Mid April Opening Days Suck

[Spurhunter]

It is interesting the dynamics from one property to another with the later start and the weather leading up to the season

Last year was the worst season I've ever had, this year is wild. Every day the birds are absolutely on fire. It's been a lot of fun so far and I'm one trigger pull away from my tri state tags being filled

I'm hearing a lot of people say the hunting has been phenomenal. I'm just in a bad situation with my lease and the surrounding properties.

 

[Spurhunter]

They'll work across to our side some and just have to be there when they do. Sometimes they'll work and sometimes they don't. When they don't I move to another area.

I could live with that, but these turkeys aren't leaving beautiful cattle pastures full of grasshoppers to walk into thick stuff where they can't see. They'll strut and gobble out in the pasture, but if I'm not willing to trespass or shoot a bird across the line it ain't going to happen. Like I said, somebody might could call them into the thickets in that situation, but I can't. Maybe my calling skills just aren't up to par.

 

[deerfever]

One strange thing is the groups of toms that folks called in. Crazy how many are together.

I called in 5 together and killed one , at least in my case it was a Band of Brothers. Two year olds from 22. They have just never split up. I thought it strange when I heard that many together opening day then realized what it was. There is another group of 3 on down the mountain together. I thought the 21 hatch was good 22 was unreal. No where near Wayne , I hunt in various " struggling" counties , the only problem for me is I have not seen nor heard a Jake yet. Hopefully others are. It's amazing how timing effects different parts of the state due to green up and such , also what a huge difference one or two good hatches can make.

 

[Gravey]

I could live with that, but these turkeys aren't leaving beautiful cattle pastures full of grasshoppers to walk into thick stuff where they can't see. They'll strut and gobble out in the pasture, but if I'm not willing to trespass or shoot a bird across the line it ain't going to happen. Like I said, somebody might could call them into the thickets in that situation, but I can't. Maybe my calling skills just aren't up to par.

Our woods that border the cow pastures aren't too thick so they'll come over at times. That said I've seen birds come through thickets I never thought they would. Who knows?

 

[Spurhunter]

Our woods that border the cow pastures aren't too thick so they'll come over at times. That said I've seen birds come through thickets I never thought they would. Who knows?

I've seen turkeys in stuff so thick that I couldn't believe they were there on many occasions. Every time it blows my mind. However, calling one there, and him being there because he wants to be there may be two different animals. I'll admit I've never walked the stage in Nashville with the calling champions though.

 

[MidTennFisher]

Im fine with a later opening day on public land - if this change was meant to disxourage out of state traveling Hunters. But i hate pushed back opening day on private lands.

Every hunter, whether hunting public or private, should have the same season dates. We don't need a situation in TN where public land hunters are screwed out of valuable turkey hunting days that private land hunters get.

Trust me, I deal with it here and it's infuriating. WMA season is April 1 - April 30 (can't hunt Sundays). Private land is March 22 - May 10 and they get to hunt Sundays. I honestly can't believe there are hunters here in SC who actually tolerate this crap. It's unfathomable to think it's a good thing that WMA hunters get screwed harder than a Vegas hooker when it comes to hunting access.

And the new date was absolutely not to discourage out of state hunters. TWRA has no issue with out of staters coming to TN. You know how I know? They paid The Hunting Public to promote TN turkey hunting a few years ago. The result was such an increase in pressure that the following season most of those West TN WMAs went to quota.

 

[tellico4x4]

the only problem for me is I have not seen nor heard a Jake yet. Hopefully others are.

We've heard and seen several. Had a flock of 19 all winter.

 

[deerfever]

We've heard and seen several. Had a flock of 19 all winter.

That's great news! Hopefully there are some around, I just haven't seen them.

 

[megalomaniac]

We've heard and seen several. Had a flock of 19 all winter.

Same on my places... best hatch last year since early 2000s. Group of 13 jakes on one farm, 5 and 3 on another, 2 on another. Plus another couple dozen seen from the roads in between my properties. Really exciting to see this many jakes again!

 

[deerfever]

Problem is , the fields are so overgrown now. I came home and a tom was strutting in the road because the fields are 3 ft tall with green grass. Im fine with a lower limit. Im fine with a later opening day on public land - if this change was meant to disxourage out of state traveling Hunters. But i hate pushed back opening day on private lands. I could eaisily kill 2 birds in 2 hunts im confident. But the problem is, i have never enjoyed hunting them this late in the yr

If it was meant to discourage non residents it's not working. I have run into a couple different groups from states to the south of us. We may have kept away people to the North but guys now have two weeks or more to kill out in states below us and come up here. Two of the guys told me they used to go to Kentucky for " fresh birds" not anymore , TN is closer. Maybe we helped Kentucky? Lol

 

[Winchester]

I dont like the delayed start either but I do feel like it will save some birds which is the intention. Here in East Tn our Turkey population has taken a big dive in the last 5-10 years. Still plenty of birds to hunt and kill but nowhere near the numbers and big flocks we had a decade ago!

 

[DeerCamp]

I've talked before about how my place greens up and gets thick somewhere around April 10th (give or take a day or two) and the turkeys leave for the pretty cattle pastures that surround me. I used to get a week of good hunting. Maybe two if I was very lucky. I knew with the late opener, early green up, and the fact that we've never killed a turkey on this lease past April 10th that my season was over before it started. But, being a turkey hunter, I had to give it a shot.

I hunted 5 of the first 8 days of season from first light until fly up. I wish I knew how many miles I walked and how many times I almost needed a helicopter evacuation crossing a ditch or creek. All to hear exactly one gobbler on the place opening morning. He gobbled a couple times as he headed for greener pastures. From then on every gobble I heard was well across the property line. I'm sure it is possible to call a turkey out of a pretty cattle pasture full of grasshoppers into a thick, sticker bush infested pine forest, but I can't do it. I tried. For days.

I sat there Saturday evening thinking about the old timers that would get up everyday and go turkey hunting knowing they most likely wouldn't hear a turkey. I couldn't decide if that was dedication or insanity. At least I could hear a gobble and try to call him in, knowing full well he wasn't coming. Alas, every man has his limits. My dedication only goes so far. This year the turkeys won. Maybe someday the folks that set the seasons will see fit to push the opener back to the first of April.

Unfortunately our problem is worse. We simply don't have many turkeys anymore period.

What used to be 5-6 Gobblers in the mornings is now 0. We heard one turkey opening morning - haven't heard or seen a bird since then and that includes neighbors on the lookout as well.

 

[DeerCamp]

This about says it all.

 

[Bgoodman30]

I called in 5 together and killed one , at least in my case it was a Band of Brothers. Two year olds from 22. They have just never split up. I thought it strange when I heard that many together opening day then realized what it was. There is another group of 3 on down the mountain together. I thought the 21 hatch was good 22 was unreal. No where near Wayne , I hunt in various " struggling" counties , the only problem for me is I have not seen nor heard a Jake yet. Hopefully others are. It's amazing how timing effects different parts of the state due to green up and such , also what a huge difference one or two good hatches can make.

Same around here in Middle TN. Good numbers of 2yo but alarmingly low number of Jakes. Don't have a group bigger than 3 on the properties I hunt. Saw some poults last summer but apparently they didn't survive... Next year won't be as good but will have some carryover I hope..

 

[Bgoodman30]

I guess there will always be winners and losers when it comes to the late start. I certainly know what you mean I observe birds every year that will retreat from overgrown woods and fields to grazed pasture in Mid to late April. Honestly it seemed to happen a week to 10 days earlier this year. There are some gobblers that are out there moving about I have almost hit two trying to cross the highway in the last 3 days. Keep the faith.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

View attachment 224964

This about says it all.

Where did this graph come from? PPH was MUCH improved across West TN last year, and slightly better in Middle. But most of East TN struggled, which brought the statewide PPH numbers down to 2.17, which was roughly the same as the past two years. I fully believe the delay helped, but I'm curious about this graph. It seems to show improved PPH compared to the last several years, but still well below 2?

 

[poorhunter]

View attachment 224964

This about says it all.

Well, it doesn't say why.

It ain't nest raiders either as they have always been the number one killer of turkeys, and there really aren't any more now than there used to be. Nest raiders contribute, but they are not THE reason and controlling them won't fix the low PPH.

 

[poorhunter]

I could live with that, but these turkeys aren't leaving beautiful cattle pastures full of grasshoppers to walk into thick stuff where they can't see. They'll strut and gobble out in the pasture, but if I'm not willing to trespass or shoot a bird across the line it ain't going to happen. Like I said, somebody might could call them into the thickets in that situation, but I can't. Maybe my calling skills just aren't up to par.

Just SEEKJUAN them with a decoy and a fan…come on, you know you want to be a groupie!

 

[deerfever]

Where did this graph come from? PPH was MUCH improved across West TN last year, and slightly better in Middle. But most of East TN struggled, which brought the statewide PPH numbers down to 2.17, which was roughly the same as the past two years. I fully believe the delay helped, but I'm curious about this graph. It seems to show improved PPH compared to the last several years, but still well below 2?

Which counties in east TN have you been in? Do.these PPH numbers come from the people who tune it in online or how do they arrive at them?

 

[DeerCamp]

Well, it doesn't say why.

It ain't nest raiders either as they have always been the number one killer of turkeys, and there really aren't any more now than there used to be. Nest raiders contribute, but they are not THE reason and controlling them won't fix the low PPH.

It could be nest raiders IF accompanied by habitat loss.

Has the habitat changed in 10 years? I don't know.

I don't see a whole lot of 2-3 year old wild fields around me.