March 15th can't get here soon enough.

They’ll be scattered by then.

True but, I hunt the 1,000 plus acres that they scatter on.

4/8 here. I got a choice ass WMA draw this year.

Wow.  You guys have an early season.  I'm jealous.

May 1st for us. I'm still thinking I have about two months of ice fishing left.

March 23 for us. I hope this year is better than the last.  Hens everywhere. Gobblers about shut up after the first week.

Got my first one, of 2019, last Monday. 19#, 7/8" spurs and 11" beard. Called him in to 10 yards. Wasn't trying for 10 but that was the only option, for the direction he came in.

Primos' Ol' Betsy slate call is a serial killer.

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Congrats! Good kill.

Looking like 4/26 in PA, cant come soon enough

Great kill!

Turkey is in the spring?
No wonder PSA has had these...

A great study in government inefficiency could be made studying the turkey hunting regulations of Michigan vs Indiana (and probably quite a few other states).

Anyhoo, 4/22 can't get here fast enough!

Well opening day here was screwed. It started out perfect. Got to the ranch, my buddy and I got out and you could hear the gobblers all over. Got set up in a perfect place and it started drizzling and the wind picked up like hell. I looked at the forcast and it said 25-35 mph winds with some gusting over 50......all day. I knew it was going to windy but thought it was holding off until noon. Nope. Tomorrow looks much better but I can only hunt the morning.

I haven't had any luck since killing that one, except for one bird. Had my nephew setup on him and had him coming to us on a rope... and then some dogs fired up just across the creek. He hauled ass to the woods, just out of range.

Had 3 on the ground this morning and they never gobbled, never strutted, never did any fighting... they just followed the hens.

Well I wasn't going to post my screw up but this isn't GD, so cut a guy some slack please.
I posted the opening day was a weather nightmare. The next morning was pretty nice. I got set up early, the gobblers were calling all up and down the creek.
I started calling and had many answering but one really on. He just wouldn't move to where I was. I worked him for about 30 min and the others seemed to be moving off. I figured I'd move - no big deal. I set up in another perfect spot I thought.

My ranch is thick and I had setup with a perfect lane/lanes.
I called again and he and another were together both calling and now coming towards me. I was swapping between three mouth calls for different pitches and types of calls. They were both coming right at me and were so close, moving right where I wanted them to, I took the safety off and was ready AND then made the bone head move.
Let me start by saying I'm 49 and have called and killed more birds than I can even begin to count. Never hunted them on feed - calling them was how I was brought up and I still today do that - I like to call them in. Hey my upbringing, my ranch, my way of hunting. I harbor no feelings one way or the other for those that shoot turkey over feed, because I do shoot deer over feeders but I also rattle away from feed for fun as well.

Anyway - The two birds were right there and I made a DUMB ASS mistake. I made a VERY light, VERY short last call. As soon as I made it there was a putt to my right. There was a third damn bird. He wasn't big at all 4-5" beard but he was 8 feet to my right and putting his butt off now. I spun as he was running and I shot. He took flight but too much brush for a follow-up shot.
I got up PISSED at myself for making such a rookie mistake. Walked over and found a cut feather, followed his flight path and found a few more cut feathers but he was fine it appears.

I know CSB but that was the hunt. I'll be back in two weeks (my ranch is 5 hours from where I live) and try not to screw up again.

Had my son out 3 weeks ago for youth day.  Had one real nice gobbler and about 6 jakes walking around all morning.

He finally got off a shot and missed one of the jakes.

Last 2 weekends it has rained hard.

Am I the only one having a hard season.  I'm still sitting on zero.

You are not alone. I think the gobblers all turned gay.

Did have 10 jakes come to within 5 yards, today, but can't kill jakes in MS. One was borderline but let him walk.

Soon.........just off our driveway

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Feeling like I don't have the magical touch lol

Damn close yesterday. Not over for a month so I'm pretty confident.

Got some things to work on.

They sure seemed to be sitting tight this morning.  Nothing in fields that normally have them. Gobbled for 15-20 min and then shut up. Cold windy and misty; probably doesn't help any

Headed out to one of spots yesterday morning; decided to just set up the decoy and sit.  Got situated around 5:30, first gobble at 5:49.  One straight out front, about 100-120 yards, and another at about 10:00, off over the rise and farther out.  Gave them some time to gobble on their own, then started some soft yelps and clucks on a a slate call.  This continued until 6:30 or so, then flydown.  The closest bird moved off (dammit!), and I thought it would be another bust.

Brought out old faithful; a small box call I've had for decades.  Belted out some loud yelps, and that turned them around.  Gobbling closer and closer, and then I see coming over the hill THREE gobblers all strutting.  This guy seemed to have the biggest bird, so he got the short straw.  Bird 2 immediately flew off, but bird 3 just stood there looking stupid as I got up to go to the kill.  He finally flew off when I got halfway there.  Time of kill was 6:59, so 70 minutes between forst gobble and the shot.

20 lbs, 6 oz, 10.0" beard, 1.0" spurs (both).  Taken with my trusty 20 gauge 12.75" Benelli M2 SBS, with Federal 3" Mag Shok 1-5/16 loads.  30 yard shot, down right there.

I've been after these birds since April 13, every other morning hens have ruined the hunt.

Gobbler Place of Kill 20190428 by FredMan, on Flickr

Gobbler Fan SBS 20190428 by FredMan, on Flickr

This is the first dead bird our dogs have seen, and they weren't too sure.  Shadow (GSD) had this look like "what did he do to make you mad?  Please tell me so I won't make the same mistake!"  and Moxie didn't like it at all.  Barked at it for about 20 minutes.

Gobbler Fan Shadow 20190428 by FredMan, on Flickr

Gobbler & Moxie 20190428 by FredMan, on Flickr

Taken 4/21/2019, Lawrence County, MO
20 lbs, 1.5" spurs, 10" beard
Beretta AL391 Urika with Winchester #5 shot @ 52 paces (~46 yards)

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Nice work, men!

Dang, sure wish now I had applied for a shotgun tag. Had the point to draw for sure just didn't think I would have time. Also wasn't sure about finding birds where I did. Would have blasted one for sure but will have to try to kill one with an arrow. Thursday is gonna warm up so I will try again. Gonna hide better and take a better bow.

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Second archery bird this year. Nice Merriam, double beard, 1 1/4 spurs.

Skills.  You has them.

Ya he does. We need some details.

Thanks, I love to hunt Turkeys and have done it for a long time. That bird is my 29th archery turkey.

Hunted this bird two days, Hunted him in the roost on Sunday morning but got to close and he could see my decoys from the roost and wouldn't fly down. Lots of times that works and they will fly to the decoys from the roost, but not this bird. Left him alone till Monday night when I roosted him about 300 yards up the same canyon. Tuesday morning I set up in the same spot as Sunday, putting me about 500 yards from his roost. Called very little and he showed up about 15 mins after fly down. Came in very cautiously but finally strutted up to my hen decoy and I shot him at 15 yards.

Turns out he had two injured toes that were swollen and absessed. I think that is the reason he wouldn't come to my set up on Sunday and why he was very cautious on Tuesday. He didn't want to fight with my jake decoy. Seemed to walk fine but just avoided the Jake. 95% of the time they go to the jake before the hen and attack it, but not this bird.

I used to hunt turkeys and loved it.

Now I have turkeys all around my house almost every day.

Hard to get excited about it anymore.

From a couple days ago in my front yard.

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Very nice. I keep hearing about locating on the roost and closing in before fly down. May have to try it. My area is loaded with turkeys, but is a small chunk of public land that I'm sure has seen pressure. Would almost guarantee people are hunting it as I type this.