Season dates poll.

[turkeyhunter1943]

I just wondered what the TRUE thoughts are on this topic.

I do not want to discuss it anymore, as I am sure few of you do.

Not interested in beating the proverbial dead horse any more.

So Here goes.

 

[mcdenney]

I just wondered what the TRUE thoughts are on this topic.

I do not want to discuss it anymore, as I am sure few of you do.

Not interested in beating the proverbial dead horse any more.

So Here goes.

I don't know that I agree with either statement so I didn't vote. I have had a lot of good results throughout the season. With that being said, I hunt the most during the first week, always have done it that way. Guess that is the reason I am probably more successful then and the reason I love early in the season. The last week can be great too. No bad time to hunt them thunder chickens as long as they gobble and will work a call!

 

[Tha' Hat]

I don't completely agree with either statement, either...but I get the gist of what you're asking. Between having an earlier opener and losing the last few days in May, I opt for the early opener.

 

[buckfever]

If I could keep the trespassers off my property without my presence, I probably wouldn't even bother to hunt the opening week. Just my opinion, but even though more birds are killed during opening week, I'd venture to guess that that's more due to sheer hunter numbers (and clearing out some 2 yr olds) than anything else.

I'd speculate that there's a high hunter success % in May than in April.

 

[huntr467]

Myself and 2 buddies have about 2300 acres to ourselves for Turkey season. We know all the surrounding land owners and there is very little, if any, poaching. We live on the property and are on it everyday so not much gets by us. I can honestly say that it is much easier to get on birds during the beginning of the season than it is in May, and it has nothing to do with hunting pressure.
Birds at the end of the season don't respond much and often go the other way and they are almost impossible to locate after flydown due to their silence.
I went with one of my buddies Sunday morning and there were about a half a dozen birds gobbling on the roost, but after 7 am the woods went silent and never could get a bird to gobble all afternoon.
I am not saying you can't kill birds in May because you can if you get in on the right setup but the birds are not as willing to play.
For me I love the gobbling and struttin and would much rather get in on the early season action.

 

[ky.longbeard]

Well here we go again....I took a turkey the first day and the last day...and struggled the in between time. I said some things on another thread that I should not have said...and I offer an apology to anyone I may have offended.I think all of our opinions matter on this forum and I said some things I should'nt and I am sorry for that. Now for me the thrill of the gobbling ..gets me going ...does that mean that turkeys are easier to kill....NO!!! My opinion is that an earlier season would be better,but thats just my opinion!!! I believe they are alot tougher in May,but they can still be taken. The county I live there were 98 turkeys taken on the first day and 97 taken the 8 days of May...theres the numbers ...you can draw whatever conclusion you want. The last turkey that I killed was simply from observing the turkeys do the same thing for 3 days in a row and moving my blind...the last day...putting out a couple of hen decoys and very , very little calling...he didn't gobble the first time.Not as exciting as if he had come in with gobble after gobble,but it worked.If Ky. added another week to the season personally I would like to see a week or 10 days earlier,but thats just 1 mans opinion.

 

[Oak grove]

I'll b the one who runs toward the flames!! I say keep it the same. For ME they don't need to b movie stars. Oh it's nice that they put on a show but they do that in May aswell. I hunt more with my eyes than ears anyhow.
Now you seasoned vets you can back me on this if you like. THE MORE HE GOBBLES THE MORE LIKELY HE WILL PICK UP A HEN OR CALL IN A YOTE OR TRASPASSER! I know that all of us has had at least one of those come in on a set up. If not give it time.
As for the birds being any easier. I can't answer that. Easy for me is him jumping in my deepfreeze and closing the lid behind him. Now I've had them to come in on a set up a little faster than others but I can't recall any of them being easy at any time of the year. Please don't get mad at me but maybe just maybe we might need to change hunting tactics instead of dates. JMO

 

[hitch]

I wish the season exactly matched TN's season. That would make the folks like me who love hunting in May happy, and it would make the folks who wish to hunt earlier happy as well. It is a win-win for both sides.

 

[Kybirdman]

I'll b the one who runs toward the flames!! I say keep it the same. For ME they don't need to b movie stars. Oh it's nice that they put on a show but they do that in May aswell. I hunt more with my eyes than ears anyhow.
Now you seasoned vets you can back me on this if you like. THE MORE HE GOBBLES THE MORE LIKELY HE WILL PICK UP A HEN OR CALL IN A YOTE OR TRASPASSER! I know that all of us has had at least one of those come in on a set up. If not give it time.
As for the birds being any easier. I can't answer that. Easy for me is him jumping in my deepfreeze and closing the lid behind him. Now I've had them to come in on a set up a little faster than others but I can't recall any of them being easy at any time of the year. Please don't get mad at me but maybe just maybe we might need to change hunting tactics instead of dates. JMO

I agree. The only thing is that some hunters may have their hands tied with the time they have to hunt or the location they can hunt. Open the season earlier and watch your numbers of birds taken rise the first few years and then decrease in the years to come. A few factors come into play with a later season. Things are greener allowing you to sneak in tight before setting up. Most likely a rainy season like this year with an earlier start. Find that lonely bird in the afternoon later in the season and even if he does gobble up a hen his time with her is quick and he is easier to keep track of and can't resist taking a quick peek over a break in the woods.

 

[JDMiller]

Years ago...when you turkey hunted LBL, you had a survey card that had to be filled out end of season. They gathered quite abit of information from turkey hunters in general. Then early into the next year...all that information was compiled and available into a couple page pamplet.

One item that was a major focus was peak gobbling days. Even to an extent they provided a graph that compiled what days in the month of April that had the highest amount of gobbling reported by hunters. This was info from hunting...and just listening to toms prior to season. Inturn.... this information was used to originate the beginning of their early quota turkey hunts.....which as of present....are still held early in April...well before our state season.

The bottom line then for LBL.... hunter participation / turkey hunters using LBL in general... pended on hearing toms gobble. Birds were killed then & now.....I've killed many toms personally on the early April hunts. Mating activity is at its peak and even though you may not lure the dominant bird straight off the roost....satelite toms eargerly responded. Some of the best hunting in Ky that I've ever experienced is on the early April hunts.

I'll also comment on statements to the effect hunters need to change their tatics instead of dates.....why??

Spring turkey season historically is about calling a bird...hearing gobbles....its all part of the experience. Toms in early season with hens (henned up) have been hunted and called in since the indians chased them with bows & arrows in Ky....its not that hard to do & part of the challenge. Way more than sitting in a blind in May waiting on silent birds with no interest to responding to calls....strictly ambush style. I also say that unfortunately too many people have accepted that this is the best way & time of the year to hunt toms.... they have never learned or experienced how to hunt them with the origional "tatics" of spring turkey hunting as its ment to be.

 

[billproxs]

May is too green and thick in the woods, that also alters the Turkey hunting.


The 1st 3 weeks of April are when I always hear and see the most Turkeys gobbling and strutting in this area. When I was fishing in early April, I heard a good number of Turkeys Gobbling every morning, but within the last 2 weeks, I have not heard any in those same spots.

 

[ky.longbeard]

I will have to agree Bill...the grass in the fields behind my house are knee high.

 

[bigpuddin43]

I would recommend for those that think season is too late or it should go hunt some of the states that open early. I hunted 2 years ago in kansas that opened a week or so before kentucky This year I am in SD and it came in the first weekend in April and goes out May 22. I have hunted every day I was off and every morning I had free. April was horrible birds gobbling everywhere but wont come to a call to save my life. They were henned up and could not get them away from them. Now birds are gobbling good coming to calls you can see gobblers out roaming by themselves. trust me later is better. Now weather has a lot to do with it but this has a mild spring here and pretty good weather and its still the last two weeks from what I have seen are all that are worth hunting.

 

[hitch]

Spring turkey season historically is about calling a bird...hearing gobbles....its all part of the experience. Toms in early season with hens (henned up) have been hunted and called in since the indians chased them with bows & arrows in Ky....its not that hard to do & part of the challenge. Way more than sitting in a blind in May waiting on silent birds with no interest to responding to calls....strictly ambush style. I also say that unfortunately too many people have accepted that this is the best way & time of the year to hunt toms.... they have never learned or experienced how to hunt them with the origional "tatics" of spring turkey hunting as its ment to be.

This is the most idiotic thing I have ever read on this forum. Do you really think those of us who like to hunt in May are sitting in blinds, and have never learned or experienced how to hunt turkeys by calling and setting up on a located bird? If so, you need to venture out more and type on a computer much less. The above statement is so laughbly off base, that it almost isn't worth even acknowledging.

Maybe you need to get off the couch and hunt turkeys for more then just opening weekend.

 

[turk2di]

How bout a split season of 2 weeks each? First one comes in 2nd Saturday of April...next one starts 2nd Saturday in may? Popcorn anyone?