Gobbler Nation

Landowner says no one has hunted it this year but I know it get's poached. He had seen 3 Strutters out there, and I know where they usually roost, so should have a good shot. Only bad is heavy rain all week expected making the farm road going back there real tough. Hopefully, I can make it or the walk becomes twice as far to get where I have to go.

Go get 'em, Jay.. How did the out west trip go??

Good luck, mang! The monsoons that have hit here the last few days have certainly not been any fun.

Hope ya have better luck than me Jay...got caught in the rains last couple days, struck out.

Ticeman wrote:Hope ya have better luck than me Jay...got caught in the rains last couple days, struck out.

I pretty much ate my season 3 tag, stuck chasing birds in Kansas. Got out 1 day here.

Hognutz wrote:Go get 'em, Jay.. How did the out west trip go??

Lady shot a Jake, and I had the wrong choke in my gun totally screwing me up on a couple of long shots. Positive is I acquired some real nice private land with a lot of Turkey. Will probably head out there on a four day hunt towards the end of May.

You want me to fly out and call for you?

Jay, we don't shoot Jakes here at Gobbler Nation.

Use the term "Young Tom" it sounds better.

Gobbler wrote:You want me to fly out and call for you?

Jay, we don't shoot Jakes here at Gobbler Nation.

Use the term "Young Tom" it sounds better.

Hey Doug

You can fly here to Va. I could use some good calling. These TOUGH Mountain Birds are driving me crazy !

I only posted that cause I knew Jay wouldn't read it for a week.

Bust em up!

One Hen on the whole property, who was so excited when I started calkling she wouldn't leave. I snuck out and she was roosted the next morning in the tree by me. I can't figure out what's going on. This property use to be loaded with Turkey. I know there are a lot of Coyotes, and I suspect poaching, but not really sure. Further bad news is there is a clunk when I hit the accelator, so it looks like I'm going to need work on the hunting vehicle, which could finish off my season. I know my wife sure isn't going to let me use her Mountaineer after seeing what I do to mine. Other bad news is my knee hasn't healed up from Kansas when I fell over barb wire and twisted it. Hopefully it isn't permanent. Had arthritis in that knee to begin with.

Dang Jay...sorry to hear this..you better stay home...if it makes ya feel better, I'm eatin tag soup so far as well...arrgh.

It rains in Iowa

Ticeman wrote:Dang Jay...sorry to hear this..you better stay home...if it makes ya feel better, I'm eatin tag soup so far as well...arrgh.

Mike, the problem in Iowa is, because of early breeding due to mild winter, by the time season 3 rolls around many areas the breeding cycle is over. Bye season 4 if you can find a Tom willing to breed, you are doing well. If this weather continues, and DNR doesn't open the season earlier, I'm done buying season 4 tags, and only getting season 1 or 2. When I saw Toms already breeding this year early March in Iowa, I knew I was screwed this year, being I had already bought tags. The weather is making us more a Southern state than a Northern state for Turkey hunting. Secret is buy your tags later to match according to the severity of the winter that year.

Jaybird wrote:

Ticeman wrote:Dang Jay...sorry to hear this..you better stay home...if it makes ya feel better, I'm eatin tag soup so far as well...arrgh.

Mike, the problem in Iowa is, because of early breeding due to mild winter, by the time season 3 rolls around many areas the breeding cycle is over. Bye season 4 if you can find a Tom willing to breed, you are doing well. If this weather continues, and DNR doesn't open the season earlier, I'm done buying season 4 tags, and only getting season 1 or 2. When I saw Toms already breeding this year early March in Iowa, I knew I was screwed this year, being I had already bought tags. The weather is making us more a Southern state than a Northern state for Turkey hunting. Secret is buy your tags later to match according to the severity of the winter that year.

Southern Iowa and northern Missouri both have birds to kill, but they've moved off from their usual roosts and aren't gobbling much anymore, so their new locations are hard to determine. Last Friday, I thought the farm I was on was completely dead...only saw one hen at flydown. I was finally able to strike a gobble from a neighboring farm about 200 yards away around 8:30am. He would toss me courtesy gobble every hour, or so. He didn't show up to get shot until 1:00PM. Last Sunday in Missouri was similar...I finally struck at gobbler on the neighboring farm (someplace I don't normally see them) at 12:30PM, but he was moving too slow to make the 1:00PM cutoff time. Ultimately, I guess a feller has a better chance at actually scoring, but the hunts are a lot slower (more boring) without that early season gobbling action.

Where I hunt down by the Missouri border, when they are done with the breeding cycle, the whole bunch does a Houdini and dissappear to not be found anywhere. Strange deal.

Going tomorrow, last chance for me this spring, don't expect to kill any turks, but I'm taking the AR just in case some yotes show up, at least I'll get to kill somethin,,, tag soup for me this year...I suck.

I'm off Sunday and Monday, but don't have a clue where to hunt.