2018 Ohio Spring Turkey Season Day 18 - 19

[HunterGKS]

Day 18 – 05/10

Sometime around 01:45 this morning, a couple of storms blew through. The 1st put on a real light show making it seem like mid day with some very loud thunder boomers included. There was about a 5 minute span of calm before the 2nd storm rolled through which was not nearly as impressive as the 1st. It was All Quiet on the Chatfield Front at about 02:30.

As I pulled into the driveway where I was going to hunt, a coon almost went to the Great CS Cap Haberdashery in the Sky. It was 05:30, overcast, and 63, wet, slightly breezy, & wet. At 05:42, an owl to the north of me started hooting with single whoooooooooooos. No response from owls or turkeys. I did a few tree calls & a flydown at 06:07 with no response.

I spent the morning calling every 30 minutes or so & watching the squirrels. By 12:30, I decided that I had had all the fun 1 man can legally have & decided to call it a day. It had turned into a beautiful day with a temp of 73 but I was totally bored & frustrated & decided to head to town for groceries & a couple of errands. There’s always tomorrow.

Day 19 – 05/11

At 05:32, it was 48, overcast, & breezy. At 06:48, it sprinkled for about 10 minutes. I have tried several different calling efforts this week, tree calls, flydown cackles, quiet yelps & purrs, cackles, cutts, aggressively, & quietly & nothing has worked. At 07:00, I sent out my 1st calls, soft yelps with no response. I used this approach all morning every 46-60 minutes with no re4sponse of any type. It started to sprinkle again for about 10 minutes at 08:50. From 09:33 until 10:38, it rained pretty steadily.

I spent the morning watching all the various birds ranging from wrens & finches up to starlings but none of the all important turkeys. I did some a couple of species that I didn’t recognize & had to look up in my Field Guide as some sort of thrush & a Rose Beaked Grosbeak which I don’t think I have ever seen before.

I had been sharing lunch with a squirrel, me ham & cheese, the bushy beechnuts, at 11:00 but today I had to eat my lunch all by myself 'cause the squirrel was already gone. At 11:32, it started sprinkling again for about 20 minutes.

I was cold & damp with my hands feeling like ice cubes. I was not really enjoying sitting for 7 hours & not hearing even a single yelp let alone a gobble. So, at 12:30, I headed in with a stronger breeze & the temp up to a whopping 52. It looks like t-storms all day tomorrow so I doubt that I go out. Besides, over the last 19 days, I have only missed hunting 3 days & 2 of those were 8 hour driving days & I need a day of rest.

I had planned on mowing this evening but, with all the rain this morning, I figured it would be too wet. I hunt about 5 miles from the house but the yard is completely dry so I may get mowed today after all.

[Tail Feathers]

You have had some slow hunting.
By comparison, I spent about 15 mornings in my home woods between me and the grandsons hunting, and we heard three or more different gobblers each day. We conversed with birds every day.
You may need some more turkeys!

[BrowningGuy88]

Sounds like you are having a tough season!

Keep after them!

[HunterGKS]

So far, I have called in/seen 1 gobbler (missed) & seen 1 jake (shoulda shot) & 6 hens. I haven't heard any gobbles except from the 1 I missed.

When I 1st started hunting these woods 10-12 years ago, it was nothing to hear 4-6 birds every morning. The last 2-3 years have been tough & getting tougher.

Tough doesn't even begin to describe it. Looks like tomorrow & Sunday are washes literally as t-storms are predicated both days, all days.

[Grumpy]

You have more patience than I have that's for sure

[timbrhuntr]

I gotta be honest I don't feel that bad reading this. In the past 2 weeks I have called in 4 different gobblers. 3 I gave haircuts with my broadheads and one that caught me drawing and spooked ! I think not hearing any at all would be a better excuse !

[HunterGKS]

I gotta be honest I don't feel that bad reading this. In the past 2 weeks I have called in 4 different gobblers. 3 I gave haircuts with my broadheads and one that caught me drawing and spooked ! I think not hearing any at all would be a better excuse !

Trust me....It is a far, far better thing to see/hear gobblers then to not see/hear gobblers at all!!

[deerhunt1988]

Id be searching for new spots to hunt and venturing out to public lands.