Winter Turkey 1/19-1/21

ChrisD · Jan 16, 2017

http://dnr.maryland.gov/huntersguide/Documents/Hunting_Seasons_Calendar.pdf

Anyone hunt during this 3 day winter season? I'm thinking about heading to the woods on the farm lease to give it a try. Never really seriously tried turkey hunting, and never in January. Anyone with experience and success care to offer up some pointers? I've seen turkeys five times while deer hunting this fall, numbering from one to eight at different times. I don't think there is a huge population of them on the property, but my interest is piqued. That, and the fact that it's another chance to get in the woods.
It's not like they're looking for a breeding opportunity right now, and one can't bait them. Would calling be effective? Or, is this late season more of a chance encounter?

Doco Overboard · Jan 16, 2017

Go to where you know where they roost or frequent. If you can hear them but not see them, deliberately break up the flock and then do a 180 around where they took off to and try to call them back together with some yelps

fscwi · Jan 17, 2017

Doco Overboard said:
Go to where you know where they roost or frequent. If you can hear them but not see them, deliberately break up the flock and then do a 180 around where they took off to and try to call them back together with some yelps

This works. The hens will often try to round them back up to where they were.

lazarus · Jan 17, 2017

I think a problem is over read that their spring and fall habits and habitat is not the same as winter and summer. Personally only been hunting 2 years now, so my second year trying for turkeys. Where I saw them a ton in the fall last year, they weren't there when I tried for them last winter. Granted I only had half a day to cruise for them last winter. Sadly I also only have half a day to cruise for them this winter. I also didn't try calling at all last winter (didn't have calls then). I'll try some kee-kees and maybe see if I can get a shock gobble or two pre-dawn before they come down from their roost. I am hoping I can locate their roost and just wait for them to fly down.

Of course I suspect they've moved the area they roost. I wish I could take a gobbler in the fall in central Maryland.

lazarus · Jan 19, 2017

I coukd only hunt this morning. I went right to where I've run in to turkey's a bunch and seen them roosting. Crept in super slow, with a few kee kee calls about 30 minutes after sunrise. No responses and I hadn't called in at least 10 minutes. Crept up that hill and a HUGE Tom and a hen took off from the trees. I took a couple of shots at the tom hoping to down it, but either missed it's head/neck or it was too far. Or both. My guess is on the to far. They were about 50yds out when they took off flying 45 degrees away from me and I was shooting through pine and hardwood branches (they were nested in the pines like they have been before).

Oh well. This time I actually got a shot on a turkey. Inching towards killing one.

I gave up on the turkey hunting 20 minutes later and slapped on my orange blaze hat and went looking for squirrels. Finally nailed one 5 minutes later!!! Then nothing else for 2 hours before I gave up.

Still, I've put probably 20 hours and 6 outings in to getting a squirrel and finally friggen did. I always seem to pick the worst time of year, weather or time of day to go after them. If I'd been squirrel hunting instead of deer hunting the last 2 years I probably would have bagged 40-50 of the suckers.

Going to have to figure out how to better skin them, but maybe the "skin a squirrel in 60 seconds" YouTube tricks only work with headshot squirrels. Not ones that took a load of #6 as mine ripped in half and probably took 5 minutes to get it skinned enough to really try to yank the skin off as one piece. Oh well. I took the rear legs and hams (can you call something that small hams)? Home too cook up.

Some olive oil, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Not bad actually. A little tougher and chewier than chicken, but tastes a hell of a lot like it to me. Maybe a little...herbal-ier? Not sure if that can be a thing, but just tasted that way to me (and I make chicken with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper all the time).

Next time I'll take the advice I've gotten and try soaking it in butter milk for a couple of days first and maybe try making some pot pie out of it if I can get 2 or 3.

No more winter turkey hunting for me this year. No time now. I will try to get out in the spring. Also no more squirrel hunting. Well, not till the fall. I might just stick with squirrel hunting being a camping/hunting trip with my kid(s) every September once the season opens. Go out to green ridge with my 22lr. When they are a little older and have their licenses get them 22s or 20ga.

lazarus · Jan 19, 2017

Oh, forgot the hero shot.

Biggest darn squirrel I've ever seen. That thar boar musta been 50lbs if it were an ounce field dressed. :lol2:

outrider58 · Jan 19, 2017

I think I'll be putting IKEA furniture together for my daughter. UFO.

lazarus · Jan 19, 2017

outrider58 said:
I think I'll be putting IKEA furniture together for my daughter. UFO.

I hear you. I am busy all Saturday and have to work Friday. I was only out this morning because I had "a doctor's appointment" and now I am back at work. Darndest thing.

Derwood · Jan 19, 2017

Lazarus--for your next squirrel, use any standard chicken soup recipe and replace the chicken with squirrel. It's always good and won't be tough. Add chicken if you don't get enough squirrels to make a meal.

Good method for cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2f6f1qr1BU

Good recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM9MSb7s2v8

ChrisD · Jan 19, 2017

Well I did not get a chance to go today, got called into my "part time"
job, turning into 9.5 hours. Not able to go look tomorrow either. Maybe Saturday now.

MDHunter · Jan 19, 2017

lazarus said:
I coukd only hunt this morning. I went right to where I've run in to turkey's a bunch and seen them roosting. Crept in super slow, with a few kee kee calls about 30 minutes after sunrise. No responses and I hadn't called in at least 10 minutes. Crept up that hill and a HUGE Tom and a hen took off from the trees. I took a couple of shots at the tom hoping to down it, but either missed it's head/neck or it was too far. Or both. My guess is on the to far. They were about 50yds out when they took off flying 45 degrees away from me and I was shooting through pine and hardwood branches (they were nested in the pines like they have been before).

Oh well. This time I actually got a shot on a turkey. Inching towards killing one.

I gave up on the turkey hunting 20 minutes later and slapped on my orange blaze hat and went looking for squirrels. Finally nailed one 5 minutes later!!! Then nothing else for 2 hours before I gave up.

Still, I've put probably 20 hours and 6 outings in to getting a squirrel and finally friggen did. I always seem to pick the worst time of year, weather or time of day to go after them. If I'd been squirrel hunting instead of deer hunting the last 2 years I probably would have bagged 40-50 of the suckers.

Going to have to figure out how to better skin them, but maybe the "skin a squirrel in 60 seconds" YouTube tricks only work with headshot squirrels. Not ones that took a load of #6 as mine ripped in half and probably took 5 minutes to get it skinned enough to really try to yank the skin off as one piece. Oh well. I took the rear legs and hams (can you call something that small hams)? Home too cook up.

Some olive oil, thyme and a little salt and pepper. Not bad actually. A little tougher and chewier than chicken, but tastes a hell of a lot like it to me. Maybe a little...herbal-ier? Not sure if that can be a thing, but just tasted that way to me (and I make chicken with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper all the time).

Next time I'll take the advice I've gotten and try soaking it in butter milk for a couple of days first and maybe try making some pot pie out of it if I can get 2 or 3.

No more winter turkey hunting for me this year. No time now. I will try to get out in the spring. Also no more squirrel hunting. Well, not till the fall. I might just stick with squirrel hunting being a camping/hunting trip with my kid(s) every September once the season opens. Go out to green ridge with my 22lr. When they are a little older and have their licenses get them 22s or 20ga.

Just a suggestion - you may want to rethink taking a shot at flying turkeys, especially if you're thinking they're nearly out of range. No sense wounding an animal needlessly when you're just starting into hunting and will be chasing them for a few more decades.

lazarus · Jan 19, 2017

Derwood said:
Lazarus--for your next squirrel, use any standard chicken soup recipe and replace the chicken with squirrel. It's always good and won't be tough. Add chicken if you don't get enough squirrels to make a meal.

Good method for cleaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2f6f1qr1BU

Good recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM9MSb7s2v8

Thanks!

lazarus · Jan 19, 2017

MDHunter said:
Just a suggestion - you may want to rethink taking a shot at flying turkeys, especially if you're thinking they're nearly out of range. No sense wounding an animal needlessly when you're just starting into hunting and will be chasing them for a few more decades.

At the time I had thought I was probably still in range, but in hindsight I think they probably were rooster just in range, but were probably just outside of it by the time I took the shot.

If I had had a second or two to think it over I probably wouldn't have shot. I also tried to give it some extra lead so I'd either hit it in the head or miss (so I may have just missed it clean in this case).

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