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Thoughts on the 4/15 opener?

Southern Sportsman

Southern Sportsman

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Sep 18, 2011
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West TN
Now that we have had a few days hunting, what are your thoughts and observations on the delayed opener? It definitely sucked not getting to hunt the first two weeks of April, but I have rarely crossed paths with a higher percentage of gobblers willing to play the game. It's a small sample size, but I suspect giving hens two extra weeks to start nesting before season = more lonely gobblers in search of willing hens.

What have you seen these first three days?
 
My observation leading up to the delayed opener was visibly seeing more lonesome hens during the day while scouting. Hunting observation was more green up (as expected) and less large flocks (also expected). Overall,
hunting slightly better than traditional opener. If this delayed opener gets more hens bred I'm all for it and hope weather cooperates for good hatch.
 
Don't like it at all. Far less gobbling. The land I hunt they are typically on fire the first two weeks of April and done by the start of the third week. I assumed it was the pressure and kills that caused that but opening weekend this year is just like the third week of seasons past, very little to no gobbling and no mid morning gobbling.
 
It was terrible here. I hunted all day Saturday from 5:30 until 11 and 3 until dark. Heard 1 bird gobble 1time. Now I did see 7 longbeards. 2 strutting with a passel of hens 3 different times and 1 just pecking around. Calling basically runs them off. Sunday I hunted from daylight until 1:30. I killed at 1:30. I crawled for 1 hr and 10 minutes. Never heard a gobble Sunday. Basically where I hunt they have turned it into a deer hunting game. Just not fun for me. I'd rather hunt the first two weeks of April and close it rather than open like it is now. That's just what I experienced. 2 different properties. Both with ample turkeys. I know tellico camp on here is very close to our eastern boundary and he's gearing gobbles. So like I said just my experience. This sure ain't the reason I love turkey hunting.
 
Ocoee Ridge Runner said:
Don't like it at all. Far less gobbling. The land I hunt they are typically on fire the first two weeks of April and done by the start of the third week. I assumed it was the pressure and kills that caused that but opening weekend this year is just like the third week of seasons past, very little to no gobbling and no mid morning gobbling.
Click to expand...
This. Same here.
 
Loved it. Sucked waiting two weeks longer but I heard plenty of turkeys and had one down less than 30 minutes after daylight.

So it seems like we're able to still get it done while allowing the birds two extra weeks to breed. Hopefully we have a good hatch.

A reason some folks may not have heard much could have simply been due to the barometric pressure. There have been quiet days in the woods during the first two weeks of April before. Hopefully we'll get some better weather and y'all will get on some birds! I sure hate those silent hunts.
 
I was only able to hunt Saturday but it was a little disappointing not hearing anything Friday evening trying to roost and not a confirmed gobble in 12 hours in the woods on Saturday. Still fun and can't beat walking 5-6 miles "chasing" (can you call it chasing if you don't hear birds...lol) So I bumped a lot of deer and on the way out of the woods I bumped a family of does that in turn bumped the only birds I saw the entire day...running from the neighbors field 200 yds away..lol.. I know birds are there (many cam pics and fresh sign) just have to out smart them. I did get all my cam SD cards pulled/replaced, batteries changed, some new stand locations marked and new deer chores noted for after turkey season so not a total bust. I'll be at it again this week.
 
Loved finally able to get out there but the woods had greened up a ton since the week before. The place we hunt is relatively small (40 acres) and we have a single 2 acre field where the forest is reclaiming it so no point. I didn't hear a single gobble or see a single bird. I was surprised to find a fresh dust bowl with tracks and feathers surrounding it. Did manage to jump 2 large groups of bedded deer on the way out. Cam pics loaded with deer, raccoons and coyotes but only 4 pics of hens/toms. May need to figure out the coon thinning options. Going to go Wednesday before office time, hopefully I'll hear something to make me feel better about this season.
 
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Saturday= silent Sunday Evening= finally got some action, but didn't seal the deal. I like having everything a little more green. (seen quiet a few Hens both days.)
 
Saturday-baseball tournament all day
Sunday- hunted till 830 and never heard a gobble. Went back after the shower around 1030 and got a couple to gobble. Had one down by 1130. I usually like hunting earlier but it's whatever to me. The birds aren't in their tradition opening weekend spots but they were there 2 weeks ago.
 
I didn't care for it. Didn't have one gobble all day yesterday. Saturday weather was hot by 10am. Passed on a couple of jakes both days. Woke up this morning at the farm and went outside before commuting back for work and heard more gobbles this morning from 5:45-7 than I did the whole weekend.
 
Mixed feelings...

The quality of the hunt was as I expected... simply unreal. I've called in 12 toms into shotgun range so far. I'm being REALLY picky with tag no 2, so just calling birds in and passing them up looking for a certain bird. If I don't get him and eat the 2nd tag, I'm fine with it.

The downside... its almost TOO easy. I'm used to calling to winter subflocks on opening weekend with them gobbling back, but with zero intention of coming to a call. The past 3 days, they have been racing to the call, as many hens have been bred and are broken off the main flock and there are some very lonely lovesick gobblers out there. In fact, I've probably seen more male birds than females past 3 days.

It does make me feel better seeing firsthand how many more hens have been bred by the time the slaughter begins this year vs years past.
 

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