2021 Wild Turkey thread
- Thread starter 1963beretta
- Start date
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
I was just out getting my spot ready for the season opener. My goal is always to tag out before the mosquitoes arrive, but something tells me that they will be out quite early this year. There were a lot more bugs out today then I ever remember there being this early into April.
Mosquitoes are easy to deal with. Its the ticks that are the problem. If my wife finds out i take one off my skin she wont come near me for a day or 2.
Anyway i patterned another 7 guns in 12 and 20ga. After about 80 rounds of 12ga turkey loads it feels like something went wrong firing the 20ga lol.
I was greatly surprised by my old beretta 151 pump 12ga. It has a fixed mod choke and packs 1.5oz #6 federal premium into a perfect dense even pattern at 30 yards. Itll make a perfect rain gun
Anyway i patterned another 7 guns in 12 and 20ga. After about 80 rounds of 12ga turkey loads it feels like something went wrong firing the 20ga lol.
I was greatly surprised by my old beretta 151 pump 12ga. It has a fixed mod choke and packs 1.5oz #6 federal premium into a perfect dense even pattern at 30 yards. Itll make a perfect rain gun
Scouted this past weekend, saw nothing. Heard a few gobbles around 5:00 AM at my cabin, but need to walk about 2 km into the woods to reach public land. Hydro Quebec was out as of 7:00 AM cutting all the saplings on their trails, so the noise made it impossible to hear anything and probably scared everything away. I left a trail cam there, hopefully there will be some signs by next weekend.
It's still quite chilly here. I got sick of sitting on the ground at 5 degrees, so I picked up a chair blind that was on clearance for $70. It's a bit heavy with all the other gear, thinking to make a cart now. It's like a chair that has a folding part that goes over your head (like a baby carriage almost). It's definitely more comfortable to be in a chair for long periods of time, and it hides your movement a bit more... but it's not the easiest thing to see out of, I might have to cut a few viewing and shooting ports.
It's still quite chilly here. I got sick of sitting on the ground at 5 degrees, so I picked up a chair blind that was on clearance for $70. It's a bit heavy with all the other gear, thinking to make a cart now. It's like a chair that has a folding part that goes over your head (like a baby carriage almost). It's definitely more comfortable to be in a chair for long periods of time, and it hides your movement a bit more... but it's not the easiest thing to see out of, I might have to cut a few viewing and shooting ports.
Ive found as i get older my legs go numb sitting on the ground so i bought a cabelas brand folding tripod chair with a back rest. It has a cup holder and a cell phone patch. Easy to carry with a shoulder strap or fits in my decoy bag and comfortable
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Im getting old enough where I prefer some comfort so I set up a ground blind a week before the season starts and I load it up with a lot of my gear. That way all I have to carry into the bush are my decoys and turkey pack. In the blind, I’ll set up a small table with a couple chairs and I have a lantern with a small steel bucket that I can use to burn mosquito coils or a citronella candle. Last couple of years where it was brutally cold, having the ability to burn sh!t helped keep me pretty warm even if there were a few inches of snow on the ground. I usually get set up really early so I’ll kill some time reviewing game cam footage until its time to start calling. I also build a natural blind on another part of the property and pack a chair, umbrella and a collapsible blind in there in case its needed.
due to covid i wont be able to overnight where i normal hunt.
Usually i wake up at 4:15 am and im in the blind close to the roost by 4:45 am
Now im a 1.5 hr drive away.
What is the latest that you think its worth it to get in the blind?
There are multiple small clearings but no big farm fields that birds spend the day at.
Usually i wake up at 4:15 am and im in the blind close to the roost by 4:45 am
Now im a 1.5 hr drive away.
What is the latest that you think its worth it to get in the blind?
There are multiple small clearings but no big farm fields that birds spend the day at.
Runningfool
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
That’s a tough question. You know the area and where and when the birds move so I’m not sure anyone could answer that question better than yourself. Where I hunt I find being in the blind half an hour before legal (5:52am on opening day in my neck of the woods) is plenty but that’s hunting the field and not the roost. Plus my route of travel is through fields, not bush so I don’t have to worry about spooking birds.
I feel for you though....the first few years I turkey hunted my spot was and hour and fifteen minutes away so that makes for some damn early mornings, especially late in the season. Luckily I was green and eager and would have travelled double that just to see a bird
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
I run the risk of the same thing happening, but so far, not many people trespass on the property. Anyone there would be known to the land owner. Even still, this is one of the reasons why I build another natural blind and leave a some supplies there. In case my ground blind is taken and cleaned out, I have a back up that I can use for the day. Also why I dont leave my decoys....
Cameron SS
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Ground Zero
If I cant be in position minimum 20 to 30 minutes before kegal hunting Id almost suggest waiting until 9 am or even lunch time and do an afternoon hunt.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
I feel for you though....the first few years I turkey hunted my spot was and hour and fifteen minutes away so that makes for some damn early mornings, especially late in the season. Luckily I was green and eager and would have travelled double that just to see a bird
The property I hunt is about an hour and a half away, so yes, damn early is right! Most of the time I dont even sleep because of the excitement. I can hunt field or bush, but prefer just inside the bush. What I do to minimize the chances of spooking birds is that I cut trails in the bush and I rake the leaves clean from all trails so I can get in, out and around without making a sound. Its a lot of work to get the trails established, but once they are in its just a matter of maintaining them so the don’t get overgrown again. Raking leaves every year is a pain in the ass, but well worth the 5 hour commitment. Not only can I get in and out quietly, I find that the animals also use them frequently.....and yes, even the turkey.
Its frustrating because I know the roost and my blind was going to be in an alley where they come out 95% time. But once they go down that ally they tend to go different places each day, so its really hard to predict where they will be. Yet another reason to hate COVID
In my humble opinion….. This year it will be difficult to call those big Toms in when the season opens.
I have not read this whole thread, so I may be repeating something that has already been said.
I do 90% of my turkey hunting in western Quebec and eastern Ontario, mostly in zone 65. The season opens last week of April and this year the mating started very early because of the abnormally warm weather in late March and early April.
The calling and mating is already happening and by the time the hunt opens, most of the coupling will have already happened. It will be difficult to call those big Toms in by the end of April.
I have not read this whole thread, so I may be repeating something that has already been said.
I do 90% of my turkey hunting in western Quebec and eastern Ontario, mostly in zone 65. The season opens last week of April and this year the mating started very early because of the abnormally warm weather in late March and early April.
The calling and mating is already happening and by the time the hunt opens, most of the coupling will have already happened. It will be difficult to call those big Toms in by the end of April.
Last season I decided to avoid the normal motel where I hunt turkey and slept in my car. Quiet dirt road (im lucky to have permission to hunt a field that is down a dead end road in a secluded area), not a soul around, peaceful, stars and moonlight shining through the sunroof.. best part is I wake up and I’m right there ready to go. It was so pleasant I’m doing it again this year.
