Scouting Report - 03/10/2012

[WMAn]

Southern Middle Tennessee

Birds were very vocal this morning from the roost. The first gobble was at 5:27 am (39 minutes before sunrise). All total I heard 10-15 different gobblers, gobbling from 3-4 different roosts.

I was set-up on two gobblers and eight hens. The birds I was with flew down at 5:45 am into a cut bean field.

Birds gobbled on and off but very inconsistently until 7:30 am, when I left to go home.

Highlight of the morning was hearing my two gobblers shock-gobble at a pair of wood ducks squealing and twenty jakes who snuck up on me. I was circling around a cut corn field trying to get sight of a large flock (different from the birds I started the morning with), when I hear putt, putt. I turn to see the jakes. I immediately crouched down to the ground. One particularly bold jake approached to within 5 yards of me. He is not long for this world. Although, I won't be the one to end his stupidity.

After the jakes, I did catch sight of the flock I was circling on. There were 30-40 hens that I could see and at least two gobblers strutting off to one side of the hens.

It was a great day to be out there.

 

[Andy S.]

It don't get much better than that. Good luck opening weekend.

 

[pseshooter300]

Wow sounds like a good property

 

[Boll Weevil]

WMA,
Were the hens really loudmouthed and obnoxious, just easy yelping, or relatively quiet? Were the cutting, cackling, and raising Cain all morning?

Sounds like you're in good shape for birds; thanks for the report.

 

[WMAn]

WMA,
Were the hens really loudmouthed and obnoxious, just easy yelping, or relatively quiet? Were the cutting, cackling, and raising Cain all morning?

Sounds like you're in good shape for birds; thanks for the report.

That was one of the odd parts of this morning. The hens in the group I started my morning with were essentially silent, only light yelping at fly-down.

The second and larger group was much more vocal, with lots of tree calling and cackling. Once on the ground, the hens in this group called almost continuously till about 7:00 am. Their behavior and calling may have been a function of the flock size (30-40 birds) as it was typical of what I would expect from a large fall flock.

 

[easy45]

awesome

 

[bigasports]

Sounds like a really nice morning. Gets me fired up just reading about it. Thanks for sharing!

 

[WMAn]

I'm sitting in my truck now about to go do some listening this morning.

And...?

Yesterday, should have been a great morning.

 

[93civEJ1]

Can someone tell me what makes a good morning to go? I only have the weekends to do it really....but is that what I need to do? Get up before sunrise...drive somewhere and just listen or what? I only have a few weeks to find me a spot. :/

 

[WMAn]

Can someone tell me what makes a good morning to go? I only have the weekends to do it really....but is that what I need to do? Get up before sunrise...drive somewhere and just listen or what? I only have a few weeks to find me a spot. :/

Any clear morning with calm winds and temps above freezing will make a good morning.

I would pick an area of high ground, where you can hear a long ways, and arrive there 45 minutes before sunrise.

 

[93civEJ1]

Hmmm...Ill have to think about the areas I already know and the ones I have access to.