I actually I had a good time but it was a little disappointing that I didn't kill a bird. I hunted the area just northwest of Hot Springs. The NWTF regional biologist told me that hunting pressure was less in the southern hills. Called in a jake in the first hour of the first morning. The second morning I had toms gobbling and answering my sweet sexy hen sounds only to realize they were on the other side of a fence designed to keep bison inside the Wind Cave National Park. Went back to the same area on the third day and it seemed that the turkeys had vacated the area I also had a prairie permit so on the forth day I hunted a piece of CHAP land near the Angostura Reservoir. Had a tom gobbling in a cottonwood and snuck in close had him all hot and bothered but a hen lead him away after fly down. Day 5 I got lost in a canyon trying to get to get in the area that the birds headed the day before. Longbeard was roosted in the same tree as day 4. On the sixth and final morning I was in position but the tom wasn't in the area. This year I've rented a cabin just north of Custer with walk in access to the Black Hills. According to the local game warden and the Game, Fish and Parks biologist there are plenty of turkeys in the area. I think the main mistake I made last spring was not talking to enough locals.
More intel is always good. However, sounds to me like you were on the right path. Birds you worked just did not work out. It happens. I would tune up my skills and read everything I could about the sub species your hunting and go back at it. Your persistence will pay off. Looking forward to hearing about your next hunt,
I spent a few months crying in my beer. Then I started planning for this spring.
LOL, we've all been there!
I remember defeats more vividly than most victories.
Any time you hunt out of state there's a chance for getting shut out. I try to keep a positive attitude and if I don't get a gobbler I still learned a new area and this info will help when I hunt the area again. Sounds like you have a solid plan for this year should be better.
Thanks for the encouragement. The owner of the cabin is a turkey hunter, but I don't think very seriously, he said there are turkeys within walking distance. There's an area south of Custer I leaned of last spring from a local guy that I'll check out also.
On both of my SD trips I found the locals very friendly and willing to help. On my second trip, we had already tagged out and were just enjoying camping out, exploring for a future trip. Two locals road by camp on ATV's (we were camped just off a forest service dirt road) and stopped to visit. Once they heard we were turkey hunting they offered to show us areas where they regularly saw turkeys and gave us their number to call next time we went. Unfortunately my buddy had the number and he passed away a couple years ago.