I've had 3 jakes on top of me since fly down, birds firing off all around, strutters don't want to play yet, I'm wet
Turkey Season 2024
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Last: 1 day ago by AgDad121619
Very jealous.
5 Jakes under 10 yards before downpour, never saw the strutter
Driving back from NM yesterday on a back road in light snow we came up on a flock that was trying to stay warm on the asphalt we were traversing. Wife was not amused when I grabbed a diaphragm call off the dash and rolled down the windows.
Tough sledding this weekend.
Saturday morning: got 3-4 different toms gobbling, but they were on the neighbor's place & wouldn't budge across 200 yards of open field. A coyote came within 10' of us looking for a turkey dinner.... that was pretty cool.
Saturday afternoon managed to get a group of 3 toms & several hens to come in, but they hung up about 50 yards out. The hens went east & the toms followed.
This morning pulled up and as soon as I got out of the truck a tom gobbled while on the roost no more than 30 yards away. I got my gear as quietly as possible and hiked the opposite direction and made a big semicircle to set up 50 yards away from him and 100 from the truck.
His hen came in first, she saw my decoy and went to investigate, first pecking and then battering with her wings nearly knocking it over. The gobbler was in full strut 30 yards away behind a dense stand of Yaupons.... unfortunately the hen got tired of trying to beat sense into my decoy and left. He made a wide circle and followed her away. EDIT: I'll also add that I didn't call the gobbler in, it was the hen that was responsive. Every other time she yelped, I yelped back cutting her off. I don't think she liked that, so she came in to see who the hussy was that was cutting her off. Good tactic for henned up gobblers.
20 minutes later 4 gobblers show up coming in fast. They are responding to my every cluck and yelp.
The come in on a beeline to 40 yards away and keep going as if they were on a mission. The entire time they are walking away, they continue responding. I pull up stakes and follow and attempt to head them off.... can't catch them, they are hauling butt. Weird.
Overall, a fun weekend - saw a ton of birds but it's still too early in the season. Gobblers hanging with hens all day makes for tough calling.
Saturday morning: got 3-4 different toms gobbling, but they were on the neighbor's place & wouldn't budge across 200 yards of open field. A coyote came within 10' of us looking for a turkey dinner.... that was pretty cool.
Saturday afternoon managed to get a group of 3 toms & several hens to come in, but they hung up about 50 yards out. The hens went east & the toms followed.
This morning pulled up and as soon as I got out of the truck a tom gobbled while on the roost no more than 30 yards away. I got my gear as quietly as possible and hiked the opposite direction and made a big semicircle to set up 50 yards away from him and 100 from the truck.
His hen came in first, she saw my decoy and went to investigate, first pecking and then battering with her wings nearly knocking it over. The gobbler was in full strut 30 yards away behind a dense stand of Yaupons.... unfortunately the hen got tired of trying to beat sense into my decoy and left. He made a wide circle and followed her away. EDIT: I'll also add that I didn't call the gobbler in, it was the hen that was responsive. Every other time she yelped, I yelped back cutting her off. I don't think she liked that, so she came in to see who the hussy was that was cutting her off. Good tactic for henned up gobblers.
20 minutes later 4 gobblers show up coming in fast. They are responding to my every cluck and yelp.
The come in on a beeline to 40 yards away and keep going as if they were on a mission. The entire time they are walking away, they continue responding. I pull up stakes and follow and attempt to head them off.... can't catch them, they are hauling butt. Weird.
Overall, a fun weekend - saw a ton of birds but it's still too early in the season. Gobblers hanging with hens all day makes for tough calling.
That's a great weekend even if you didn't pull the trigger.
Awesome last weekend of Spring Break! Son had a dirtbike race in Floresville Saturday, and then we ran over to Cuero that evening just in time to roost a few birds. Set up by 6:40 this morning. Had a nice Tom come in out front and hang up at 50 yards. Soon after a group of 5 jakes came in tight from the left. I was going to give them a pass but after watching for about 5 minutes, I convinced myself this was a 2 year old bird since he had about a 5" bird. Told my boy to let it rip as they tried to move past us and the decoys and my boy busted him. Spurs show he was younger, but every turkey is a trophy in our book. So much fun hunting these birds and even more fun doing it with my son!
I never figured it was possible to tell how old a bird was based on spurs or beard.
To quote Braveheart "Some men are bigger than others".
I always looked at the feathers in the fan. Jakes will have not shed their first set of tail feathers & they'll be a little longer in the middle typically, like this:
Though I suppose that gobbler hasn't shed any of its tail feathers & they are all still the juvenile set?
To quote Braveheart "Some men are bigger than others".
I always looked at the feathers in the fan. Jakes will have not shed their first set of tail feathers & they'll be a little longer in the middle typically, like this:
Though I suppose that gobbler hasn't shed any of its tail feathers & they are all still the juvenile set?
I think you're right Apache. Upon further inspection, I guess this was an adult bird hanging with a group of youngin's. He was definitely the dominant bird and the only one to strut
I saved a wing and his ninth and tenth primaries are barred to the tip.
***I'm sure most of you know this tip, but I like carrying a dried wing in my vest. I've killed multiple birds with only minimal calling and simulating a fly down or two with a wing. Try it if you haven't
I saved a wing and his ninth and tenth primaries are barred to the tip.
***I'm sure most of you know this tip, but I like carrying a dried wing in my vest. I've killed multiple birds with only minimal calling and simulating a fly down or two with a wing. Try it if you haven't
A dried turkey wing is better served as a lab chew toy.
Just ask my dog, she'll tell you.
Just ask my dog, she'll tell you.
Congrats to the young man!
2nd hunt for me this afternoon. I pulled same group of jakes from opening morning into 10 yards fast. Then had a few more working across the river on a separate property that were flocked up, couldn't get them to cross the river. I don't think the Toms are quite ready on my places.
2nd hunt for me this afternoon. I pulled same group of jakes from opening morning into 10 yards fast. Then had a few more working across the river on a separate property that were flocked up, couldn't get them to cross the river. I don't think the Toms are quite ready on my places.
Recommended changes for TP&W could impact your turkey season next year:
Quote:
Upland Game Bird Regulations
- Require statewide mandatory harvest reporting for all harvested wild turkeys during all seasons and counties.
- Close the spring-only hunting season for wild turkeys south of Highway 82 in Fannin, Lamar, Red River, and Bowie counties.
- Close all wild turkey hunting seasons in Bell and Williamson counties east of Interstate 35 (I-35) and in all of Milam County.
- Remove references to Rio Grande and Eastern wild turkey subspecies in regulations and replace with "wild turkey."
- Reduce the wild turkey hunting season length and annual bag limit in all counties with an open season west of the Pecos River and east of I-35/north of I-10 to a spring-only season from April 1-30 and 1 gobbler (male turkey) annual bag limit.
I don't know anything about the bird populations in those counties, but having county restrictions instead of "Rio" or "eastern" seems like a better idea since the birds in NE Texas are probably cross-bred.
My bird got home yesterday, I'm really liking this mount. Put him on a whisky barrel I had. I've only called jakes in my 3 sits so far this season.
beautiful mountAggieJames09 said:
My bird got home yesterday, I'm really liking this mount. Put him on a whisky barrel I had. I've only called jakes in my 3 sits so far this season.
this is a hail mary - my BILs birthday is in a couple weeks and he is wanting to turkey hunt in texas. does anyone have a lease spot / willing to lease us a weekend hunt to chase some birds for his birthday?
let me know!
let me know!
Frustrated opening day in Jack County. Two hens strutting all around in the field where my blind is. Yelping for friends to join them. 45 mins.
Must be really homely hens though because no Jake's or Toms cared.
Must be really homely hens though because no Jake's or Toms cared.
Lance in Round Mountain
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AG
Hunted with my son this morning and he got this gobbler.
In my 6 sits I've called in 2 to 7 jakes each time, haven't put eyes on a long beard. 7 jakes this morning
What's yalls favorite decoy setup? I have a fan i can add
Jakes taste really good too!AggieJames09 said:
In my 6 sits I've called in 2 to 7 jakes each time, haven't put eyes on a long beard. 7 jakes this morning
Bodes well for next year
Lance in Round Mountain
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AG
Mine is very basic and I'm certainly no expert. An old (so old the paint is faded. lol) Feather Flex hen and jake set up about 30 yards or so from where I (we if there's 2 of us) sit down.JeremiahJohnson said:
What's yalls favorite decoy setup? I have a fan i can add
I have a few old decoys my dad bought years ago. Was thinking about buying some new ones.
I have been looking at a strutting jake and use my real fan and also a hen. There are so many good ones on the market I am probably just splitting hairs.
I have been looking at a strutting jake and use my real fan and also a hen. There are so many good ones on the market I am probably just splitting hairs.
How much do you run and gun? The most realistic decoys are bulky to carry around if you do a lot of walking and calling to locate them.
I don't run and gun on my lease. I know the general location where they frequent.
I would like to try out of state when I travel for work. That would be prime candidate for something light weight. Nothing here.
I would like to try out of state when I travel for work. That would be prime candidate for something light weight. Nothing here.
They were screaming this morning in North Uvalde county. It was a great way to wake up and enjoy the sunrise!
where do you travel to? SE is covered up with good public land to huntJeremiahJohnson said:
I don't run and gun on my lease. I know the general location where they frequent.
I would like to try out of state when I travel for work. That would be prime candidate for something light weight. Nothing here.
I have a sales territory including : Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Colorado. Would like to get all species eventually. I had a national territory until recently. I was making plans for it but changed jobs last year so I needed to wait to establish some good will first haha
You have all subspecies covered except the Osceola and you can pick that one up during spring break with a trip to Disney World.
I thought squirrels were supposed to be a problem at bird feeders? This is about 15 ft from my house.
First pic is yesterday and the second is today. She's back!
First pic is yesterday and the second is today. She's back!
that aint a she..
O.M.G. did you just assume its gender?highvelocity said:
that aint a she..
(I kid - thanks, I don't know my turkey genders)
long beard = tom (male turkey)
That's a hoss
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