swampbuster

Hey guys, sorry I have not been on lately. I have been trying to play catch up after being gone last week. Congrats to everyone who has tagged more birds. Good luck to everyone who is still hunting.

Phil from Maine

Thanks swampbuster.. I will try to get part of the morning in on Saturday as I have a lot of work around the house to get caught up on.. Sunday I will be busy here as well and we can not hunt Sundays. I will hit them hard Monday as well as most of the mornings as I will be on night shift again. I am still hoping to nail a decent long beard and next week hopefully will be the week I can do it! Good Luck to all that maybe out there hunting still..

bigc870

Sorry guys I haven't checked in much since turkey season started for me.

I hate to report I didn't score this year again!!!

I hunted harder this year than I have ever before. That was because there was very little gobbling. The first week and a half I heard one lonely gobble. The hens where still all bunched up if you saw one you would usually see 5-15 hens at once

Mid of the second week to the end of season the gobbling was heard far a few between and the hens where still in bunches but not as many and the most gobbles I got from one bird where 3 about 4 ridges away.

I think with the messed up spring with all the rain a cooler than normal temps made the breading season 3-4 weeks late, we usually have the opposite happen but the gobblers would still be gobbling good and where much easier to hunt.

Congrats to everyone that has killed turkeys and for those still hunting good luck and I hope your hunts are going good.

For those of us, like myself with season being over I hope you had a great time hunting, my season was very frustrating at times I still had a good time being out there. But I will say this is the worst year I have had turkey hunting, I though it couldn't get worse than last year but it got much worse this year.

I check in more since life isn't so crazy right now.

Have fun and be safe!!!

Phil from Maine

It is great to hear from you bigc870... My season has been hard hunting and i blew it on 2 big birds during the first week. Last time I checked in at the local tagging station the bird count was way down. We have had a heavey kill last winter from all the snow we had gotten. So we are not seeing as many birds out there.. But I still have until June 6th to fill my last tag as my first I decided to get a jake after messing up on those other 2 birds. Hopefully I can get it done by the end of the up coming week.. Good Luck everyone that is still out there hunting.. Stay safe and enjoy the hunting..

jepcho

I think the turkeys have been different this year all throughout the country. And I think it has definitely made the hunting harder. I can't really put my finger on it but I've talked to a lot of hunters from all over and have gotten weird activity reports from everyone. From no gobbling to lots of gobbling but absolutely no interest in calls. I know I worked extremely hard for the birds I got, and definitely needed a little luck. We did find a small few birds that turned on at the right time and worked pretty good to the calls, but also killed a few having to either spot and stalk or just scout them and be sitting in the right place, knowing they weren't going to call in.

Where were you hunting big870? Glad you had fun this season. That's what it's all about anyway. I was pulling for you man. My season closed last Sunday.

bigc870

I was hunting in the Ozarks of Missouri, Winona the farthest west and east to Marble hill.

I talked to alot of hunters and 95% said very little to no gobbling and they would not answer to any calls, it was like they where very call shy but I don't think that was it I think the breading season fell to late for our spring turkey season. The same people also said decoys where a no no gobblers wouldn't even come close to see what is going on or give them a second look when walking away if you had decoys out.

I love to run and gun hunt and I never really changed that this year but in hind sight I wish I would have just set up on some good turkey sign and hunted them like I would deer. But I just keep thinking it would only get better and tomorrow was the day they would fire up but it never happened.

I learned a lesson this year and next year if the gobbling isn't good in the first couple of hours I need to go to a spot they are using and set up and wait.

bigc870

As of now what are the ranking of the teams?

I feel like the ugly duckling because not only did I not score this year or last year.

I did buy a new gun the other day just for turkey hunting, I got a Mossberg 835 pump fully camoed out, ported 24" barrel and will shot a 3 1/2 shell, if I decide to use 3 1/2" shell.

I know all guns are different but does anyone know or read up on what chokes seem to work better than others on the 835. The reason I ask is I don't know anyone with a 835 that turkey hunts so I can't share the cost of trying different choke tubs and loads. I will either start off with an Indian Creek or Carlsons choke with 3.5" hevi 13 #6 and 3.5" mag blend.

So if that tells me anything I am already preparing for next year so I ain't giving up yet or will I ever.

Phil from Maine

We are in third place this year on the turkeys per team member scoring.. We have just slipped to second place in the overall bird scoring.. If I can get an upgrade on my turkey we should be moving in first in that area.. It does not look very good right now for the overall win this year.. But if I can get a good upgrade and another hunter that has not scored anything gets a decent bird we still will stand a chance at it..

Birds here are far and few in between right now.. But, we still have them out there and I will be trying another area on the other side of a cutting I have been hunting.. A friend's father owns the cutting and has a short road that goes down in back of it.. I checked it out yesterday morning and have seen where a tom has been.. So hopefully I will get another shot at the big one yet again.. I wish we could hunt on Sunday here..

I still have a lot of stickers to send out and so far only one has responded.. If you want some sticker please send me your mailing address by PM and I will get them sent out to you guys.. The plan is to send 3 to each of you if you want them..

swampbuster

Sorry to hear about your lackluster of a season BigC. I agree 100% it has been a extremly weird year.

jepcho

Awesome! Great choice in a new turkey gun. I used to have one and really liked it. I am actually really thinking hard about buying another one, I want to get the one with the Mathews Recoil Reduction system in it. It only runs about $50 more and from what I've read it works. The only gripe I had with the one I used to have was how hard that thing kicked! Be ready for that, even with 3" shells. I have shot a single shot 10 gauge with 3.5" turkey loads and that 835 with 3.5" loads kicked harder. But if you can get through that at the range, you never notice the recoil in the field.

As far as chokes go, if I get one I plan on putting and Indian Creek choke in it. As long as you aren't going to shoot Federal loads with the flight control wad. Those and the Indian creek dont mix as you need a nonported, non wad stripping choke with that wad. Mossberg 835+Indian Creek choke+ Hevishot magnum blend = Devastating patterns. Congrats on the purchase, you will love it. I am happy for you!