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Spring Turkey


IceHawk

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Well who else is going after long beards this spring? I was drawn for season B again no surprise. There were surplus tags left as there were last couple years.  Really like the new approach to not having to apply for the later seasons spreads the hunters out and gives guys like me the opportunity to get after them early :grin:  Been out doing some scouting and been seeing some big wintering flocks one I was glassing other day had over 60 birds in it! They have really been working over the picked corn lately.  Oh cant wait to hear the first gobble of the year ;)

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+1 here. :)

I miss the hills of SE MN but when I have birds walking through my yard it’s hard to leave Central MN.

Its not like they’re gonna be super easy but I’m trying to get my first with a bow, and that’s not easy.  Not yet anyway.  The more days I can get in, the better.  And sticking around home makes THAT part easier.

When I first started hunting turkeys it took me three seasons to kill a bird.  Then every year after that was a score with the shotgun for about 20 seasons maybe?  I’m going into my second legitimate season of effort with my bow.  Hoping two times is a charm.

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

First off welcome to the site ! Fish that area quite often and have seen some good flocks around there.  I would get out and do some glassing in the area , especially around some picked corn fields. Right now they are wintered up but will break  apart once spring gets closer. Maybe hit up a local bait store and ask around if anyone knows of a spot. Or look at the landowners list that received permits in that area. They legally have to grant permission to hunt there land but unfortunately a lot of landowners will tell you they are full even if there not :( Good luck in your search. 

Edited by IceHawk
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It's go time, i pretty much have all my gear ready for end of March for NE. Our first hunt is archery only then I get to come home and get even with the pipe bomb.

Good luck Wanderer once you get that first they just start to drop after that. Bow or shotgun they are a blast.

Bisonguy, Scout scout scout. The more you know what the birds are doing and want to do will help. Being a better woodsman and knowing your land and what the birds are doing will put more birds in the dirt then great calling. Patience is another huge part of turkey hunting. I am 1st to want to start running and gunning and give up on a bird i've been working but over the years have got a lot better and just need to give some setups a chance before moving. Good luck be safe.

Edited by Hoyt4
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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I will be at it with archery gear. It took some time to get the first one with the crossbow but the last two years I stuck a turkey. Watch for the turkey contest here as it is fun times. I can’t wait to see all the photos of turkeys soon.

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I did not draw an early season permit.  I may be able to snag a surplus season B, otherwise it will be a later season for me this spring.  The birds are getting SMART.  They have refused to listen to any calls and they are decoy shy so I haven't been using calls or decoys for a while now.  Rather, I just sit there and wait on a travel route and hope they walk within range (sort of like deer hunting I guess).  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Scouting is obviously important.  What has also really helped is the use of Winchester Longbeard XR ammo.  I have harvested turkeys out to 60 yards with it in recent years.

Edited by gimruis
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will definitely be hunting turkeys again this year.  Love chasing these birds.

Intend to go the archery route this year for the first time.  I have 2 kids that always are excited every year, until a couple of early mornings wain thier enthusiasm!  Figuring archery will allow me go on those days the kids dont want to wake up and I think I have something figured out.  Hope my skills will be up to the challenge.

 

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Darn you guys!!   How am I supposed to stay at work and pretend to be interested now? There's nothing better than bow hunting turkeys in the spring after a long winter!

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Anyone one of you guys ever use Dave Smith decoys?  They sure look realistic but wow come with a price. I like the avian X and I have a couple custom painted from a artist friend that look real good also.  Yes I  realize  a lot of people  don't use decoys. And I realize there is a time and situation for that  But I'm kind of a decoy junky lol! i rarely find my self going with out any. :grin:

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Decoys sure have come along ways from the foam things my grandpa used. I bought some Avian X decoys and retired grandpa’s foam things. I have noticed I am getting more birds into range with the better decoys. 

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Have to Agree moose the turkeys are becoming a little smarter each year. Better decoys have definitely upped my odds last few years. Seriously considering those Dave smiths or some Avian X.  Moose what are you using for a setup combo with those Avians? My customs look nice but always looking for something better :grin:

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I have 3 avian x hens two feeders and one head up. I gave semi strut Jake as well. 

I want to get a full strut

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

I've used a full body full strut before can be good or bad depending on a birds mood at the time. In certain situations they can be a killer, 

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

I'm really leaning to buying a mojo scoot and shoot amd trying that this year talk about a adrenaline rush. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I have two boss toms at my dads and I think a strutter might be the ticket

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I will also follow the archery route. I have been successful the last 4-5 years with the Bow. I think I am actually more successful with the bow as it is pretty tough to run and gun with it. It's makes scouting more of a priority as I need to be where the birds are. I will stick out a few cameras as soon as soon as the snow is gone. There is about 2 feet on the ground. I will focus on field edges, strutting zones. Once I find an active area we will simply sit in a blind and be patient. I have had really good luck with a hen and Jake set-up. However I really would like to add a strutter.

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Great minds think alike. We use the same approach for scouting and set up. We've used the hen and Jake decoy set up and have a pretty good streak going. The scouting makes it work.. The you get to relax in a blind. (nice not have to worry about scent!)

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

I agree the hen and Jake set up has been effective, but the big boys don’t fall for the Jake. Ok they did once for my nephew but he got turkey fever and shook so bad he never got a shot off.

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I prefer using a blind instead of just sitting on the ground in a ghillie suit.  Its dry if it rains, I can drink coffee, look through binoculars, etc and not worry so much about my movement.  The downside is that its not as mobile.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders
7 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I prefer using a blind instead of just sitting on the ground in a ghillie suit.  Its dry if it rains, I can drink coffee, look through binoculars, etc and not worry so much about my movement.  The downside is that its not as mobile.

I agreed and when I take the nephew it allows him move. O yeah and you can bring the heater with!

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Killed Toms 4 of the past 5 seasons.  Almost always D or E.  Only blank season is when I tried Season B ... not again.

Son shot his first Tom last spring.  Hunted a few times early.  Took his gobbler at 20 yards (Season E).   Called in two nice birds for a friend and his son the weekend of season E.  

I do not even think about applying for an early permit.  Pick season based on work schedule and weather patterns.

No issue pulling long beards in later in the season even on public land.

Around the metro, I notice plenty of bird movement through the entire month of May.

 

 

Edited by brittman
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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

Have to agree the later seasons can be good. Have a bud that always get his bird those late seasons.  I'm totally opposite. I have taken a Tom In all of the last 10 years in all but one in B season. I'm personally lucky in that I have permission and access to real good private land. The later seasons  never have interested me in that  the misquitoes  and bugs can be horrible.  Plus during that time of the year the fishing can be lights out, so I'm usally sitting in my boat rather than a turkey blind. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

I've shot birds in every season with the exception of "B".  Then again it's the only one I've never hunted.  That may be changing this year.

As far as decoys go I used a strutting Jake with a real fan or no decoys.  I don't use hens as they tend to hang up mature toms as they strut and gobble out of range until the real girls show up and they leave.

Calling is always based on reading the bird I'm working.  I usually fire them up early and when they get closer get quiet.   Has worked well for me over the years.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

@Borch we having s turkey contest?

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators

I may work on it today.

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Lots of turkeys around and the season can’t come fast enough. I have been practicing with crossbow and patterned the 870 for the nephew. It will be a great time with my nephew sitting in the blind. He said he would get one this year. 

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  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders

Looking at getting another call?

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  • Official Fishing Report Team - MN

I have a few different calls Box, Slate, Glass they all have a time and a place. My favorite is a Cody slate! If its windy Glass is the way to go reaches out then I grab the Primos jackpot. 

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • leech~~
      Nope not me.  May want to go nextdoor and ask around?  
    • smurfy
      Looks to me like Leech brought his chair home!!😅😆
    • Brianf.
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    • SkunkedAgain
      Black Bay had great ice before but a few spots near rockpiles where there were spots of open water. It looks like the weight of the snow has created a little lake in the middle of the bay.  
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the south end...   Thanks to some cold spring weather, ice fishing continues strong for those still ice fishing.  The bite remains very good.  Most resorts have pulled their fish houses off for the year, however, some still have fish houses out and others are allowing ATV and side by sides.  Check social media or call ahead to your favorite resort for specifics. Reports this week for walleyes and saugers remain excellent.   A nice mix of jumbo perch, pike, eelpout, and an occasional crappie, tullibee or sturgeon being reported by anglers. Jigging one line and using a live minnow on the second line is the way to go.  Green, glow red, pink and gold were good colors this week.     Monster pike are on a tear!  Good number of pike, some reaching over 45 inches long, being caught using tip ups with live suckers or dead bait such as smelt and herring in 8 - 14' of water.   As always, work through a resort or outfitter for ice road conditions.  Safety first always. Fish houses are allowed on the ice through March 31st, the walleye / sauger season goes through April 14th and the pike season never ends. On the Rainy River...  The river is opened up along the Nelson Park boat ramp in Birchdale, the Frontier boat ramp and Vidas boat ramp.  This past week, much of the open water skimmed over with the single digit overnight temps.   Areas of the river have popped open again and with temps getting warmer, things are shaping up for the last stretch through the rest of the spring season, which continues through April 14th.   Very good numbers of walleyes are in the river.  Reports this week, even with fewer anglers, have been good.  When temps warm up and the sun shines, things will fire up again.   Jigs with brightly colored plastics or jigs with a frozen emerald shiner have been the desired bait on the river.  Don't overlook slow trolling crankbaits upstream as well.   Good reports of sturgeon being caught on the river as well.  Sturgeon put the feed bag on in the spring.  The bite has been very good.  Most are using a sturgeon rig with a circle hook loaded with crawlers or crawlers / frozen emerald shiners. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing is winding down up at the Angle.  Walleyes, saugers, and a number of various species in the mix again this week.  The bite is still very good with good numbers of fish.  The one two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking the second line is working well.   Check with Angle resorts on transport options from Young's Bay.  Call ahead for ice road guidelines.  
    • CigarGuy
      With the drifting, kind of hard to tell for sure, but I'm guessing about a foot and still lightly snowing. Cook end!
    • PSU
      How much snow did you get on Vermilion? 
    • Mike89
      lake here refroze too...  started opening again yesterday with the wet snow and wind...  very little ice left today...
    • Hookmaster
      A friend who has a cabin between Alex and Fergus said the lake he's on refroze. He texted me a pic from March 12th when it was open and one from 23rd when it wasn't. 🤯
    • SkunkedAgain
      I don't think that there has been any ice melt in the past few weeks on Vermilion. Things looked like a record and then Mother Nature swept in again.   I'll give my revised guess of April 21st
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