Team 5* ~The Turkey Killers
06-05-2014, 04:53 PM
#703
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,670
CamoKenny, been meaning to ask you. Have you hunted Loess Hills much/ever? I've contemplated going down the the last few years. I've just heard they are so heavily hunted down there. And it's hard for me to go down there and spend precious hunting time in such a huge area I've never been without doing some scouting first. It hasn't been till recently I've felt the need to hunt public. I have access to a big chunk of land in south central Iowa that used to be just crazy thick with turkeys. But the population has dropped tremendously there and we aren't sure why. The deer are still there, but the turkeys are all but gone. We killed three out of there this spring between me, my dad, and a family relative to the owner, but I almost hate to keep shooting them. Maybe give them a few years to recover. I've shot my 4th season birds up north here on small public places each of the last two years, but I'm thinking about trying something like that. So I was just curious if you'd done much hunting down there and how well you know the land. You can PM me if you want as well.
06-05-2014, 06:15 PM
#704
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: SW Iowa
Posts: 479
CamoKenny, been meaning to ask you. Have you hunted Loess Hills much/ever? I've contemplated going down the the last few years. I've just heard they are so heavily hunted down there. And it's hard for me to go down there and spend precious hunting time in such a huge area I've never been without doing some scouting first. It hasn't been till recently I've felt the need to hunt public. I have access to a big chunk of land in south central Iowa that used to be just crazy thick with turkeys. But the population has dropped tremendously there and we aren't sure why. The deer are still there, but the turkeys are all but gone. We killed three out of there this spring between me, my dad, and a family relative to the owner, but I almost hate to keep shooting them. Maybe give them a few years to recover. I've shot my 4th season birds up north here on small public places each of the last two years, but I'm thinking about trying something like that. So I was just curious if you'd done much hunting down there and how well you know the land. You can PM me if you want as well.
jepcho, I try to stay away from public land here in Iowa due to the pressure that is put on them and as you know we are not blessed with much public land here in Iowa. I hunt south of the public area of the loess hills. Basicly I hunt in the southwest corner of Iowa, page and fremont counties. If I hunt any public land in my area it is first season when its all during the work week. I do have several small pieces of private land that all have birds just not a bunch of them.
If I can help you or any one else on the team please asked.
06-05-2014, 06:41 PM
#705
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,670
Yeah I have not liked having to hunt public land more. Actually I had very rarely turkey hunted public land until the last two years. Both of the ones I killed were during the week, but were 4th season. It made the birds tough to hunt and I had to think about outsmarting other hunters as well as the birds. I would be interested in hunting Nebraska or Missouri if you're serious about getting together and hunting.
06-06-2014, 05:48 AM
#706
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,927
Yeah, I've had to hunt more and more public land as the landowners I had access with have died one by one. It SUCKS! I've had some success but I've been spoiled with private land. Night and day difference. The problem I'm having is my last big private land chunk has been acting like public land lately. >(
06-06-2014, 01:48 PM
#707
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Maine
Posts: 12,563
What I hunt up here is private land that is open to the public.. That is because of it being large tracks of timber land and a public relations type of thing.. It also has a long field that runs for 83 miles from just about 3 miles down the road from me. So access is easy and I tend to go out farther where some do not bother with. But, at times it is like the interstate with hunters and others going fishing. So I try to find an area that you have to walk into or a side road where there is turkey activity. Most of these guys just ride around looking for a turkey to shoot. I like calling them myself and do not mind the walk in trying to get a decent tom.. But in these pressured areas I will move back from the openings around 150 yards or so.. I try to find a skidder trail that is fairly open where a turkey might strut and hope for the best..
06-06-2014, 02:34 PM
#708
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Wye Mountain, Arkansas
Posts: 865
One of my birds this year was taken off public land. My first public land bird. I only saw one other person while in the woods the whole season. Out of six or seven days of hunting. I also would launch my boat and go across the lake to areas where the closest roads was two and a half miles over mountains and valleys. I know that helped me get away from a lot of people
06-06-2014, 03:12 PM
#710
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: SW Iowa
Posts: 479
Just one small area here in southwest iowa that is public that I have and will hunt. Only during the week when all the pressure is down.
As far as any of the other states that I hunt it is all private land. Just a few of those allow other hunters. It might take some road work and gas but I go every year and check on the places I hunt and look for more in the area. Well worth it in most cases.
As far as any of the other states that I hunt it is all private land. Just a few of those allow other hunters. It might take some road work and gas but I go every year and check on the places I hunt and look for more in the area. Well worth it in most cases.