None and Done

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Cut N Run
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Joined: January 18th, 2015, 8:37 am

None and Done

Post by Cut N Run »

My turkey season ended today with me holding two unspent tags. I had fun trying, but I had more aggravation than a person deserves. I am forced to reevaluate my game plan and make some changes.

It started off as a more unusual than normal season, with gobblers staying henned up much longer than most years and getting quiet at fly down, then staying that way. When I had gobblers responding to my calls, they either got hijacked by hens before they got to the property line, or I had horseback riders or four wheelers shut 'em down before they got to my position. That sort of goes with hunting small properties, like my primary spots.

When I got to hunt a big property last Wednesday, I had a hard gobbling bird inside 125 yards fly down and silently vanish when I know he never saw nor heard me. Never heard him again. Go figure. The next day, I went to my honey hole and got one to respond and come in. He got to 14 yards and I rushed the shot because he was starting to get nervous & I flat out missed. First time I've missed in a long time and also the first time I failed to take a longbeard gobbler off that property since I started hunting it 6 years ago...Some of the edge came off my disgust at the miss when I saw a gang of 8 jakes feeding in the small field beside the the old home place. The future looks bright anyway.

It sucks to get shut out after putting so much time, effort, money, and desire into the pursuit. I've definitely got to find a couple more places to hunt close by. I guarantee I won't rush the next shot. Even though it didn't turn out the way I hoped it might, I had a lot of fun trying and I look forward to next year.

Jim
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el diablo
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Re: None and Done

Post by el diablo »

Man that sounds a lot like a a bunch of hunters I know. Definitely a weird year.
jhogue
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Joined: September 13th, 2017, 5:08 pm
Location: Van Buren, Arkansas

Re: None and Done

Post by jhogue »

I didn’t take a shot like you did, but have had very similar experiences this year. Seems like a weird year for many in a lot of places around the country. I have a last chance hunt this coming week in Kansas.

Glad you have some Jakes to hopefully still be around next year. Good luck with next year’s hunts there.
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Grumpy
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Re: None and Done

Post by Grumpy »

Sorry to hear about no turkey shot, I think there are more turkey hunters out without a clue how to hunt them.
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
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turkeyinstrut
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Re: None and Done

Post by turkeyinstrut »

Sounds like you had a really tough year and I hate that for you, I always said, for every good year you are going to have 2 or 3 bad ones.
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CamoMan4025
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Re: None and Done

Post by CamoMan4025 »

I feel your pain! I've got one more day to go. I can't go at all this week due to a training assignment, but will give it a shot next Saturday. I'm thinking about taking up fishing :dontknow: :dontknow: :dontknow: :dontknow:
"God, Guts & High Explosives"
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Hoobilly
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Re: None and Done

Post by Hoobilly »

I have killed 2. One in Ky and one here in Indiana.
Watched a total of 9 die (including the 2 I killed)

And from hearing how weird the season has been, I feel blessed
Don't start none, won't be none!

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timbrhuntr
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Re: None and Done

Post by timbrhuntr »

Hey man I used to feel your pain. I have one 40 acre spot I can hunt near home. The first 7 years there I only saw one hen passing through and I think she was lost. I started out making a sanctuary area and put out some feed. I then with the owners permission cleared out some dead trees in an area and it has grown into a nice nesting area. I suddenly started seeing birds showing up. But there was no season on this side of the road. On the other side of the concession they had a season for years in that WMA but not on my side. One year I had a flock of over 40 birds on my cam. Then in 2009 they opened up my side. I hunted for about 4 years and no shot at a bird. I should add the landowner doesn't like guns but has no problem with bows so its bow only. I finally got one with my bow in 2013 I believe it was. As the birds became more prevalent I started to see other hunters showing up where I was the only one. Now they ring the property all using shotguns.They tell me that for some reason birds just started showing up in the area ! In fact 3 years in a row I had guys kill birds 50 yards from me that were coming to my calling. One guy even sprayed me with pellets. I was so mad I chased him all the way to the concession road before I lost him. I still don't know who he was or if he had permission. This year I have only seen one other hunter for some reason and the guy that owns a field to the south of me has given me access to it. Well this year I have had 4 toms come in on 4 different hunts and I gave out haircuts to 3 and the other caught me drawing and spooked. It can be tough hunting when you only have small parcels to hunt and other hunters etc to deal with especially when you screw up one what would be slam dunks normally as each time you do the birds get tougher. At least with a bowshot they don't spook as bad as with a gun! I should also add since I know you hunt a horse farm that the landowner recently took up with a new girlfriend and I guess she is into horses because he(she) has completely turned the farm into a horse ranch with two new barns and a coral. He cut lanes through the bush area to allow access to the riders so I figure its probably just a matter of time before one of them sees me hunting and complains and then I'll be out looking for a new spot. I guess that's why I try to travel to a few states with lots of public to hunt every spring so I can get my fix even if I can't at home. I look at hunting at home mostly as time in the woods now. Luckily for me I still have a trip to Michigan planned and an another this week to hunt mostly public on an island not too far from me where I hope to have some luck still . I hate to say it because I'm retired now but I think if I lived in NC I would be spending a lot of time in Tennessee Kentucky Virginia and Alabama ever year too. :D
Cut N Run
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Re: None and Done

Post by Cut N Run »

As much as I would love to hunt nearby states, I own my own company and Spring is our busiest time of year. I get paid commission on what I produce, so no work, no $$$ coming in. I get that hunting another state for a few days wouldn't be that time consuming, though it would screw up my work schedule for more than two to 3 times as long as I was gone. Maybe one of these days.

I've got a witness on trails run through turkey woods on horse farms, because I keep several miles of trails cut & maintained on a couple different horse farms. Just try to find those out of the way, low traffic areas, they can pay dividends. Even though it may seem like a P.I.T.A. that there will be horses passing through where you hunt, those trails make it easy to get in and out of the woods quietly, and there won't be many riders out first thing in the morning. Turkeys will also use those trails and may show up when you least expect it.

Unfortunately, I hear too much calling by other hunters set up way too close to the property lines and a few of their shots as well. I can expect to get a crack at a grown gobbler at each farm a couple times every year, I hate that I gagged on the best chance I had. I can dream about retirement, because it ain't happening soon enough, unless I hit the lottery or something & we all know the chances of that.

Jim
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