%&*@#$ turkeys!

brent d. · September 21, 2007, 02:39:00 PM

kind of a crazy question..but I am having a turkey problem. I have spent a month clearing a beautiful spot in the woods where I hunt with nothing but hand tools in hopes of having the great honeyhole...about 30 yards wide and 75 yards long.
(100 deg. and a couple of near coronaries later) We have had drought conditions here forever so last week the radar finally said rain and I bolted up there and broadcast A LOT of seed. It didntrain that much, but I thought it would be enough. Yesterday I walked in there and could see a few tiny sprigs of green but virtually no seed on the ground at all. There were tons of turkey droppings instead.
Right now it is REALLY raining and I just went and threw out A LOT MORE seed.
rape,clover,chicory,winterpeas,madsen wheat,)
sorry about the long post,
but is there some way to
keep the turkeys out of there? maybe a scarecrow?
coyote decoy? just until I get some real green going.
Thanks a whole lot to anyone who has any good ideas.

BMN · September 21, 2007, 02:48:00 PM

I've had good luck using an owl decoy in my yard at home but have never tried it with turkeys. Might be worth a shot.

Bill

bbassi · September 21, 2007, 03:08:00 PM

whatever you use it should move with the wind. I've seen turkeys walk right past a decoy like they never saw it because it didn't move. good luck.

MI_Bowhunter · September 21, 2007, 03:21:00 PM

Apply for a turkey tag.

brent d. · September 21, 2007, 05:38:00 PM

I have been thinking the same thing Mike. :D
Spring has traditionally been the only time of year that I dont hunt, but not NEXT year. Have any of you guys ever used one of those food plot fence things? I dont imagine that the would work on turkeys too well.

Stone Knife · September 21, 2007, 05:43:00 PM

They won't get it all. Did you try to rake or roll the seed in? If you have a quad you can drag a small hunk of chain link fence behind it to get a little coverage on the seed. If not drag a piece of pipe or 2x4 tied to a rope sideways this will give you some coverage also.

brent d. · September 21, 2007, 06:02:00 PM

I used a spring rake to go over it a few times, but a lot of it was still exposed...

Jerry Jeffer · September 21, 2007, 08:09:00 PM

After a weeks passing, I don't expect you would find much seed for any of the plants you mentioned. Unless you have an eye like the turkey's. If you have not been getting much rain, it will take more than a week to see germination. I suspect you will end up with some growth soon enough.

brent d. · September 21, 2007, 09:46:00 PM

I like your signature jerry. My eyes get worse every day and there hasnt been much rain until the last day or two. tropical storm conditions in the gulf

I figured as much about the little seeds. I know the deer have been eating a lot of the peas on the ground too. I have hardly been able to scare them out of there ever since I started clearing and after throwing the seed their tracks are now every where in there. The location is 80% surrounded by huge chestnut/white oaks and is right next a well-used trail. I saw a group of 20 to 30 turkeys pretty close to there a couple of days ago too. Just about the amount of turkeys it would take to make about 200 turkey piles. It is STILL raining. I hope that is going to be the ticket to green-ness.
I just bought a lifetime license this year, I hope I get my moneys worth.

Jerry Jeffer · September 26, 2007, 10:44:00 AM

Brent, Good luck with your food plot. I would be happy with the surrounding mast producing trees you have there. The rain is what you needed I'm sure. I like your selection of forage.

gobbler10ga · September 26, 2007, 12:32:00 PM

I will take care of them for you this spring

BamBooBender · September 26, 2007, 12:56:00 PM

X2 on the turkey tags! I've been thinking of getting some myself after watching these ones sneak through my front yard most mornings.

brent d. · September 26, 2007, 02:01:00 PM

lookie here what I found at lunchtime. starting to come up pretty well. still a little spotty but its really looking good.

that fertilizer really worked!

BamBooBender · September 26, 2007, 02:20:00 PM

You're growin money! Cool!

brent d. · September 26, 2007, 02:22:00 PM

hey gobbler10. Where ya from? This this is my first year paying for a lease so I can have guests and I have never seen so many turkeys anywhere. I havent hunted turkeys before because I have a hard enough time negotiating with the mrs. for deer season. I used to think that it was scoring points for me to stay home in the spring but n-o-o. So this year, "Im Turkey hunting too. :D