Kentucky Turkey... Peabody WMA

[perry f.]

Wanting to try Kentucky Turkey hunting this spring. Anyone have any experience hunting Peaboy Wma? Heading there scouting in a few weeks, just wondered if anyone had any info they'd care to share. Thanks!

[Stump73]

You should try Higgins and Henry wma. It's bow only and has quit a few birds. Peabody is usually slammed with other hunters.

[Friend]

There are numerous productive WMA's from Peabody westward.

As having cut my teeth at formerly Camp Breckenridge, now H&H, I have spent considerable time hunting there thru the years. Considerable numbers of birds were trapped there for supplementing the state's restocking program back in the 80's.

H&H is unusual due to its bountiful foodplots and crop field resources. One feature that is both an advantage and a disadvantage is that it is possible to walk a mile from the truck and  find your way back with little thought due to the layout and field connections. Other hunters quickly realize the ease of navigating.

Note: Birds on H&H are extremely well trained and conditioned due to numerous calling, decoys, blind and close hunter encounters which they would likely not have survived if the hunters had been toting a shotgun.

H&H has gifted me over 25 harvested gobs.

[Medicare Bhtr]

Might look into the Joseph "Fay" Britt management area east of Mortons Gap. It is part of the Peabody MA, but gets less bow hunting pressure.

No help here, but good luck!

Bisch

[Rob W.]

I guess I'm in on this adventure.

Shed, I will bring you some elk steaks to the tradfest if you tell us some of Friend's spots.    

[Friend]

Have at least 25 previously productive locations. Also, H&H has 5300 acres which both provides quick and easy relocation.

Note: I worked diligently over many years to stop horseback riding during the turkey season.  Horseback riding during the season is not an issue provided the riders would stay on the plethora of trails. If a hunter sets up on a horse trail, then he should expect a possible encounter. The repetitive seasonal issue was that renegade riders would leave the trails and often run down the middle of the fields, sometimes yelling,sometimes circling for a mile, then back again. I would never see a bird even hours after the occurrence. I became a relentless major pest to the WMA managers. Today, there is no more horseback riding during turkey season.


Am focusing these days on developing my own property which actually has far less than 1/2 the birds as H&H.


Would be willing to meet up at H&H and provide some hopefully,  worthwhile insight and locations.

[Westkyhunter]

Perry, I have hunted Peabody for a long time. Sinclair around drakesboro and river queen/vogue in Greenville. These are the only places I have left to hunt since all other private places have been sold or leased in the past. There is a lot of turkeys here however it is some tough hunting. Stripper dumps, cliffs and drop offs, and plenty of ponds/slews to supply the Mosquitos. There's also lots of hunters and pressure. To make things worse, the last two years, logging crews have been in there cutting what's left of the pretty hardwoods that survived the mining operations over time. They took lots of mature pine too. It was supposed to be selective cutting but they basicly wrecked anything they weren't cutting. It's a mess in those places. This was on river queen and vogue. On the Sinclair unit in drakesboro  lots of the wma land was bought back by the government and to my knowledge hasn't been posted. Basicly you get run off by TVA police even though there's still wma signs everywhere. I quit going in there. There's still plenty of opportunities for someone willing to put in the time and scout ahead of time with the intentions of just having a good time. These birds are tuff and skittish. I don't bowhunt them in the spring. I don't use decoys and hardly ever a blind. If you do use a blind such as a pop up you need to blend it in very good because they'll pick it out every time. They'll skirt you from 70 yds or so if they don't blow out of there on high alert. I call very selectively mostly unless a bird is redhot and closing fast. Then I'll give him what he wants then go quiet. Ticks and chiggers are normally unreal here to and it's hard not to get covered up with them with out permethrin. If you don't wear knee high lace up boots get you some ankle garters to go around your ankles. They really help. I've killed some big copperheads and cottonmouths as well. Not to scare you just so you'll know in case your scared of snakes you might invest in the proper foot wear. If your planning on camping you can camp anywhere except around the gas heads/wells. I only live a few miles from river queen and vogue. If your coming down for sure I don't mind showing you around.

[perry f.]

Thanks for the info guys. Rob and I are planning a scouting trip next weekend the 19th if the weather holds.

[Kenny Henderson]

Here's another Hoosier heading to H&H to hunt turkeys this year, fortunately for me I am in Union county at least once a week due to my sales route. I get to "explore" the area to look and listen for birds, I will be there scouting on the weekend of the 19th as well, maybe our paths will cross. Turkey season can't get here fast enough.

[randy grider]

LBL has 107,000 acres in Kentucky alone, 95% forested, with soybean, corn, and a few wildlife plantings scattered through out. Lots of wildlife, deer, turkey, coyote , bobcat, bald eagle, pelicans, armadillos, even some bigfoot sightings, (The one thing I have not seen) . There is a fair amount of turkey there, also ticks.