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2025 Turkey Season

weekender21 said:
Love those ramps! We’re covered up in western NC, seems like I fine more every year that I didn’t know about. Looks like you had an epic week of hunting, good to see our favorite bird doing great in some places.


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We call them “leaks” up here in the hinterlands. Delicious! My mom used to make leak soup it was a spring time favorite. Here’s my youngest five years ago enjoying some we found on a woods walk. When you find areas with many of them anthropologists say those are potential signs of former Native American gardens.
 

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weekender21 said:
Love those ramps! We’re covered up in western NC, seems like I fine more every year that I didn’t know about. Looks like you had an epic week of hunting, good to see our favorite bird doing great in some places.


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I grew up in East Tennessee (Erwin) and ramps were a spring time staple. Heck we even had a ramp festival. I was blown away when I looked down and saw them I didn’t know they grew in Missouri. They went right in a pan of fried taters with a bacon wrapped turkey breast. The average bird count roost gobbling was 9-11 I could hear from the farm I was on. Birds in every wooded draw and vocal all day.
 
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woodsdog2 said:
We call them “leaks” up here in the hinterlands. Delicious! My mom used to make leak soup it was a spring time favorite. Here’s my youngest five years ago enjoying some we found on a woods walk. When you find areas with many of them anthropologists say those are potential signs of former Native American gardens.
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We ate them by the handful growing up. Been sent home from school for smelling like ramps lol. They will permeate out of your skin when you eat to many raw. LOL. I am glad to see other people that know what they are and how good they are to eat. Really cool.
 
10essee said:
We ate them by the handful growing up. Been sent home from school for smelling like ramps lol. They will permeate out of your skin when you eat to many raw. LOL. I am glad to see other people that know what they are and how good they are to eat. Really cool.
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Didn’t even know you could eat them raw, definitely delicious with eggs and bacon!


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Finished the season on a high note with a swing and miss at 30 yards. He was in full strut when he came into view but almost immediately broke strut as he crested the rise to look for the hen that was sweet talking him. He took a step or two when he broke though and ended up with a sapling about the same size as his head in neck directly between us. I was thinking which ever was he steps I got him. He took another step forward and cleared the sapling. Put the bead just above his waddles and start putting pressure on the trigger when I should have just slapped it. He made a 180 degree pivot to the left but I was too far into the pull to stop and the sear broke. A basketball size hickory a couple steps beyond him caught the looked like the whole load based on the big rusty brown cloud of dust that came off it. Knew it was a miss when the gun went off but was hoping maybe a flyer or two caught him in the head and neck but no luck. I was one one knee at the shot so popped up quickly as I racked round two but in a couple strides he was air born off the back side of the ridge. Just caught a few glimpses of him headed away. I havent been really mad at the turkeys in a long time but I have all year to stew on this miss.

Before that encounter I had been on a pair of henned up birds right off the limb I couldnt do anything with right off the limb. I slipped away from them when another pair got fired up a few hundred yards away. Made a move and got to spot where I have killed there before, hit the call and they cut me off. The gobbled a few times from the same spot and then started coming. But then they went silent. Waited a few and clucked a couple times and hit a soft 3 note yelp and crickets. maybe 45 seconds later I see 2 of the neighbors dogs cruising through the draw. Never saw the turkeys leave. That was all Saturday morning. Yesterday morning, I was only going to be able to hunt for a little bit before I needed to leave for Mothers Day. Only heard a couple birds, one was over the line on a neighboring property and the other was too the far side of the farm I was on and didnt think I had time to get there and back so I tipped my cap his direction and called it a season.

Only ever missed one other turkey and it was running after it caught me trying to make a little move to gain a few more yards for a clear shooting lane. Thought he was strutting with his back to me but he was facing me. Couldnt tell for sure looking through the low to the ground crap I was looking through. Should have just raised up and shot over it but thought I could get away with the move.
 
Wild turkey legs/thighs street tacos for dinner. Delicious!

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BTaylor said:
Finished the season on a high note with a swing and miss at 30 yards. He was in full strut when he came into view but almost immediately broke strut as he crested the rise to look for the hen that was sweet talking him. He took a step or two when he broke though and ended up with a sapling about the same size as his head in neck directly between us. I was thinking which ever was he steps I got him. He took another step forward and cleared the sapling. Put the bead just above his waddles and start putting pressure on the trigger when I should have just slapped it. He made a 180 degree pivot to the left but I was too far into the pull to stop and the sear broke. A basketball size hickory a couple steps beyond him caught the looked like the whole load based on the big rusty brown cloud of dust that came off it. Knew it was a miss when the gun went off but was hoping maybe a flyer or two caught him in the head and neck but no luck. I was one one knee at the shot so popped up quickly as I racked round two but in a couple strides he was air born off the back side of the ridge. Just caught a few glimpses of him headed away. I havent been really mad at the turkeys in a long time but I have all year to stew on this miss.

Before that encounter I had been on a pair of henned up birds right off the limb I couldnt do anything with right off the limb. I slipped away from them when another pair got fired up a few hundred yards away. Made a move and got to spot where I have killed there before, hit the call and they cut me off. The gobbled a few times from the same spot and then started coming. But then they went silent. Waited a few and clucked a couple times and hit a soft 3 note yelp and crickets. maybe 45 seconds later I see 2 of the neighbors dogs cruising through the draw. Never saw the turkeys leave. That was all Saturday morning. Yesterday morning, I was only going to be able to hunt for a little bit before I needed to leave for Mothers Day. Only heard a couple birds, one was over the line on a neighboring property and the other was too the far side of the farm I was on and didnt think I had time to get there and back so I tipped my cap his direction and called it a season.

Only ever missed one other turkey and it was running after it caught me trying to make a little move to gain a few more yards for a clear shooting lane. Thought he was strutting with his back to me but he was facing me. Couldnt tell for sure looking through the low to the ground crap I was looking through. Should have just raised up and shot over it but thought I could get away with the move.
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At least you had some good action. This would have been your second bird for the season….. means you can have another duel next spring! I hate missing them but it’s so much better than a wounded bird hunkering in a brush pile until it expires or flies mortally wounded until it drops into a brush choked ravine.
 
Finally getting out! Saw a strutter on my walk in, then about 1 hour after setting up had 3 jakes and a tom come running into the decoy but stopped short. My guess is 30ish yards but forgot my rangefinder.. they didn’t like what they saw and slowly worked off and fed back into woods. I have until sunset here so I’m waiting it out!
 

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Ended yesterday with what I thought was a good shot, but think it was too far back. Clean pass through and bird ran, I chased it but once it turned into woods it was a ghost.
 
Today was hunt #3 and my final hunt. Was fun as I called in two Jakes at 630. Followed by striking up a different Jake at 10 and calling him in.

I don't shoot Jakes, no matter how bad my seasons going.

I've been on 11 different scouting trips so far with no gobblers seen other than the 1 before opening day.

The 1k acre private I hunt only had 2 toms on it. 1 was killed on the youth hunt. The other opening day by a youth. I'm very happy to see kids have success. However, that was it. Just two birds on 1k acres with fields everywhere.

I've hit every single piece of property I've ever had success on with zero birds on them. No gobbles. No sign. No scratching.
Tried some new places with the same result. No birds.

I'm done wasting my time chasing ghosts. It's sad stuff. Turkey hunting was the highlight of my youth. So dang fun. I can't believe how obliterated our turkey pop has become.
 
bigmike23 said:
Today was hunt #3 and my final hunt. Was fun as I called in two Jakes at 630. Followed by striking up a different Jake at 10 and calling him in.

I don't shoot Jakes, no matter how bad my seasons going.

I've been on 11 different scouting trips so far with no gobblers seen other than the 1 before opening day.

The 1k acre private I hunt only had 2 toms on it. 1 was killed on the youth hunt. The other opening day by a youth. I'm very happy to see kids have success. However, that was it. Just two birds on 1k acres with fields everywhere.

I've hit every single piece of property I've ever had success on with zero birds on them. No gobbles. No sign. No scratching.
Tried some new places with the same result. No birds.

I'm done wasting my time chasing ghosts. It's sad stuff. Turkey hunting was the highlight of my youth. So dang fun. I can't believe how obliterated our turkey pop has become.
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Not liking, just commiserating. It's sad how far off things have fallen.

My turkey hunting is basically ceremonial at this point. A lot of work and too early alarms to hope to hear a bird or two and just experience the spring springing. So few birds in many areas, genuinely feeling like I shouldn't kill one.

I think 2026 I'm going to switch the bulk of those outings to April with a camera instead of May with a gun.
 
bigmike23 said:
Today was hunt #3 and my final hunt. Was fun as I called in two Jakes at 630. Followed by striking up a different Jake at 10 and calling him in.

I don't shoot Jakes, no matter how bad my seasons going.

I've been on 11 different scouting trips so far with no gobblers seen other than the 1 before opening day.

The 1k acre private I hunt only had 2 toms on it. 1 was killed on the youth hunt. The other opening day by a youth. I'm very happy to see kids have success. However, that was it. Just two birds on 1k acres with fields everywhere.

I've hit every single piece of property I've ever had success on with zero birds on them. No gobbles. No sign. No scratching.
Tried some new places with the same result. No birds.

I'm done wasting my time chasing ghosts. It's sad stuff. Turkey hunting was the highlight of my youth. So dang fun. I can't believe how obliterated our turkey pop has become.
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10-4 on the no Jakes
 
Bowtie747 said:
Hey guys anyone else as pumped as I am? Well now you have a place to talk about it. Thought this could be a place for people to ask questions about Turkey hunting as well. Anyone getting any new guns? Going to new places? Anyone else super excited?
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Closed out my Wi season today. Was blessed 3 for 3. Lots of birds in Wi. Seems like birds gobble less every year. My old school hunter in me says learned behavior over time?? Starting to wonder. Any Thoughts on that?
 
Fgirtyman said:
Closed out my Wi season today. Was blessed 3 for 3. Lots of birds in Wi. Seems like birds gobble less every year. My old school hunter in me says learned behavior over time?? Starting to wonder. Any Thoughts on that?
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I think weather conditions play a role in how vocal they are. Also if they are with hens already has an impact. Some days here they are gobbling like crazy other days I have no idea they are there until they show themselves. But this is personal experience nothing about science or studies that have been done by professionals
 
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