odd season, I think, or was it the hens?????

[Strutter]

Hunted 14 days this year and no birds even close. Saw lots of gobblers and every one of them had a bunch of hens with him. Didn't matter what time of day it was, the hens were there and when a call was made the ol' girls took their man elsewhere. Frustating as all get out but kept thinking they would get bred and leave him lonely. Didn't happen. Yesterday, saw the hens go to the gobbler right after daylight. He flew to them and that was that. Seems the gobblers wouldn't leave the roost until he saw the hens, at least the ones I set up on were like that. Saw 8 different gobblers yesterday afternoon and evening and all had hens up til flyup time. It's great that the birds are doing well but I hope future seasons are more hunter friendly. I don't know anyone personally who actually called in a bird like you expect them to behave. Most were ambushed/bushwacked at their regular hangouts. First time in 12 years I've been skunked but it wasn't from lack of trying. Anyway, congrats to you guys that got birds. I'm now waiting for the fall season.

Strutter

[hillbilly]

wish they would let us take a hen in the spring too. or at least on the first few days when they aren't stuck.

[GSP]

It seemed like everything was around 2 weeks late this year.
Our last hunt did not produce a gooble. We were set up on a bird that flew down to some hens without a single gobble. I was lucky to call in 3 two year olds 2 weeks ago. It was in the rain and they gobbled. They were the only birds I've heard all season after fly down.

[jemidawes]

I only got to hunt 6 days. I heard good gobbling at least 3. I call hens in 5 of the 6. If you could shoot hens, I would have 2 no problem. This last sat., I heard gobble after gobble. I thought I was going to get one. That longbeard wanted my hen bad! It never came, though. I found later there was a fence line hanging at least 3 oppurtunitys. I'm looking to oct now! congrats to all who had a good season, and I still had a good time.

[P. Beyer]

I hunted more than normal for Spring Turkey. I had lack luster results the first week and a half or so. I'll say when I did (which wasn't often) get onto a Gobbler, in short order a hen was along to mess me up. My calling <i>was </i> working on that bird until the hens reared their ugly heads, brought him from around 150 - 200 yards to 70 very quickly, and then got to watch him show off for a long time. He was hot too; Cut off almost every call w/ a Gobble.

Again, Congrats to all who scored[:D][:D] I had a blast this year, and am Totally <b>HOOKED!</b>[;)] I'll nail that first bird in Fall, if not then, Well there is always next Spring.

"It makes no difference whether I got anything; it has to do with how the day was spent"

Fred Bear

[RDL270]

On my farm opening day was hotter then its been if 5 years. Had ten different birds gobbling that morning. Two came right to the decoys and my buddy and I scored a double. As the season progressed they henned up and couldn't get one to come in at all. But hunted other counties and it seemed the opposite. I guess it depended on where you were if it was late or not. This for me was one of my better years. Congrats to all who scored. And let's go fishing now!

[RutNBuck]

This for me was a awesome season i personally witnessed 7 long beards meet his match, had many shoulda,coulda,woulda's many times when a bird was henned up we would just leave him and get on another...most of the times would end up packing one out...
i do agree that many of the gobblers had more then his share of hens making the calling them to the gun much tougher....
but after having done alot of scouting all my efforts paid off...
In fact i heard one gobbling hard this morning....
we are so blessed to live/hunt in kentucky our state offers so much wildlife no matter what you quarry is it can just about be found in kentucky ..

To end the season i want to say Kudos to the KDFW,NWTF and the many volunteers within our state....


some in sight of just how lucky we are...i hunt each year with a guy from missouri the #1 turkey state in the nation

he swears he hears more birds gobbling in kentucky then he does on his own hunting lands....

another note just cuz season is over doesnt mean you have to stop going out a very good confidence booster is going out calling in that bird that was henned up a week ago take a camera,or leave with just a memory of the show he offered you
and always remember "There will always be next year"

"A wise indian once said,the more you move the less you will see,the less you move the more you will see"

" I live to hunt, but my wife says i may hunting a place to live"

[schuyler olt]

Although I was skunked this season, that had as much to do with my hunting style as anything else. Also, this was a very unusual season, with many weather variables. For example, we had several strong thunderstorms hit our particular area right when the birds went to roost, which generally will make them quiet the next day. Opening morning was fantastic, then high winds came in for several days. But for me, the biggest factor I saw was the greenup. Opening day in Meade County looked like the end of last season. I hunted Trimble toward the end of the season, and it was less green than Meade was in the beginning. By the end of the season, a tom could walk through the pastures with only his head showing. I heard more gobbling in Trimble, even though I know the populations are very comparable. The point is that toms don't gobble in thick stuff like they will on an open ridgetop, and I have a theory that they won't gobble much on the roost if they plan to fly down into thick stuff. IMHO, I think the way the spring came on vegetation wise had a lot to do with reports where some people weren't hearing birds and other guys were hearing tons. Weather played a big part, too. There were days when one part of the state was getting pounded, while another was having bluebird clear days. One of the best days for gobbling for me, believe it or not, was April 5th. I've heard and worked tons of birds on days I'm wearing long johns, and I think we either need to move the season up or back, or maybe look at an extra week a couple of years from now. If we are going to lengthen the season, I think that out of state should be limited to one bird for a couple of years.