Gobbling

[Take'm@20]

I know it is only the first of March, but with the nice weather I have heard reports of gobbling and even got one to sound off of the roost with a gobble call tonight. With this unseasonably mild winter, I will make a prediction, there will be a lot of fat, beard dragging the ground gobblers shot this season! Anyone else been hearing gobbling?

[kygoose]

Sounds good to me Haven't been in the woods in a week or 2 but I would guess they are really picking it up at daylight. During our winter season we heard gobbling every day but not the constant gobblin you'll hear in the spring.
Good luck everyone

[SeniorCoot]

Birds here about have made it through winter in Primo shape and numbers- On Wed. was BSing with neighbor as he fed bred heifers --he saw a bird coming over hill- by time it was said and done there was 34 in flock with maybe 8 Tomd already strutting- should be an easy hunt 1st season

[gooseaholic]

I haven't checked our club but plan to get there a couple of mornings in the next two weeks.

[chcltlabz]

Birds are gobbling and strutting here already. Hens really aren't interested, but I'm starting to see lone hens and a few gobblers starting to split off on their own as well. Tells me the pecking order games have begun.

Won't be long now...

[DANE-G-RUSS]

Heard lots of gobbles the other morning here in SW Ontario.
1 was even gobbling after he hit the ground.
Seen 2 long beards on the prowl but haven't seen one dancing yet.
Can't wait till opener!

[gooseaholic]

Choclabz,

Are you headed somewhere this season? I am hoping to make KS again, but have not made any plans.

[chcltlabz]

Sadly, I'm only hunting locally. I'll hunt MD, NJ and PA but that's it.

I'm in the process of building a new house, so a lot of my "needs" moved to my "wants" list. I was supposed to go to Florida to finish out my public land slam, but it just wasn't in the cards. Had a chance to go to Nebraska and South Dakota too.

Florida is definitely on my short list. I've got to give up this silly waterfowling habit though.

I've been dangling a hook baited with the offer of a fully guided waterfowl hunt for anything MD has to offer in exchange for an Osceola, but I'm definitely fishing with the wrong bait. I just can't bring myself to pay the 2 grand for the private land hunt for 2 days either. I don't want to be guided, so I don't want to pay the guided hunt fees.

[gooseaholic]

I know what you mean. My, now 6 month old, will be keeping me close to the house also. I banked most of the waterfowl season by only hunting three days. Hopefully that will allow me to take a week for KS.

Personally, I think the outfitter fees are stupid high. On top of that you pay them a trophy fee???

[The Baron of Bufflehead]

Originally Posted by chcltlabz

...I just can't bring myself to pay the 2 grand for the private land hunt for 2 days ...

I'm in the same boat on that one! I'd like to shoot an Osceola, but I'm not willing to pay the kind of money they want to kill one turkey. $2k, just to say I've done a slam?... it's just not that valuable to me.

I haven't been in the woods around here since early January, but our winter was very easy and the temperature right now (and all week) is WAY above seasonal. I'm sure the birds will be strutting their stuff very soon in Ontario, if not already. There's no trip for me this spring but I hope to get out once or twice locally. I've got a great new farm to hunt, and only got out there for a couple hours near the end of last year's season. Hopefully this year will be better!

[kygoose]

While at my Dad's house yesterday watched out the back door a gobbler courting 3 hens. He strutted for an hr. before they left him all alone. Didn't matter to him he came up to 30 yards of the house struttin his stuff all the way to peck on some bird seed that had fallen on the ground.