spring turkey hunting 2009

[sjohnnie26]

ill be out on friday with the bow. first time ever turkey hunting.

Same here, my brother and I are heading out on Sat and Sun.  Good Luck!

[thunderpout]

Go git em Cody!

[Jdrummer]

I called a small Tom in this mornig around 8 a.m. the wind died down so I thoought i would give it a try 

[101PROOF]

I bagged this one at 7am 40 yards out

[Auggie]

 

[HD]

Nice bird 101proof! 

[deadeye]

I blew my chance on Sunday morning.  Thinking he was in line with my decoy, I used the 20 yd pin and hit him low.  Drew blood and feathers by he got away.  He was about 8 yards farther than I thought.   
Real bummer.   

[kenhuntin]

Congrats 101 Nice shot

[Jdrummer]

Still no turkey this mornig!  ill be out there again in the morning and later in the day. cross your fingers!

[JohnWester]

here is mine.  Went out for the first time ever this morning... with borrowed ground blind, decoys, ect.  got setup late... 5a.m.... the whole time I here turkeys gobbling across the valley.  I am figuring they are all running away.

got him about 6 a.m.

24.5 pounds,
a little over 10 inch beard,
and the spurs are a hair over 1"

[Auggie]

 :happy1:Rookie scores and now he is hooked! Welcome to your new addiction. Congrats John!

[deadeye]

Congrats JohnWester. 
I went out this morning and just listened to three gobble around me but none showed.

[101PROOF]

Congrates on the bird.

[thunderpout]

Congrats 101 & John.... Yep, theres no turning back now.... soon it'll be Hi.... my name is (appropiate name),  and Im a turkey hunting addict...   It may wane after a few years a bit but soon youll be thinking grand slams, getting a turkey hunting cabin in the black hills, the turkey trophy wall in the house...(turkey room? )  Way ta go guys!

[thunderpout]

Well the 09 spring season is over as of last Friday.... I read an article in the Sunday Trib that said we had a record setting harvest this spring due to the amount of permits issued this spring.  I think all the nice dry weather didnt hurt either..... that and the areas where you are able to hunt turkeys increases every year.... 

[kenhuntin]

So how does it feel John? are you gonna go next year? That is a great first bird,congrats.

[Auggie]

Well the 09 spring season is over as of last Friday.... I read an article in the Sunday Trib that said we had a record setting harvest this spring due to the amount of permits issued this spring.  I think all the nice dry weather didnt hurt either..... that and the areas where you are able to hunt turkeys increases every year.... 

\
 
    I recently read an article that said we are approaching the high end of carrying capacity as far as zone increases. The DNR doesn't believe the zones can move much further north. So are we going to level out soon on population and permits allowed? Anybody else have any more information or thoughts regarding this. According to the article in a recent Outdoor News they don't have a great handle on actual populations. They just go by roadside counts and compare to pheasants. If pheasant counts are up, they assume turkeys are up as well.

[thunderpout]

I think you're right Auggie, Those agriculture/woodland zones that the turkeys thrive on, pretty much have all been stocked and now its just a matter of them naturally increasing in numbers in these newer areas.... then I take it the number of permits handed out in those areas will also increase.(or decrease, if the #'s go down in those areas from a tough winter or whatever...)  Yeah, from what I gather, (I was a NWTF member for my first few years as a turkey hunter) The DNR, college students, NWTF(Natl. wild turkey federation) members and other volunteers do the roadside counts, just like pheasants, and get their #'s/%'s from a formula.... Its more of a guestimation I believe than like, the grouse drumming counts where the birds help the counters out a little more by letting themselves be heard, rather than using chance sightings and then multiplying those sightings to get their numbers....

[Realtree]

here is mine.  Went out for the first time ever this morning... with borrowed ground blind, decoys, ect.  got setup late... 5a.m.... the whole time I here turkeys gobbling across the valley.  I am figuring they are all running away.

got him about 6 a.m.

24.5 pounds,
a little over 10 inch beard,
and the spurs are a hair over 1"

Congrats on your first turkey John, nice bird !

[deadeye]

I think the turkeys were just playing with me this year.  This is a picture I took from my ground blind. I was about 100 yds from camp.  I think this turkey actually peeked into the out house as it walked by.
 

[Jdrummer]

Well the 09 spring season is over as of last Friday.... I read an article in the Sunday Trib that said we had a record setting harvest this spring due to the amount of permits issued this spring.  I think all the nice dry weather didnt hurt either..... that and the areas where you are able to hunt turkeys increases every year.... 

I did notice i had better luck calling and getting sights of turkeys when or after it was raining ? just my observations.

[thunderpout]

Ive noticed that too a bit... especially after a rain, when they kind of wait to come off their roosts and seem a bit more excited to answer to a call... I think they may feel a little more at ease when things are quiet after a rain... I know they dont like wind much...

[Jdrummer]

They diffenitly hate wind!