Random Ramblings #4

Hmm.. It seems I've been in a semi-posting slump. I'm not sure if I'd even call it a slump, it's not that I don't have anything to write in my posts or am at a lack of words (if you know me very well, you know that never happens). It's actually the exact opposite, I've been running around doing so much stuff lately, my blogging has been lacking. But I'm back at it and now to catch everyone up to speed...

• This past weekend started out pretty relaxing on Friday night. The weather finally dried up enough we were able to head to a friend house for a cookout and campfire afterwards.

• After a relaxing Friday evening the majority of the weekend turned into a whirl-wind of family events. It started out with my grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary, which most of the family was in for. It went over really well and I even managed to snap a few good pictures. On Sunday, as I'm sure everyone knows, it was Mother's Day. Per my mom's wishes we had a low key day and went out for pizza and ice cream that evening. That wasn't the finish of everything though, Monday was my mom's birthday also, after work we all got together and grilled out and just enjoyed the evening together.

• Even with all the family events this weekend I was able to squeeze some time in Saturday morning for a turkey hunt. That's really all there is to say about it. I listened to them gobble all morning and even got them to respond to me on and off for a hour or so, but they wanted nothing to do with me or anything near me. Maybe they knew what I was there trying to do.

• As par with this time of year we started keeping out the flower gardens and I found my old best friend the weed eater again. This year I have one more thing added to the spring to-do list. It was to till our first garden, I have had "pot gardens" (no, not that kind of pot) before, but I have never really taken the time to plant a full on garden. It looks like this is going to be a fun adventure. I do have some experience as I had stated, but if anyone has any advice on gardens I'm all ears.

• On the way home this evening I was looking at the river and it is starting to look like it is going to be prefer fishing level this weekend. Shortly after getting home I got the text message that they had just stocked the river with channel cats, looks like we are going to be camping sooner than we thought this year. 

Trail Cam Tuesday - May 3, 2011

This past Saturday was my first day getting out to Turkey hunt and with the trail camera pictures I had been getting I was optimistic about taking my first gobbler. As I slipped into turkey blind I managed to pull the card out of my trail camera, to say the least this got my blood boiling with excitement! As the morning wore on, I only had one turkey gobble early, well over 200 yards away, but I was still hopeful as the most of the pictures I had got where from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The other time they were in there was around 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, in WV we must be out of the woods by 1:00PM, so I was hoping they would make an early appearance that day, luckily one did. The only problem, the gobbler entered from a way I wasn't expecting. As he entered into the area he and I were calling back and forth and before I could even raise my shotgun, he bolted. After I was done hunting for the day I went to investigate what made him uneasy, come to find out they way he entered he couldn't see my decoys and when he heard a turkey but didn't see one he bolted. With these pictures, I am still hoping for better luck next weekend.

Look at the beard dragging the ground.

Gobble, Gobble!!!

They've been gobbling their heads off, too bad
that didn't happen when I was in the woods.

Hmm.. Vision of a double...

Thunder Chicken Down!

I got the call yesterday, we have our first Spring Gobbler down of the season. Jay was able to take a Jake, with his 12 gauge yesterday morning. It measured out at 17.25 pounds and had a 5 1/4 inch beard. We will be going for a double tomorrow morning. Considering it will be the first day I get to turkey hunt this season, I'll just be excited to get out and hunt. Wish us luck!

Why Do We Wait for Spring Gobbler in WV?

This always seems to be a hot debate in local WV conversation and message boards. With most the states that surround West Virginia opening up on average a week or two earlier, why must we wait? This argument will go on for some time, but I was listening to West Virginia Outdoors Today with Chris Lawrence earlier this month and they covered this topic with a WV DNR Biologist. Below is the recap article, written by Mr. Chris Lawrence, of that conversation.

Spring Gobbler Season Late for a Reason Chris Lawrence Statewide

 

Image from Trail Cam Tuesday - April 12, 2011

West Virginia's spring gobbler season opens April 25th.  It's a season that draws a lot of interest--and often because of when it opens--a lot of contention.

"I got a call last week--and I know I'm going to get more," said Biologist Chris Ryan during a recent edition of West Virginia Outdoors. "Why don't you open the spring turkey season earlier?"

The answer is purely for the protection of the resources.  Researchers with the West Virginia DNR have given considerable attention to the wild turkey population.  The research included a hen study from years ago which determined half the turkey hens in West Virginia will have gone to nest by May 1.

"May 1st is the actual mid point of when those hens go to nest," said Ryan. "Ohio just replicated the study over there and they agreed the same thing. Right in this region that's about the time they go to nest."

The data doesn't hold true for states to the south.  Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabamaall have a much earlier spring gobbler season.  Ryan says they can afford to open the season earlier because, their nesting period occurs much earlier.    The theory, which has proven true over time, is hens on the nest are less likely to be killed by hunters either errantly or maliciously in poaching. 

"Whenever they set the dates and this was before my time, they actually agreed on that fourth Monday in April," Ryan said. "It's actually before the mid-point of the medium of when those hens go to nest.  But it's late enough that they're already well into their egg laying.  It's actually done to protect those hens."

Some hunters complain they hear more gobbling activity in the days leading up to the season.   Ryan says that doesn't necessarily mean the gobbling is over before the four-week season ends.   Biologists say after the first two weeks of the season, most hens are on the nest and gobblers are still in search of a breeding mate.   The gobblers are likely more receptive to a hunters call when they're desperate to find more mates.  

Trail Cam Tuesday - April 12, 2011

After posting scouting tips and pictures of whitetails, I thought I'd try and go with something a little more conventional this week. I know that many of you have already had or are having your opening day of Spring Gobbler season, but we're still waiting for our opening day in West Virginia. It is actually 13 days away (April 25), and even longer for me since I have to work the first week. After looking and some of these pictures my trail camera took over the past month, I don't think I have that much to worry about.

How many do you count?

Where'd everyone go?

Hoping for a double with Jay and I that first Saturday.

Struttin' and Profilin' 

Waters & Woods: W.Va.’s turkeys ‘at the mercy of nature’

With the 2011 Spring Gobbler Season less than a month away, this isn't the best thing to be reading. I know between trail cameras and early season scouting there are a decent amount of turkeys in the area I hunt to be successful, but it is not looking to be that way for some hunters in West Virginia. At least according to a post I read earlier this week (article below). This issue isn't due to over hunting or even poaching, but do to the fact of nature. With another storm or two in the forecast, lets hope it is the last of them and it starts to warm up for the sake of the young turkey poults this spring (and so that we can get some quality fishing in).

Image Taken from "Is it Turkey Season Yet?"

W.Va.’s turkeys ‘at the mercy of nature’

March 24, 2011 by John McCoy

West Virginia’s chief wildlife biologist isn’t sure whether to be optimistic or pessimistic about the state’s spring gobbler season, which opens April 25.

“I hear mixed reports,” said Curtis Taylor, an avid turkey hunter and a nationally recognized expert on the birds. “I hear people who say they see turkeys everywhere, lots of them. And I hear people who ask where all the turkeys have gone."

Taylor believes both camps could be right; that there are areas within the state where turkeys are abundant, and there are other areas where populations aren’t what they once were. The reason for the inconsistencies? Nature.

“We’re at the point where our turkey population is at the mercy of nature — the mast crop and the spring weather,” he explained. “I think [five low mast-crop years in the past seven] have had a negative effect on the population as a whole.”

He added, though, that “turkeys are tough.” To continue reading, click here...

Is it Turkey Season Yet?

Turkey Season is going to be here before we know it, April 25th for us here in West Virginia. It even seems like sooner if you could hear half the conversations that Jay and I have been having lately.  It's been a mixture of trout fishing, shed hunting, and turkey hunting - the joys of the outdoors never seem to stop. Anyways, Jay sent me some trail  cam pictures from earlier this week, he has his trail cam set out trying to get  last minute pictures of  bucks that have yet to shed their antlers. However, to our surprise it looks like we're in for a treat during turkey season, now just to do some scouting to see where they are roosting.

Look at those spurs!!

That'd be a nice double opening morning.

I'm counting four with at least two long beards, maybe more!!