MN turkey hunting

[mnbearbaiter]

The lottery results came out for the MN spring turkey hunt drawing, i didnt get drawn this year(usually every other anyways)! Fortunately there are plenty of tags remaining for the middle/late seasons    Its a perfect time to stay out all day in a good area in a popup and wait for the hens to leave the toms, and let the lonesome toms strut into a setup! Any other MN guys with any input for this spring, or anybody who wants to talk turkey strategy, chime in!

[mjh]

Hey Hey!  I drew this year!  First time ever drawing two years in a row! I have always put in for the same area and season and have been drawing every other year. Got a nice tom May 2008 but May 2010 nice toms hung up too far out.  Have never hunted the late season archery tags as end of May is too crazy with other activities.  I bowhunt only and use my DB blind, sometimes decoy's sometime not. Gobble Gobble!!

[mnbearbaiter]

Good work mjh! I was drawn in '09 and'10, that was my first time being drawn 2yrs in a row! Nice gobbler in '09, and last year i hunted opener! Plenty of birds, but with the higher water(flooding) we had,  i think the birds were on edge a little!

[Ranger44]

What part of the state do you guys hunt?  I didn't put in this year so if I am going to hunt it will have to be the late archery seasons.  I have been drawn almost every year when I put in for the 5th season and had very good luck.  I have probably taken between 15-20 birds in MN but none yet with a bow.

[mnbearbaiter]

Im in the Mankato area, im goin to try to get a leftover for the 5th season, there are 39 left in my zone for that time period!

[Ranger44]

I'm over in the SE.  I'm pretty lucky in that I can hear the gobbling from my house.  I have a small acreage but great neighbors that let me hunt on their 100's of acres.  I also have quite a bit of state forest land close by.

[mnbearbaiter]

Thats cool, i hunt about 1500acr of river bottom and am also blessed with landowners who are willing!

[Gator1]

I was wondering if any of you have tried the over the counter, archery only season?

I believe the last two weeks of season.

I've not hunted Turkeys, and would like to give it a go...

[wollelybugger]

I always have better luck later in the season in Pa. Shot a great bird the last week last year when everyone gave up. Hunt mid morning when the Hens leave the old Goblers and they get lonely looking for company. It is usually better hunting later for archery because there are more leaves on the trees later and gives us more cover.

[rraming]

Originally posted by Gator1:
I was wondering if any of you have tried the over the counter, archery only season?

I believe the last two weeks of season.

I've not hunted Turkeys, and would like to give it a go...

I heard they made a change and opened these two weeks to everyone, not just archery.

[mnbearbaiter]

How it works is...You may buy an over the counter archery only license if the area offers at least 70 permits per time period! The license is valid during the last 2 seasons which hunters no longer have to apply for, they are sold over the counter only and theyve added alot of permits for these last 2 seasons! ive scored on a gobbler in the late season, but they seem to be a little call shy, they dont gobble much, and the guy i got was in the decoys before i even knew he was coming! I usually archery hunt no matter if early, middle, or late season for the challenge it presents!

[Ranger44]

Gator1,  If you've never hunted turkeys hunting the late seasons will be much harder.  Up through the 5th season is usually better than after that but there are several factors that determine the best season in any given area.  It varies by the year.  If you can find a mentor that has hunted before your learning curve will be much higher.

[buzzcut]

I hunted the late archery season last year, and it was tough.  The toms didn't respond to calling, or my calling anyway.  The foilage was very thick last year and weather was--well its MN  

[mnbearbaiter]

Some of the factors for the late season hunting being tougher in my mind are...there are less birds, and alot of the "Dumb" 2yr olds have already been fried up! The foilage like buzzcut said, and the fact that the breeding season is winding down! I mean, the toms have been on it for almost 2 months gobbling, fighting, i believe it takes a toll and they start their recouperation stage in late may! Take all that, and then figure in all of the previous hunters in the earlier season throwing the book at 'em, i believe theyve heard it all by the last 2 seasons!

[Friend]

As a common occurence, I am the odd man out here.

Other than the 1st few days of turkey season, my trad partners and I look forward to the latter part of the season.
We use the increased foilage to our advantage and work hard to be totally and naturally obscure to both human and turkeys. On pressured land, it does make a significant difference. Leave decoys at home or partially hide them and call ever-so sparingly.

[JCJ]

I'm too busy fly fishing big brown trout mid-april-early may to take time out for turkey hunting. I hunt the last two time periods by choice. Killed a bird the first day last year. Forget about normal tactics and set up and ambush them in the evening as they head back to roost. They are pretty easy to pattern. Not as classic as shooting them when they are displaying but they taste just the same.

[mnbearbaiter]

Thats a good tactic anytime! Ive had times where a bird pitches down and heads away! I move right into where he was roosted and call every 15min or so! If he has hens who ignore him mid day, he usually will come right in feeling its safe! Ive Snufferized' a few that way! Just do an afternoon scouting session to find the big tall cottonwood trees with all the scat and feathers on the ground below it and you golden!!!

[Gator1]

Thanks for the heads up on the "open" season, not just archery. I'll have to check that out.

Minnesota's fall season is a lot of fun.. My wife and I both got drawn last fall, but that's another story.  Seems like up where I hunt, they act more like Chickens...

[mnbearbaiter]

Fall is a way different deal all together! I always buy a leftover and save the $3 app fee cuz theres always a bunch left, and my september bowhunting endeavors let me know if there are enough birds to merit me buying a license! Ive only got a jake in the fall in 3yrs of trying! Even then all i do is watch a field, and if i see birds there multiple times i make a mental note and put the leafywear in the pack! Get out of the stand early on the morning set to get in place and wait 'em out silently! or maybe use the occassional assembly call or lost yelps! Missed one out of a treestand once as well!

[Slinging 24/7]

I have bought the over the counter tag for archery only for the past 3-4 years now and have got two with my compound and am hoping to practice enough to try it with a recurve this year.

Should be an interesting spring!