Turkey Hunting
Keep Your Turkey Kit Simple
As I set this down, the countdown is passing exactly 8 weeks until The Opener. It has been a month since my last post. I was quite unwell– worst case of flu I’ve had in 20 years. It left me creeping around for weeks. It was just the wrong time, too. The new job really cranked up all of a sudden, and I’ve been whizzing about. This all set me back pretty much as far as my turkey preparations. I had already resolved to keep it simple this year–no big new projects. I just want to keep it simple. Although … More . . .
Scout Your Way to Success on a Small Plot
A lot of guys say you should not scout before season. It gets the birds skittish. Ben Lee used to call such a thing “False Hearsay.” If you do it right, the birds never know you are there. If they do, do not think busting an occasional flock is going to doom your season. I usually get on my flocks about a month before season starts. I am out at every opportunity. It is illegal to call to turkeys before season, and I do not recommend it. However, get in as close as I can and listen. The turkeys take … More . . .
New 2012-13 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide
KYDFWR has just released the new Hunting and Trapping Guide. 2012-13 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide So far I don’t see any big changes for what I’m doing. This post has already been read 1419 times!Views: 2 Related posts: From the KDFWR: Outstanding outlook for the hunt KY Turkey Poacher Fined $44,000 Indiana DNR Rule Changes KY: Record Harvest for Modern Gun Deer Season Know Thy Game, Know Thyself So you want a new deer rifle for Indiana Shotgun Vs. Rifle Yute Season
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Turkey 2012, a Post-Mortem
I am now cleaning all the guns and putting all the clothes in a big pile to do up for fall. Season is over. This was my first really good season in several years. Last season was miserable, even though I got a bird on The Opener– something I had never accomplished before. The big problem was my health– a bad cold that would not quit and finally settled in my lungs. The other big problem was weather, and that probably did a lot to bring on the former. This year, the weather was probably the most to blame for … More . . .
PODCAST: Angus Scores in Last Minute Hunt
This was going to be our last chance. Angus and Supercore both had gone dry going into the last day of season. Saturday had been plagued with rain that had kept the gobs quiet and the hens hiding. Angus did manage to nail a coyote around sunrise that came to our calls. We could not recover the carcass. This was it– last day of season. SuperCore went out to Broken Corners. I took Angus to Quarterway– halfway between the Honey Hole and Midway. We heard nothing except a gobbler off the property getting cranked up, but there were a bunch … More . . .
PODCAST: Tagged Out in 2012
Things developed slowly today, but the gobbler I podcasted the other weekend back at Virginia came in through the back door, cakewalking down the road like he owned the place. He got to the gate leading to the Honey Hole and met up with some #4 Federal from my Mossberg. Podcast — Tagged Out in 2012! Here are the all-important stats: Weight: 22 lbs Beard: 11 inches Spurs: L: 1.5″ R: 1.25″ That’s it for me, but Angus and SuperCore still have plenty of tags. SuperCore was out with me this afternoon. We were pinned down by five hens out … More . . .
Update: Podcast is working now
It was brought to my attention that the third part of the podcast I posted yesterday had a problem. It’s fixed now. Go ahead and give it a try. Podcast –KY Opener 2012 PT III I just got in from hunting with SuperCore. We went back to the Honey Hole and got blanked– nothing. The winds are gusting to 20MPH and are expected to hit 40 MPH before the end of the afternoon. This is one of those rare occasions that the wind is going to keep me in. I was out in the woods during Hurricane Ike, and I … More . . .
PODCAST: The shaman scores in KY Opener 2012
I went out this morning with low expectations. Rain was due before Noon. I figured that there would be nothing particularly hot, but the opener is after all The Opener, right? Angus and SuperCore went out to Broken Corners. We are fairly convinced that gob that I caught on the Podcast a couple of weeks ago is indeed Mister Moto. That makes the third season he’s been gracing the Hundred Acre Wood. Angus and SuperCore went out to kill him. I went to the new blind Angus and I prepared halfway between Midway and the Honey Hole. Halfway to Midway. … More . . .
PODCAST: Gobbler At Broken Corners
It’s the day before the Ky Yute Opener. Angus and I did some last-minute scouting this morning and found a gobbler less than 60 yards from us at Broken Corners. PODCAST: Angus and Dad at the Honey Hole PT 1 PODCAST: Angus and Dad at the Honey Hole PT 2 NOTE: You may find that the links load slowly. If so, try right-clicking on them and downloading them to your system before playing>Podcast –Gobbler at Broken Corners NOTE: I broke the previous podcast into two parts after some folks said it was too slow to load. I’ll try and … More . . .
PODCAST: A Walk Through Virginia
It’s April Fools Day, and the gobblers played a trick on me– had me running all over the farm. However, I finally got close to one out on the tip of Virginia. NOTE: I broke this podcast into two parts after some folks said it was too slow to load. I’ll try and keep these to about 15 minutes per segment in the future. Podcast –A Walk Through Virginia Part I Podcast –A Walk Through Virginia Part II Virginia is a “finger off a finger.” Our place is centered around a knife-edge ridge running N/S. There are a couple of … More . . .
PODCAST: Where do the Turkeys Go?
Here is another podcast. I did this one this morning while Angus and I were out scouting at the Honey Hole. Podcast Where did the Turkeys Go This post has already been read 798 times!Views: 1 Related posts: Requiem for the Honey Hole Went scouting and never left the bedroom The Last Yute Hunt — Angus Bags a Bird Honey Holes PODCAST: The shaman scores in KY Opener 2012 PODCAST: Gobblers at the Honey Hole On Learning to be an Expert Turkey Hunter PODCAST: Gobbler At Broken Corners
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PODCAST: Out Scouting the Left Leg
It stormed pretty heavily last night. I got up wondering what that had done to the turkeys. So I grabbed my coffee thermos and a boat cushion and headed out. Lily the beagle found her way out of the house and came along too. We went as far as the entrance to Virginia before encountering a gobbler still on the roost at the head of The Left Leg, a small creek running down the east side of Virginia. I set up in a treeline and recorded about 15 minutes of gobbling. Shortly into it, another gobbler, The Garbage Pit Bandit … More . . .
Observations on Daylight Savings Time and Turkeys
I’m back in from the morning’s activities. My goodness! You would have not believed the difference a day can make. Yesterday there were only two gobblers active, both well off the boundaries of the test area. This morning? Let me give you some stats: 1) The gobblers went active 50 minutes later this morning. That’s ten minutes sooner than would be predicted by assuming the time change had no effect. 2) Gobbling continued clear up to 2 hours after sunrise. Yesterday, we had a two gobs give a couple of quick gobbles right at sunrise, and then that was it. … More . . .
Turkey Hunting and Daylight Savings Time
As you may know, I just love pulling this prank every year. The change to Daylight Savings time comes around, and I try to get as many people on the hook as possible. I just started a thread over at Turkey & Turkey Hunting Forum: http://www.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8601 Please log in and give your most over-the-top description of how the changeover to DST causes trouble with the turkeys. This post has already been read 4911 times!Views: 4 Related posts: Daylight Savings Time Hoax More on Deer Porn Know Thy Game, Know Thyself Evolution of a Hunter Personal Ethics in Turkey Hunting The … More . . .
Ode to a buttpad
I don’t usually get gushy about gear. If you’ve been reading my stuff, you know I’m . . . well, don’t send me something to review unless you want my honest opinion. I was looking for a buttpad for Moosegirl. She will want something to sit on when she goes turkey hunting for the first time this spring. Comfort is often times one of the chief determiners in making or breaking a first timer. Some times it is the little things. I was on Amazon.com looking for a buttpad, and I found one for under $10: Click on the image … More . . .
Deep Woods vs. Fields for Turkeys
From T&TH Forum Where would you go? by Virginia Boy » Tue May 17, 2011 4:18 pm Here’s a question for some of you long time turkey hunters that has been puzzling this newbie for years. If you had a parcel of land in farm country that was a mix of timber and fields (cut corn, last years soybeans, etc.) – which would you choose to hunt in? Would you opt to set up on the field edge and call them out into the field? Or would you go into the woodlot and set up there? Decoys – yes or … More . . .
PODCAST — Turkey Opener 2011
The tale of the tape: 24.5 lbs, 10.5″ beard and spurs starting to hook– I’m guessing a 3 year old. He was fat enough that he broke the stick I was using as a handle for my turkey tote.
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New Calls for Moosegirl
This has been a busy off-season for me. Moosegirl, Moose’s squeeze, has shown an interest in both Turkey and Deer Hunting. Putting together a good starter kit for her for Spring Gobbler Season has had me scouring the web for good deals, collecting up turkey porn, and rummaging through the closets. I found a few nice things for her, including a pink Quaker Girl Lady Hurricane from Quaker Boy, and matching turkey purses for her and little Mooselette (due sometime between now and the Super Bowl. It also got me thinking about some pot calls. Now I have to admit … More . . .
A Turkey Hunter amid the Nazis
From T&TH Forum:Â “Calling vs Woodsmanship” Even though I am on the pro-staff here and a few other places, I don’t claim to be an expert turkey hunter. What I claim to be is expert at being a beginning turkey hunter. What I do know is how hunt conservatively and not make beginner mistakes– well, most days. Based on that, I will say that having a few calls under your belt and a lot of common sense will trump fancy calling alone or paired with mediocre woodsmanship. The reason I can give for this is best addressed by analogy. Let … More . . .
Turkey Camp Wrapping it up
Season ended Sunday. After a cursory effort to close up camp, Angus and I cleared out for home. I could get philisophical here. I could try and relate all this to a bigger picture, but I won’t. This season was grueling. It beat us down. We were lucky to get out. We did have casualties. I don’t know what I had that got hold of me back on the Opener. All I know is that I started coughing and didn’t stop for two weeks. I missed the last half of Opening Week, flat on my back in bed. Everybody had … More . . .
Calling to Hens
I guess I’ve strayed pretty far from the subject, but it was a good story, and I hope you get the point. None of this is a for-sure thing. . . You may think you’re sounding like a sexy hen, but to the turkeys you may be coming off like a drunk in the bushes with an ice pick.
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Report from Turkey Camp — Yeah, Right.
It is the second Monday morning of KY’s Spring Gobbler Season, and I am sitting here with that “did-anyone-get-the-license-plate” kind of feeling. For the first time in a week, I have my voice back. Yesterday was the first time that the trip between bed and my chair in the family room didn’t require planning. The doc saw me on Thursday and did not say exactly what it was, but threw me some Zithromax and told me to call if it got worse. I knew it was probably going to be ugly when I drove back from the farm, but I … More . . .
Report from Turkey Camp — Sunday
Angus and I went out this morning to hit the Honey Hole again. SuperCore went back to the Jagendehutte. About 0815 a gobbler came up to the blind and due to the steep contours, he was invisible until he got within 10 yards. Angus saw a head pop up out of the grass and then heard wild putting. I was watching the back door of the Honey Hole and had several come fairly close, only to drift off before they could show themselves. SuperCore had a jake come in at one point, but he just could not bring himself to … More . . .
Report from Turkey Camp — The Opener
The past few years, I’ve been reporting from Turkey Camp a day or so ahead of the Opener. I’m out there glassin’ and frettin’ and . . . just can’t stand it, ya’ know? So this year, I’m back in the saddle again– got a new job after 2 seasons on the sidelines. It’s a bit of a crimp to the the turkey hunting, but I am not complaining. So the Opener kind of came on hard and fast. One minute, I was at my desk, being a computer wonk and the next minute I’m fighting rush-hour traffic. KYHillChick and … More . . .
Sorry I Haven’t Written / Last Minute Tips
This is the time of year when I should be posting every day about turkeys. However, I look back and it has been over a week. No, I’m not sick. No, I haven’t lost interest. It’s just. . . . . . I guess you can say it’s all been said. I have a few clothes left to pack. I have the shotguns together, the ammo is already down at camp. I’ll stop at Sam’s Club and buy a bunch of food middle of the week. I have been scratching on a few calls, but mostly I have been just … More . . .
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