Its a disease

[megalomaniac]

There is nothing else that you wait 10.5 months for impatiently, spend another month scouting for, can't sleep for a week or two before, be willing to work a 72h shift to get opening day off for....

THEN spend 6 hours hiking 6 miles and hitting 10 or 11 spots and never cut a track or hear a gobble, yet still can't stop thinking about doing it all over again!

Been a rough morn, but at least I'm far enough south that the Tstorms haven't hit yet. Maybe just one more spot before the lightening chases me out of the woods!

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Good luck mega. I was just thinking about that earlier AND going hardcore trying to find my first morel mushroom ever on our property.

 

[Andy S.]

Agreed. Nothing like getting your butt whooped in the turkey woods and dying to get back at it tomorrow. Nothing like it IMO.

 

[bvoss]

Amen!

 

[RoyalPrudent]

Seriously. It's just about all I can think about. Can't wait.

 

[timberjack86]

Yep!! Nothing better!!

 

[THE DUKE]

That first gobble erases all the hard work for sure.

 

[philsanchez76]

That first gobble erases all the hard work for sure.

so true

 

[megalomaniac]

Got my first gobble at 4pm! About choked on my dip I was so excited.

I came home at 130, ate lunch, checked the radar and realized the line of strong storms had broken up, so I headed back out to part of my private lease closest to the house. Hiked in a half mile calling here and there, then set up in a creel bottom about 30y from the property line (most of our section of that lease portion is 3yo cutover and very thick). I called for a bit and just kicked back. About 15 min later, a bird gobbled 200y away off the property. I scrambled to find my call and get it back in, then yelped back to him, scrambled for better cover, and got my gun up. Not another peep. Gave him 5 minutes and called again. Nothing. Waited on him for an hour, but nothing else. Not sure if he was even gobbling for me when I heard him, I'm assuming he must have a had a hen. But now I know where to start when I go back Thursday!

Have to work 2 days, which works out well since it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow and Wed. Then I have 4 days off to hit it hard.

 

[PalsPal]

I'm trying to dampen the anticipation. I know it's a marathon and not a sprint, but it's tough.

 

[tn24]

Got my first gobble at 4pm! About choked on my dip I was so excited.

Haha. Can you dip and use a mouth call at the same time. I can but I have to get rid of the dip when I think ones coming in. Good luck.

 

[Huntaholic]

To roughly quote the late Ben Lee, "turkey hunting is a disease, you better have a good job, or youre going to lose it and you better have a good wife or youre going to lose her too!"

 

[megalomaniac]

Haha. Can you dip and use a mouth call at the same time. I can but I have to get rid of the dip when I think ones coming in. Good luck.

Yes, I have mastered the fine art of using a mouth call with a dip in

 

[deerfever]

You are definitely eat up with it Mega. People don't understand the turkey addiction that we have as hunters . I am glad to come here and see people like you that get it. Best of luck to you this season!

 

[Gravey]

I tell people that have never done it to not go the first time unless they are ok with a new addiction. Good luck Mega!

 

[Spurhunter]

My cousin/hunting buddy took off today, slept on a cot in the bed of his truck Dave Owens style, and hunted all day in MS without hearing a gobble. He did see a longbeard strutting for 3 hens in a field down the road from our property and found some fresh sign. I'm headed down Thursday to set up camp and hunt Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. We don't have a ton of birds to hunt, but it's an early start to my season.

 

[Spurhunter]

I tell people that have never done it to not go the first time unless they are ok with a new addiction.

I tell people that fish don't ever try it, unless you have an excellent place to hunt because you'll miss out on the best fishing time of the year being frustrated. I wish I'd never started, but I'm addicted now. I am proof positive that Col. Tom Kelly is right in this statement: "I do not hunt turkeys because I want to. I hunt them because I have to. I would, really, rather not. But I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion."

 

[muddyboots]

That was always the difference between fishing and turkey hunting for me. If i didn't catch fish i didn't want to go for a few days. If I had a bad day turkey hunting I can not wait until I get up next morning.

 

[13pt]

I'm sitting here watching 60 turkeys (best I can count)...7 tom's and 11 jake's in the group. Watched a tom breed what we can the bearded hen (she has about a 5" beard). He jumped off and was on another within 5 minutes (at least I think it was the same tom). When there's this many in the group it's hard to keep up with. It's awesome to watch all this while I'm working in my home office...multi-tasking I guess. Anyway, I'm not a big turkey hunter and haven't been in a few years, but I love to watch them. Deer hunting is my passion and I don't have time to do both. The local NWTF chapter does a drawing every year for a juvenile to come here on our farm and do a filmed turkey hunt...usually filmed by Cabela's or Mossy Oak. So far it's been 100% success. Juvenile weekend coming up and we have a 16 year old coming that has taken several deer but never a turkey, so this will be another great hunt. I wish all of you the best in your pursuit, and may you have a morning like I'm having, except in your outdoor office!

 

[Spurhunter]

That was always the difference between fishing and turkey hunting for me. If i didn't catch fish i didn't want to go for a few days. If I had a bad day turkey hunting I can not wait until I get up next morning.

I'm the same way with fishing or turkey hunting. I figure if the fish didn't feed today, they will tomorrow. And if the turkeys didn't gobble today, they will tomorrow.