Who's fired up for MN Turkey Season?

Down to T-minus less than a month and I’m ready to go. Who else is ready for turkey season?

This year I’m trying something new. I’m geared up and ready to try the “Scoot-n-Shoot” method. This is where you use an oversized strutter decoy to crawl up on a henned up Tom and provoke him to come out and fight the harem-stealing invader. In the past the biggest problem for me has been the breeding season being too far along to get a reaction from toms just by calling. This could be a really useful and exciting addition to the tool box if it works out. Stay tuned.

It’s a little early to tell, but I’m worried that snow cover on the ground could be an issue for us up north this year. The melt (such as it has been) has been very, very, very slow thus far. For the A season, it wouldn’t take much additional snow to give us 100% snow coverage in April still. Not concerned about hunting in snow as such, but the problem is this tends to produce a crunchy snow that is impossible to walk on without telling every animal within a mile that you’re out there. Hopefully the melt picks up.

Who’s fired up for turkeys and who’s going to try something new this year? New ground, new tactics, etc?

Grouse

Should be an interesting one for me. Told the 4 year old he could come out and sit with me this year. We have been practicing sitting still and being quite.

Grouse it’s always turkey season in my head. Going to be great time starting out a week from this Saturday in NE archery only. Then come back and head over to SD and get even with the old pipe bomb. MN season A then WI season C and E have a few tags there.

Not going to make Misouri this spring but never know if I end up trying to get one more hunt in. I will have one of my godsons out this spring and a couple other kids.

Last night fixed my double bull blind up and then went to a turkey seminar at A-1 archery. One more ice fishing trip planned to try and hold me over before turkey hunting and food plots.

Don’t let the snow hold you back I love hunting them in the snow. Nothing new, might try and use decoy’s more this season just cause. Most hunts they never leave my truck. I just gave away some decoys to friends kids this winter.

Bow is ready and the 20 guage is going to see more action this spring after how well it worked on birds last spring. Camera’s are going out next week on my MN spots.

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I can’t wait to close the coffin on a turkey with the Hoyt!!!!

I’m hoping that this year the breeding season will be slowed down by cooler weather. I felt like last year with warm, sunny weather leading up to the season, the really aggressive Toms had already rounded up their hens and were getting the job done before the season even opened.

Hopfully this year we’ll still be early on in the breeding so we get some action. But at least I’ve got a Plan B to try.

Grouse

That’s the beauty of a bow tag Grouse, you can hunt all turkey season

The cooler weather will not keep them from being ready to breed. It’s more about the day light increasing but temp can account for some of the breeding but mainly going to be go by those days getting longer in the spring.

I’ve had birds breeding in the first week in a foot of snow and 20 degrees.

All this talk is not helping get through the work day:)

sticker wrote:

That’s the beauty of a bow tag Grouse, you can hunt all turkey season

I know you love turkey hunting, Sticker. When I think of “big turkeys”, you always come to mind.

BTW, where is Sticker’s Turkey Cordon Blue recipe? I didn’t write it down and now can’t remember where you posted it or if you PM’d me with it?

Grouse

it’s in the hunting recipe forum.

I had the pleasure of hearing several gobblers light up the morning with lots of gobbles yesterday morning on Pool 2. Man that got the blood pumping!!!

turkey cordon blue

I’m really excited but not sure if I can get to my spot this year with crutches. Crushed my foot in February and still not able to walk on my foot. Good luck guys.

I am not going to spoil the surprise, but a little bird told me Hoyt4 may have Nebraska turkey cordon blue in his future

I’m thinking of making up some this week

Warning: The following message contains a rant of tantrumic proportions.

[rant on]
Who’s excited about turkey hunting?

Well I’m freaking not! Not with the start of the latest #$@#$% ice age $%&#*@ damnit.

In the frozen far reaches of Arctic Asssuckistan where I bleeping hunt–or rather TRY to hunt–, I’m going to need a ###$^&@ helicopter to get into my spots. This sucks so bad it’s beyond suckdom.

I’m going “scouting” this week. I put it in quotes because it will ONLY involve whatever I can “scout” from a freaking plowed road. There’s so much show there’s no way it will be practical to hunt by the first day.

Oh, and it’s not light and fluffy snow either. It’s noisy, crusty, ice bound snow from hell. Yeah, you can use snowshoes. Go ahead and bring a marching band with you, you won’t make any LESS noise going in. Every bird within the section is going to hear you walking.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraahhhhhhhhhhh. When does effing SPRING get here in Frozen Buttcrackistan???????????????

[/rant]

Thank you. I feel somewhat better now.

I was able to run out and setup a bunch of cameras before i left for my hunt. Sure was some crunchy snow but we did see a bunch of birds on both chunks of land I have permission on.

Going to head up this week sometime and see what we have going on. 9 days until I can get that 20 guage out and try and give a bird a dirt nap.

Grouse, you should have bought a bow tag, it should start to thaw by May

I’ve been having a group come right into my backyard the past few days. Might be able to just get one from the patio door if I feel like it.

sticker wrote:

…,it should start to thaw by May

I think you’re being a bit optimistic, there, aren’t you? Really? By may we should be down to the last 2 feet on the ground.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>sticker wrote:</div>
…,it should start to thaw by May

I think you’re being a bit optimistic, there, aren’t you? Really? By may we should be down to the last 2 feet on the ground.

Grouse

Operative word there is START to thaw. Good news is you don’t have to worry if there will be snow or not, that is a fact after this forcast
Saturday the concern becomes heavy snow as deep cyclogenesis
occurs over the north central CONUS and a PV boot lifts across
the area. 10.00Z GFS and ECMWF solutions both bring a 2 to 2.5
FOOT swath of snow to parts of western and central MN, although
temporal and spatial differences are still present. Given the
impressive pressure gradient, winds look to be sustained at 30-40
mph with gusts approaching 50 mph from west into south central MN.

Thanks Mr. Sunshine. I feel much better now.

I’m heading to see my doctor. And hopefully getting one of those giant plant lights to sit under while I take my antidepressants and surf Zillow for houses in freaking Equador.

Grouse

I think I’m already for next week opener. Not going to be able to hunt a morning until the weekend but that is ok. Get a few sits in after work, there are 3 gobblers i’m looking for from Muzzy season. They had to have 1.5 or bigger spurs on them . I had them at about 5 to 10 yards walking by me in the ground blind. Sure a few nice big birds hope they made the winter.

Last night I was able to get the 20 Guage and 12 all cleaned up and choke tubes put in. Wash clothers from the hunt in NE and going to need some of the warm clothes. It will be warmer here next week then the 9 days I spent in NE but going to have some of that white stuff on the ground. Sure makes it really easy to see them :). Been through some of these days before I cannot wait for Wednesday

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Just a few pictures from some snowy hunts

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Couple more pictures to try and help get people in the mood. Wish I did not lose all my trail cam pictures of some live birds I would attached :(.

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Hoyt4 you got 3 in NE last week, give them poor turks a break

Not a turkey hunter myself but there was one loose today on Marquette Ave in downtown Minneapolis. Snapped a quick pic just as I got on the bus. Not the strangest thing I’ve seen downtown by any means.

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Should have borrowed a gun from someone on the bus and got yourself turkey dinner. I imagine someone had one

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

Not a turkey hunter myself but there was one loose today on Marquette Ave in downtown Minneapolis. Snapped a quick pic just as I got on the bus. Not the strangest thing I’ve seen downtown by any means.

No wonder turkey dinner is the lunch special at Downtown Dave’s today

Somehow we gotta cheer Grouse up….any suggestions??

He’s kind of a crotchety old buzzard, but dark high octane beer should keep him a little calmer

The birds are moving on up with all this great weather.

Grouse just needs some Turkey wrapped in bacon with a beer to cheer him up. Wait maybe Old world pizza would work too.

Do you think he likes air hockey??