May Turkey Report
05-17-2018, 11:07 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 1,906
May Turkey Report
What are the birds doing in your area?
I punched my tag on May 8, then proceeded to convince my wife that we had enough season left that she should get her permit. We're starting to see lone hens at all parts of the day, but there are also still hens roosting with the longbeards.
We went out this morning and the birds were going nuts on the roost. They shut up when they hit the ground, but only for about 30 mins, and then fired back up. We had one come in above us at about 7am, but couldn't get him close enough. We then went to a nearby field (no hunting) and watched NINE toms in full strut courting 3 hens. There was one obvious bruiser who was dominant, but the other toms were right there. We then watched 7 jakes pop out and get the bejesus handed to them by the toms. Two of the toms acted like they wanted to play and after 30 mins of clucks/purrs/leaf scratching I had them halfway to our side of the field, but they too eventually decided to walk off into the woods on the other side of the field and join the rest of the flock.
Our spring here in SW Michigan is about 3 weeks behind this year, and seeing that many toms together in mid-May is downright odd. Wife had a blast though, it was the first time they've gobbled like that for her in the late season (only her second year hunting), and watching those toms beat on the jakes was pure fun.
What are the birds doing everywhere else with this crazy weather?
I punched my tag on May 8, then proceeded to convince my wife that we had enough season left that she should get her permit. We're starting to see lone hens at all parts of the day, but there are also still hens roosting with the longbeards.
We went out this morning and the birds were going nuts on the roost. They shut up when they hit the ground, but only for about 30 mins, and then fired back up. We had one come in above us at about 7am, but couldn't get him close enough. We then went to a nearby field (no hunting) and watched NINE toms in full strut courting 3 hens. There was one obvious bruiser who was dominant, but the other toms were right there. We then watched 7 jakes pop out and get the bejesus handed to them by the toms. Two of the toms acted like they wanted to play and after 30 mins of clucks/purrs/leaf scratching I had them halfway to our side of the field, but they too eventually decided to walk off into the woods on the other side of the field and join the rest of the flock.
Our spring here in SW Michigan is about 3 weeks behind this year, and seeing that many toms together in mid-May is downright odd. Wife had a blast though, it was the first time they've gobbled like that for her in the late season (only her second year hunting), and watching those toms beat on the jakes was pure fun.
What are the birds doing everywhere else with this crazy weather?
05-21-2018, 06:48 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,358
NH has been STRANGELY quiet. I haven't heard a gobble since opening day on May 3.
Wife shot one I called in, but there where 2 toms in the field, they never made a sound, she snuck to edge with a belly crawl, I hung back in woods with soft yelps and purrs and over 30 minutes they wandered her way. Never made a sound.
Had the same experience yesterday with a lone tom in a field, he didn't seem to care, paid attention, but never made a sound and eventually wandered off.
Wife shot one I called in, but there where 2 toms in the field, they never made a sound, she snuck to edge with a belly crawl, I hung back in woods with soft yelps and purrs and over 30 minutes they wandered her way. Never made a sound.
Had the same experience yesterday with a lone tom in a field, he didn't seem to care, paid attention, but never made a sound and eventually wandered off.
