Spring Turkey hunt 2012

[Got Fish??]

  By now we all know which hunt we will be going on. Last year turned out to be a blast in the low half of the mitten, and a bust in the upper half of the mitten. Weather it was a bust or a blast. I hope everyone had  a safe season. Goodluck this year, I am looking forword to a better season this year. There are some new products out for this year. Some great, some useful and some not! I will be reviewing some of these products, In hope, you get some nice gear and keep money in your pocket.

[Got Fish??]

 Now that I have mastered the diaphragm call. I have discovered  a new use for this call. How many times have you call for turkeys and had a coyote come in on your decoys. I recently watched Michigan out doors as they hunted coyotes in the upper east side of the lower mitten. As my curiosity got to me, I went to Bass Pro. In search of a predator call. Ounce I got there, the calls were overwhelming. An experienced sales person asked if I had mastered the diaphragm call. When I told him sure I have. He let me in on a secret. Take your diaphragm call, put it in your mouth up side down, not backwards. Make a high Sherill like sound and roll your tongue around to make a yodel sound. That next weekend. I took off for the woods to try this call out.  It works great. Try it the next time your out.  If you can sit still long enough to bring a coyote in to range, you can surely sit still Long enough to bag a bird.

[Got Fish??]

 There are A lot of calls out on the market. After a while, I think that most of these calls catch more hunters than call those big toms. If you have a good sounding box call. and have mastered your diaphragm call. Your dialed in. For me now it is all about collecting strange and weird calls for fun.A company out of Gladwin Michigan called R&W. Has some pretty cool stuff. Check them out at www.talkin-turkey.com

[Got Fish??]

Most of my scouts have contacted me on turkey movement through most of southern lower Mich. there is no snow south of Waters, Most snow north is on the north sides of hills and ridges. Vary few birds are being seen off of feeders, near Black Lake. Not many seen out in fields or clearings yet. The birds are in small flocks near Standish. Kalkaska still has some icy snow mostly in the woods. Some birds being seen in Manistee Forest, a few more toms than last year. Highland is seeing a lot of tom activity, I guess because of the warm wheather mating may get started early. Jackson county has large flocks being seen in farmers fields and clearings along side the freeways.  Near Irons Bird's are being seen, but it is vary wet since all that snow started to melt.

[Got Fish??]

 It has been only one week, but what a difference in turkey behavior. A lot of single birds have been seen in the lower half of the mitten. Now that it is warmer north of Waters. Small flocks of toms are being spotted. Lets hope this is because the hen are not ready to hook up yet. This would give the hunters a break. Birds that at one time had been coming into feeders, in large flocks all at once, Near Kalkaska. Are now more spread out through out the day, and coming in smaller groups. Jackson area is still the hot spot for the most  turkeys all seen at one time in flocks. With a lot of farmers able to disc their fields the turkeys are finding a lot to eat. A few birds have even been spotted in Livonia, on their golf courses.

[Got Fish??]

 Some one asked me. Since the ban on baiting for deer has been relaxed. Is baiting for turkeys allowed? I am not sure about the rules and regulations on baiting for turkeys. If some one knows any information on this subject. Please feel free to share that information with us. I have never hunted over a bait pile. It was my under standing that it was not allowed.

[stackenem]

baiting for turkeys is not allowed. But you can hunt from a treestand with a bow or crossbow. Heading up to Traverse city in may with my son and grandson to see if we can get some in bow range. Which is only 15 yards for me as I am now back to hunting with a recurve. What a difference from a compound.

[Got Fish??]

 I'm going to hunt Irons the first weekend. Then hunt Kalkaska the second weekend. Do you feel that using a re-curve bow. Gives you an advantage?

[stackenem]

nope no advantage just more of a challenge. Compound I am good out to 40 yards Recurve 20 yards is pushing it. I would like to be 15 yards or under. It is not the kill that excites me it is the challenge of the hunt.

[Got Fish??]

Seven more days to go.All of my scouts are reporting a lot of activity all over the lower part of the mitten. More than 100 long beards have been sighted. Most now being in three birds or less. Lots of single toms sighted between Lansing and Claire. My Friends in Jackson said, their are seeing a lot of single hens everywhere. North of Waters flocks are now being seen in plowed fields. My source in Kalkaska tells me the birds are plentiful, Still not as strong numbers as there were half a dozen years ago.A friend in Highland tell's me. They are over flowing with birds this year.

[Got Fish??]

 Here's some info. That might interest some of you. The morel mushroom population in Michigan. Not many morels in the woods north of St Johns yet. Lots of morels are being found east of Lansing. Hillsdale area is loaded. Grand Rapids isn't finding to many. I know this sometimes interferes with our hunt. Please  under stand that  mushroom hunts on public lands,  have the some right to be there as you do. I know this is the last person that I want to see opening morning.

[Got Fish??]

 I'm back from opening two days hunt. We hunted Wellsten area. Not to many birds south of Manistee river, nor are there many sh rooms. I know that there are some real honey holes but, All the local people told me. That in general populations are down. Do to the warm up last month and the population of predators coyotes and bobcats being the top two. So we went fishing a the Tippy Dam. That afternoon as we drove through Brethren. Witch is north of the Manistee River, we noticed several groups of birds and a few single toms. So we stopped at a local bait shop called, Andy's Tackle Box, we asked where would be a good place to have breakfast? The next morning we took off for Kaleva. As we ate our meal. One of the farmers in the area. Over herd us and turned us on to a place north of town. It panned out. Next weekend Kalkaska.

[stackenem]

so what did you get??

[fasttrack]

I shot a tom yesterday morning in Kent County. 10" beard, 1 1/8" spurs. Didn't weigh it. Had to wait for 5 jakes to get out of the way, then he nicely jumped up on a log about 18 yds out, in a clearing, and stood perfectly still. That was the nicest - and the last - thing he ever did! lol

[Got Fish??]

 Nice tom! I'm back from kelkaska county. Lots of birds everywhere east of town and on both sides of 72. It is hard too pattern where the birds are going to be. Because there are a lot of Morel hunters in the woods. It is also the Kelkaska trout festival, going on this weekend. With a lot of fishermen in and about the streams and rivers. We filled one tag in Kaleva last week, with a Jake. We went 0 for two this weekend. Not for lack of toms, but most of the big toms are still henned up. We were able to turn toms away from those hens, A few times but in the end the hens were able to keep the toms attention. It was easy to lite up toms all three mornings. After packing up sunday morning. We pulled out on to 612 just to wait for a turkey parade to cross the road.

[fasttrack]

On Sat morning my 11 yr old son shot his first turkey! We found a tom with a group of hens in the field between the woods we hunt and where the truck was parked at the landowner's house - which put us at a big disadvantage as there was no good way to try to get to them AND stay safely away from the house. The tom had no interest in my calling since he already had a harem with him. After nearly 45 min of calling and stalking we were as close as we could get but still too far. Suddenly something spooked the birds and they all started running across the field and were going to pass right by us! My son got in position, waited for the running tom, followed it with his barrel, and pulled the trigger. Not sure who was most surprised that it dropped in its tracks! I've never even hit a running turkey before! The recoil knocked him backwards flat on his back. I later told him that turkey loads are a little hotter than the target loads he practiced with, but didnt want to tell him earlier and scare him. He said that he wasn't mad - didnt hurt at all once he saw that bird on the ground! It weighed 20lbs, had a 10" beard and 1" spurs. We had to drive around and show it to grandparents, neighbors, and a nearby classmate. Then printed some pictures he could take to school today. I think i have a hunting buddy for life now!!! 

[Got Fish??]

 The season is rapping up. Since my hunt I have been seeing a lot of birds during my travels. Has anyone a good story to tell, on a late season hunt? I'm also looking for pictures. On how to make a wing bone call. Soon as I get this together. I will post it. Domestic turkey wings will work also. I'm hoping the fall hunt, will have a larger range of areas to hunt this October.