swampbuster

It's about 60 degrees down here

bigc870

We had a few days here in the MO bootheel that where right at 60 last week but we are back in the upper 20's at night and around 40 during the day.

This weekend the temp is really supposed to bottom out in the high single digits or lower teens with highs in the upper 20's and lower 30's.

So far we haven't had much warm weather yet. As much as I hate cold weather when I start thinking about turkeys this time of year I hope it doesn't get warm to fast just for the sole purpose of turkey hunting.

Glad to see I am not the only one fired up already!

swampbuster

I hope it doesn't get warm to fast just for the sole purpose of turkey hunting.

Glad to see I am not the only one fired up already![/QUOTE]

A early spring for us is not good. We start April 20, for a southern state that's pretty late.

bigc870

We have the same opening day the 20th of April.

I know there is no doubt that they will be gobbling way before then, just how much and how often depends on the weather.

camokenny

Guys don't worry about how warm it gets in your area all that will do is make for more vegetation that you will have to deal with. The amount of daylight in a day is what triggers the breeding season, temp does not have much to do with it. I have shot strutting gobblers in early april with snow on the ground and cold, as well as the last day of may in neb when it was hotter then the hubs and they worked the same as mid season birds. Don't fret it guys if they are there you can call them in.
I am so ready for this season to start.

Phil from Maine

Yeah, pretty much.. But we are used to snow.. It just will not stop coming in here.. We did have 2 big storms blow by us leaving us with around 6 inches to go with an average of 67 inches on the ground and today we are getting hit hard again.. It has only just started here and they are calling for at least 2 more feet of it and perhaps a little more than 3 feet depending on how the storm reacts.. That and along with up to hurricane force gusts reaching a little over 70 miles an hour.. Our turkeys could end up out to sea before this frigging mess gets over with.. I am betting on a lot of high water once ourweather starts warming up here.. Yesterday alone without the wind chill factor it was 27 below.. BBBbbrrrrrrrr I might be able to dig out some flash frozen turkeys here now.. I wish it would hurry up and break for a while like maybe a 100 years or so.. lol But, it is what it is and our already low deer population is clearly going to get hit hard by coyotes let alone the cold and snow..

swampbuster

I agree camokenney it is all based on length of day. I am just going off past seasons when we have had early springs I have not done very good in my home state. I can't wait either for turkey season!!!

Phil from Maine

Good news for me anyways!! This last snow storm appears to have made a curve and heade out with the tide!! We are getting some but no where near the amounts they had called for !! I hope more of them will do the samething and head out to sea for us..

swampbuster

We got about 1-2in of sleet last night, no work,no school. We get enough to make a foot print everything shuts down. Over the next 10 days we will struggle to get out of low 40's. That should slow a early spring down hopefully.

bigc870

Folks I got a decoy question.....

Over the years I have hunted with with one or two hens and jake or full grown tom and I have never been about to get a male turkey to come in they always hang up, this has held true for 6-7 years and I have had pretty good success with just hens.

But here is my question if I put out a feeding hen and a submissive hen out with NO male decoys. Do you think the bird I am trying to call in would be more or less likely to come in because it sees the hen in submissive or would it put it more on alert?

I know you can't say for sure, just looking for some input on how you feel about the setup I might try this spring.