Angus’ Yute Hunt
Well, we’re back in. Angus is doing a load of dishes before we pull out of camp. Yute season was a bust. We spent two days waiting for something to happen. About all we had to show for it was a single gobble about 200 yards away. Saturday, there was gobbling, but it was well off the property and it died out shortly after sunrise. On Sunday, we were greeted by remarkably high morning temperature (usually a sure ticket to early season gobbles), but things were deader than we had seen it in quite a while. My theory is … More . . .
PODCAST: The Honey Hole
They say there is no such thing as a honey hole in turkey hunting. Well, I have a honey hole. Angus and I were out scouting it in preparation for the beginning of Yute Season next weekend. I will let you be the judge. 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 Views: 1 Related posts: PODCAST: Gobblers at the Honey Hole PODCAST: Three Jakes … More . . .
PODCAST: Locator Calls up on Gobbler’s Knob
It was cold and snowy on Sunday– didn’t know if I would be able to make it back to town, so I stayed back and finished off a podcast from my last trip down to turkey camp. This one was neat, because it had a whole bunch of things other than gobblers in it. There were hens, crows, owls, and even a hawk. I collected all this in the half-hour either side of sunrise last weekend in a trip up to Gobbler’s Knob. I was sitting in my favorite spot, about 20 yards behind the Jagendehutte, up on top of … More . . .
Strategies for Turkeys on a Small Plot
My strategy for hunting turkeys is different than most professional turkey hunters. It is different than most guys who travel to hunt turkeys in far-off destinations. It is different than a guy who hunts public land. My situation has determined a lot of my strategy. Back in 2001, I acquired 200 acres of prime turkey land in Bracken County, Kentucky. It has about 40 acres of pasture and the rest is second-growth Oak Hickory savannah and red cedar thicket. My land is on a long ridge that falls off into the Licking River flowage. I limit myself to just those … More . . .
When to Call (And When Not to)
When to Call . . .and When Not to I have previously given y’all my basic strategy for calling. It is actually a bit more complicated. For starters, I have mostly given up on locator calling. I hunt in an area that has surrounding farms and a lot are still actively engaged in farming. If I am patient, the gobblers will sound off at a lot of things. Cows, dogs barking, my favorite for years was a donkey that would bray clear over on the next ridge every morning. If I wait, usually the gobblers give themselves away. I am … More . . .
The Turkey Rules are Out!
Kentucky has published the rules for Spring Turkey and Squirrel Season, 2013.. Everyone ought to download a copy and read it thoroughly. Views: 2 Related posts: Spring Turkey Rules are Out! KY Spring Rules are Posted It’s Out! KDFWR Releases Spring 2020 Rules Kentucky Fall Rules are Out Kentucky Fall Rules Are Out KDFWR Turkey Study Underway KY 2018 Rules Delay Back in Turkey Mode
More . . .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. Views: 2 Related posts: KDFWR 20-21 Hunting and Trapping Guide is Out Shamanic Guide to Whitetail Deer Hunting Kentucky Fall Rules are Out Kentucky Fall Rules Are Out PODCAST: The shaman scores in KY Opener 2012 PODCAST: Tagged Out in 2012 Kentucky Considers Deer Hunt Tourism Return of the Whitetail in Kentucky
More . . .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 . . .
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