 150yrd and closing when there 4 hens came out of the woods. Well they decided they didn't need another girl they had thier ladies. They did put on a great show for me at about 75yrds and every time I hit my call they went crazy but never closed the distance. It was awesome to work with them though. Stay after em and you will get them.
Good Luck this season.
TJ,
I know how you feel bud. I've wimped out and broke out the lead after getting skunked with my bow the last several years. I've never had the luck a lot of people seem to have with a blind.
Keep after it and I hope you get one!
Chris
Don't feel too bad TJ I've been skunked to. Missed two birds already, not much gobbling going on here, was going this morning but mother nature had another idea. Stick with them, as I will do the same. Good luck. Thanks!!! God bless.
TJ skunked is my middle name,hang in there bud you'll get you revenge.