Ontario spring turkey 2016

Arclight

Arclight

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
Location
Toronto
Is everyone ready for the turkey opener on the 25th? My wife and I are going to try a few new areas that look promising this year. The shotguns are patterned and we are just counting down to the 25th.
 
My son and I are heading out for four days on opener... Looks like a good year, better than last year... lots of birds and a good crop of tom's.
 
Good luck to you and your son. The area where we are hunting has turkeys eating out of bird feeders lol. We won't be around the feeders, we will be where they sleep. I hope th mild winter will net us 2 each.
 
My daughter and I got are tags today. I got my shotgun lined up and ready.just have to get her put to pattern some new shells I got for her 20g. I took a atv ride around the farm today and there are a ton of tracks this year . Dutch
 
dutchhunter said:
My daughter and I got are tags today. I got my shotgun lined up and ready.just have to get her put to pattern some new shells I got for her 20g. I took a atv ride around the farm today and there are a ton of tracks this year . Dutch
Click to expand...

And your farm is where??? (YUK YUK)
 
I will be out for the opener like always but one thing i have learned over the years that I will pass on to a new or not so new turkey hunter. Yes it is great to be tagged out early but if you are after a true monster and they are not cooperating at first as the season progresses and the hens start to nest the big boys get more cooperative if they have not been over educated early on. I have shot the biggest birds in the last week or ten days of the season.
Last year it took me all season to get close enough to a literally huge bird. If he saw a decoy or heard a call he would head the other direction at a high rate of speed. On the same farm I shot a big boy 6-7 years ago with 1 7/8" spurs. Second last day of the season I got close enough just too close when he stepped out on the end of the gun barrel instead of 15 yds down where I expected him. Lets just say a swing and a miss and he is still around this year even bigger.
Point is if you fill tags early you may miss out on the true big ones. My personal best weight wise of 27 lbs(Certified scale and witnesses) was also taken the last few days of the season and many other 24-25lbers
Always remember though a turkey in hand is worth two in the bush. Good luck all!!!!
 
Tom was just out in front of my house gobbling and displaying. Comes every morning about this time, and usually returns later in the day. The hen is quite tame. Guess I could just walk out an shoot him. He doesn't run away.
 
tiriaq said:
Tom was just out in front of my house gobbling and displaying. Comes every morning about this time, and usually returns later in the day. The hen is quite tame. Guess I could just walk out an shoot him. He doesn't run away.
Click to expand...

No way, when you locate him you have to back up a couple hundred yards to give him fair chance. :)
 
I get to hunt the first day then I have to take a few days off as are wedding anniversary is the 26.th. 20 year married thus year.so a few days at the falls with the good wife are in order. Lol.we did not have a turkey season back when I got married or it would have been a different day.lol. oh well we got s long season. And lots of birds to hunt. D
 
I'm not on board with the spin that hunters are in jeopardy when rimfire rifles are used for turkeys... that has been the spin by the "approved" turkey course instructors for ages, but in fact many jurisdictions allow rimfire for turkey hunting and do so without increased incident. Hunters are expected to KNOW their target and be SURE of the background... this is allowed in many instances of using decoys and centerfire rifles for other species... This is only my opinion... and I am not going to participate in the discussion that is sure to ensue from other members.
 
hoytcanon said:
I'm not on board with the spin that hunters are in jeopardy when rimfire rifles are used for turkeys... that has been the spin by the "approved" turkey course instructors for ages, but in fact many jurisdictions allow rimfire for turkey hunting and do so without increased incident. Hunters are expected to KNOW their target and be SURE of the background... this is allowed in many instances of using decoys and centerfire rifles for other species... This is only my opinion... and I am not going to participate in the discussion that is sure to ensue from other members.
Click to expand...

Haha...good call Hoyt...this will certainly turn into a slugfest. And while I appreciate your opinion, I actually may have agreed with you a few years back. But a close call that saw a .22 fly past me over my head a few years ago convinced me that all it takes is one idiot to change my view on the matter. Now whether its legal or not to use a rimfire for turkey hunting is irrelevant because idiots will be idiots regardless of what the laws are. But I personally dont see the excitment of shooting a turkey with a rimfire from 150 yards away anyway. I much prefer the challenge of calling them in close and looking into their eyes before I pull the trigger.
 
1963beretta said:
Haha...good call Hoyt...this will certainly turn into a slugfest. And while I appreciate your opinion, I actually may have agreed with you a few years back. But a close call that saw a .22 fly past me over my head a few years ago convinced me that all it takes is one idiot to change my view on the matter. Now whether its legal or not to use a rimfire for turkey hunting is irrelevant because idiots will be idiots regardless of what the laws are. But I personally dont see the excitment of shooting a turkey with a rimfire from 150 yards away anyway. I much prefer the challenge of calling them in close and looking into their eyes before I pull the trigger.
Click to expand...

I agree, of course safety trumps everything, but for me personally, don't see the fun in sniping a turkey from 100 plus yards. I like getting set up in the woods calling and using my shotgun and x bow, bring in the turkey close, observing their ways. Plus the turkey population would be a lot lower and I could see a smaller season in Ontario with majority of hunters having successful rimfire hunts. But most importantly my daughter at 11 is showing interest in turkey hunting, I enjoy to safely bring my kids into the woods to see a turkey hunt behind cover in a blind, I probably would not if rimfires were allowed.
 
The wife and I went up to the turkey hunting area yesterday. What a gong show. Our property fence was cut in 3 places. People have cut trails, shooting lanes, and left bird seed out for bait. I also took down 3 blinds and 3 trail cams. They were turned over to the OPP. Notes have been posted on the fence to contact the police to get their property back. I had to repair the fence, and visited the OPP detachment. They now have full run of the property under the Trespass to Property act. What a bloody gong show.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom