# End of Season Discussion



## mastercatman

It was a quiet season for me compared to last year. Hopefully next year, the woods will be full of jakes ready to become gobbling longbeards in 2014! There is still some old birds out there which will be next years trophies too. 
Let's pray for a superhatch this year!

For many hunters, success is gauged by the amount of gobbling activity during the season. Two year old birds tend to gobble the most of course and in normal years make up a large percentage of the harvest. 
With the exception of one jake being harvest by a friend, all other birds taken by myself, friends, and acquaintances were 3+ years old. 

For discussion; How many days did you all hunt? How many days did you hear gobbling activity? What counties did you hunt? 

My busy schedule happened to take place later in the day throughout the season. I managed 17 hunts from 3-5 hours each. I heard good gobbling on two mornings and some gobbling or single gobble on 4 other mornings. I managed to work birds on 3 mornings out of 17 hunts! I primarily hunted private land, Burr Oak State Park, and Wayne National forest in Athens, Morgan, and Hocking counties.

I'm just curious to know how the season was for others, though I know it was slow for most guys. I feel very fortunate to have harvested two birds in such a tough year.


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## Mushijobah

Hunted two mornings on 3 properties. First morning in Perry County, didn't see or hear any. Second morning in Delaware and heard nothing at the first spot, heard a distant gobbler at the second spot and eventually enticed him into a dirt-nap trap.

My biggest factor of success as of lately is to not stick around the counties that are in a trough as far as turkey populations go. Used to only hunt Hocking/Vinton, now I hunt Franklin, Delaware, Hocking, Perry, Licking. Be versatile!!


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## firstflight111

mastercatman said:


> It was a quiet season for me compared to last year. Hopefully next year, the woods will be full of jakes ready to become gobbling longbeards in 2014! There is still some old birds out there which will be next years trophies too.
> Let's pray for a superhatch this year!
> 
> For many hunters, success is gauged by the amount of gobbling activity during the season. Two year old birds tend to gobble the most of course and in normal years make up a large percentage of the harvest.
> With the exception of one jake being harvest by a friend, all other birds taken by myself, friends, and acquaintances were 3+ years old.
> 
> For discussion; How many days did you all hunt? How many days did you hear gobbling activity? What counties did you hunt?
> 
> My busy schedule happened to take place later in the day throughout the season. I managed 17 hunts from 3-5 hours each. I heard good gobbling on two mornings and some gobbling or single gobble on 4 other mornings. I managed to work birds on 3 mornings out of 17 hunts! I primarily hunted private land, Burr Oak State Park, and Wayne National forest in Athens, Morgan, and Hocking counties.
> 
> I'm just curious to know how the season was for others, though I know it was slow for most guys. I feel very fortunate to have harvested two birds in such a tough year.


how do you know they were 3 +years old ???


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## mastercatman

General Rule of Thumb

Jake = 1/2" spurs or less
2 Yr. = 3/4" spurs
3 Yr. = 1" spurs
4 Yr. = 1.25" spurs
5 Yr. = 1.5" spurs

Spurs grow an average of .25" per year after their first year.
With the exception of one bird, all others had 1" or greater spurs among my small group of friends. 
I'm just wondering if this is just my observation or if others have noticed more older birds this year as well.
I know other areas will differ in population dynamics and available year classes, but by how much?


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## firstflight111

my son shot a turkey that had a 9.5 in beard and 1 1/4 spurs he was 2 years old .. i shot a 11 in bearded turkey that had 3/4 in spurs  so much for that .25 in a year


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## M.Magis

firstflight111 said:


> my son shot a turkey that had a 9.5 in beard and 1 1/4 spurs he was 2 years old .. i shot a 11 in bearded turkey that had 3/4 in spurs  so much for that .25 in a year


Who told you the bird with 1.25&#8221; spurs was 2 years old? I&#8217;d highly doubt that, but no way to prove it either way. A 2 year old with ¾&#8221; spurs and an 11&#8221; beard isn&#8217;t uncommon at all.

I only made it three days this year. First morning was raining and only heard one bird on neighbors. Second day was clear. Heard multiple birds, was home by 7am. Third day was almost a bust, I *might* have heard a gobble in the distance, that was it.


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## firstflight111

M.Magis said:


> Who told you the bird with 1.25 spurs was 2 years old? Id highly doubt that, but no way to prove it either way. A 2 year old with ¾ spurs and an 11 beard isnt uncommon at all.
> 
> I only made it three days this year. First morning was raining and only heard one bird on neighbors. Second day was clear. Heard multiple birds, was home by 7am. Third day was almost a bust, I *might* have heard a gobble in the distance, that was it.


i know were he came from ..i watch them all year round


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## turkeyt

This season was hot and cold even up until the last week. Some folks had turkeys gobbling hard on the last weekend. Some folks heard very little gobbling in some areas. The key was to adapt and hunt different areas and styles. The early full vegetation especially in the fields made for some tough hunting. The birds do not like to get in high wet grassy fields until they dry out. The birds hung closer to brushogged areas and tractor trails and old roads along with pasture that was being used by cattle. As for the woods they hit the open woods more because of the full growth and full leafed trees. I noticed more birds staying on the roost longer than normal and witnessed some not coming off till 7:30. Congrats to you folks who scored and had some great moments. I read some great posts and some posts by some who are hunting legends in their own mind. Just being alive to get out and hunt made for a good year. My opinon and for reference only.


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## Snook

Hunting was a lot tougher this year. Although I did not hear the birds I normaly do I did see them strutting in the fields at the end of the season when I was done hunting them. So there should be a few around for next year My son and I both bagged double bearded birds which was a first for both of us.


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## tadluvadd

ODNR posted kill was down.they said not a very good hatch the last 2 years due to alot of rain and cool weather could have been a factor.I agree.ofcourse the guy that went out the 1st day and busted one thinks this year was great,but myself and most hunters i talked to said the same thing....tight lipped birds and not much success.it was a wierd year with the early hot weather in march,then a drastic cool down with frost daily for days.this spring hatch should be pretty good,but even then ya have the preds getting worse every year,along with the egg eating ****,skunks and other vermen.


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## Bowhunter57

I didn't hear any gobbling, yelps, etc....during the season. 2 weeks prior to the season, they were talking their heads off.

I shot a 22 lb. tom with 3/4" spurs and an 11" beard, on the second day. I had done a little hen yelping about 20 minutes earlier, but I don't think that's what they responded to when they showed up. There were 3 toms in a group that spotted my jake and strutting tom decoys...they were instantly pissed and wanted to fight. As they quickly walked toward the decoys and past my position, I swung my barrel to the speed of their pace and shot the middle tom.

I was in Allen county and hunted mostly mornings, as the evenings the birds seemed to disappear. I purchased a second tag (I wanted to fill with my bow), which I did not fill, but had fun being out there. Approx. 12 days of hunting.

During all the days of turkey hunting, I seen more coyotes than any other critters. They're next up on my hit list.  I'll show them the same mercy that they show the fawns. 

Bowhunter57


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## wasserwolf

For me up here in NEO, I would say the overall gobbling was definately about half of what I will normally hear in an average season. I actually heard more gobbling picking up birds to work then I did from roost. That being said, It was a great season foremost , in that , my 14 year old daughter killed her 1st bird. A beautiful 2 year old.... As for me, I made it a goal to get away from some of my old stand - byes and hunt some new ground I acquired just this spring. It was very rewarding and I tagged out 3rd week . In total I hunted 7 mornings. My hunting buds had mixed results, with 2 tagging out on beards and 2 that struggled and never got a shot. I would say the season got mixed reviews as a whole up here.


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