Live from the field 2020

[muddy]

Past 5-6 hunts have been frustrating. Hunting with the kids is great, but mobility is next to nil, and that makes things teeth grinding when you cant move. Alex has missed twice, Abby had a chance, but couldn't get on the bird, and I am getting a back ache from carrying all the stuff. At least we have had birds in range... a plus.

We are in a destination strut area, and have a couple gobbling around us. Fingers crossed a really dumb one shows up. Currently have other hunters across the fence a ways... at least their calling sounds good. Hopefully the birds hang up on them... in our field.

20200503_072137.jpg

[muddy]

What's the old saying, "if it wasnt for bad luck we wouldn't have any luck at all"?

2 different birds from 2 different directions come in and each hang at 80-100 and gobble. Then they skirt to each other and start ghaying it up and walk off together. It's still early but they're poking the bear... and the bear might come in solo with the 10 gauge tomorrow.

[stash59]

Took a drive this AM. 2 trucks parked in both spots I really wanted to listen from! By the time I picked a third one. I believe I heard the last gobble from a roosted bird. Way off in the distance. Put quite a few more windshield miles on. Saw a good number of birds. Including a couple of spots where birds may end up on overlooked areas of public. Not that many trucks/cars parked in alot of areas. no one else hits the overlooked areas I found. Before Wednesday, the start of my 1st tag's season! Gonna try and get up near one spot this eve to listen.

One thing that clicked for me today. Was the overwhelming amount of birds I'm seeing in fields that have dirt. Very few in green fields. With alot of the ones seen in green fields. Seeming to have to pass through them. Coming or going from the tilled fields. More birds in corn stubble and hardly any in heavily tilled fields. Most birds in low till fields of corn from last year. None seen in bean stubble still left.

They all seem to be in the woods. By 2 1/2 hours after 1st shooting light!

I'm in SC WI.

[Jackson Marsh]

Good luck muddy and kids

[mipubbucks24]

Called a nice bird in for my wife, mid day, it was an awesome hunt! He gobbled about 20 times cutting me off almost every time I called. Took him about 15 minutes to come in. He came in looking as I forgot to bring the decoy out. First bird I have called in for my wife, she normally hunts with my her dad, and it made up for a miss she had this last Monday.

[greenhorndave]

Called a nice bird in for my wife, mid day, it was an awesome hunt! He gobbled about 20 times cutting me off almost every time I called. Took him about 15 minutes to come in. He came in looking as I forgot to bring the decoy out. First bird I have called in for my wife, she normally hunts with my her dad, and it made up for a miss she had this last Monday.

Sounds like an exciting one!

[BigHunt]

public
540am roost kill

[greenhorndave]

public
540am roost kill

Sweet!

[PaPublicLandHunter]

Saturday was the opener for pa. I had two toms roosted the night before. They flew down and were immediately wiu two hens and could not pull them away all morning. Probably should have just left them be and looked for others. There was a good bit of hunters but that was expected for the opener.

[dan]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mcbmx2dlyP8

[Jmitch]

Out this morning for a few hours before I had to get home to watch my kids. Left the truck way early and hiked way back in only to have a bird gobble on the roost directly behind me between me and my truck. Then I completely misjudged how close it was in the hills and preceded to keep walking away only to find the bird I was sure was roosted on a different finger ridge wasn't there. Looped around to listen from a different direction and couldn't make it back close enough to the earlier bird to get a good location. Sat in him for an hour or so after he went completely silent and never heard from him again. Oh well always tomorrow.

[wrusch]

Quiet morning in the hills. A little bit a fog might have messed it up New spot tomorrow.

[brkissl82]

I love Turkey hunting but man it gets so frustrating. I call turkeys in from 200yards away for them to stop at 80 yards gobble then walk away. It's like I dont even believe turkeys can be shot lol

[Jmitch]

Beautiful morning for turkeys this morning. Found 2 birds gobbling on the roost immediately and moved on them. Ended up only like 30 to 40 yards away from what sounded like the subordinate tom with him in the tree and maybe 75 from the other one. Still cant believe I got there without busting the him. Couldn't find him in the tree until he flew down to about 40 yards in front of me and walked straight away with a hen behind a massive red oak. No shot. They moved off to the other Tom then sounded like they all slowing moved up and over a saddle and away from me. Meanwhile I'm stuck where I am because I can still see 2 or 3 hens in a tree less than 50 yards away and if I bust them its game over. Finally they fly down and I make a few moves and close the distance and was able to use the topography to get what I think is in front of them only to hear them change directions and work away again and shortly after that go quiet.

Drove around a little on the way home and saw Turkeys seemingly everywhere this morning. SW 2 Tom's and a hen in a small field I can hunt and am very familiar with the woods around it. Thought I could get around them and make a move but was wrong the hen busted me at like 70 yards. Only putted once or twice then walked off into the woods. Probably should've left them alone for a different morning but uh well. Hopefully they weren't spooked too bad and will be back

[muddy]

After a few days off we are back at it. Quite a ways from home so 2 kids and myself are camping for 3 days, going home on Saturday. Thus far we've seen a rooster, a squirrel, and 2 cotton tails. This has been a really rough spring. Kids seem OK with it but can sense their frustration... which is why I packed extra sugary snacks. A bad turkey hunt can be trumped with oatmeal cream pies, cheeze-its, and PB granola bars.