Season A starts in 10 days. Let’s hear about your strategies, experiences, success, and failures for the upcoming spring season. For those planning to hunt season A, better bring some snow shoes. At least there wont’ be any ticks out yet.
Gobble Gobble
At least there won’t’ be any ticks out yet.
Crazy but yes, they are out already.
SE MN anyhow. Short walk on Sunday even with melting snow and picked 1 up on my pant leg.
The local vet said they’ve noticed quite a few in the last couple weeks.
Can’t decide if I’m going to snowshoe or snowmobile to my spot
haha just kidding. I’ll be hunting down in the southern part of the state in 502 this spring for the first time ever. Looking forward to hunting a new area to me down in bluff country.
Probably skip season A and start on season B. Give it time to melt some more snow and let the turkeys break up more from their winter groups. Certainly do like the change in regs that you don’t have to put in to a lottery to get the time slot you want and can pick a season dependent on the weather. Not counting a couple of WMAs where you still have to do the lottery.
I have a 2 block drive to my spot. Blind will be set up and ready. Turkeys have already been pinned to a spot. Hopefully the kid can get it done for his first turkey hunt. Then I’ll keep going with the bow after his is down. I have no desire to take a turkey with a gun. Kind of boring.
I do like that you are able to wait to select your season until just right before it starts. Might be A for me if the warm weather that is predicted extends into that weekend. The resident turkeys in my neighborhood were going crazy this morning on the roost when I walked the dog.
Hunting Season A. Weather now looks amazing down here by Mankato. Sunny and almost 70. That should hopefully set off some gobbling! Hope it stays that way. Will be putting blinds out on Friday.
First time ever for me! (and my 12 yr old boy) – will be supporting him in the youth hunt until my tag is valid in season C. Then, if we’re still Turkeyless (and I’m betting we will be) we’ll continue to try and bag him a bird the rest of the way. Will also try to get out by myself the last week if I haven’t filled my tag. All trial and error for us, although I do know a common roosting area. Will try to get out in late evenings and do some location calling for the next morning.
I’ll be out season A in southern MN. Shouldn’t be any snow where im at. Looking at the 10 day the forecast is looking pretty sweet so far. Warm weather and a nice breeze to muffle sound. Strategy is hopefully i can put them to bed Wednesday night and stalk around as best I can the next 3 days. Single hen decoy works for me but would like to put a Jake in the mix someday. I feel part of the early season appeal is most setups work. Not quite spooked yet.
I have a 2 block drive to my spot. Blind will be set up and ready. Turkeys have already been pinned to a spot. Hopefully the kid can get it done for his first turkey hunt. Then I’ll keep going with the bow after his is down. I have no desire to take a turkey with a gun. Kind of boring.
Im hoping that energy translates to this deer season 
Quick trip to NE last weekend to see what to expect for gun season. Nice seeing ground not covered in snow. NE next weekend and Florida after that for an Osceola. Probably fit MN in end of April so I can focus on fish.
MN birds gonna be henned up until late April would be my guess. My opinion is they are ALOT easier to kill later in the season.
Sure as heck not boring however ya choose to do it. Eyeroll
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Im hoping that energy translates to this deer season
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100 percent will.
Quick trip to NE last weekend to see what to expect for gun season. Nice seeing ground not covered in snow. NE next weekend and Florida after that for an Osceola. Probably fit MN in end of April so I can focus on fish.
MN birds gonna be henned up until late April would be my guess. My opinion is they are ALOT easier to kill later in the season.
Sure as heck not boring however ya choose to do it. Eyeroll
Sorry bud, it was not intended to be disrespectful. I find it boring to shoot them with a shot gun. Just my prior experience and opinion ( eyeroll) lol ( just like my daughter would do )
Sorry bud, it was not intended to be disrespectful. I find it boring to shoot them with a shot gun. Just my prior experience and opinion ( eyeroll) lol ( just like my daughter would do )
Just curious how many times you’ve gun hunted turkeys and how many you’ve bagged?
Late season turkeys are a lot easier to call in. There is a good window early too, as soon as the birds have broken up, but before the hens have the toms wrangled up. I think I’m gonna go A season. I’ve got a hot spot that’s loaded up. The worst thing about late season, you need to get up at zero dark thirty if you want to be there for fly-down. My solution…get there about 9am and usually the hens leave shortly there after and old Tom gets lonely.
No disrespect BearCat. I’m in for the chase, not the kill. You do you.
Once late season rolls around, also have to be cognizant of bugs and heat. Definitely killed more birds at lunch than I have at breakfast. Gonna be a knee-boot kind of spring.
Here’s my turkey from last year.
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Late season turkeys are a lot easier to call in.
My experience is the opposite. I have found it more difficult to draw a legal bearded male in as the season progresses. Primarily because of hunting pressure. There seems to be a point when they just completely stop responding or listening to a call and/or they become decoy-shy. That point seems to vary based on local hunting pressure and the weather. In recent years, I’ve basically stopped calling completely and rather just wait for one to walk by instead after some heavy scouting. Calling has become more of a hindrance for me than a help.
Regardless, its not easy whether you’re using a shotgun or bow. Average success rate in MN with a shotgun is 25% and only 10% with a bow. So if your filling your tag every other year or even every third year using a shotgun, you are doing significantly better than the average joe.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Sorry bud, it was not intended to be disrespectful. I find it boring to shoot them with a shot gun. Just my prior experience and opinion ( eyeroll) lol ( just like my daughter would do )Just curious how many times you’ve gun hunted turkeys and how many you’ve bagged?
I grew up gun hunting turkeys when I was young with my dad. Successfully put down 7 or 8. Quit turkey hunting for 10ish years and am firing back up with bow now that my should has made a full recovery. Before my tear on my rotator I quit gun hunting everything.
No disrespect BearCat. I’m in for the chase, not the kill. You do you.
Once late season rolls around, also have to be cognizant of bugs and heat. Definitely killed more birds at lunch than I have at breakfast. Gonna be a knee-boot kind of spring.
I love the chase as well. That’s why I hunt. I’m in agreement with you, I was just stating that I personally find it boring, and boring may not be the right word. Maybe less adventurous
Maybe less adventurous
Less “challenging” is perhaps the correct term here?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
Maybe less adventurousLess “challenging” is perhaps the correct term here?
Yes and no, it obviously still a challenge no doubt either way. It’s more glorifying for me when I make a great shot with a bow, which is why I always loved archery. And also why I wouldn’t cross bow when I got hurt
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crawdaddy wrote:</div>
Late season turkeys are a lot easier to call in.My experience is the opposite. I have found it more difficult to draw a legal bearded male in as the season progresses. Primarily because of hunting pressure. There seems to be a point when they just completely stop responding or listening to a call and/or they become decoy-shy. That point seems to vary based on local hunting pressure and the weather. In recent years, I’ve basically stopped calling completely and rather just wait for one to walk by instead after some heavy scouting. Calling has become more of a hindrance for me than a help.
So if I remember right you turkey hunt a large field/ag area and there’s always birds around but sometimes it’s hard to get one in range? Is there a lot of pressure in your area, I don’t remember you ever saying you run into other hunters? What you are doing when you just wait for one to walk by after scouting is what I’ve heard called, “deer hunting for turkeys.” When it comes to calling turkeys it can be as simple or complex as you like. Often I think the best thing to do is make a setup and then yelp three times and never call again unless you move. If you have a decoy out in a field and you continuously call I think the real turkeys know something is up because the calls are coming from a different spot than the decoys. The spot I’ve hunted for what will be my 3rd season this year is a small ag field, on an organic farm. There are always birds around.
One thing of note on the subject of how they are hunted,
I like all methods and support turkey hunting. Sitting in a blind on a field edge with decoys is a relatively new invention in the sport. Originally it was mainly a fall hunt, especially out east. When spring hunting became most popular a lot of people hunted turkeys in wooded areas (ozarks in MO, flatwoods in FL, GA pine forests, etc.). My first turkey I flushed while walking a game trail, my 2nd one I shot over a decoy, my next one I called in but then spooked him and got him on the run. Sitting in a blind and shooting a turkey with a bow I is easier than waiting one out sitting against a tree with a shotgun. In a blind you can get away with murder. Out in the open you wiggle your toes wrong and a wary Tom can see it a mile away. I hope everyone enjoys their hunt this spring no matter how they do it.
So if I remember right you turkey hunt a large field/ag area and there’s always birds around but sometimes it’s hard to get one in range? Is there a lot of pressure in your area, I don’t remember you ever saying you run into other hunters? What you are doing when you just wait for one to walk by after scouting is what I’ve heard called, “deer hunting for turkeys.” When it comes to calling turkeys it can be as simple or complex as you like. Often I think the best thing to do is make a setup and then yelp three times and never call again unless you move. If you have a decoy out in a field and you continuously call I think the real turkeys know something is up because the calls are coming from a different spot than the decoys.
Yes, that is how I hunt them. There is a large core flock in the area that consists of about 40-50 birds. I pin point their roost prior to the season and then set up my blind from there. Its relatively close, but not close enough where I would spook them while going in to the blind. Sometimes I use a hen decoy, sometimes I use a hen and a jake, and sometimes I use no decoys. I call sparingly, if at all. Deer hunting for turkeys is exactly how I would describe it. I see and hear them every day, but the biggest obstacle is getting one to walk within shotgun range.
I used to think that placing my blind in a location where it blended in with the landscape was advantageous. Basically I don’t want it sticking out like a sore thumb. I don’t necessarily think that it has to though. I’ve heard of people plopping them right in the middle of the field with success. The reason I prefer to use a blind is because it allows me some minimal movement and come comfort. I like to drink coffee, look through binoculars, and sit in a camo camp chair. It also protects me from the elements. Last year I was out there in a couple of heavy down pours and without a blind I would have gotten soaked. Sitting motionless in a ghillie suit against the base of a tree on the ground for hours on end is not appealing to me.
The area I hunt has is on private land, but there are other hunters on adjacent neighboring land. I see their blinds. So they are very likely hunting the same core flock of birds that I hunt.
I will try the three yelp call after I set up and then shut it down.
Seen multiple Toms strutting around town this week.
I do not have any private land to hunt so I hunt public. I have been hunting the same public swath the last few years with many close encounters but no turkey to show for it. It gets a lot of pressure, but is a pretty large area. Think I am going to try some new ground this year a little further south. Might try and do some scouting with the kids tomorrow since it will be nice out and its a good excuse to get outside and enjoy the outdoors with them
I dont personally turkey hunt but in my time hunting public whitetails those turkeys will use swamps when the pressure is high I have noticed.
I dont personally turkey hunt but in my time hunting public whitetails those turkeys will use swamps when the pressure is high I have noticed.
I assume you’re talking about the fall though. Turkey behavior in the fall versus the spring is very different. The strut is in the spring. They have reproduction on their minds and they are vocal about it.
Do people even hunt turkeys in the fall here? I don’t know of a single person that does. I could certainly see turkeys using a swamp as a refuge area, but specifically because of fall hunting pressure?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Carter Johnson wrote:</div>
I dont personally turkey hunt but in my time hunting public whitetails those turkeys will use swamps when the pressure is high I have noticed.I assume you’re talking about the fall though. Turkey behavior in the fall versus the spring is very different. The strut is in the spring. They have reproduction on their minds and they are vocal about it.
Do people even hunt turkeys in the fall here? I don’t know of a single person that does. I could certainly see turkeys using a swamp as a refuge area, but specifically because of fall hunting pressure?
That would make sense. Only really noticed them there in fall.
Explored some new spots with the kids Saturday morning. Did not hear any birds, but saw 3 running the edge of a field about 200 yards from us. Decent amount of snow on the hill sides, but guessing this got reduced a fair amount the past two days. Good reality check for me with brining kids that I need to have more realistic expectations for an outing. Also need to bring extra clothing and boots for them even if it seems nice out at home. Had a good burger at Kings on the way home even!
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