2021 Spring Turkey hunting

Behind my right shoulder (left in the pic) is where I was tucked into. Bird never had a clue I was there.

11/16 spurs
8.5" beard

Not bad for my 2nd turkey!
 
Hunted a buddies lease in eastern Va yesterday. One of the quietest mornings in the turkey woods in recent memory. Lots of birds around but they were hush mouths yesterday. Good times had by all nonetheless!
 
My daughter missed a tom yesterday morning and just had some hens come in, in the afternoon. She wasn't able to go today because of prior commitments.
Me and my boy chased around 2 toms yesterday morning till he had to leave and ump youth baseball and never made it out for the afternoon hunt. Made a call to a buddy and got permission to hunt his land, there's around 15 toms and jakes using his riverbottom. Got there at first light and the birds were gobbling up and down the river, got setup in a little secluded field. A tom and 3 jakes flew down in front of us bout 80 yards out, then we had 2 toms come in from the right, down the trial that connects the big field to the small field we're setup on. They come in to 7 yards but he can't shoot because of grass is to tall in that direction, meanwhile the 3 jakes worked in to 25 yards in front of us. The toms get nervous and head back down the trail and the jakes were still there trying to figure out what is going on, i tell him if you want to can shoot a Jake. A couple seconds later there's a jakes flopping. 20210418_062252.jpg
 
Another fun and successful weekend in the far East finishing up R7. My wife missed a mature tom on Sat morn and filled her tags throughout the day on two jakes. On Sun we went back to where we started on Sat morn and set up in the dark near the roost. No luck though, I'm still scratching my head on how we didn't tag a couple toms right off. We were covered up with birds, at one point within 80 yds of us I could see 6 full fans plus 7 jakes strutting for hens. I did manage to call in 6 hens which dragged two big toms right up to me, which unfortunately was behind where I had my kids setup. One of the hens jumped up on a log 6 feet from me and started kee keeing looking for me. No birds but it was a great show. Later that morning we got on some more birds. My daughter couldn't seem to find the right timing to shoot a monster tom that kept lifting its head and going back into strut before she could shoot and eventually the hens spotted us and ran off with the tom leaving two jakes standing there.....one ran off. On the last stop of the day we got a couple jakes to pop and they came in hot. My son didn't want to get left out so he took the shot presented
 

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Time to get back in the scouting groove. Coffee tastes better at the first light of the morning waiting for a gobble. It’s supposed to get down to 27 tonight so we will see how the turkeys respond.
 
With the cold front hitting most of the nation, it brings up a question.
How much do cold fronts affect birds? I know they still have to make a living, but I assume it will keep them on the roost longer and quiet
 
With the cold front hitting most of the nation, it brings up a question.
How much do cold fronts affect birds? I know they still have to make a living, but I assume it will keep them on the roost longer and quiet
I’ve had good success sleeping in when a cold front goes through and getting out in the early afternoon after the sun is shining and it warms up.
 
I’ve had good success sleeping in when a cold front goes through and getting out in the early afternoon after the sun is shining and it warms up.
I guess I'll get to sleep in tomorrow then!

Sadly I have plans all through the afternoon and evening or id give it a try.

Goodluck to everyone that does go! Let us know how the weather effected you area
 
Goodluck to everyone that does go! Let us know how the weather effected you area
The turkeys were right on schedule this morning. They were in the field by about 6:30. If anything it was earlier today then it had been the last couple of days. I had 27 on the thermometer. And it was sunny and calm Nw winds.
 
The turkeys were right on schedule this morning. They were in the field by about 6:30. If anything it was earlier today then it had been the last couple of days. I had 27 on the thermometer. And it was sunny and calm Nw winds.
Maybe they were wanting to sun? I know I would haha
 
With the cold front hitting most of the nation, it brings up a question.
How much do cold fronts affect birds? I know they still have to make a living, but I assume it will keep them on the roost longer and quiet
Turkeys can be very weather & wind dependent, I've learned over the many years of hunting them I don't have to grind out a freezing cold or wet or windy day in the turkey woods like hunting deer or elk, it's usually not very productive.
 
Turkeys can be very weather & wind dependent, I've learned over the many years of hunting them I don't have to grind out a freezing cold or wet or windy day in the turkey woods like hunting deer or elk, it's usually not very productive.
I start noting conditions like temperature, wind speed and precipitation, and cloud while listening for gobbles and watching for turkeys about a month before hunting season for my hunts close to home. I’ve found that gives me enough time to see how the turkeys will react in a variety of conditions. Earlier this year I was not hearing or seeing turkeys like I had remembered in the past so I checked my notes from years previous and adjusted my scouting. After doing that I quickly found the birds.
 

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