Knockemstiff

I have to say, not all of us have someone to take us out and show us the ropes. I'm not the kind of guy that waits until someone takes my hand and leads me around. I dont plan on running one down, but I will be out this spring on my first Turkey Hunt by myself, I hope it goes as well as it does in my dreams...LOL

Knockem'

Tree climber

knockemstiff:
I hope you dream of long beards and sharp spurs.and that is what you find.
but please if you see or hear someone,please go on by to another area.
good luck and be safe.


I am not a hunter I am a whitetail population reduction specialest

remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.

Deleted User

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Probtrapper

I agree that with the ever encreaseing amount of hunters in the woods it can`t help but make them harder to call in. but I also think genetics has something to do with it. Year after year the most vocal and aggressive birds are killed off leaving the shy, more causious birds to do a lot of the breeding. Over time I belive, these traits start to become dominent. In short, by hard hunting we are shooting some of the gobble out of our birds!

Bobgobble2

No question fellas huntin pressure changes a birds habits in many different ways.I've hunted alot longer than one season and seen more changes than birds just running scared and have lockjaw.Around these parts being way out west, we are finding more and more birds that the hunter cannot get too,such as in city limits,parks, refuges,and of course on private property.There feeding habits have changed too along with this.There was a time when the birds around here fed primarily on the mast crop,but now feed primarily on what agriculture is producing and whats in season.Black walnuts,almonds,olives,and prunes are good food sources that these birds in our area prefer now.So we now have birds in new areas, and have no birds left in areas where there once were birds.I also see a combination of what Ed and Jalvja talked about.More birds mean more hunters.And with that said even though theres more birds harvested the kill % stays close to the same considering the amount of hunters afield,with the successful hunters taking mainly 1 and 2 year old birds.I believe this is do to what Probtrapper refers too,the younger more aggressive jakes and two year olds will come in more readily than a seasoned longbeard.Around these parts its usually the same guys taking the boss birds.You've heard of the "rich gettin richer"I believe its the same with the ole boss gobbler except he gets wiser instead of richer.I no for fact that in hunting a few different ranches over the years that you can see a group of longbeards running together all year long on your ranch and when spring season rolls around there strutting grounds are on the next ranch over leaving you one frusterated turkey hunter come spring.Enough pressure on the birds over an extended period of time will even change breeding habits as to where old gobblers set-up there strut zones.Two or three generations ago they were always on your place and now there on the nieghbors where nobody can hunt them.I've seen it happen more than a couple of times.Anyway does all this make todays turkey any smarter?Well maybe,I dont beleive running scared though constitutes the bird being smarter, but the birds continued adaptability to danger,habitat,and food sources over the years is what has kept the wild turkey alive and will continue to do so in years to come.IMHO!

Edited by - bobgobble2 on 01/31/2002 00:57:20

haveme1

I've had my best luck at the end of season after the hens go to nest. There is no fall season here. No hens get hunted, there are plenty of them. Its not untill this time that the toms have become smart of calls. I dont think they remember from season to season. Do yall ?

haveme1

I've had my best luck at the end of season after the hens go to nest. There is no fall season here. No hens get hunted, there are plenty of them. Its not untill this time that the toms have become smart of calls. I dont think they remember from season to season. Do yall ?

35 Whelen

Bobgobble2, I have been hunting turkeys for the past 35 years now and the birds are a lot smarter and wiser. I think due to the fact that there are more Turkey Hunters and they call the birds in before season and the birds remember that. Turkey's do have a Brain!

jalvja

Some real good points brought up here.I think they all add to the overall picture.Good thing turkeys can't smell us or we would really have a hard time gettin one.

Bobgobble2

Haveme1,thats a real good question.There was a question posted earlier on which part of the season do you like best and I like the first week because of exactly what your talking about.I believe that a large % of the birds do forget if they have not been harrassed during preseason.Heck I've even been working a bird or too before and gave them a few days rest during turkey season and came back to a bird that acted like he hadn't heard a hen all season.So I would say that alot of birds definately forget.One thing is for sure a turkey is still a turkey.I've hunted em when hardly anybody around these parts did and now its like opening day of deer season.Come spring ole tom turkey still struts his stuff like he has forever.Thank goodness we still have those ole boss birds around that leave us scratching our heads and remind us when think we know it all about turkey hunting we are really still learning!What an awesome sport! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - bobgobble2 on 02/01/2002 20:41:25