Too early?

[Coues79]

Been seeing guys from down south and back east, hammering Tom's for a few weeks now. What are your thoughts to it being too early here in our high Country? Think the cold plays with it? We have a few weeks to go til AZ opens up....

[wildwoody]

To early there going crazy, maybe to late

[PRDATR]

Every year our birds are already at it this time of year. G&F sets the season later so the toms have a chance to breed the hens.

[tmcguire]

I don't want to hear that... have a late hunt on San Carlos. Ya'll need some rain, and lots of it... to cool those birds off

[elkaholic]

another folly about not enough mature toms left to breed the hens , if they open the season any earlier here in Az.-- money making tool - regardless of the success of the hunters

[Red Rabbit]

Most of the roads in the Coconino NF are still closed

[Coues79]

One of the reasons I ask this.... last weekend was out up here in the high country in the eastern half of the state. Saw quite a few turkeys. All Tom's were grouped up together. Hens all together. Tom's showed no interest. Too early or too late? Been up and down weather wise, so wondering if that has something to do with it.

[bonecollector]

A friend of mine said the turkey's were hammering pretty good yesterday.

[PRDATR]

One of the reasons I ask this.... last weekend was out up here in the high country in the eastern half of the state. Saw quite a few turkeys. All Tom's were grouped up together. Hens all together. Tom's showed no interest. Too early or too late? Been up and down weather wise, so wondering if that has something to do with it.

 

Too early sounds like. I know that in the Deep South seasons have already opened.

[Coues79]

 

 

One of the reasons I ask this.... last weekend was out up here in the high country in the eastern half of the state. Saw quite a few turkeys. All Tom's were grouped up together. Hens all together. Tom's showed no interest. Too early or too late? Been up and down weather wise, so wondering if that has something to do with it.

Too early sounds like. I know that in the Deep South seasons have already opened.

I want to think this as well. Was hunting with a buddy last year and we had dismal responsiveness from Tom's. Been a weird spring in the high Country thus far... Snow, rain, wind 75 degree temps. Up and down.

[wildwoody]

Your fine..

[bluedevil]

I was out in 5BS last weekend and did not hear or see any turkeys. This is my first time hunting turkey. I have only ever hunted elk. It is a lot different and I am learning so much. I did find high trees open up to a meadow and then up to a decent size plateau with all kinds of droppings and tracks. I am hoping that it is a good spot. I was told that is the type of landscape turkeys prefer.

[Northern Pintail]

I think its starting to ramp up. I've seen some toms alone but also hen groups with a couple toms.

 

Bluedevil, for the most part turkeys are lazy. Being they like to fly straight into a tree from a hill, not up into a tree. In most of Northern AZ they prefer larger pines to roost in so when combining the two look for areas with large trees and topography. Our birds don't like to be in large meadows like you see on tv from the eastern states. You'll see them once in awhile but they don't typically hangout in the middle of meadows.

 

hope it helps a bit

[bluedevil]

Thanks for the tip. That does help because I found some other areas that are kind of what you are describing. There was a small grassy area wouldn't call it a meadow with these little yellow flowers all over it and quite a bit of droppings in that grassy area. At the east side base of the mountain were some pretty good sized pines right next to the grassy area. It seems they eat different things based on the location of the hunting unit. Do they eat the yellow flowers? They kind of look like a dandelion small and lower to the ground.

 

I have a number of areas marked on the map. I plan to go out one more time before the hunt starts on the 28th to dial in the area I want to hunt. I know from elk hunting that you have to get out there and scout. I am assuming it is the same for turkeys couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be. I hunted this area as recently as last fall. So I am pretty familiar with the area already.

 

BTW for anyone who might have a tag here there is some growth sprouting up from the burns last summer on Turkey Mountain. In the fall it was completely burnt with very little ground vegetation.

 

Also sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread.

[PRDATR]

The ones I have seen roosting up in ponderosa pines were 30 to 40' up. Two different trees were about 50' up on a slope but two other trees in different locations were on flat ground just off a creek.

I mexico last year we had some that were roosted up in beech trees on the edge of a wash in another flat area and again in mexico during a january coues hunt I watched two groups of birds walk up the wash below me just after sundown then fly about 40 yards into some trees that were about 30 feet up on a slope.

bluedevil it sounds like you have a pretty good area located. Are you planning on hitting any of the turkey seminars coming up? I have found that they will stay on the roost until it is light enough for them to see there aren't any predators moving around before they fly down which is usually about 15 minutes before sunrise.

I have seen two birds taken before the sun came up and both times the birds were on the ground for a good five minutes. The first time I had my son on his second hunt and we knew where the birds were as we saw them scratching it up in a plowed field the day before and sat and watched them walk single file from the field about 100 yards then disappear into some trees. We snuck in early the next morning and waited for them to fly down and after about 10 minuted they made their way past us giving him a nice 20 yard shot.

The birds in mexico were also followed to the roost and we did the same thing the next morning. You never really know where they will fly down to but we got lucky and one by one they flew past us and grouped up. After a few minutes I started calling and a few hens came over to investigate. One walked about 10 feet from us then another one appeared and another. The the tom came but I could hear him drumming before he actually was visible. I was the caller and they walked past me and the landowner then dropped into the wash. Once they were out of site I gave them a little time as I was waiting for my friend to shoot, and waiting. Finally I started to call again hoping to keep them in the area then heard boom!.

Seems he was directly across the wash from us and had to reposition as the birds were in between him and us. He hade made a great shout, maybe 12 yards on a nice fat bird about 10 minutes before the sun rose.