Strutting Toms.....man I cant wait!
- Thread starter 1963beretta
- Start date
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
I’ve got a group of 40-60 birds hanging around. A big crop of long beards this year. Just checked my game cam and it had over 4000 photos of just turkeys. Got some nice photos of strutting toms. One photo from Feb 18th captured 8 toms in full strut. Pretty neat to see that many Toms in one cluster
That has gotta get the blood pumping...
Just called all of my turkey land owners and am good to go, plus picked up a new spot that I have been itching to get into... hopefully the influx of noobs that occured with the regulation change last year will settle down... rookies busted three set-ups last year and cost me some nice toms... one was a tresspassing rookie that "stalked" my decoys.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
It definitely getting my blood going. Im super pumped to get out there...I’m hoping to get Patrick and my nephew onto their first birds.
Im a tad worried about the new influx of rookies to be honest. I dont profess to be the ultimate turkey hunter, but I do put a lot of effort into my hunts and have learned from many mistakes over the years. It scares me to think that there will be a bunch of rookies in the bush this year at the same time making the same mistakes all rookies make when starting out. I hope it doesnt impact my hunts or the bird populations as a whole
I was just out to the farm on Saturday and walked in on a trespasser myself. I found it funny that she had all the confidence in the world to question me about who I was, like it was me who was trespassing. Interesting enough, she was getting awfully close to one of my alternate blinds....likely there to scout out her opening day....
Fingers crossed... hopefully my good luck opening day spot pays off this year... eight years in a row with a big tom, and then screwed over by rookies last year... two guys walking around in full sight, alternating between calling and talking loudly as they cruised around... I was spitting mad at the time, and amazed at their lack of any kind of knowledge...
P.S - it would be nice to see Patrick score, and it could happen as long as you can keep him from cranking off a few rounds when he gets bored.
P.S - it would be nice to see Patrick score, and it could happen as long as you can keep him from cranking off a few rounds when he gets bored.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Oh man! That really pisses me off. Some people just have no clue.
It was funny when the new regs were announced and there was a thread on here about the changes. So many people commented on how they were now going to start turkey hunting because they never agreed having to pay to take a course to be allowed to hunt. In my mind, I was thinking great....someone who cant be bothered to take a course and maybe learn something will be sharing the field with us. Now Im not trying to imply that the course was a necessity. But I do believe that there will be a correlation to crappy attitude toward it and crappy attitude in the field. I bet if the course was free, those same people complaining it was nothing more than a money grab still wouldnt have done it. Whatever happens, happens. I suspect the majority of rookies will not be successful and wont have the patience to keep at it anyway. Again, likely another correlation to not wanting to do the course in the first place
IIRC, when I did the course in 2002 with my pops, we paid $30 for enrollment. That price also included entrance into the Toronto Sportmans show, pizza lunch, 2 boxes each of Kent turkey shells, a camo face mask and a 10% off coupon for all things “turkey” at one of the vendors at the show. All this was well worth the cost of the course and more!
It was funny when the new regs were announced and there was a thread on here about the changes. So many people commented on how they were now going to start turkey hunting because they never agreed having to pay to take a course to be allowed to hunt. In my mind, I was thinking great....someone who cant be bothered to take a course and maybe learn something will be sharing the field with us. Now Im not trying to imply that the course was a necessity. But I do believe that there will be a correlation to crappy attitude toward it and crappy attitude in the field. I bet if the course was free, those same people complaining it was nothing more than a money grab still wouldnt have done it. Whatever happens, happens. I suspect the majority of rookies will not be successful and wont have the patience to keep at it anyway. Again, likely another correlation to not wanting to do the course in the first place
IIRC, when I did the course in 2002 with my pops, we paid $30 for enrollment. That price also included entrance into the Toronto Sportmans show, pizza lunch, 2 boxes each of Kent turkey shells, a camo face mask and a 10% off coupon for all things “turkey” at one of the vendors at the show. All this was well worth the cost of the course and more!
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1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
P.S - it would be nice to see Patrick score, and it could happen as long as you can keep him from cranking off a few rounds when he gets bored.
Bahahahaha...thats funny. Patrick has patience like a monument. I think the cold must have got to him that morning
mastermind
CGN Regular
- Location
- SW Ontario
I gained access to 101ac farm/recreational property this year. Been up there twice including this past weekend with my older son. Plenty of deer, turkey and coyote tracks. I know where the deer are and we always see a group of 9-13 in an adjacent field, and in the back of the bush, but still haven't glassed any turkeys. I setup a trail camera on Sat. where I see the tracks cutting through the property, so I am planning to give that a couple weeks to see what it yields.
Getting pretty excited, but also know my chances are slim with such a large property that I am not yet fully experienced with. It's the perfect hunting property with ridges and hills that create a valley through the middle of the property.
Getting pretty excited, but also know my chances are slim with such a large property that I am not yet fully experienced with. It's the perfect hunting property with ridges and hills that create a valley through the middle of the property.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Here are a couple photos...excuse the quality...its a photo of a computer screen...
Turkey is my favourite hunt as well. Got out for my first coyote hunt of the year this past Sunday and got lucky
Congrats on the coyote and will be pulling for you when you draw a bead on a Tom.
To all the Turkey hunters, best of the Season to You.
?Pictures when the tags are cut too.
Rob
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Hows the leg doing now?
I just read that there is a Turkey problem in Edgewater in southern BC.
So many of them in town that they are driving the residents crazy.
Crapping all over everything, and breaking tree branches when they roost.
Maybe hunters can help out when the season opens, lol.
Apparently some residents have been feeding them. The town says they
must stop.
This reminds me of the small community I grew up in, southern BC. When the turkeys showed up out of nowhere (had never been there before) the locals thought it was really cool. Then all the gardens got trashed, not so cool anymore. They made it for awhile till the first shot, then it was like a free for all as everyone tried to shoot one before they were gone. Was pretty ironic to see the holier than thou, never do ANYTHING wrong crowd turn into a bunch of turkey poachers at the drop of a hat.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Haha...glad you’re doing better Hoyt!
Its not so much as shooting a tasty bird that gets me out in the spring ticks as much as it is just getting out with a fine shotgun in the early season
This year ill be carrying either a linder proofed charles daly 2.5" hammergun or a recently acquired 2.5" husqvarna 20b with nice case coloring.
Shells be loaded with black this year
This year ill be carrying either a linder proofed charles daly 2.5" hammergun or a recently acquired 2.5" husqvarna 20b with nice case coloring.
Shells be loaded with black this year
Fingers crossed... hopefully my good luck opening day spot pays off this year... eight years in a row with a big tom, and then screwed over by rookies last year... two guys walking around in full sight, alternating between calling and talking loudly as they cruised around... I was spitting mad at the time, and amazed at their lack of any kind of knowledge...
P.S - it would be nice to see Patrick score, and it could happen as long as you can keep him from cranking off a few rounds when he gets bored.
If I see one I will probably get all excited and touch cloth. As it stands now, I have started rotating my five turkey shells so they have even wear from loading and unloading my gun.
(Hmmmmm........Maybe I should call on The Pollinator for some custom stock work prior to the hunt.)
p.s. Hoyt, glad to hear you are healed up and waiting for your call from Dancing with the Stars.
If I see one I will probably get all excited and touch cloth. As it stands now, I have started rotating my five turkey shells so they have even wear from loading and unloading my gun.
(Hmmmmm........Maybe I should call on The Pollinator for some custom stock work prior to the hunt.)
p.s. Hoyt, glad to hear you are healed up and waiting for your call from Dancing with the Stars.
When you run out of shells, you can do your own stock work... "two hands on barrel... SWING batta batta!"
