2024 Spring Turkey hunt

Did everybody quit turkey hunting for the year?

crawdaddy wrote:

Did everybody quit turkey hunting for the year?

I assume most people with season B have probably already quit. So there should be a bunch of new people entering the woods and fields tomorrow with a season C license.

ill start in 8 days

WI zone 4 yesterday, went 25.25lbs

Got a 5th season tag yet

I will start tomorrow. Will not be able to hunt everyday, but will put some time for sure. Our local birds are numerous, but have been very quiet and spending a lot of time on the neighbors more so than my own. should result in hard earned hunt for sure.

crawdaddy wrote:

Did everybody quit turkey hunting for the year?

I’d like to say I’m still trying but it’s my last priority at the moment. Hoping to get some time, but plan on fishing the river all weekend.

Should be getting easier now. Seen alot of lonely looking toms out strutting with no hens in sight the last few day to and from work.

Outside my office a few minutes ago were about a dozen hens running around the lawn over at Nahan printing. 3 huge toms strutting in the field across the road from them. Fun to watch.

Got off early today walked like 7k miles it felt like. Found 4 tiny mushrooms. Now back in the turkey blind with the step son. Seems way to quiet. But at least the resting feels good.

I left my blind out on my land. A buddy hunted today and got a nice Tom 1/2 hour into his season. Two birds out of that blind in a 1-1.5 hours of hunting.

2024 Was good, PB and sons first Tom.

We had 6 Jakes walk up to the decoy yesterday. My boy got his first,he couldn’t wait to see if a tom would walk by. He has shot at a few that were out of range before. This year, with a 12 gauge and at 17 yards, he nailed it! Fun to see those birds up close. We never had many turkey around here. Just quit raining before we set up. Everything was wet! At least the 2 mile hike in the muddy field was worth it. (Although,my knee would argue otherwise)!

Real frustrating season for me. There are plenty of birds around, but I have not had season, that birds went virtually silent. Had a close call with 1 Tom on Wednesday, 3 times but no dice. The rest of the season through yesterday, the only gobbles heard where Sunday morning on the roost and at a distance. Real hard to get on birds when you cant see them and they are not talking.
Setting up on “sign” produced plenty of lone hens, but no toms or Jakes in toe?

Great to be out, and it seems many are finding success. Just one of those years for me.

Any fish, I agree it’s best when they are gobbling and you can try to set up on or work a bird. If they’re quiet, you can always try to “deer hunt” turkeys. Just set still against a tree or in a blind, and see if one walks in.

I had 2 Toms gobble at me just now at work. I did a burp burp burp burp burp and they gobbled right back. You guys are doing it wrong. LOL

CaptainMusky wrote:

I had 2 Toms gobble at me just now at work. I did a burp burp burp burp burp and they gobbled right back. You guys are doing it wrong. LOL

I’m working at pattison state park right now and the turkeys are everywhere. I honked my horn and got them gobbling this morning.

Well here I thought I was a turkey whisperer or something.

crawdaddy wrote:

Any fish, I agree it’s best when they are gobbling and you can try to set up on or work a bird. If they’re quiet, you can always try to “deer hunt” turkeys. Just set still against a tree or in a blind, and see if one walks in.

I’ve had to employ this “deer hunting for turkeys” tactic regularly over the years when the birds go silent. They stop responding to calls and usually a decoy isn’t helpful either. You just set up on a daily travel route and wait for one to walk by within range. It can get boring, but it does work. I’ve tagged 4 of my 10 turkeys doing this. The one aspect on all four of them was that it was late season (May) after the birds had already been hunted in the area.

gimruis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crawdaddy wrote:</div>
Any fish, I agree it’s best when they are gobbling and you can try to set up on or work a bird. If they’re quiet, you can always try to “deer hunt” turkeys. Just set still against a tree or in a blind, and see if one walks in.

The one aspect on all four of them was that it was late season (May) after the birds had already been hunted in the area.

That’s interesting about the time frame. I usually have had better luck with calling and decoys late season. Early season when the hens and toms are often together all day it’s harder to call them in. Late season when the hens are sitting on the nest more I’ve had better luck luring a Tom into my setup. Of course every day and bird are different. And this is just the sum of my experiences. I’m thinking I’ll try a late season 3 day hunt in Wisconsin.

Has there been any chatter about MN upping the spring turkey limit to 2 birds?

CaptainMusky wrote:

Well here I thought I was a turkey whisperer or something.

Slam your truck door and that’ll get them going to.

crawdaddy wrote:

That’s interesting about the time frame. I usually have had better luck with calling and decoys late season. Early season when the hens and toms are often together all day it’s harder to call them in. Late season when the hens are sitting on the nest more I’ve had better luck luring a Tom into my setup. Of course every day and bird are different. And this is just the sum of my experiences. I’m thinking I’ll try a late season 3 day hunt in Wisconsin.

When I say late season, I don’t mean later in May. I have never hunted turkeys beyond fishing opener weekend in 17 years. I try to hunt season B or C most years. Back when there was a lottery for an early season, if I didn’t draw one, I usually went the first week of May. That’s when the birds had gone silent and I had to deploy the silent waiting tactic.

Anyone still turkey hunting? Or is everyone fishing instead now.

gimruis wrote:

Anyone still turkey hunting? Or is everyone fishing instead now.

Fishing for this guy. I was able to make it out for 3 separate 2 hour sits this season. Could have shot a young Jake 2 separate times with the bow but decided to pass. The big Tom is still alive and well, I seen him yesterday when I did a drive through around the land last night after bass league meetin.

Still trying to get my stepson on one. Hes getting very frustrated. Fourth year and not a shot yet. Dont help his sister got one in a few minutes her first try this year. Heard gobbles every direction Sunday morning but never seen a bird til we walked out. Saturday quiet and seen a hen when we left. Thinking tomorrow after work and school maybe our last try.

0/2 on trying to post this from my phone so here it goes from the computer:

I got one on fishing opener. It was my third day of hunting after getting close on Thursday evening and on Friday(a hen intercepted him on his way to me). Figured out where the majority were roosting so I snuck in early Saturday to a huge oak flat on top of a ridge. There were multiple birds gobbling from each of the 5 points off this ridge but they all had better plans and disappeared after flydown. Finally struck a lonely tom around 10am and 5 minutes later I was tagged out. Off to WI for a weekend then back to MN to try and help my dad and a friend fill their tags. Fishing starts in June

Head out to WI , my season opens tomorrow. I think this is our 28th season hunting these properties. Our bird numbers are very low from when we started and have talked to a biologist doing a study in the area. Landowners are seeing a few but not too many during planting. We will see how it goes.

I have a couple first time hunters I’m taking out memorial weekend and hoping we strike some luck.

Hunting24seven wrote:

I got one on fishing opener.

Nice work. Not a bad idea. Hit the field/forest when everyone else is out on the water.

My season starts tomorrow. Got a couple of guys that I will be hunting with that we will try to get their birds first. I like if you don’t get one this season it just rolls into the last season.