NY Opening Weekend

[steinea286]

Had one of the toughest, exhilarating, stressed out 3 days of turkey hunting I have ever witnessed. Not only that, it was also the most fun! I have heard more hen sounds this weekend then every before and the gobbling was pretty intense. We were able to tag one bird out of 4 of us but was able to call in 18-20 difference longbeards and a few other jakes as well. Things just didn't seem to pan out between hens and 3 misses. I am looking forward to the rest of the season. Everyone else have a lot of henned up birds here in the Northeast? Another week or 2 and they should be splitting up!!!!!

[BABS9]

I'm here in Western New York. Had a great opening weekend. Opening day i called a gobbler in well actually called his hens in they were so mad they came steaming in right off the roost. Of course he was right behind them. My brother couldn't connect and missed him. Next day we were able to connect on a gobbler as they flew down right into the field we were on. He was with 5 hens. My bro shot him at 40 yards. And sunday I could have shot a super jake on two different occasions but I let him walk. Lots of gobbling on the roost but when they hit the ground not so much. Like you said henned up birds but it was an awesome and exciting opening weekend.

[njdevilsb]

I'm hunting in Rodman, about an hour North of Syracuse and the birds are henned up bad.  We had a group of 14 birds on the property last Tuesday, 4 of which were mature toms.  They have thinned down to between 5-7 since then with 2 longbeards around and the rest are hens.  The toms won't leave the hens and the hens aren't coming in to the calling.  Gobbling is good on the roost but it stops all together after they have been on the ground for about 30 minutes.  We had one of the toms break off slightly to check out the decoys, but he skirted around them just out of range and then joined the rest of the group. 

They roost in the same spot every night.  In the morning they are going through the field we are watching, jumping a small creek and going deep into the neighbors property.  Since they are pretty much ignoring our calls and decoys, it seems like we just need to get to where they want to go.  We found a nice spot to setup just on the other side of the creek before they hit the property line so if they keep the same routine this weekend, I should be in a good spot.  They have taken a couple different routes to get there, but the end up in the same general area before they leave our property.

[MACHINIST]

In granby here.First 2 days were great.Sunday and today sucked as far as the gobbling goes.Saw strutters every day.My 2 friends managed to take 2 nice toms and we had a few more in range but couldn't get a decent shot on them so they live to walk another day.

[Bigeclipse]

I'm in eastern NY and all though I got my first Tom ever this weekend I have to say it has been terrible compared to last year (my first year).  Last year we heard gobbling all over the place.  Last year I had a chance at 4 different Tom's on the first weekend and then the second weekend another 2 toms,  3 of those opportunities I blew and they busted me (rookie mistakes) and the other 3 hung just outside of my guns range.  This season, have yet to hear a bird gobble on the roost in the mornings.  Had one gobbling to me on day one when I was runnin and gunnin at 10am but he was way uphill on me.  The next day one distant gobble and then no other gobbling all morning and then finally the one I actually bagged which I randomly heard gobbling in the woods when I was running and gunning (he was not gobbling to my calls initially "maybe another hunter or maybe a hen?").  Also, I saw a few hens when scouting last week but none this past weekend.  I know it is only the first weekend but seriously there was way more action last year this time.

[robbartley]

I am in Northeastern NY and have the same report.  Lots of gobbling on the roost but that is it.  No response to calling at all.  Hoping that next weekend things are different.

[steinea286]

Bigeclipse - Keep after them, the birds were not near as grouped up at this time last year as they are this year. We are about a week and half behind yet and once the leaves start popping on the trees things will get better! The groups of birds I'm seeing should start breaking up and hopefully these hens will be more susceptible to breeding. Three days straight of seeing gobblers with hens and none were bred nor was there many aggressive gestures of the gobblers towards each other. REALLY looking forward to the rest of the season! Keep working everyone!

[mgm1955]

Good luck to all of you!!

[CrustyRusty]

Hunted a large farm in Cazenovia and didn't even hear a gobble or a shot anywhere.  Saw only one hen in a field and one on a nest, but that was it.  coyote were everywhere though.  I drove home to dutchess and  took a walk behind my house and an hour later walked out with a big ole tom.  I just set up in an area I'd seen birds while scouting and reeled one in.  I had been seeing tons of birds in April but it's slowed down a bunch.

[NYlogbeards]

Same thing here in Oswego, been hunting a muck farm and not much gobbling in the morning heard a few hens calling this morning and saw a huge flock cross the muck at the other end of field, around 9:00 am gobbling activity picked up but stopped by 10:00. don't know if the gobblers are just hening up early or are still flocked and haven't split up yet, hope the next week and rest of season is not like this.

Good luck to everyone.

[MACHINIST]

NYlog are you hunting mucks in Oswego?

[Bigeclipse]

Bigeclipse - Keep after them, the birds were not near as grouped up at this time last year as they are this year. We are about a week and half behind yet and once the leaves start popping on the trees things will get better! The groups of birds I'm seeing should start breaking up and hopefully these hens will be more susceptible to breeding. Three days straight of seeing gobblers with hens and none were bred nor was there many aggressive gestures of the gobblers towards each other. REALLY looking forward to the rest of the season! Keep working everyone!

I will definitely be keeping after them.  I filled one of my two tags which is fine enough for me, especially since it was my first Tom ever.  My father-in-law also has never tagged a bird (he is a long time deer hunter but new to turkey hunting as well) so I am hoping to get him on a bird this next weekend.

[Bigeclipse]

Hunted a large farm in Cazenovia and didn't even hear a gobble or a shot anywhere.  Saw only one hen in a field and one on a nest, but that was it.  coyote were everywhere though.  I drove home to dutchess and  took a walk behind my house and an hour later walked out with a big ole tom.  I just set up in an area I'd seen birds while scouting and reeled one in.  I had been seeing tons of birds in April but it's slowed down a bunch.

CrustyRusty, the birds you saw in April...were they strutting already and maybe the breeding window is already over or are you just stating you saw a lot of birds and figured this season would be great, but so far it has kind of been a dud as far as gobbling goes?

[CrustyRusty]

Big E, I 've been seeing a lot of birds since last falls hunting season, which was promising considering that I hadn't seen many in many years while deer hunting.  I was seeing strutting in February and all thru till April so I was a bit surprised that things were so slow for my opener.  I doubt the breeding window is over, I've seen breeding as late as June but am a bit surprised things were so quiet.  I'm not too worried, especially since I was able to call in a big tom for myself on monday that didn't make a peep, but we all love to hear that deep gobble but know it doesn't always happen that way.  Have a safe and successful season.

[BABS9]

I watched a Jake breed a hen last saturday here in WNY. Lots of gobbling on the limb not so much on the ground. No gobbling at all on tuesday in a spot where 3 of them were going nuts the 2 days prior.