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2013 Spring Turkey Hunting megathread
- Thread starter StevieP
- Start date
So are you offering your services as a guide for the rest of us who are still empty handed?
45collector
NES Member
Honestly I may just give up on turkey altogether. The season coincides with when the first Stripers start showing up, and I love Striper so I think I'm just going to concentrate on fishing this time of year. Maybe I'll try again for turkey in the Fall, but even then I'm still fishing and getting ready for waterfowl.
yep. Tomorrow and Saturday are my last two chances to get out this season.
My advice: Get out of MA or head west. I wasted two years trying to hunt turkeys in the North shore and they are in backyards, parking lots and beside roads but not in the woods...almost like urbanized animals. Do you blame them? Why be in the woods with predators and hunters when there are birdfeeders in backyards?
This year was the first year my father and I decided to head north a bit into NH. I got my bird the first weekend out and he got his this morning in the same area. In both cases we could have taken multiple birds those days. I'm 99% sure I wasted two years sitting in the woods with no birds around me.
Download this:
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/harvest_summary/Wildlife_Harvest_2011.pdf
Scroll to the turkey section. Look at kills per town and kills per square mile, and go to one of those areas. Im not sure if MA has a similar report.
When I scouted one of the higher kill density areas in NH this year, I had to stop twice to let turkeys cross the road and the roads were littered with car kills. In all cases there were vast open areas legal to hunt almost every few hundred yards on all roads in those towns.
Went out this morning...no birds but had 3 deer walk right up to me within probably 15 feet....Can't wait till deer season...
hv55maxx
NES Member
Probably one good thing outta this. I've seen a ton a deer tracks and beds. So not a complete wash. Last chance for spring turkey tomorrow. Getting married Saturday then to the Grand Canyon for honeymoon.
CONGRATS!! Any luck this morning?
ccm75
NES Member
Then, you'll see only turkeys....
Sounds like heaven. Well, in MA there is a wildlife harvest report, but it's organized by county only. Here's the link. I sent an email in asking for the town by town breakdown and will share it if they ever reply.
MassWildlife - Wild Turkey Harvest Information
I shot my first ever earlier this morning, 21lbs, 8.75" beard and .75" spurs. Yesterday's hunt was a dud - a lot of gobbles but no sightings, so I went out last night to try and pin down a roost.
From that, I was able to get a better feel for location, relocated our field blind well before sunrise and engaged this one for about an hour. He was ranging deep into the woods and at a few points we thought we'd lost him, but he ended up entering our field and spent ~30 minutes strutting just out of range. An unexpected hen came barreling up behind us to within 5 yards, then past us. Her path drew him closer and that's all I needed.![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
From that, I was able to get a better feel for location, relocated our field blind well before sunrise and engaged this one for about an hour. He was ranging deep into the woods and at a few points we thought we'd lost him, but he ended up entering our field and spent ~30 minutes strutting just out of range. An unexpected hen came barreling up behind us to within 5 yards, then past us. Her path drew him closer and that's all I needed.
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Inside Out
NES Member
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
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Struck out this morning. Saw one lonely hen but no fellas.
No luck fishing in the afternoon either.
If you're keeping score at home, that's local wildlife 2, me 0 -- but still a great day to be outdoors.
No luck fishing in the afternoon either.
If you're keeping score at home, that's local wildlife 2, me 0 -- but still a great day to be outdoors.
45collector
NES Member
That's the way it is sometimes. But keep that attitude that it's good to be outside no matter what, and you'll never really "get skunked". You learn something new about the woods every time you go out.
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
wfesta
NES Member
Got my First Bird this year. Just took Hunting back up last year so learning a lot. Used to hunt as a kid with my Grandpa and Dad then I spun out of control and gave up a lot of things I liked for many years.
Headed out tomorrow be my last day of the season, bringing my 10 year old daughter to sit with me much like I used to do.
The shooting sports and outdoor sports are an important part of my life and I will never give them up again. Passing them on is a great way to spend time with the kids too.
Hope everyone else had a good season.... time to break the fishing rod out.
Headed out tomorrow be my last day of the season, bringing my 10 year old daughter to sit with me much like I used to do.
The shooting sports and outdoor sports are an important part of my life and I will never give them up again. Passing them on is a great way to spend time with the kids too.
Hope everyone else had a good season.... time to break the fishing rod out.
- Joined
- May 13, 2013
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- 8
Heya Jeff! I was curious, where do you usually go when hunting? Also, where do you go for some practice? I'm totally new to all of this. I too am from the central mass area. I'm in the midst of getting a membership to Singletary Rod and Gun in Oxford. I've already did my Firearm safety class, and currently waiting for my LTC to come in. I recently purchased a nice PSE bow and some hunting gear. Now I'm waiting for a Hunters Safety course to happen at the Auburn Sportsmen club in August.
I really hope to get all of this done, plus be familiar with both my bow, and my gun when I receive my LTC. Any help/tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again in advance.
-Joe
