6 more weeks

[knightrider]

Good grief this is killing me

 

[huvrman]

Oh yes. Happening all around me. Never seen this much activity this early.

 

[AT Hiker]

If the weather trend continues it will be full canopy and over regrown hay fields come mid April. It will look like we are hunting in May!

 

[rem270]

I seen a group of 10-15 in a field on the way to work this morning and 4 were in strut. I'm ready!

 

[knightrider]

I seen a group of 10-15 in a field on the way to work this morning and 4 were in strut. I'm ready!

Two of these got your name on em if you want em

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

Haven't seen any in strut or heard any gobbling yet. I have seen some nice Tom's out and about lately though.

If the weather trend continues it will be full canopy and over regrown hay fields come mid April. It will look like we are hunting in May!

I was thinking pretty much the same thing this afternoon.

 

[knightrider]

Haven't seen any in strut or heard any gobbling yet. I have seen some nice Tom's out and about lately though.


I was thinking pretty much the same thing this afternoon.

They gobbled good here today

 

[Layne]

Yeah I think we are in for an early spring and green up.

 

[Setterman]

Things are certainly moving fast here as well. Hunting will still be good for me in this area, but I'll truly miss the first two weeks. There's something really special about watching the woods convert from winter to full blown spring while hunting.

Glad the 4 bird limit and decoy lovers had their fun. Thanks for spoiling Turkey season for the rest of us. Also TWRA for perpetuating a horrific management plan for far too long.

 

[TNlandowner]

I had two gobbling beside my house over the last two days... I love living in the country!

 

[Atchman2]

They are all over my hog feeders! Poor hogs don't have a chance with a couple dozen gobblers around. :)

 

[waterman]

Agreed. Absolutely killing me

 

[Atchman2]

I'm just afraid they are going to "peak" too early? My fear is it is going to be like late season when the season starts. I hate late season, just so hard compared to those first few weeks.

I'm going to Kansas for the archery hunt. It was ZERO there last week!

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

I'm just afraid they are going to "peak" too early? My fear is it is going to be like late season when the season starts. I hate late season, just so hard compared to those first few weeks.

I'm going to Kansas for the archery hunt. It was ZERO there last week!

I believe we're going to see them acting a bit differently this season come mid/late April. Keep in mind that aside from the youth hunt on the 8th and 9th, these birds aren't going to have had any real hunting pressure applied to them until mid April. Hopefully, that'll mean they won't be as skittish to come into the call in late April as they normally would with the old season schedule.

 

[Andy S.]

If the weather trend continues it will be full canopy and over regrown hay fields come mid April. It will look like we are hunting in May!

Come to the SW corner of the State (more in line with northern Mississippi from a climate perspective), and what you describe will be exacerbated. If all other things were equal (reproduction, poult carryover, plenty of turkeys to hunt in outyears, etc), my preferred dates to "hunt" in the SW corner of the State is roughly March 20 - April 20. Of course, these dates would not be my preferred dates "to hunt" for middle TN (10-14 days later), and not even close for the NE corner of the State (Bristol, etc).

 

[Andy S.]

I'm just afraid they are going to "peak" too early? My fear is it is going to be like late season when the season starts. I hate late season,.......

Almost a guaranteed likelihood for the SW portion of TN.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Prediction: Hunters will practically have to shoot toms in self-defense. In areas hens are starting to lay or even set by then, the gobblers will be on fire looking for dates and coming to the gun.

 

[Andy S.]

Hunting will still be good for me in this area.......................

No doubt about it, new season dates impact the northeast corner of the State the least, middle of the State the second least, and impact the SW quadrant the most. From a "receptive birds" and "quality of hunting" point of view.

 

[Andy S.]

Prediction: Hunters will practically have to shoot toms in self-defense. In areas hens are starting to lay or even set by then, the gobblers will be on fire looking for dates and coming to the gun.

I can see this the first week of season in a target rich environment. If we have favorable weather April 15-23, and hunters have availability in their schedules, it should not take one long to fill 2 tags and be done. We have always talked about how front loaded our season kill has been over last 20 years. I highly suspect it will be more heavily weighted on first 10-14 days of season. Time will tell.

 

[megalomaniac]

Just crazy... here in south MS, many trees have completely exploded with leaves this week with the mid 80s temps.

But the toms are still right on track... not even gobbling, and just now starting to break up bachelor groups and follow hens. Got a pic of 2 more toms crossing a pipe line yesterday, neither were even colored up. Hens start letting toms breed them mid March locally, and there is zero sign it is going to happen earlier than normal this year despite the weather. I spent a couple hours yesterday listening... didn't hear a single gobble, yet I knew I was within hearing distance of two. They really need to hurry up and give away their preferred roost locations so I can put together a plan for the juvie hunt next week.

 

[Boll Weevil]

But the toms are still right on track... not even gobbling, and just now starting to break up bachelor groups and follow hens.

Got the first pic of hens and toms together 3 days ago on 2/27. Prior to that only bachelor groups.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Come to the SW corner of the State (more in line with northern Mississippi from a climate perspective), and what you describe will be exacerbated. If all other things were equal (reproduction, poult carryover, plenty of turkeys to hunt in outyears, etc), my preferred dates to "hunt" in the SW corner of the State is roughly March 20 - April 20. Of course, these dates would not be my preferred dates "to hunt" for middle TN (10-14 days later), and not even close for the NE corner of the State (Bristol, etc).

A lot of times I don't think people who haven't experienced the difference can wrap their minds around just how vastly different the southernmost portions of west TN can be. Like you, I'd LOVE to be able to hunt the last 10 days of March. What few times I can remember getting to hunt the last weekend of March the hunting was incredible. Same goes for the few years I got to carry a juvenile. We never had a problem finding a receptive bird then.

 

[deerfever]

I believe we're going to see them acting a bit differently this season come mid April. Keep in mind that aside from the youth hunt on the 8th and 9th, these birds aren't going to have had any hunting pressure applied to them come opening morning of the regular season. Hopefully, that'll mean they won't be as skittish to come into the call as they normally would with the old season schedule.

I am trying to understand your thoughts and I may be missing something but how is that different than the old schedule? We had the juvenile hunt followed a week later by regular season? Again I may be missing something here as I am getting old and crusty! Lol

 

[Andy S.]

Got the first pic of hens and toms together 3 days ago on 2/27. Prior to that only bachelor groups.

My first pic was 2/14. Friends have heard a little bit of limb gobbling this past week. SW TN.

 

[Andy S.]

I rode around February 20 and saw north of 100 birds between daylight and 9AM, of course flocked up pretty good. 15+ LBs that morning, with one field of 9 LBs following 12 hens. Middle TN.

 

[CHRIS WILSON]

I am trying to understand your thoughts and I may be missing something but how is that different than the old schedule? We had the juvenile hunt followed a week later by regular season? Again I may be missing something here as I am getting old and crusty! Lol

My response was to how the birds might be acting mid/late April this season in comparison to the same time frame in seasons past due the shift in when hunting pressure is applied. I think I worded my earlier response a bit funky.

 

[AT Hiker]

Come to the SW corner of the State (more in line with northern Mississippi from a climate perspective), and what you describe will be exacerbated. If all other things were equal (reproduction, poult carryover, plenty of turkeys to hunt in outyears, etc), my preferred dates to "hunt" in the SW corner of the State is roughly March 20 - April 20. Of course, these dates would not be my preferred dates "to hunt" for middle TN (10-14 days later), and not even close for the NE corner of the State (Bristol, etc).

Research out of NC is confirming that nesting is more aligned with latitude and day length. Believe it or not, the higher altitude mountains of W, NC nesting is a couple days earlier than the costal.
Be interesting to study TN. Dr Harpers research confirms TN nesting dates but that's a specific geographic location.

 

[Gobble4me757]

One week for me in south Florida!

 

[deerfever]

I got a text Saturday morning from a buddy of mine " Gobblers puffed up all over this morning" . I can't take it !

 

[Andy S.]

One week for me in south Florida!

Seen some juvenile hunt kill pics over the weekend from south FL.