Turkeygirl Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 First day out to hunt this year, already feel bummed out. Called in a lone hen but that was it...no gobbles, no sign of a gobbler since a week ago. Even the lady in my class who lives on the other side of state land, she and her husband have birds gobbling. Must be nice to have a hunting buddy becuase doing all the scouting by yourself sucks sometimes. Even my sister had to drive over the hill to work this morning, she saw a big gobbler. I am so sick and tired of what feels like being the only one to not see or hear gobblers while everyone else seems to at least know where the birds are. I'm just POed at myself because I feel like a failure as a turkey hunter. I'm going to drive around tonight and see if I can roost any birds...if not....I may drive over to the new area of land the guy who works at camp owns. He said no one should be hunting it besides myself....so maybe I'll hear something...I dunno Yeah yeah, it's only the 3rd day of the season, but try hiking your butt off in between school and not getting anywhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MossySNPR Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Hang in there TurkeyGirl, let them heat up. Your birds might still be with hens and not willing to gobble. The season here in Ontario just began a week ago, and I haven't heard one gobble but I slammed a jake on tuesday. It was all about being where I knew the turkeys would be later in the day, I never had to call once, except to stop him. Remember, rooks go out afraid to make mistakes, vets go out knowing their going to make em. Shoot straight n' keep giviner - Moss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccwhitey Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Hang in there TurkeyGirl, let them heat up. Your birds might still be with hens and not willing to gobble. Remember, rooks go out afraid to make mistakes, vets go out knowing their going to make em. Shoot straight n' keep giviner - Moss Can't say it any better than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 all that hiking will pay off, you can't always get a bird your first outing. Stick with it and you will start hearing birds again and hopefully call one in. Goodluck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bowhunter56 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Ready to quit already !!! Your comment is interesting,,it seems you expect to kill something everytime you go out,,many of us work,hike, and don't even see or hear anything for more than the first day.. In one breath you praise the Lord, then your ready to quit, why not praise the Lord for giving you the ability to go out, to have the land to hunt, to be able to walk the fields. It's not all about killing. You kill it, eat it it's gone...you have memories left...hunt for the memories Ruth...Enjoy the days the Lord has given you to hunt....Hope my word don't offend you.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aksheephuntress Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 ....Ruth!!...Never give up, Girl!! -The most awesome joys and rewards in life sometimes meet us in "the eleventh hour"... ...And what bowhunter56 said...well-you know what he said......and it is so true...It goes beyond the harvest... Ruth...I have been on SEVEN sheep hunts(well...six, where I was striving to stalk and climb up to a ram...One sheep hunt, I was just helping pack for my partner on his permit...I didn't have one)....I have packed several sheep out....but-THIS year, come August , I have the seventh attempt to harvest a ram...and THIS time...it is a chance of a lifetime...I have drawn my very first permit ever, in my life...in a very coveted Dall sheep area...So-needless to say, I feel a lot riding on this hunt..and I want it, so bad...-and I understand how you feel....the normal reasoning is to rationalise the amount of effort put forth, compared to the returns reaped in the end...yes, our society weighs almost everything like that...but: -" Nature is a mysterious set of scales unto herself"... I mean...to hike in -and up- 9 hours into the high country, traverse glaciers and sidehill 'till your knees buckle... spotting and judging rams for hours(when you finally GET to a group of rams...and then,that is...if you don't get weathered-in for 2 or 3 days...), -and then attempting the stalk...-only to be either unable to get within 400 yds of the One...or running out of daylight and having to turn back to the spike camp 2 hrs away...or-the ultimate twist and dissappointment...-missing the well-worked -for shot at 362 yds.- (*...and all this, within the framework of getting time off from work, and coordinating a babysitter for 5 kids!...LOL) ...Yes, I know lingering frustration; and the creeping thoughts that can set in, akin to maybe throwing in the towel...-But- -I also cherish the tiny, unusual high-country flowers protruding from the shale...the sweet ,sudden whiff of sheep sorrel as I crawl up a slope...the distinct whistle warning of a fat marmot sentried utop his high rock...and the Eagle spread like a great fan overhead. ...Best of all, I savor the silence. Best darn sound I can strive to hear. ...I have a feeling your Special Gobbler is going to come strutting out to you, when you least expect it, Ruth...-just enjoy the time off you do have from school ....the precious moments in the woods, and in the field...You have earned it! ....Never give up!!-Kathleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 A common rookie mistake. Stop scouting with your ears only! What I'm gathering from your post is you are desperate to hear gobbles. If you find tracks and signs of strutting in an area, then hunt there regardless of perplexing silence from your quarry. I've found especially on birds older than two years they can be extremely closed beaked. They can't however hide their tracks and strut marks. Hearing gobbles is exciting but NOT necessary to succeed. Silent birds will still come into calls. I've had this beaten into me with such thoroughness, I simply no longer care if I hear a gobble first thing in the morning or not. If I've identified a hot strut zone I sit it, regardless of what I don't hear. Confidence in the sign I find is what keeps me there. Even if they don't answer, these birds still come in. Not with TV show bravado but the sneakers are still fair game You don't give up if you don't hear a deer grunt but turkey hunters seem to really get depressed when they don't hear a gobble. I'm telling you, gobbles are merely icing not the cake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted May 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 I have never seen a strutting area so have no idea what one looks like,lol. Thanks guys andg als. I'm not going to qit that's for sure...I sometimes feel like but I would never do so..no way,lol. School has just whooped the heck out of me, haven't gotten to do as much scouting as I would have liked to, so getting out of bed when you don't hear any birds gobbling makes you wonder if there are birds around, but I'll still be out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3seasons Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 Dont get bummed out,its still early in your season. Our season here in MS is over and the birds are just now acting right where I hunt. Just the way it goes, me and my best friend are going to take our 2yr olds out and try to have some fun calling in some hot birds. Should be fun. Give it time and dont give up it will happen. I hunt every morning after i get off of work. I loose a lot of sleep but i also get to scout out a lot of new land. (I also just love being out in the woods) My father in law Zeroed this year, he was on birds every morning but the place they were in was open and he's hunting some old birds. It was the first time in 38yrs that he hasn't taken a bird. He's not in the best mood about it, but its hunting and he'll be back in there next March. My dad hunted a bird last year for the entire season and got him on the last day. If you find a bird or you know where one is at try hunting him in the afternoon after school. Try and get him before he goes back to roost.(its not the most fun but it works) A strut zone can be in a number of different places. The best place to find them is on old road beds in the sandy areas. You will see tracks and wing marks (looks like scratches in the sand) Other places will be on either ridge tops or bottoms where ever he can see and be seen. Those are harder to find. Just depends on your terrain. Just be patient and dont give up. Remember to just have fun with it and enjoy the outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HONKERS44 Posted May 3, 2008 Report Share Posted May 3, 2008 You go girl!!! don't give up....i've missed a bird in the last week here in Pa, and today there was nothing but trespassers on the property...I was mad today and just walked out..and found a new spot and i'll be there the next couple of days...so hang in there and think of your options like i did.... Honkers44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest outdoorgirl Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 You'll do just fine Ruth stick to your guns girl :D I wish we lived a little closer so we could hunt together. My hunting area is messed up because they are working on cutting down old trees and messed up the turkeys Never give up and you might be rewarded :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 A strut zone can be in a number of different places. The best place to find them is on old road beds in the sandy areas. You will see tracks and wing marks (looks like scratches in the sand) Other places will be on either ridge tops or bottoms where ever he can see and be seen. Those are harder to find. Just depends on your terrain. Yep! Good places to start. Often big fields that you see turkeys in have one particular corner they prefer to strut in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckbuster11 Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Good advice above. Turkey hunting can be frustrating. I've been there many times before. But, it's a lot like deer hunting in the fall. You can go 3 weeks without seeing hardly anything and then all the sudden one night here comes that monster. It's the same with turkeys. Keep at it. As long as you can find a couple areas where you know turkeys are hanging out, even if they aren't gobbling you'll be in good shape. Eventually at some point you are going to have a day where one or more of the longbeards is just in one of those moods and/or is without hens and you will be able to close the deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntnMa Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Stay strong.....it took me years to get my first one and you've already done that....seems like every other year i hunt and hunt and hunt without getting one until the day before hunting ends....it does get frustrating, but it'll happen......keep that chin up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaCoyote Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Get out there and hunt. I noticed though on your other thread that at 5:00 a.m. you were still thinking about going hunting for the day. Girl, you need to be in the woods AT LEAST 1/2 hour before sun up. Thats the best time to hear the gobbles and maybe catch one in the roost. Out here the birds hit the ground at 5:15 and sometimes they quit gobbling all together. Anyways, stick with it before you know it you'll be giving the advice. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Get out there and hunt. I noticed though on your other thread that at 5:00 a.m. you were still thinking about going hunting for the day. Girl, you need to be in the woods AT LEAST 1/2 hour before sun up. Thats the best time to hear the gobbles and maybe catch one in the roost. Out here the birds hit the ground at 5:15 and sometimes they quit gobbling all together. Anyways, stick with it before you know it you'll be giving the advice. Good luck. Good point. I've heard them gobble on the roost up to 45minutes before official sunrise. On pressured lands it is quite common for these "roost" gobbles to be the only ones you hear. Don't let that discourage you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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