Caribou Gear

2022 spring turkey

Can't wait for my first turkey hunt in New Mexico. I plan to start in the Jemez with my 11 year old the first weekend. Only ever hunted Easterns in PA, but saw some birds here last year so I figured it was a good place to start.
 
PaRn said:
Can't wait for my first turkey hunt in New Mexico. I plan to start in the Jemez with my 11 year old the first weekend. Only ever hunted Easterns in PA, but saw some birds here last year so I figured it was a good place to start.
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Those would be Rio Grandes?

The forecast has taken a complete turn to crap for our 1sr season next week! It was looking like 65 and sunny. Now it looks like 50 and rainy! Hopefully that will keep some hunters at home!
 
I’m headed to downstate IL this afternoon. Hoping to be hearing some power gobbles come first light tomorrow when the IL 2nd season opens. Towing the John boat down as well so hopefully we can get on some southern IL crappies as well in the afternoon cause we can only hunt till 1pm here in IL.
 
TheGreek said:
I’m headed to downstate IL this afternoon. Hoping to be hearing some power gobbles come first light tomorrow when the IL 2nd season opens. Towing the John boat down as well so hopefully we can get on some southern IL crappies as well in the afternoon cause we can only hunt till 1pm here in IL.
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There is some awesome crappie lakes in southern Illinois. Are the morels poppin yet? It seemed like Easter weekend was the start when I lived in west central Illinois. No hunting in the afternoon was a tough adjustment when I first was there.
 
Season opens tomorrow in CO.
I was "lucky" enough to have a gout attack last week that is just now subsiding.
Probably going to spend opening weekend on a pond in a lawn chair.
Maybe there will be less guys running around when I do get out
 
Gellar said:
There is some awesome crappie lakes in southern Illinois. Are the morels poppin yet? It seemed like Easter weekend was the start when I lived in west central Illinois. No hunting in the afternoon was a tough adjustment when I first was there.
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Not sure if the morels will be out yet or not. I've picked a few down there years past but I've never hunted this early (the 2nd season) down there before. Years past I've hunted the 3rd and 4th seasons and found morels so it should be just about time. As for crappie lakes, there is a small lake at the state park we are hunting that i've fished before from shore and got into some so we will probably just hit that in the afternoon rather than driving to a bigger lake. And yeah, the 1pm thing is weird but I guess it's supposed to give the birds a break and allow the hens to incubate eggs in the afternoon without being disturbed but the problem is the parks are still open to hikers and mushroom hunters, so who knows. Lots of things in IL don't make tons of sense. I'll try to post up a few pics this weekend if I have service.

Also, where'd you live in west-central IL? I deer hunt down that way and love that part of the state.
 
TheGreek said:
Not sure if the morels will be out yet or not. I've picked a few down there years past but I've never hunted this early (the 2nd season) down there before. Years past I've hunted the 3rd and 4th seasons and found morels so it should be just about time. As for crappie lakes, there is a small lake at the state park we are hunting that i've fished before from shore and got into some so we will probably just hit that in the afternoon rather than driving to a bigger lake. And yeah, the 1pm thing is weird but I guess it's supposed to give the birds a break and allow the hens to incubate eggs in the afternoon without being disturbed but the problem is the parks are still open to hikers and mushroom hunters, so who knows. Lots of things in IL don't make tons of sense. I'll try to post up a few pics this weekend if I have service.

Also, where'd you live in west-central IL? I deer hunt down that way and love that part of the state.
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I graduated high school from Pittsfield, I went to College at Western Illinois.
 
Gellar said:
I graduated high school from Pittsfield, I went to College at Western Illinois.
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The golden triangle, eh? God's country down there. I deer hunt on two pieces of public about 30 miles north of Pittsfield. I'm sure you know the places.
 
WestKyHunt said:
Season opens tomorrow in CO.
I was "lucky" enough to have a gout attack last week that is just now subsiding.
Probably going to spend opening weekend on a pond in a lawn chair.
Maybe there will be less guys running around when I do get out
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That blows. Same issue foiled a turkey opener for me two years ago. It's the worst.

My selected opener spot still has ~2-3' snowdrifts on portions of the 5mi route in, so it's unlikely the birds have moved up there yet (and no sign around either, not even elk sign and they usually beat the turkeys back up the mountain).

We are going after the closer but much more challenging birds that we pestered a bunch last year (I know - they are probably different actual birds, but there's always a group in this spot that spends 90% of their time on private. We got one within 75 yards on adjacent public last year but he was too smart for us. We also called last year's big tom within 5' of the fence several times to no avail. Hoping Opening day is the ticket to one of this year's gobblers acting dumb.

Given the close-in nature of the spot, we are probably going to need to be there 2h before legal light, if not sleeping there overnight. We will wave at @LuketheDog on the way :)
 
TheGreek said:
I’m headed to downstate IL this afternoon. Hoping to be hearing some power gobbles come first light tomorrow when the IL 2nd season opens. Towing the John boat down as well so hopefully we can get on some southern IL crappies as well in the afternoon cause we can only hunt till 1pm here in IL.
Click to expand...
TheGreek said:
Not sure if the morels will be out yet or not. I've picked a few down there years past but I've never hunted this early (the 2nd season) down there before. Years past I've hunted the 3rd and 4th seasons and found morels so it should be just about time. As for crappie lakes, there is a small lake at the state park we are hunting that i've fished before from shore and got into some so we will probably just hit that in the afternoon rather than driving to a bigger lake. And yeah, the 1pm thing is weird but I guess it's supposed to give the birds a break and allow the hens to incubate eggs in the afternoon without being disturbed but the problem is the parks are still open to hikers and mushroom hunters, so who knows. Lots of things in IL don't make tons of sense. I'll try to post up a few pics this weekend if I have service.

Also, where'd you live in west-central IL? I deer hunt down that way and love that part of the state.
Click to expand...
Talked to my grandparents yesterday no morels just yet. A little gobbling going on though so thats good. I was always told the 1pm thing was for the mushroom hunters. Makes sense on public but not so much on private. If you don't feel like fishing in the afternoon you can start drinking at 1 and be up well rested the next morning. Silver lining in everything.
 
nick87 said:
Talked to my grandparents yesterday no morels just yet. A little gobbling going on though so thats good. I was always told the 1pm thing was for the mushroom hunters. Makes sense on public but not so much on private. If you don't feel like fishing in the afternoon you can start drinking at 1 and be up well rested the next morning. Silver lining in everything.
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Aren’t drinking and fishing synonymous?
 
np307 said:
Today is the last day for a month that we aren't in turkey season here. Can't wait for tomorrow. Got a little piece of public I'm going to tuck into, probably planning to try waiting out the yahoos who will be gone by 10, unless of course I have a tom close by early.
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Why do I do this to myself? I've resisted scouting this year because I have a hard enough time picking a spot to go. The boy was in a napping mood this afternoon so I loaded up to go check gates. Saw a hen at a different spot than I was planning to go and rolled past another prime looking spot. Shouldve just cleaned the shotgun again.
 
np307 said:
Why do I do this to myself? I've resisted scouting this year because I have a hard enough time picking a spot to go. The boy was in a napping mood this afternoon so I loaded up to go check gates. Saw a hen at a different spot than I was planning to go and rolled past another prime looking spot. Shouldve just cleaned the shotgun again.
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I’ll change my plan 19 times between now and Monday, opening day. Including as I’m walking through the woods and start to hear the first gobbles!
 
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