Which turkey season is best.

[mathews4ever]

Hey there jive turkeys, I am going to be turkey hunting in the rush city area and I am wondering what season you would go with. Would you go with the early lottery seasons or the later over the counter? I would like to hunt with my bow but I think that I am going to use my trusty ol' 870.

[kenhuntin]

Your odds to harvest a Tom are better in earlier seasons.  But odds of drawing a tag are better in the later or during the week seasons. The good thing this year is if you do not get drawn for an early season you can go over the counter and get a tag when the mosquitoes are out in force.

[HD]

I believe it depends more on the pressure your spot is getting, the way the spring plays out and the concentration of birds in the area.

I usually get drawn for the same time slot every year. One spring it snowed like a mother on that time slot and hunting was real poor. They did not respond to calls, and didn't even want to come down from roost.....So, early is not always better. It's a gamble...... But, worth it.

[ray634]

Overall the earlier seasons fare better than the later ones. As HD pointed out the weather can be a crap shoot but that is just the nature of the game. Put in for the earliest season you can get the time for, then do your scouting and go for it. Good luck.

[deadeye]

I hunt on my own property so my information may be skewed a bit.  I never put in for the draw just for the reasons stated by HD and ray634 - weather.  kenhuntin, you forgot to mention there are also more ticks.  Besides weather, there are a couple other reasons I pick a later season.  The last two seasons are 7 days rather than 5 so you have a bigger window to hunt.  It's usually dry enough that I can drive in to my property (saves a 1.5 mile walk) unless is bring a wheeler.  I don't have to commit to a location and time in January for a spring hunt. Hens are sitting on nest meaning the toms are in groups showing off to each other.  I haven't read much about this but, from my experience, it's not uncommon to see 5-7 toms together near the end of May.  On last reason would be I often combine a hunt with picking morels. It's a twofer.   


     

[mathews4ever]

 I decided to man up and I will buy the archery turkey license.  They keep expanding the season so it is a pretty sweet deal now. For spring 2014 you get to hunt the last five seasons(May 1-29) and in any permit area.

[glenn57]

deadline for the lottery is jan 10 2014.

[kenhuntin]

good luck to all the Turkey hunters this year. The Toms are struttiin up a storm. A snow storm. I hope you got snow camo to wear this week.
I got my bird last year in the white camouflage.

[deadeye]

I planned to go today to scout a little and put up blinds but that's been pushed back to next week.  Guess why?  

[caseyreeder34]

Hunting was very tough the last couple days with birds still staying in large groups of 20 or more.  Ended up having to settle on a poor jake!  Good luck to everyone out there!  Things should pick up here real quick with the warm weather coming in! 

[lentz]

One of my friends shot a 9" wednesday before it started snowing and another shot a 11" last night unfortunately I have bow season for may hopefully there are a few left