2022 Spring Turkey

[Farmerjon]

Numbers seen are way down here. Don't know if it is the harder winter, more coyotes, Bald Eagles, fall season, etc. My morning bus route in the past years have seen many flocks in usual places. No large flocks, a few pairs but nothing like in the past. Be interesting to see how this season shakes out.

 

[El Conquistador]

Last Thursday I came out of my garage about 6pm and there was 27 turkeys in my field with 5 or 6 Tom’s in full strut. I went out Wednesday morning and saw a big Tom with 2 hens but would not come into range, later that morning I had 9 jakes come by. Went out Thursday morning had a nice Tom come by again out of range. I may only be able to get back out a couple more times this season.
Good luck to all still chasing a bird.

 

[yetti462]

Had deer snort at the bird I was working, happened at another farm on Wednesday morning. In all the years I've hunted never had this happen.

 

[42769vette]

IMO the coons raiding nests are a bigger problem than yotes getting adult birds. Years ago, the coon population was kept in check by hunters wanting to sell some fur. With the fur prices so low, folks don't bother hunting them. No hunting = population explosion. Population explosion = lower numbers of the animals they prey on.

 

[Mgderf]

Newbie question.
I have property to hunt turkey, but it is 1 hour away from my house.
I would like to go out in the morning, but it is supposed to rain.
I have a shoot house to keep, me dry, but will the turkeys be moving in the rain?

I don't mind the drive if there is a chance I could tag a turkey, but I really don't want to waste my time or gas if they won't be moving.

So, what say Ingo?
Do I make the drive in the morning or find something else to do tomorrow?

 

[42769vette]

I typically find my best chances of filling a tag are when hunting. Never allow weather to stop you from going no matter the species your chasing.

 

[BigRed]

I typically find my best chances of filling a tag are when hunting. Never allow weather to stop you from going no matter the species your chasing.

This.

The biggest buck I got was on a day where it never stopped raining.

 

[Jaybird1980]

IMO the coons raiding nests are a bigger problem than yotes getting adult birds. Years ago, the coon population was kept in check by hunters wanting to sell some fur. With the fur prices so low, folks don't bother hunting them. No hunting = population explosion. Population explosion = lower numbers of the animals they prey on.

I have a couple of good friends who are really big into coon hunting. We have killed a lot of coons together. I bet in the last 10 years we have lost 75% of the land we could hunt because it changed owners and new owners don't allow any hunting. The furs haven't brought any money for quite some time. Non hunter friendly landowners are a problem around here.

 

[two70]

Turkeys move in the rain. I think the tend to be more field oriented when it is raining and it'll be hard to hear one gobbling if it is raining very hard but they'll still be out there doing there thing.

 

[yetti462]

IMO the coons raiding nests are a bigger problem than yotes getting adult birds. Years ago, the coon population was kept in check by hunters wanting to sell some fur. With the fur prices so low, folks don't bother hunting them. No hunting = population explosion. Population explosion = lower numbers of the animals they prey on.

Talked to a biologist in Kansas, they located 100 turkey nests and trail camera watched. 99 nests were raided by coons.

I slock every coon I see. When coyotes don't come in it's time to check zero on trash pandas.

Why on earth the IDNR still enforces a season on the damn things is beyond me. We have too many.

I live on a big creek and over the hill is the White river. Seems like I shoot 1 coon and 10 move in.

 

[42769vette]

I have a couple of good friends who are really big into coon hunting. We have killed a lot of coons together. I bet in the last 10 years we have lost 75% of the land we could hunt because it changed owners and new owners don't allow any hunting. The furs haven't brought any money for quite some time. Non hunter friendly landowners are a problem around here.

That could play a big part aswell. We will not allow coon hunting anymore. Last group we allowed cut our fences to get the dogs through. We spent a full day chasing cattle, and repairing fences.

Although, I am sympathetic to the hunter who can't find a place to go, the hunting population as a whole does it to ourselves. We have had fields driven through in the rain because folks were to lazy to walk, trash left everywhere, and fences cut. The problem is, with a lit of hunters (not all) you give them permission, and they feel they own the place. It gives us all a bad rap to the point landowners just give a blanket NO.

 

[Leadeye]

That could play a big part aswell. We will not allow coon hunting anymore. Last group we allowed cut our fences to get the dogs through. We spent a full day chasing cattle, and repairing fences.

Although, I am sympathetic to the hunter who can't find a place to go, the hunting population as a whole does it to ourselves. We have had fields driven through in the rain because folks were to lazy to walk, trash left everywhere, and fences cut. The problem is, with a lit of hunters (not all) you give them permission, and they feel they own the place. It gives us all a bad rap to the point landowners just give a blanket NO.

This. I can't count the number of times I've seen people allow someone to hunt and then thier land quickly becomes public land, followed by no hunting at all.

 

[phylodog]

The woods were quiet this morning other than a lone hen. We listened to her yelping east of us for about an hour and a half before she finally wandered through our setup. She hung around the decoys for a few then continued on, yelping but getting no response.

 

[DEC]

It took a while, but I finally found one that wanted to play the game on Monday morning. 7 yard neck shot with the bow.

 

[tcecil88]

Mostly quiet in my little section area in Perry. Very little gobbling, have not found any tracks or poop and not much scratching sign either. Thinking the local population is in decline. Gobbling has declined steadily for the past 5 years or so.

 

[DEC]

Here is a video edit that I threw together from my archery bird last week. Thanks for watching!

 

[BigRed]

Here is a video edit that I threw together from my archery bird last week. Thanks for watching!

That was a nice video with some great shots of the Indiana landscape!

Congrats on a good day.

 

[Farmerjon]

It took a while, but I finally found one that wanted to play the game on Monday morning. 7 yard neck shot with the bow.

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Killer decoy set up!!!! We always have a hen flat on the ground with a strutting Tom near, but that set up!!!!!!! Beautiful picture of the fly in and attack!!!!!!!

 

[Farmerjon]

Here is a video edit that I threw together from my archery bird last week. Thanks for watching!

Outstanding video!! Thanks for sharing, loved the drone footage also!

 

[BigRed]

You can find several great videos from DEC on youtube.