Gonna be thick

Wait till you get a load of the ticks this year. Double Yuk!!

Same thing in the NW, I can see it now, apple trees in full bloom and "boom" some hard frosts. What few turks are around are gobbling.

On the same topic, I have some spots that I really like in the early season but I am not sure they will be huntable this year if the weather pattern holds.
 
Double yuk.

Although weather will have some slight influence on the turkey breeding it is mostly influenced by the amount of daylight so it is unlikely that we will have turkeys being bred much earlier than when it happens any other year.
 
I hear turkeys gobbling like crazy during the early mornings in February every year that we are out sitting in turkey blinds while trapping. That happens even when it is sub-zero with heavy snow cover. Lots of gobbling and even breeding right now is nothing unusual.
 
As for the spring green up, that is always a bit of a concern when you get an early spring but it is my experience that there is never more than about a two week variance on when the trees bud out regardless of the weather patterns. I suspect the schedule for trees budding and blossoming is also a combination of both the weather and the day length.
 
R.S.  Bodenhorn
 

My opinion,should be an easy year.The turkeys should not be hened up.A lot of giants will be killed without the hen party.Slip in within 75 yards or less if you dare from roost tree,wait till 5 minutes of fly down,a couple of soft tree yelps,fly down cackle,my wing to the leg,shout up. If any more calling a few clucks and soft feeding purrs.Mr.Bigs will find you,they only breed a few months of the year and he's not going to pass up another chase.I've seen giants still strutting with hens the third week of June. I've killed more giants in late season than anytime,less comp from hunters and hens.The turkeys are in great shape from the mild winter,a lot of 10 inchers this year.

I took my wife to the Pitt.airport a 5:00 am today and hit some back road and hooted my way home. First stop 5:45 was really dark but they went nuts,hit two more roost spots and got the same results,heard about 10 -12 birds at the 3 spots.If funny I've been hunting turkeys for 22 years in Beaver Co./Allgheny and the roost spot NEVER CHANGE. I hunted turkeys around Hillman Game land that have very few roost trees,but the few there have turkey dropping 2 foot high under them.I guess it's that way everwhere.

Permethrin is the answer to ticks. This is the active ingredient in Advantix. I bought a bottle of concentrate at a local feed store for $8. It will make 30 gallons. Just don't spray on your body. It is to be sprayed on clothing and allow to dry. Advertised to last 6 washes. (As often as I wash my turkey hunting clothes it should last 6 years). Keep your cat away until it is dry.

I would say we are a good three weeks ahead of schedule weatherwise here. I may have to visit my relation near Pittsburgh for spring gobbler. Out on snow or listening for a month and 2 birds located so far. Still places to check but 3 yeas ago I had 27 located by April 1.

ORIGINAL: spoonchucker

Don't know what's going on your way S-10. But I've been seeing tons in nothern Butler & Southern mercer counties the past couple weeks. pretty much any time of day as well.

 
He doesn't mean in the frozen foods section of the local grocery store.

You just need to have more fishers stocked in your area.  It works the same way as deer -- kill more to have more.
 
Or something like that.

Whatever it takes DarDy Either way, for most of my life till the not too distant past Turkey sightings were a remarkable event around these parts. Now they are common place, and moreso each year in the last decade, or so.

^Did you see any turkeys while mowing the grass?

I usually cut my yard once before gobbler season. I'am going to have to start turkey hunting the first of April for that to be the case this year. Walked back into a SGL this morning. Heard nothing, saw no sign, but did bump a gobbler out of the roost. Saw two deer and where something had killed one.

Took a early 6:15 till 8:30 run,sick turkeys everywhere saw 25 plus longbeards and about 12 jakes or so. One place two giants with 43 hens,yes 43 I counted them twice.Another spot had 9 giants and 4 jakes strutting to three hens(I like my chances better here),another 4 giants 3 jakes,three hens.All toms had hens with them.I saw birds where I've never seen them,I thing I didn't see was a deer,not even one.

ORIGINAL: bingsbaits

At work this morning down in the ANF the birds firing all morning.
Didn't think there were that many Gobblers down in the big woods.

You work?



I thought all you did was fish