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Spring Turkeys 2021

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  • Spring Turkeys 2021

    Here we go again? How's the scouting going, and is anyone taking a kid this weekend?

    I'm mentoring a 15 year-old looking for his first tom. He's pretty excited. I'm onto some birds, but not in the usuall places, so there may be some trial and error in the set-ups. We'll see what happens. Sunday is looking wet. Good luck this season, everyone!
    Life's short, hunt hard!

  • #2
    There’s one gobbling in the roost outside of my home while I type this. Seen more so far this spring than last year. Not taking any youths this weekend, we have 70,000 Atlantic Salmon to stock in the East Branch of Fish Creek watershed Saturday.

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    • #3
      Did you have any luck out there Buckladd? How did the youth hunt go? I'm getting prepped for the opener but it is always competing with fishing.

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      • #4
        We had quite a morning Saturday, with a very happy young hunter. From what I'm hearing the youth hunt went very well this year across New York. Can't wait for the weekend.
        Attached Files
        Life's short, hunt hard!

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        • #5
          Congratulations Young hunter!
          "A culture is no better than its woods." W.H. Auden

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          • #6

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            • #7
              Get out and drive/walk around early in the morning if you can and try to listen for roosted birds. I found a few more toms this morning. Hope they're still around Saturday and Sunday. From there it will be in-season scouting. Good luck everyone!
              Life's short, hunt hard!

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              • #8
                The gobblers were lighting it up this morning. What a day compared to yesterday. Yesterday I sat in the snow for 6 hours before giving up. I saw one hen and got one very weak gobble response.
                Today I got to my spot late (forgot about the moonlight) and had a bird gobbling 30 yards from where I sat yesterday. There were also two fired up on the other side of the road where I planned to move. I could not believe how early they came off the roost. I forgot about the moonlight. It makes a difference when it's not cloudy/snowing. I rushed to the first spot I could find, sat and made a few quick calls. I managed to work a few birds out of the woods to 25 yards and took a nice tom after he separated from his little buddy jake. He put on quite a show right up until he got thumped.
                While I tagged I was still hearing birds (hens and Toms) nearby. I also saw two nice Toms with hens about 300 yards from my spot as I was leaving. It seems like the DEC's prediction of low bird counts was not correct WRT the North Country.

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                • #9
                  Does the DEC track turkey harvest data and is it publicly accessible?

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by montcalm View Post
                    Does the DEC track turkey harvest data and is it publicly accessible?
                    Not quite the same way as Deer and Bear but yes. Here are links to the DEC Spring and Fall harvest results by county;



                    There are no reports issued (that I am aware of) that report by WMU

                    Incidents are reported for turkey hunting. There were one each for the past three years reported. This years "incident" was reported from Niagara County where a hunter deliberately shot at two people as they approached his decoys. They all had permission to hunt the same property.

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                    • #11
                      This is great, thanks mgc!

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                      • #12
                        MGC: My opening weekend experiences were very similar, without the snow. I had the same 15yo with me for the opener, but he could only hunt until 9am. We sat in the wind, sleet and snow until he got cold and when we moved, we bumped a Jake. We heard a tom before we headed out but I could not pinpoint it.

                        Sunday was a different story. I went back to the same spot and was just getting ready to call when a hen popped out. A few minutes later a gobbler sounded way off. After two or three gobbles I had a good idea where he was and let the box call rip. Ten minutes later he was circling me, and close. He finally stepped out at 15 yards and I let him have it at 6am! He was a good one, 21.5 pounds with an 8.5 inch beard.

                        Saving my second tag for a "friends" hunt next weekend, unless I get a look at big tom I've been after with a paintbrush beard. Meanwhile, I plan to call for my brother and the youth this weekend.

                        I did hear of a turkey hunting incident in Orange County on May 1, no details yet. Be safe, and get some gobblers!
                        Attached Files
                        Life's short, hunt hard!

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                        • #13
                          Buckladd, Nice when a plan works. It took me about 30 minutes to get the birds in close. I thought I had called in a hen with a tom until they finally got close enough for me to really see them. It was a jake in the lead and my Tom right behind him fanning and yodeling with every step. It was quite a show. The problem was that they were so close to each other that I couldn't shoot. When they finally separated a bit I threw some lead. I used my box call and a new glass slate for most of my calling but for the final few yards I made some very soft clucks and purrs with a mouth call. I was sitting totally exposed and in their line of sight so I couldn't move my hands for the other calls.
                          I'm going to see if I can get my son a chance at a bird. Hopefully I can call something in for him other than a hen.
                          You shot my birds twin, 22 lbs, 8 inch beard, 1 1/8 and 1 inch spurs.

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                          • #14
                            Took my brother ( 13yo ) out for youth weekend. He could only hunt Saturday. We had a nice bird come running full steam towards us from a field across the road from where we set up. He came in to 60 yards when a truck stopped in the road and started calling to the bird confusing him and eventually making him break off. I was so upset and never understood why people want to educate birds from their vehicle. I've had him out 4 days since then and we have been close but not made it happen.
                            I've got my bird on the 6th and it was an awesome hunt. Stalking, army crawling, cat and mouse game at its finest. Remainder of the season will be getting my brother his bird.

                            Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by FishinNY View Post
                              I was so upset and never understood why people want to educate birds from their vehicle.

                              Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
                              I agree, and feel bad for your young brother. The only turkeys I call to are the ones I'm hunting. Before the season, when scouting or roosting, I use a crow call or owl hoot to get them to gobble.

                              I just wrapped up a real fun weekend, despite no birds. My brother and I had a pair of hens wisk away two nice toms Friday morning. Went back there yesterday with the young kid I'm mentoring and we never saw a bird. I did call in three jakes in another spot later yesterday morning, but I was alone. Then I had six jakes come in at 5:45 this morning. I might come to regret it, but unless it's a nice longbeard, I'm saving my second tag for a special hunt/fish trip with friends next weekend.
                              Life's short, hunt hard!

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