Need a bit more motivation...

[catman529]

Setterman's thread got me a bit fired up, but I might need a bit more pushing to really go for it this weekend.

I don't want to lose concentration and go shoot squirrels right away, I want to save that for later in the morning.

If anyone could help me out and let me know if you've killed, seen, heard any gobblers or jakes in the past few days in Middle TN. What county, in fields, or in woods, or where and what time of day. I will be hunting Yanahli once again (Maury county). What county have you seen, killed, heard gobblers in.

My last trip was a bust, it seems the toms in 200-ish acre spot have either left the area, completely disappeared into the woods, or been shot by hunters. There were a lot more of them earlier in the season and they seemed to gradually disappear.

Should I head to another spot a few miles up the road, even though I have never scouted it, or should I try again in the same spot?

If it gets into my head that they are not there, I will lose concentration and just sort of quit trying. If I can get it in my head now that maybe they have not left this one spot, it would help.

Should I look more in fields or woods? Near the river or not? Will the cicadas have effect, or could birds be anywhere because cicadas can be anywhere?

I'll kill a tom or jake at this point, I want another bird and want the meat.

Thanks for taking the time to read and offering any advice if any of yall have some. I know my posts tend to ramble... well anyway, hope I get and keep motivation through the morning to hunt the birds hard one last time before relaxing a bit and popping squirrels.

 

[kdxdude]

As much land as there is on Yanahli, you should be able to keep moving all day long to different tracts to find a bird that will play. In a prior post you said the birds haven't been doing much, so just keep runnin & gunnin til ya get one that will play the game. I would try Cheek's Bend, Whitworth Bend, Lofton Bottoms, Cedar Creek, Greasy Branch, Blue Springs Rock Quarry & Reaves Bend. I probably left a few places out, but some of the places have provided some excellent table fare over the years. Good Luck & God Bless!!

 

[Setterman]

When picking places to prospect keep in mind areas where hens might be nesting. Many times they will shift areas and the gobblers will move with them.

 

[catman529]

As much land as there is on Yanahli, you should be able to keep moving all day long to different tracts to find a bird that will play. In a prior post you said the birds haven't been doing much, so just keep runnin & gunnin til ya get one that will play the game. I would try Cheek's Bend, Whitworth Bend, Lofton Bottoms, Cedar Creek, Greasy Branch, Blue Springs Rock Quarry & Reaves Bend. I probably left a few places out, but some of the places have provided some excellent table fare over the years. Good Luck & God Bless!!

Thank you. I would not touch cheeks bend because it's a very popular spot... but now that I rarely even hear a gun shot, and don't see trucks parked off the road anymore, maybe I could head there and get part of it to myself. But I'm guessing the birds are pretty worn out over there. I have another spot near cheeks bend I want to try that has more limited access and I don't think it's nearly as hunted. I don't want to say exactly where here but you can PM me if you like.

When picking places to prospect keep in mind areas where hens might be nesting. Many times they will shift areas and the gobblers will move with them.

Already found one nest on my spot, and there are most likely some more in there. Like I said... I see hens there, but the gobblers have seemingly disappeared.

 

[String Music]

With the impending weather, hang near the fields. Birds prefer to be in the fields when its raining plus the hens generally nest on field edges.

Don't give up yet, at this stage in the game, you can kill a bird in no time. If you hear gobbling in an area, hang around in that area and when the hens go to nest around 8:30, the gobblers will be stranded lookin for love.

If the area has been hit hard by hunters, I would keep my calling to a minimum. Soft yelps and clucks/purrs on a hand-turned pot call would be my go-to call. I'd stay away from commercial calls and loud, abbrasive calling.

 

[ttf909]

goodluck

 

[catman529]

Thanks yall

Headed out in the morning.

Turkey hunting hard early, till mid-late morning, then I'll walk around for an hour or two and shoot squirrels.

 

[VolDoug]

I would keep my calling to a minimum. Soft yelps and clucks/purrs on a hand-turned pot call would be my go-to call. I'd stay away from commercial calls and loud, abbrasive calling.

Been on a bird the last two days trying get my dad another one that hammered the hard stuff. Soft calling did nothing for him. I still couldn't pull him off of one of his 6-7 hens though, and we stayed on him til up in the morning.

So, don't give up the aggressive calling yet.

 

[String Music]

I would keep my calling to a minimum. Soft yelps and clucks/purrs on a hand-turned pot call would be my go-to call. I'd stay away from commercial calls and loud, abbrasive calling.

Been on a bird the last two days trying get my dad another one that hammered the hard stuff. Soft calling did nothing for him. I still couldn't pull him off of one of his 6-7 hens though, and we stayed on him til up in the morning.

So, don't give up the aggressive calling yet.

This was geared towards areas on public land that have been hunted hard.