# bad opening week?



## bowhunterjon (Jan 24, 2009)

i have been having a very bad opening week for turkeys. this year we have seen three, compared to about the 40 we saw last year about this time. just wondering if anyone has been having such a bad season, and if you found a solution to this problem.


----------



## pintojk (Jan 31, 2003)

bowhunterjon said:


> i have been having a very bad opening week for turkeys. this year we have seen three, compared to about the 40 we saw last year about this time. just wondering if anyone has been having such a bad season, and if you found a solution to this problem.


the high winds, driving rain, and wonky barometric pressures made them sporatic and edgy in a number of regions ..... hopefully this week will let them settle down a bit


----------



## mathews goat (Aug 20, 2006)

it's been tough for me to pin them down.


----------



## hoody123 (Aug 11, 2004)

Not that I'm out hunting them, but I've seen far fewer in my daily travels this year than I have in years past.


----------



## araz2114 (Jan 13, 2003)

I am having the same experience... However Corey from The Bow Shop has some sort of equiine footware up his butt. He has gone 3 for 3... He called in a bird for Matt on day one... Matt whacked it. He called in a bird for Amber on day 2... Amber whacked it. and on day 3 he called in a bird for himself and whacked it. To say he likes the call I made him would be an understatement:teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth:


----------



## ontario moose (Aug 8, 2003)

*coey,matt,amber*



araz2114 said:


> I am having the same experience... However Corey from The Bow Shop has some sort of equiine footware up his butt. He has gone 3 for 3... He called in a bird for Matt on day one... Matt whacked it. He called in a bird for Amber on day 2... Amber whacked it. and on day 3 he called in a bird for himself and whacked it. To say he likes the call I made him would be an understatement:teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth::teeth:


all wacked with a bow?

G


----------



## shootthewhatnow (Jan 29, 2008)

ontario moose said:


> all wacked with a bow?
> 
> G


Nope... not a one... firesticks all by the sounds of things...

Cheaters...


----------



## XTRMN8R (Mar 26, 2004)

*turkeys?*

In my opinion the amount of Tags has surpassed the amount of birds. With the exception of small woodlots that have very restricted access.

On opening day I heard no less than 10 shots by 10am but only saw 4 birds. I saw one guy hustling out of the bush with a big purple sack over his shoulder. The local farmers (this is North of Shelburne) are asking hunters to shoot hens, multiple birds as well as shoot birds out of season and the local "hunters" are doing that and more. I have abandoned 3 spots for these reasons. Last year on opening afternoon I spoke to one farmer who had a father and son take 4 hens and a Tom prior to opener.

It is tough when you show up opening morning to hunt 150 Acres and find 5 vehicles full of guys all saying "the farmer told me to shoot what I want."

BUT the MNR is happy selling tags, the farmers get rid of those pests and every one from Toronto has a place to hunt.

...and I'm not bitter at all.


----------



## DODGE-3D (Feb 17, 2005)

The numbers are down here but when it come to finding a Thunder Chicken you have to you have do your homework,My scoutng starts on Easter weekend and doesn't end to both birds are in the freezer.As for the 40 birds there last year and hardly any now ,it has probably been over hunted or they been pushed out by seeing to many humans and over calling..I have killed my last 6 birds in 6 days in the same 2 spots.Now if I could only get on to big deer this easy.Dan


----------



## suwat (Feb 1, 2008)

*Turkeys turkeys turkeys*

Get to the Vivian Forest area on Warden near Aurora Road
Many birds. I have a friend (non hunter) and he tells me of the "HERDS" he sees on the way to work


----------



## MJewell (Nov 24, 2007)

*Opening day success*

Vivan Forest as far as I know is a no hunting area. I live just up the road from there.

As for the number of birds sure the population is down, I believe the winter took it's toll on them as well as high hunting pressure. We never seen very many up to the opener but did manage to kill two nice toms before lunch. An locate another two along with five jakes, the warmer weather seems to have more birds hitting the local fields. Seen more birds on the Saturday before opener then I had in the two months leading up to it.

Still have two tags to fill for us, going to try an fill them both with the bows.

Here's an picture of both the toms together both weight in at 18+ lbs each with matching 7/8" spurs an 8"+ beards.









Matt


----------



## pintojk (Jan 31, 2003)

MJewell said:


> Vivan Forest as far as I know is a no hunting area. I live just up the road from there.
> 
> As for the number of birds sure the population is down, I believe the winter took it's toll on them as well as high hunting pressure. We never seen very many up to the opener but did manage to kill two nice toms before lunch. An locate another two along with five jakes, the warmer weather seems to have more birds hitting the local fields. Seen more birds on the Saturday before opener then I had in the two months leading up to it.
> 
> ...


nice birds :thumb:


----------



## XTRMN8R (Mar 26, 2004)

*back at it*

I went back at it this morning from first light til 1pm.

I saw 5 vehicles parked in the area I hunt. I heard 2 shots and saw 2 hens total.

I did not get a single gobble back to my calling today.

These are farms I have hunted for almost 10 years where I am used to seeing 3 or 4 mature Toms per farm.

The number of birds I saw today on my drive from Acton to NorthEast of Dundalk....1 hen.

I am going to try a small local spot after work on Monday.

good luck folks,

Dave


----------



## c'dn-eh? (Feb 23, 2005)

Numbers of birds are down in both areas I hunt but still calling birds in. Passed on 4 jakes so far,killed 24.5 lb tom with 12" beard and would be done now but new shotgun misfired 3 times on another nice pair of toms. Need to work hard and do your homework. This falls season should really help population out a lotCan hunt till 1/2 hour after sunset, so just find roost trees and wait. Statistically, 61 percent of birds harvested are hens. So if you equate 8 poults per hen, out of 100 birds harvested, you remove 598 birds from the flock. Nice eh?


----------

