Wokeup to pouring rain, and my son is battling a cold, so we decided not to go out first thing. We took a ride around 9am, and saw 2 toms out in a field we can hunt. Circled around through the woods, and setup. Nothing, changed our setup closer to the field, and heard a gobble not too far off. Rain stopped, and the woods came alive. 10am, and 4 toms were sounding off to crows, car horn, and my calls. I was working one towards my son, and I had him reposition for a shot. I told him he's coming, and real close. Jon whispers I see him. He had gun up and ready. I turn my head to see a decent full tom strutting through the woods about 45yds out, and his head was white. Highly excited! He started walking away from us. I started a few box call yelps. He went out of strut, and moved away at a fast walk. I got NO idea what spooked him. It appeared my box yelps did. My calling movements were very small, and well concealed. Jon never moved, I never moved other then my forearm using the call. The wind had picked up around the sametime, so maybe a branch dropping or wind. I really got no idea, never had a tom come in strutting suddenly spook like that when everything seemed good to go. After that the woods went completely quiet, and it seemed soon as the fun started it was over. I tried calling some more, changing up calls to no avail. It started raining again, and Jon was soaked & freezing. So we packed it in around 11ish. But all in all at least I got him some action on his first day out. He had fun, and walked away excited.
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08' Bowtech General
02' Champion Stratus
Location: The place that Harry Henderson calls home....
Posts: 1,672
RE: NY youth hunt
Probably with the rain and the wind, I'm guessing your calls probably blasted him, ie. too much amplitude. To him you probably sounded like a freight train, especially if the wind actually carried the call directly to him. I have had that happen before, usually it happens more often with silent birds, that have circled around. If they get to within 50 yards of a decent setup and don't see the hen, they spook---especially when the hen gets really "hot", if ya' know what I mean...
Can't believe you went out in this weather...if NY was anything like here in CT, you must have been drenched by noon.
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"The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight." Theodore Roosevelt
Too bad im too old to hunt in this hunt!! (if only it came a few years earlier!!) heh, hope everyone has good luck tomorrow! BuckAlley, Ever heard of Fox's game calls out of Camden? just curious.
MD, Never heard of Fox's calls. I do have a couple of local calls in my arsenal though. Tankers calls, he's between Altmar & Williamstown on Rt.13, and guy I met at Syracuse show makes some awesome paddle boxes called Empire game calls. I picked up one thats one of the sweetest sounding boxes I've heard, have yet to use it this season though. I like the box calls best. I do use mouth calls, but prefer friction calls. I called in my last yrs tom with a simple push box doing cuts.
Right now its 6:20am. My son & I got up to head out first thing this morning. was a real light rain, no biggy. Got dressed, and as we got to the door to head out the friggen sky opened up into a wicked down pour, and high winds. So were just sitting here waiting for the crap to calm down. Imagine birds will stick to the roost longer in this junk weather. Mother Natures not being very good to the kids this wknd, darn women anyways!!!!!
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08' Bowtech General
02' Champion Stratus
They Sell Empire Game calls in the local wal-mart, and that was my first call. But, I will say if your ever looking for a new slate/class/alum/copper call, check out Sean Fox's Calls, they are absolutely outstanding.
This morning woke me up, i thought the trees outside my window were going to uproot...all i had to do was say WOW...good luck, still got 40 minutes left!
went up to delaware county with my dad and another father and sone
i got a bird but it was jake we scouted the birds the night before got set up and the birds flew down in the feild didnt see any long beards so i waited then 4 more jakes ran down and they all started fghting then mydad started caling and the four hens came down after that four jakes came down about 10 yds and i let them walk because i thought the big ones where up more so i waited and they started walking foward soo no big beard.... then i thought the last one must be the big tom we heard gobblin
then boom i missed... then he ran and i shot again and got him 63 yds i was kinda disappointed becuase it was a jake but a birds a bird and im still hapy im also glad i got one because the smornin it was downpooring and windy
i cant wait to go back out opening weekend
we were both back at camp by 7
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cuz where them old boys raised on shotguns
I had a blast taking kids out turkey hunting over the past two days . Yesterday morning I called a couple of jakes in for my 13-yr. old cousin and he smoked one of 'em. Today I managed to call in another jake for his 15-yr. old brother after he unfortunately missed a monster longbeard earlier in the morning before I took him out. Oh well...the jake was his first turkey and he was pretty pumped to get it. Both hunts were classics...the birds came in fast and furiously gobbling the entire time. Now I can't wait for next Sunday to get here...I've got a number of longbeards scouted out around the house. Hopefully they'll be fired up and raring to go next weekend. Good luck to all of my fellow NYers!
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"I'm not from New York...I'm from western New York!!!"
NY youth hunt
