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.....
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Last week as well...warmer morning...
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A LONG, longbeard!
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With his 2 buddies...
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This morning...subordinate bird...
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How about a close-up...
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The strutter...
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More coming....

Both of them....
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Another spot this morning. Two gobblers and a couple hens...
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Also this morning, another spot where I can't hunt...Dang-it!
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Fun stuff, I love tryin' to figure these fellas out.  Right now May 1st seems like it'll never get here      


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...  

wow!  that's lookin' good curt!!!!  

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.  

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.

 

 

 

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.