Well, got my clothes, decoys, blind, chairs, gun, shells, calls all located, today. Now all I need to do before April 20th is buy a license, set out cameras, scout, buy an extra tru double mouth call. If I am lucky, I may get invited to Kansas before then.
Usually, I don't start getting ready until the day before season. :)

My seasons open on April 29. Gotta go visit some land owners in CT and get permission slips signed, also may pick up a new spot here in RI if things work out. Won't be able to get to it until after the beginning of April though.

Yeah, I have just about everything ready here as well except the new license for this year. Now we just have to wait for April 18th for youth weekend then April 20th for the opener.

Not even started getting ready here yet. Cleaned out the vest last year and now need to restock it. Have to get permission slips signed and have my eyes on a couple new properties. The worst that can happen is they can say no. I did, however, already got my license and tag.

Go Get'em guys!

Still getting shutout in Alabama. Two days in a row we had birds under a 100 yards that just wouldn't commit. First bird got to the point you could hear the rattle in his gobble. The second one we got in with him on the roost but he wouldn't answer a call. Neither day did we feel like the birds were ready.

I went back north quickly after I finished teaching my second hunter education class Saturday night. I am to teach a 3rd course here in Middle Inlet. I always have a bedroom window open even at 10 below. This morning at 6:39 AM I was awoken by the sound of a fly down Gobble - was a nasty morning too. He would not answer me at all as I did cut a bit at him. That surprised me so I left him alone. I have not seen him yet but I should. My neighbor say he is a 12 Incher! LOL
So we will see.
Later on Sunday afternoon after I had finished the workbood handout for this class I took a ride to scout as I am teaching a Learn To Hunt program for the State of WI. Yep Learn to Turkey Hunt! And I found that the big toms are splitting up. I saw mature Toms in pairs or singles all cruising. And I found the hen flocks - large groups yet. One flock was well over 100 birds.....I tried to take a picture but the truck behind me was far too close.

Our mentor hunt is Saturday.....Youth Hunt April 11, 12 - opening is the 15th. I am to help two others on the 15th. My tags don't start until 4/20. Then I hunt every day until May 26. I have 5 WI tags to play with and a Mich tag. And I will get at least 2 more WI tags.

JW

I can tell you guys that things are starting to heat up. Tomorrow opens the northern portion of the Alabama season. I've got a good feeling. Weather is supposed to be fantastic.

Shutout yesterday. 4 gobbling birds all within "drumming" range. One came to my calling but busted me trying to peep around a tree to find him. The rest kept bringing it...for four more hours. Never could get em to break strut and come in gun range.

Try 'small calls' and scratching in the leaves. Make a few tree calls, then no more yelps. Try using soft contented clucks, and maybe a purr or two every 15-20mins, and scratching. Try sounding like a happy feeding hen.

Are you putting a decoy out?

Seeing lots of birds on my farms in MO right now. I did lose a good spot though, lady sold it on me. I've had it leased since I was 16. Oh well, that's how things go. Last weekend I took my son(DTC Jr) to Texas for youth season. He killed a nice rio there. He is on team 4 if you want to see the pic. Youth season in MO opens April 11th and then I get to hunt April 20th. Good luck team!

Decoy wouldn't have helped. Too thick. Trust me. I tried everything. Aggressive. Clucks, purrs. Soft calling. No calling. Mouth call. Aluminum pot, slate pot, ceramic pot. Kee-Kees. Scratch box. Leaf scratching (wet pine needles don't work well). I got the one bird that busted me to come in pretty quick. He never gobbled. I had a pine on my left side instead of sitting with my back to it. I had to try and sneak a peek at him after he came out of a draw about 35-40 yards out. He came out of the draw further left than I expected. Even after he busted me and putted off I kept the other birds gobbling. They just wouldn't leave the old skidder trail.

They had a couple hens with 'em and they just aren't ready yet. I heard the birds at 7:45a and they gobbled on and off till 12:45 when 3 deer came in downwind and started blowing at me. When I walked on up where they had been I could see why they wouldn't leave it. It was open and perfect for them to strut in. Old skidder trail on peak of ridge that ran out to the point of the finger coming off main ridge. In hindsight I might have been able to slip back some below the ridge peak and slip up to the skidder trail.

Three birds down with that learn to hunt program I taught. Ill post pictures when I get a chance.
Everyone saw a worked birds.
JW

My Learn to Hunt program went well. 5 students shot nice 2 yr olds or better.
I'll try to get a few pictures up soon.

Come April 20
JW

On the board.

Not a monster but he eats good. 16 LB. 3/4 and 7/8 spurs. 9.25 beard. I'll have some pics later.

Congrats, B9E!

Spread some fertilizer on clover plots today; saw two long beards. This is on a property that I bought last fall, so I haven't turkey hunted on it, yet. I'll be somewhere else opening day, where there should be several gobblers, but I may be taking the owner's granddaughter, so I may or may not get a shot opportunity. On the first weekend I have an out of state buddy coming in to hunt the new property; I'll be second priority on that hunt, as well, but if I am lucky, I will have already tagged the first bird in the first two days of season.

[IMG]http://<a href=http://s1338.photobucket.com/user/bald9eagle/media/IMG_20150406_073041098_zpsdjbnbdz2.jpg.html target=_blank>[IMG]http://<a href=&quot;<a href=http://s1338.photobucket.com/user/bald9eagle/media/IMG_20150406_073041098_zpsdjbnbdz2.jpg.html&quot; target=_blank>http://s1338.photobucket.com/user/bald9eagle/media/IMG_20150406_073041098_zpsdjbnbdz2.jpg.html&quot;</a> target=&quot;_blank&quot;><img src=&quot;<a

Congrats Bald9Eagle!

Congrats Bald9Eagle, way to go !!!!!

Congrats bald9eagle!

Good day. Birds gobbling everywhere. Most were in bunches of 2-3 toms. We heard/saw 20+ toms.

Baldeagle gets it done! Congrats. Way to go! They're all good.

The last three days have been fun. Bird on Monday. Called two up on Tuesday that we should have doubled but I couldn't get my gun up. Carried a buddy today and we were in the birds. He took nice 3 year old. On the way to the truck we saw a strutter at truck. Called him up but I missed at close range.

Looks like I will definitely be taking my grandson out on the 17th for youth weekend. Then I will be getting out the first 4 days of the season solid. After that it will be hit and miss. Hopefully it will be like last season and I tag out in the first 2 days. Good luck to everyone!!!!!

nys-buckstalker has been added to your team

Remind me, what do we get for winning this contest?

Bragging rights. One year, in 2007 the winning team (The Tominators) had a poster image file made of a collage of each member and their bird.

I had a bunch of stickers made for the contest this year. Once they arrive. I'll mail them out.

You can always go buy yourself a trophy.

Nys-buckstalker checking in. 2 weeks till opening day. Have seen a lot of toms in strut but hens not ready yet.

:biggrin:[QUOTE=jmedenf;4193763]You can always go buy yourself a trophy.[/QUOTE

Welcome buckstalker.

Congrats Bald9Eagle Will done

Open day I call in 8 Jakes. No kill Tomorrow, Look out .

Good luck turkman. I have youth season with the grandson on Saturday, then opening day for me is Monday.

One week till my opener. This week is going to creep by.
Been seeing a few good toms on my hunting grounds lately.

I had 6 hens come in about 70 yards then 4 big toms They looked at my decoys and walked away. Hope tomorrow.

Was driving by my deer hunting spot yesterday. Spotted a white coyote near my deer stands. Saw the same white coyote last fall while deer hunting in the same area. I might have to take a few of my turkey hunting days off and go coyote hunting. Time to put a trail cam up.

I shot a nice Tom this morning. I got in the field at 4:30 a.m. in the dark. At 5:36 a.m. I heard a her then gobbler then 5 or more going off. At 6:10 hens was in the field then a tom. Then another tom came to my decoy. Then I shot the tom at 7:10.

State IL. Date 4/15/2015 Time 7;10 Weight 22.4 Beard Length 9 1/4 Sex Tom Rt. Spur 1" Lf. 1" Pictures Coming