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Turkey Season 2012

MikeD

I'm Your Huckleberry
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I just bought my 2012 Turkey tag!!!! My season runs April 23 through May 6.


Game on!!
 
Sweet. Going through hunter ed this summer. Looking to go turkey hunting in November 2012.
 
Water Monkey said:
Sweet. Going through hunter ed this summer. Looking to go turkey hunting in November 2012.

Awesome! I have to admit that I think I prefer turkey hunting over deer in terms of sheer fun. Nothing like calling in a bird.

Personally I like the spring season over the fall as they are more vocal during the mating season. Fall is fun as well, you just have to change your tactics up a bit.

Post up any questions you have and keep us posted as to your progress.
 
Cool thanks Bro!

Turkey Season on LI, NY seems to be only on week late fall. Deer season tends to run into late January.

I'm probably going to have a crack at both seasons this Fall/Winter.

I've been reading up and seeing videos on how to field dress a turkey. Doesn't seem so difficult. The big decision I have is whether I want to breast the turkey or pluck it....

Already picked me up a realtree outfit with face mask. Grabbed a turkey box to mess around with and trying to figure out these damn mouth calls (gonna need some practice)

How do the tactics change in the fall?
 
Water Monkey said:
How do the tactics change in the fall?

They mate in the spring, April through May here in MI. That may vary a bit depending on the weather, where you live, etc.. During this time of the year they are very vocal. The toms are trying to mate and spend a great deal of time trying to call hens to them. They are also very territorial with any other toms and jakes You can use calls very effectively during this period to locate and call in these birds

In the fall they are not as vocal and, per my experience, do not respond to calling too much. Locator calls still work if you can find where they are roosting and try to catch them when they fly down, they will try to group back together and sometimes you can pull one in that way.

When I have tried hunting them in the fall I would pattern them and try to catch them moving between feeding area's. In MI we can take either sex with a fall permit but I have not had nearly as much luck in getting them close like I do in the spring. I'm usually bow hunting for deer at the same time the fall turkey season rolls around so I need to get them close if I want a god shot.
 
I'm pretty stoked about turkey season this year. My dad, a couple of buddies, and me are going on a 9 day Huntin / Fly Fishing / Camping trip the end of April through early May. We're headed to a cabin in Potter County Pennsylvania. Last year the turkeys weren't answering calls, so it became more of a fishing trip, which I have no problem with. Maybe this year will be different. I hope to get a turkey though, but you never know what'll happen out there. The last two years the fishing up there has been fantastic. No turkeys though. We have extended the trip from 5 to 9 days this year and we're going a tad earlier. The weather here indicates fly hatches this year may be earlier than normal, so like I said, we'll see what goes on...
 
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=27 ... v_GID=1633


WOOO! I am ready for this season! My Connecticut season starts April 25 - May 26, so I'll be doing some recon later on in the next month. See if I can see where they like to go to sleep, and what their trails are this year.
If you go to the spot where you see them going up in the trees for bed time, the next day get there before sunrise and it will make it a little easier to find them. I'm NOT saying get em when they fly off the branch, that's just not right. Where would the fun be in that. The fun part is...calling them in to you. And then of course eating them.. :lol:

Anyone have any good turkey recipes they care to share?
 
Just to add fuel to the fire, here are some videos I took during last years hunt. Last year I hunted with a bow.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXC_RnSNz9c[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlfmxKIkV0A[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw34Ib2quU0[/youtube]
 
Were you waiting for a big ole tom? Or just scouting?
 
Waiting on a Tom. I made these recordings while out hunting. I never did see a big tom last year but I did get a shot at a Jake late in my season but missed low as I misjudged the yardage in the open field. I thought I had the video uploaded but i can't find it now. I'll have to search my hard drive for it.

Had it been a fall hunt, one of those hens would have found her way to my freezer (assuming I could have hit one, LOL)
 
Idk if you have thought of it but....how about setting up the decoys at a specific yardage? That way you can get a rough guess. Keep em in a line and the add a couple more on their side to look somewhat of a group. Turkeys do travel in a line so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
 
I actually did, they were set at 15 yards. I jake I saw did not stop at the decoys and didn't stop moving until he had moved off to my side.

After my miss I stuck some sticks in the ground to mark of yardages around my blind. Unfortunately that was the last opportubnity I had.

It's all good, that jake will be a tom this year. And I'll be back. :-D
 
Everyone misses once in a while. Use each miss as a learning experience and keep trying to get better from having had those experiences.
 
ripjack13 said:
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=491376&depNav_GID=1633


WOOO! I am ready for this season! My Connecticut season starts April 25 - May 26, so I'll be doing some recon later on in the next month. See if I can see where they like to go to sleep, and what their trails are this year.
If you go to the spot where you see them going up in the trees for bed time, the next day get there before sunrise and it will make it a little easier to find them. I'm NOT saying get em when they fly off the branch, that's just not right. Where would the fun be in that. The fun part is...calling them in to you. And then of course eating them.. :lol:

Anyone have any good turkey recipes they care to share?

I cant wait to take my Spring walk through the woods of my club to find the roosts.
Very few Turkey Hunters, like 2 of us, so the acreage is almost all mine. Except for the damn Yotes.
No fur bearing hunting on the property...BUMMER!
 
Does your club allow you to bring a guest?
 
I could just grab one off the front lawn some day I swear. They are always out there. Starting to get to be the time to see them with their chicks again.
 
That'll be closer to the middle of may end of may. It takes about 30 days to hatch.
 
ripjack13 said:
Does your club allow you to bring a guest?
I wish they did!
Hunting Pheasants is a club in a club. Pay an extra $100 on top of your membership dues and you hunt the stocked birds every Saturday during the season, members only.
Turkey Hunting is ONLY by special permission of the Club President and again members only.

Sorry Rip!
 
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