MT_Sourdough

Well boys and girls, if you don't like toll roads, then I suggest you pay close attention when the administration gets to their infrastructure bill. When they talk private/public co-operation, the underlying meaning of that term is toll roads. Private sector does not make a living investing into something without the expectation of return on investment with a nice profit. I.E. An investment group would not invest into the construction of a stretch of road without expecting to get money back from that road. That means tolls. Not to mention it gives somebody the right to track your movements. 2 cents

I live in Chino Valley and after a very scientific process , I'd say the herd 'round these parts is bigger and as healthy as it's been since I moved here 5 years ago. Can't speak to trophy sizes, but there's a bunch of em around here.

Is it wrong that I wish for him a brutal grizzly bear mauling? Ahh heck... don't even care if it's wrong.

I didn't hear a peep out of'em yesterday from 4am to 10am in unit 8 where I was.

C'mon! Who doesn't like having hundreds of shooters waiting for you while you set up your tripod and line up your chrony? Good fun.

https://wilderness.org/blog/behold-two-new-land-sell-bills-nobody-asked

I dig Randy Newberg and I believe he has the basic objective as I do, but the partisanship causes activists on the side of protecting public lands to pu$$y foot around the truth. The second link you showed offered about AZ is weak as all get out. Where does it mention the state politicians that are siding with public land sale off? Senator Flake, for example, is an author of a bill to undermine the public lands. As a political independent, I am so disturbed by the fact that the people that I am aligned with on this issue are typically partisan and therefor in conflict between their lifestyle (hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation) and their political bias. The truth is the Republicans in the west are pushing for the end of public ownership of land and they will eventually succeed as long as they believe they can get away with it and not pay the political consequences. One thing is for sure, every acre of public land is taken from us is gone forever. We'll never get it back.

For other turkey hunt'n newbies like me who may not already know what I learned the last couple of days. Simply, while looking for a place to set up, if a couple of crows are yelling at you telling you to leave their area, heed their advice. When Crows establish their territory turkeys stay away. Don't waste your time setting up in the area, keep looking. Took me two days days of listening to angry crows to figure this out. I assume this would apply with ravens and hawks as well. One more, Harris Hawks hunt turkeys. A big Harris hawk was dropping in on my decoys before it saw me and altered course. I did some quick research and found that Harris Hawks will eat half grown turkeys. My Dave Smith Decoys are about half the size of a grown decoy. I knew bigger hawks and eagles were predators of turkeys, but apparently Harris hawks are as well.

There were turkeys all around me on the ridge, but they seemed to avoid the draw my blind was set in. In fact, I stepped outa my truck to the sounds of multiple gobblers. I was dressed in black from head to toe, so I couldn't do anything but get to my blind as fast as possible. My intention was to park 1/4 mile from the draw in which my blind was located. Being only a quarter mile from my blind, I figured I didn't need to take much gear with me. Just needed to get there as quick as possible. I threw my decoys over my shoulder, grabbed my shotgun and started off in the direction of the blind. With my heart pounding at the excitement created by first gobbles I have heard after a month of searching I was boogeying as fast as I could, Soon it became evident that I had misjudged the distance to the draw and the 1/4 mile I had hoped was actually over a mile. At some point along the way, it became apparent that a turkey was actually chasing me. The gobbler sounded to be about a hundred yards away and staying at my 4 o'clock as I went. It was at that moment that I realized that the four decoys over my shoulder were bouncing off each other making me sound like a drum section of a High School marching Band. I would have noticed my raucous, but about the only thing I could hear was my chest pounding and my heavy breathing. My old cardiac man 20 minute miler butt was breathing hard and my heart was about to explode when I finally arrived at my blind. That gobbler was still coming, but by the time I got my decoys set and me into my blind, the chasing turkey's gobble started getting further and further away. Here's the cherry on top of this story, I sat down on my chair in the blind and just then it struck me. I left my calls back at my truck. For a while I could still hear gobbles along the ridge, but no turkeys would come into this wide shaded draw I was in. I did go back to my truck to get my calls and I tried for a day to call a turkey into the draw, but no dice. All the while, those crows kept harassing me. At one point they came in to test my decoys. After a slow approach, they made a short assault on my "leading hen" Dave Smith decoy. After a couple of hits, the crows turned around and started feeding away. They never shut up though. The next day I tried to stock in on the gobblers. I got within 40 yards of a gobbler moving through the trees. I tried to get in front of him, but he gave me the slip. shortly after, the turkeys went silent.

What unit? I am in unit 8. Took me a good while to locate turkeys, but I finally found some, Things are transitioning up there right now. 1) seems like breeding is done. My experience so far is the gobblers sound off for the first hour 5am-6am and then go dead silent for the rest of the day. I haven't had a single response to calling. 2) things are drying up and turkeys seem to be moving closer to water sources. Possible rain in the forecast may change that. Not sure if that helps. If you want more info on unit 8 turkeys, you can pm me.

I haven't seen or heard a bird, but I only hunted Friday, but I had an issue with my truck that prevented me from getting at them over the weekend. The weather should be better this week.

I saw your camp in the pick. I have yet to see or hear a turkey up there, but because of vehicle issues I really haven't had a chance at it since Friday. I'll be back at it tomorrow.

big thumbs up

I'll be heading out into unit 8 after a nap. This will be my 1st turkey hunt. I'll be chillin in a blind for the first couple of days. Good luck to everybody

I am new to hunting birds (of any kind) with a shotgun. Kill't plenty grouse with sticks and stones growing up. I used shotguns in a previous occupation. Otherwise I am entirely green to all this and ,hence, might be a sucker to .marketing. With that said, I picked up a Browning BPS 12 gauge and a Winchester Long Beard XR choke. The load I will use is the Winchester Long Beard XR 3" 1200 fps, 1 3/4oz #5 shot.

This is my first turkey hunt and I will be in unit 8. My big question is how crowded does it get out there during the first weekend of the hunt?

Might be a little less crowded. Truck tranny went out in my truck on my way up there to go scouting on Sunday. Might have to borrow a family vehicle and hunt close to the pavement.

Very cool!

Have any of ya'all seen a Coues Jackalope? If there is,then why doesn't AZGFD sell the tags? Call them limited opportunity and charge like $200 or so, Probably sell a lot of them.

With right load, the 7mm-08 can hammer a cow elk at any reasonable distance to which a new hunter should be limited. Retaines enough energy, conservatively, for 300 to 400 yards on a cow elk. All the while, the 7mm-08 shoots like a well mannered princess. Typically a very accurate cartridge, to boot.

I just put a Marlin XS7 7mm-08 in a Boyds stock. The trigger was easy to adjust to a consistent 2 3/8 lbs. The trigger has no creep, but isn't super crisp. Still, it's quite exceptional for a $300 rifle. I sighted it in and messed around with cheap factory ammo, yet both types of cheap factory ammo produced slightly under moa groups at 50 and 100 yards. I am confident that my handloads will cut these groups in half. I am actually getting set to buy my fourth Marlin X7, so I am obviously a fan of these $300 rifles.

This will be my first time hunting turkeys. I drew the early hunt in unit 8 and 10. I ordered a decoy that was on clearance, but I wonder how effective they are. So I was curious if any of ya'll are using decoys for turkeys.?. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Score! Thanks

The Agua Fria river crossing can be a no-go depending on amount of rain.

Want to sell a Ruger Super Blackhawk 44 mag (& 44 Spcl) with a 5 1/2" barrel and rosewood grips. The revolver has a Wilson Combat Spring kit and it's action is smooth and shoots nicely. There is some mild bluing wear from holster use. With the revolver is the original plastic hard case and owners manual. There is a Ross Leather holster, a soft case and a Hogue after market wood grip. I'm selling the gun to put money down on a Smith & Wesson Model 69. $400 For Everything