Mid April Opening Days Suck

[Spurhunter]

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.

 

[Ocoee Ridge Runner]

Any local public?

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I know the feeling. And it sucks. Sitting there for hours questioning your sanity. Then start to feel guilty of leaving your family for days. I feel like this a lot during turkeys season, and often enough during deer season. It can get depressing. If I atleast moved a stand or something, I'd feel a little better about my day. We are making it better though - takes time. Hope you can find something to help keep them there an extra week or so

 

[megalomaniac]

They are really starting to search around looking for hens now. Have a cell cam on an oak patch running since season opened and today just had a tom show up. There has been no turkeys on this property or camera entire season except for 3 jakes and 2 hens

If they are in the area, they WILL be on your place sometime in the next 4.5 weeks... just have to get lucky and catch them when they are there.

 

[PalsPal]

Sounds like the early years for me when I only hunted family property. There just weren't many birds. Things changed when I realized that I wasn't committing adultery by hunting other properties.

I know that you're probably paying a hefty price for that lease, but I'd suggest trying to gain access to other places.

 

[Setterman]

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

 

[Gravey]

Our lease borders a cattle farm in one area and there are always birds roosted on their side 99% of the time. They'll work across to our side some and just have to be there when they do. I've killed 2 over the years including the one Sunday of opening weekend. Sometimes they'll work and sometimes they don't. When they don't I move to another area. My problem is I just don't get to get down there anywhere near as much as I'd like.

 

[deerfever]

I don't care wether I kill or not but I love to hear them and work a bird here and there. Lots of two year olds around from the 22 hatch and they are fun to listen to I have been hearing several. I couldn't imagine not hearing anything at all , maybe take you a trip to some other area or part of the state if you have the time amd give it a try. Good luck and I hope it gets better for you soon.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I hear you Spurhunter.

I accept fully, why TWRA has done what they have regarding regs. I also fully understand that many, perhaps even most hunters across the state are now seeing a much-improved hunting experience. This outcome however, is not what I and those within my local hunting circle have experienced.

It's one of reasons I don't feel terribly compelled to weigh in on the numerous regs discussions. I'm perfectly thrilled for those that are feeling the benefits of the regs changes. At the same time, personally, my hunting experience is simply not better now than in the past.

No griping from me whatsoever…just a simple statement of fact.

 

[poorhunter]

I like the later start myself. I hunted last Monday and could see forever in the woods. Today was much better with a bunch of green and I could move on a bird easier. I don't think they gobble more or less just because of how much green there is or isn't, but think it's more dependent on how the mating season is going. Today was the best day of gobbling I've heard in probably 8 years.

 

[WilcoKen]

Very similar to me. I don't like it. Turkeys on my place almost have to be deer hunted. That doesn't do it for me.

 

[megalomaniac]

Very similar to me. I don't like it. Turkeys on my place almost have to be deer hunted. That doesn't do it for me.

I just don't understand this from a scientific standpoint. Breeding times in turkeys is COMPLETELY dictated by latitude/photo period. There is only 2 degrees of latitude difference between the northern border of TN and the southern border of TN.

Contrast that with where I live in south MS... latitude is 5 degrees further south than TN... and the few birds still alive now are gobbling on mornings like today and can be called in.

Where I hunt in middle TN is less than a degree further north than the southern border of TN... yet I was able to get on gobbling turkeys last year on May 28th.

I'm not saying where you hunt they aren't gobbled out and it's over already because ive only hunted middle TN .. but from a biological standpoint that just doesn't jive.

 

[knightrider]

I just don't understand this from a scientific standpoint. Breeding times in turkeys is COMPLETELY dictated by latitude/photo period. There is only 2 degrees of latitude difference between the northern border of TN and the southern border of TN.

Contrast that with where I live in south MS... latitude is 5 degrees further south than TN... and the few birds still alive now are gobbling on mornings like today and can be called in.

Where I hunt in middle TN is less than a degree further north than the southern border of TN... yet I was able to get on gobbling turkeys last year on May 28th.

I'm not saying where you hunt they aren't gobbled out and it's over already because ive only hunted middle TN .. but from a biological standpoint that just doesn't jive.

 

[tellico4x4]

In Wayne so part of the original study area. We had a great first week, killed 11, plus 2 Juvi weekend. Six were 3 yr olds & seven were 2. Should have been at least 3 more killed. One guy had a shell not fire, one had a gun malfunction & the other didn't even set up after having one answer real close. Said he didn't think the bird would come thru the thick stuff & it ran right up to him . Last year we killed 9 opening week. If I hadn't been there for 10 days straight, I'd stayed last night and hunted this morning. Am sure they were hammering.
One strange thing is the groups of toms that folks called in. Crazy how many are together.

 

[redblood]

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

 

[PalsPal]

I just don't understand this from a scientific standpoint. Breeding times in turkeys is COMPLETELY dictated by latitude/photo period.

Not completely. The birds on the Plateau and upper east TN have ALWAYS been a week to 10 days behind those in middle TN.

I assume it's the same thing that causes greenup to be behind about the same length of time.

 

[Spurhunter]

Any local public?

Most of the public in west TN is quota only now and the public that isn't is more crowded than Walmart on black Friday.

 

[Spurhunter]

Hope you can find something to help keep them there an extra week or so

Unfortunately this is timber company land and I am VERY limited on what I can do. It's frustrating that they will bring in their skidders and heavy equipment and make it look like a war zone but we can't do any habitat improvements.

 

[Spurhunter]

If they are in the area, they WILL be on your place sometime in the next 4.5 weeks... just have to get lucky and catch them when they are there.

That is very uplifting! The property has two ponds I like to fish and I've been thinking about camping and fishing for a few days and taking my turkey hunting stuff in case by some miracle a bird gobbles on the place. Maybe it will happen.

 

[Spurhunter]

Sounds like the early years for me when I only hunted family property. There just weren't many birds. Things changed when I realized that I wasn't committing adultery by hunting other properties.

I know that you're probably paying a hefty price for that lease, but I'd suggest trying to gain access to other places.

I would be happy to hunt other properties, but turkey leases are pretty much impossible to find. I know a lot of people gain access by going door to door, but I have never done it. I absolutely hate asking anybody for anything. I won't do it unless it was totally necessary. I probably need to swallow my pride and learn to knock on doors and ask for permission or ask to lease hunting rights.