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2025 Turkey Season

Ehunter said:
One thing I have noticed around here is, the wetter the weather, the fewer birds we have. Leaves me to believe that a lot of the nests near creeks and such are getting washed out. Or low lying areas flooding out nests. I know egg suckers get a decent number of birds, but every normal or dry spring we have, we have more birds the next year. Lack of trapping and predator hunting has also slowed, so more egg suckers. Rained all week last week, never heard a gobble. Dry this coming week, so they'll be back at it. Archery season starts for me tomorrow. Shotgun on the 16th.
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In Illinois wet weather kills pouts. If they get soaked a couple of times in their first week they can't stay warm enough to survive.
Then when it's warm enough the buffalo gnats get going if there's plenty of rain and the flies pack the nostrils and can choke them off.
Less rain in May weather can really help the turkeys survive.
 
Phopkins said:
In Illinois wet weather kills pouts. If they get soaked a couple of times in their first week they can't stay warm enough to survive.
Then when it's warm enough the buffalo gnats get going if there's plenty of rain and the flies pack the nostrils and can choke them off.
Less rain in May weather can really help the turkeys survive.
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Yep, wet cold springs are tough on poults.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
I call it scouting with a shotgun because that is principally what it is around here. I lug around a shotgun and turkey chair in the off chance that I may hear a bird. If I go out 20 times I may hear one bird. I got to thinking about it yesterday and it had been 366 days since I heard a gobble.
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I had (61) on my deer feeder a couple weeks ago. They roost across the property line from me but @ fly up and fly down, the noise is unbelievable. I love to just sit and listen to them talking to ea. other. Probably won't find one when our season opens!!
 
First morning in Kisatchie. Had a gobbler fire off 5-6 times before sunrise, didn’t directly hammer my call to him. No dice - did a 3.7mi loop through a bottom then back around on a right of way with no sign/gobbles. But still fired up!

Main question - hardwood bottoms are preferred to pines correct? The bottoms were more open than the pines so I figured the birds would prefer that
 
mschultz373 said:
First morning in Kisatchie. Had a gobbler fire off 5-6 times before sunrise, didn’t directly hammer my call to him. No dice - did a 3.7mi loop through a bottom then back around on a right of way with no sign/gobbles. But still fired up!

Main question - hardwood bottoms are preferred to pines correct? The bottoms were more open than the pines so I figured the birds would prefer that
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Sounds like you're off to a good start. I've had turkeys in both habitats, you just never know. I will tell you this, any little ditch or creek will hold them up for some reason, they could easily just hop across but they never seem to want to. So, in a hardwood bottom, if one is on the other side of the creek from you, try to get close enough that you can shoot him from your side. Chances are he won't cross.
 
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I went out and hunted this morning. I ended up hearing two jake gobbles, from the same bird most likely. A good friend who got me into turkey hunting reported he went out also, to some bird infested private land, and he reported zero gobbles this morning. The grind continues. Is it deer season yet?
 
It was damp and overcast this morning. The woods were quiet until after sunrise. Then I heard 4 gobblers spread out north, south, east and west… I felt handcuffed but confident I was in a spot one of them would eventually show up.
Another hunter shot one (I assume) then 30 minutes later I heard a spit.. this guy came in with a hen and put on a show until he gave me a 30 yard shot. The hen brought him to me. She was trying to find my mouth call bird. Awesome hunt. I’m digging the new 28ga.IMG_5358.jpeg


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Looks like an Indian Creek .520 with 1-1/2oz of Verdict 9's should do the trick. I shot 3 different chokes and 3 different shells and they would all kill a Bird at 40 yds.
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bonehed67 said:
Looks like an Indian Creek .520 with 1-1/2oz of Verdict 9's should do the trick. I shot 3 different chokes and 3 different shells and they would all kill a Bird at 40 yds.
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I like that pattern. I wanted to get the .520 IC choke but they were out of stock. I ended up with the paternmaster .515 and apex 1.5 oz 9’s and 10 load. I’m happy with it.
 
It was cold this morning. My son didn’t want to go. I had plans to go in and simply soak up the woods waking and enjoy every moment of the start of another turkey season. Thank God for making me a hunter and blessing me with the gobbler I got yesterday.
I knew I’d only shoot one this morning if everything unwinded perfectly…. It did.
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I see that New Jersey just cancelled the Turkey season for 2025. Just read it on my phone. They want the population to stabilize was the reason. Go figure.
 
Lucky13 said:
I like that pattern. I wanted to get the .520 IC choke but they were out of stock. I ended up with the paternmaster .515 and apex 1.5 oz 9’s and 10 load. I’m happy with it.
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I waited 2 months for them to get some in. There were less fliers with it than with the Trulocks. Beauty of a Bird BTW......

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