All you NY'ers ready for turkey???

[ron w]

Never heard a bird.......

[Sean B]

Well,I'm back in. no shots, but I saw plenty of birds. I had 3 long beards and 4 jakes hang up about 40 yards away from my set up.  They wouldn't come into the decoys. They didn't spook, but didnt seem to like my motionless statues.  I sat there all morning, hoping one of the birds would come in after finishing up with a hen. no such luck.  i'll be out there again tomorrow morning.

[Shawn Leonard]

I actually saw at least 5 different toms and 2 jakes, just too many guyss in the woods calling and messing everything up! Had one jake at about 40 yards but he was buggared by a guy walking out! Shawn

[drewsbow]

Not a peep out of them at Dads so we moved out behind my house. We call just a little then set quiet for a long while and had a tom come in silent but no closer than 50 yds. Heard one other bird gobble twice and that was it but we had fun.

[Guru]

Swing and a miss for me....

Up at 2:45 to get my parents , my sister and her family down to Laguardia airport in NYC. Dropped them off and headed back north. Back in town at 6:15 and saw some birds 1/2mi. away from one of my observation points.  Ran home, get changed, and right out....I had a two hour window before I had to be out of the woods to bring Cade to his baseball game....

Couldn't make them gobble or see them anymore....but thru my scouting, made an educated guess which way they'd head.

Got the deke's set put in the open, and while putting on my ghille back in behind a bush I looked up the hill, 200yds. away and here they came....perfect timing!

Got set and watched thru the bush as they worked right up the field to me...

One longbeard "centercut", a jake, 2-3 hens, and the 3 big longbeards that have been together at this spot now for two seasons prior. I believe all three of these birds are big 4 1/2yr. old gobblers, they've earned the name "The Kings"....smart!

Got close the last two springs, but never had the right set-up to fool them....till right now!  "Centercut" led the way, but soon "The Three Kings" trotted to overtake him and were soon at 15yds....but spooky as hell by the dekes.

They spun and acted like they'd had enough, so I made my move, but they caught me moving a little too much in my haste to get on them retreating. Just too many eyes...

Picked one out walking fast,straight away about 20yds and let fly... missing just over and slightly right...kind of an awkward shot, but no excuses...I missed!

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have shot...but no harm done...well, except making them even smarter then they already are!      

Nice start to the season...scouting is already paying off!

I'll sharpen up my VPA and be back out soon      

Good luck fellas!

[ronp]

I went out but didn't hear or see any birds.  No other hunters out that I saw, either.  How does everyone keep the bugs away from yor face??? I was buzzed by them all morning.  I did manage to get about 8 stumps, though, walking out.

[vermonster13]

Can us Vermont guys share this thread too since we have the same season?

I had one come in hot about 10:30 this morning only to have him get picked off by two hens that went to him so he had no reason to come to me. It was fun while it lasted and nice to have one talking at me.

Good luck to one and all. Stay safe.

[3Feathers]

I went out .Roosted 3 toms last night.Setup across from them and after they flew down,they headed staight for us and then veered off to another field with some hens.Couldn,t move them.Tried another spot around 10 oclock and walked up on 7 hens and 2 longbeards.Show over.Not much gobbling after they hit the ground.It should get better as the days start to warm up.......

[adkmountainken]

aweoms eday on the mountain, no shots but lots of action! LOVE to watch them strut!!!

[Frenchymanny]

Great to hear the reports!

I'm pumped! Will be lucky to hunt during the week.
Season will get better and better

Good luk to all
F-Manny

[crotch horn]

Saw 12 longbeards total today in 4 different spots. Every bird I saw was henned up. Never had a chance against those girls. Great day with bow in hand. Good luck boys!

[IndianaBowman]

Sounds like a great morning for many. Can't wait to give it a try in the morning.

[Skipmaster1]

My buddy Ray was at bat today, trying for his first trad bird. we had some gobbling throughout the morning but they had hens and never came closer than a few hundred yards. we'll give it a go in the am

[Sean B]

I tried to roost some birds lastnight, however I didn't here a peep. well this morning I set up in a small meadow about 500 yrds up the mountain from where I was yesterday. I set my blind up with just enough light to see.  I had a few barred owls hooting back and forth conjuring up goobles from where I was set up yesterday.  Don't you hate second guessing a desicion????

Well, I figured I throw out a few soft yalps.  That bird was gobbling his head off.  I hit the ground and vcame to about 200 yards and hung up.  I could tell that he was strutting back and forth.  

I was really fighting the urge to chase him.  30 years of "run and gun" turkey hunting was startng to kickin.  Welp, I stuck to my guns( so to speak)...I stayed put.  That bird was hot.  I stopped calling figuring he my come in to investigate.  I've killed a lot of birds like that over the years.  No such luck.

I still sat in my blind enjoying the morning. Overcast skies, a slight breezwe, and a little bit of drizzle.

GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!! behind me just up the mountain.  I hit a few soft yalps and purred on my mouth call.  I could peer out of one my closed windows in my blind and watch him walking across a small ridge above me about 60 yrds. a few more purrs got a few more gobbles.  

I slowly turned to face my decoys, took the arrow holder off my arrow and prepared for a shot. I thought to myself "pick a feather...pick a feather..." It was a Jake. he came to about 6 feet of my decoys and turned and let out a few alarm putts.  I drew and realeased, watching my arrow just graze the top of his back feathers.  I didn't pick a feathe! It was a great hunt none the less. The worse part of it was that I couldn't find my arrow.  I got about an hour and ahalf left to hunt today, so I'm on my way out.

[IndianaBowman]

Sounds like a great hunt Sean! Congrats on getting a shot.

I had a frustrating morning. I set up in my sweet little funnel and had 4 gobbles to the right and 3 to the left. I also had some very vocal hens in each bunch. I don't use a blind and was just sitting up against a big oak in my leafy suit. I let out few seductive yelps and evidently hit the right cord for a big gobbler. He went off but he sounded a little ways off and he wasn't with either the right or left bunch. I hit it again and he boomed back. Sounded closer so I really worked him up them. Gave him some sweet talk promising a time he wouldn't forget. Well, that bird was on the other side of a fairly significant sized creek but was closing fast. Once I figured out he was on the other side I relaxed a little thinking there was no way I would pull him across. That silly bird RAN down the hill and glided right across the creek and landed 3 ft away from me. Kind of startled me as my back was to him and I was craning my neck to see if he was coming. I moved just a fraction and he caught me. He walked away out to the field and just kept on trucking. No way I could get my longbow up and get a shot. This was at 6:05 AM. I had to get in to work and thought I didn't have much chance after spooking him a little and got up to leave. Of course there were two more silent longbeards strutting right to my funnel just over a little rise that I didn't see until I stood up. Buggered them out too.  Oh, well. I have two more birds that I see in a little secluded field corner strutting everyday and they were there this morning. I'll give them a try in the AM.  In hind sight I should've expected the bird to fly across the creek and been ready, but I didn't and he caught me. Lesson learned.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Sounds like most had fun days a faild so far    

So far had a Jake come in Silent and didn't want to come into the Decoy. It would have been a chip shot if he had, I was closer to the deke than I thought when the light came up.

[Friend]

Here in Western Ky, we have a better chance pursueing water turkeys.

Fifteen inches of rain in the past 2 1/2 weeks has mmade hunting interesting.

[IndianaBowman]

Well, this morning I set up in the right place and had at least 6 gobblers around me. Four of them hit the ground, shut up, and chased after a few hens in the other direction. No amount of sweet talking could change their mind. The remaining two were with four hens and were working in my direction.  I gave a few inviting yelps and then the boss hen in the group began to give me the business.  Having experienced this before I thought that if I called her in the the boys would follow.  I aggressively called her and got her all worked up. She came in with two other hens to about 5 yards and purred and putted for 15 minutes. These 3 must've been the ugliest hens in all of NY. The last hen headed off in the other direction with the two boys in tow. I'll be in the field where all the gobblers headed in the morning. I've now hunted longer this year for a bird than I have in the previous 3 years combined. They are actually kind of fun now. Used to be just too easy.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Terry,

Call in the better looking hens next time.

Maybe then the boys will follow      

[Shawn Leonard]

It has been rough the hens hit the ground and if they don't walk by you than no chance for a tom. I have seen toms everyday and had a few within 40-50 yards but everytime a hen or two comes along and leads them away. I may hunt again tomorrow but it may be rainin too hard. Keep it up guys! Shawn