WI Youth Hunt

[NEWHunter]

Well, the Wisconsin youth turkey season is this weekend. As I posted before, my eleven year old son graduated from hunter safety on Saturday. He was pretty proud and is getting excited to try and give one the business this weekend. Good luck to all the kids this weekend.

 

[Pahoundsman]

Good luck, I hope you guys have a great time.

 

[Jorgy]

great weekend for a first turkey hunt. Good luck

 

[NEWHunter]

My Dad can’t really walk anymore but his truck is handicap equipped, so I’ve sent him out on a few scouting missions. We’ll have access to four or five different small parcels. The good news is that he’s seen birds on all of them. The bad news is that they aren’t consistent.



The big winter flocks have dwindled some but there are groups of a dozen or so birds here and there. The group above was around during deer season. As of yesterday night and this morning they’re still around. They’re likely our best bet. If my Dad can put them to bed Friday night, they will definitely be plan A.

 

[NEWHunter]

great weekend for a first turkey hunt. Good luck

Thanks. He’s been on a few already with me under our mentored hunting program. This will be his first hunt as a card carrying member of the fraternity.

Mid 60s and sunny and the fields are fairly dry. Couldn’t ask for better weather.

 

[NEWHunter]

I have been resisting the urge to splurge on TSS because I’m cheap. And it is t necessary at all. However, my Dad might be cheaper than I am. I mentioned the TSS thing to him this morning and he thought I was nuts for not spending up. He commented on how much we’ll spend on gas alone for the trip and what’s an extra $10 on a shell. He said they’re only young once and you only have so many chances to get them hooked. He’s not wrong.

My son’s swim practice is done at 7 pm and Fleet Farm closes at 8 pm. So I told him if he hustles and we can get out of the house and make the twelve minute drive to Fleet before it closes, I’ll get him a box of TSS. If they have any in stock . . .

 

[F250]

Following. Good luck !!!!

 

[NEWHunter]

So here’s a question for you guys. Given where the turkeys are at during this point of the spring up here, what would you do for decoys? I’ve got a DSD 1/4 strut jake, a feeding hen, and an upright hen. My inclination is to go with all three. What combo would you use? Why?

 

[mdcrossbow]

Ready. My granddaughter is ready for Sunday morning out at the farm. Her 1st hunt. Don't know who is more excited, her or me.

 

[WinkB]

Good luck, like you said the weather will be perfect. The birds around here just started breaking up last week, and are starting to change patterns a little. If you don't get a chance to pattern that new shot, consider sticking with what you know. I know that our guns shoot the various turkey loads very differently. The new stuff is nice, however there are many good options on the market.

Hopefully a nice tom will come running in and put on a show for you. Keep us posted.

 

[wihunter12]

So here’s a question for you guys. Given where the turkeys are at during this point of the spring up here, what would you do for decoys? I’ve got a DSD 1/4 strut jake, a feeding hen, and an upright hen. My inclination is to go with all three. What combo would you use? Why?

I have the exact same combo of decoys, I like going with all three early in the season.

Good luck, looks like great weather! My son is 17, he had some pretty poor weather for several of his youth turkey hunts.

 

[NEWHunter]

I have the exact same combo of decoys, I like going with all three early in the season.

Good luck, looks like great weather! My son is 17, he had some pretty poor weather for several of his youth turkey hunts.

You mean like six years ago when we got 18 inches of snow?

 

[Treeshark]

My inclination is to go with all three.

Me too. Jake and feeding hen arranged in 69 configuration, with the standing hen watching. Learned this from the old Knight and Hale videos, it’s a classic setup.

 

[NEWHunter]

WOW - that hurt. And to add insult to injury, I’ve had to come up with a plan B. We’ve got a small flock roosted, but I’ve never had good luck killing birds out of this 40 acre wood lot. I feel like the spots to kill them are the fields on the south and west sides where we dont have permission.

The birds will likely go one of two ways tomorrow morning. I’m betting on them coming out the way they went in. We’ll see . . .

 

[NEWHunter]

We’re set in plenty of time. I’m not confident in the spot/set-up.

 

[NEWHunter]

4 gobblers within 100. Let’s hope they come this way. Feeling better about the spot/set-up.

 

[NEWHunter]

Toms at 70-80 yards - hens aren’t coming this way. They flew down in to the field at around 80-90 yards. One moved a bit closer and a couple moved off a bit.

 

[NEWHunter]

They left. He had the green light at 60. Got to 71. I thought for sure with the DSDs one would come walking right in. No such luck. Unfortunately my Jake rotated a bit and was looking right at the Tom - I don’t think that did us any favors.

 

[NEWHunter]

The Tom at 70 yards - taunting us first thing in the morning.


The set up.

 

[NEWHunter]

Well my Dad is in the truck just over a half mile away. He says he can see a few strutters 60ish yards from us just up the wood line. I can hear the hens yelping and the occasional bar fight breaking out.

Meanwhile there is one consistently gobbling about 300ish yards away on the backside of the woods.

And he’s out