Alabama The good & bad

[ril7572]

Just got back from Alabama, and the first turkey hunt of the year. Heres the Good and the Bad.

THE BAD 1.Snakes, I stepped on an 18" copperhead the first afternoon. Spent the rest of the trip looking down alot.
2.Pine pollen. A cold front blew through mid morning Saturday, the clouds of pollen were unreal, it turned everything yellow.
3.Mosquitoes, around the swamps they would pack ya away.
4. Closed mouth turkeys, most of the time they were pretty quiet.

THE GOOD 1.Watched 3 beautiful sunrises.
2. Had 2 great battles with an Alabama longbeard,had him strutting around 2 hens at 75 yards for an hour. He won the battle both days.
3. In with camp with some great friends.
4. I got reminded of why I live for the spring every year, If I could I would make the 6 hour drive tomorrow and do it all over again, Ya gotta love turkey season.

[CPA Hunter]

Makes you like our birds -- they just seem to gobble better with the later season.

[mossyhorns]

Amen! I got into Dixie last night and woke up to 26 degrees this AM. Heard 1 gobble. Looks like cold again tomorrow. Birds were gobbling until this cold front blew through. Oh, well -- it's turkey season and I'm here!

[Grant]

Still hate to get skunked...but if you killed one every time you walked into the woods what fun would it be?

Nothing like working a hot tom!!

http://www.hunt101.com/img/097735.jpg

[P. Beyer]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Grant</i>
<br />Still hate to get skunked...but if you killed one every time you walked into the woods what fun would it be?



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[:D] I'd be happy with just once![;)]

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

Fred Bear

[snareman]

Got back from Georgia on Sunday. Hunted 10 minutes in Alabama on Wed and killed one. Got real lucky. Made two called while walking out ridge of mountain, heard foot steps, hot ready and had two gobblers appear at 20 yards just like that. Hunted Ga. Sat and Sun, birds not talking. I believe the birds are not ready yet.

[lab]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Grant</i>
<br />Still hate to get skunked...but if you killed one every time you walked into the woods what fun would it be?



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That is why they call it hunting and not killing.[:D]

A bad day hunting is better than a good day at work.

[mossyhorns]

Yesterday was the bad. Heard only 1 gobble. This morning was still cold with heavy frost, but had 7 birds gobbling on the mountainside. I starting mimicing a vocal hen that had flown down nearby and 4 more hens sailed off the mountain into a greenplot in front of me. Tom followed. It was over by 6:30. Now I'm back by the fire waiting on grits-n-gravy.

[KyHorse]

ril7572,
What part of 'bama were you hunting? Your comment on quiet birds interts me. I'm headed down Thursday night for 3 days of hunting just north of Tuscaloosa. Last year same time I hunted and I experienced little to no gobbling as you mentioned. Made for some frustrating hunting.

[ril7572]

I was hunting near Jakin, about an hour southwest of Tuscaloosa. Your right, birds that don't gobble make for some tough hunting.

[snareman]

ril7572,

I think next year just to be safe I'll go to Alabama a week later. Georgia wasn't right either.

[ril7572]

I agree a week later would be better. I do the same thing every year, can't wait to get the season started.

Congrats to snare and mossy, I'm glad you conected.

[KyHorse]

Same here. I told myself last year I was going to wait and hunt Alabama in April this year. It's h*ll having no self discipline. [:D]

[Valley Station]

Mossy,
Sounds like a good start.[8D] May be the start of one of those rare springs when every time you set down in the woods , you shewt a turkey.[:)]

[CPA Hunter]

They do gobble down South better in April, but nothing like up here in KY (IMO). Imagine if you were hunted for 6 weeks and everytime you opened your mouth for that much time the hunter shows up. Well, you'd learn to court the ladies with less noise too. They also have a lot of guys out (legally) calling before the season and we are not supposed to. It gets no better than hunting Easterns in KY or any state with a shorter season.

[rouge]

lived in t-town for 3 yrs. turkey hunting is def. better the second week of the season.

[stevemeadows]

Looking back on my trip to Alabama, it's not like you see on TV. Hunted 3 days in Walnut Grove on 1300 acres and did not hear the first bird. Hopefully I learned from that trip several years back because on April 6th, Texas is the next stop for my quest of the Grand Slam.

[ril7572]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">They do gobble down South better in April, but nothing like up here in KY (IMO). Imagine if you were hunted for 6 weeks and everytime you opened your mouth for that much time the hunter shows up. Well, you'd learn to court the ladies with less noise too. They also have a lot of guys out (legally) calling before the season and we are not supposed to. It gets no better than hunting Easterns in KY or any state with a shorter season.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Amen!!!It does not get any better than we have here in Ky. I have hunted other states that have good hunting, but none any better than home. I love to here them gobble and they do a great job of it here.

[mossyhorns]

Off to best start ever! Killed a 25# tom with 3 beards this morning. He was with a group of 3 gobblers that were fairly vocal all morning. Finally secumbed to me mocking another flock of hens. Can't wait to go back.

[P. Beyer]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mossyhorns</i>
<br />Off to best start ever! Killed a 25# tom with 3 beards this morning. He was with a group of 3 gobblers that were fairly vocal all morning. Finally secumbed to me mocking another flock of hens. Can't wait to go back.
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[:)]<b>AWESOME</b>[:)] Congrats,.....

GOT PICS?

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

Fred Bear