The bird population is looking good.

The weather has been incredibly hot around here for some time. I glanced out my bedroom window the other afternoon and a pair of gobblers were laying on my front lawn in the shade of my Cherry tree.
 
This morning as I left for work there were fourteen birds on the front lawn.
 
There are at least three hen groups with poults and two seperate bachelor groups just in my neighborhood.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

  Yep, had 3 toms standing in front of my target base in the backyard, 1st week of June.  Figures they come down after the season ended!!
  Saw a hen with 4-5 poults last week.  Starting to get the itch again!!

Jeff

So the wife and I were lying in bed yesterday morning when the bush just outside our window stated shaking like crazy. We peeked out and there were the two jakes that we've been seeing locked in what appeared to be mortal combat. One had the others head in it's mouth in a death grip and wouldn't let go. They spun around in cirlcles for about five minutes before I went out and broke up the fight. What's the matter with kids these days?

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

They were just establishing dominance and you had to go and break it up!  Now you are the top cock of the walk, LOL!!!   I hope you can gobble real good next Spring

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

I'm not too good at a gobblin but I can make some sexy hen calls.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

Things lookin good here in my part of Missouri too, had had 4 hens and 14 poults in the back yard the other day. Sure seems like there is too much emphasis put on the Spring breeding season, heck I know there are usually at least 2 hatches and sometimes 3 in this area. Seein lot's of jakes and toms around the fields too, but deer seems to really have my attention around this time of the year. Not sure why this happens to me about this time every year, but seems like I can hear the stands callin my name, it's like the trees know they're supposed to rock me to sleep startin mid Sept. and boy am I ready for some of those treestand naps.
Steve Albers

Steve---I hope you're anchored in real well, LOL!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Hey Top, good to hear from ya. Yeah I never get in a tree without havin myself attached to the tree. Had the bottom platform of my climber drop out and break the buckle holding it to the upper portion last year just before I got strapped in, talk about feeling lost. Luckily my son in-law was close and i called him on the cell to come help me get it back up to me. Now the first thing I do is strap in, then set stuff up. My big, old, tired, fat arse would never survive a 20' drop to the ground.Besides people in Missouri couldn't handle the earthquake I'd cause..lol

The birds seem to really enjoy my sprinkler system. There were eleven outside having a bath just a few minutes ago. The poults are growing in leaps and bounds. Some are larger then the others even in the same group. They're eating machines. My only problem with them is they like scratching through my mulch in the flower beds looking for bugs and seeds and then I have to go out and clean up the mess they leave behind.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

Ok, so now it's just about the middle of August but nobody told my resident Jakes. They were gobbling their heads off this morning. They finally stopped and took off when a neighbor came walking along with his pair of German Shorthair's. NY fall Turkey season coming up before you know it. If only I could find as cooperative birds in the wild come then.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

The Jakes were gobbling again this morning while taking their bath under my sprinklers. It seems to make them happy. Both birds are growing like crazy. Except for their short beards and not fully developed tail fans they look adult body size wise.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

Still a few tags left for both turkey and deer (does only) as the news release today sez, for Nodak ... and I'm perty sure NRs can get a turkey license now that the 1st-round lottery draw is over ...

I've seen more poults this year than ever before ... might even get a chance to hunt 'em this year, since I've got a couple of places in mind where I've seen birds and have access ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

My resident Jakes have grown in leaps and bounds. The local poults are all looking healthy and have grown so fast it's hard to believe they were just puffs of feathers a few months back. We have so many wandering around I think they're taking over the neighborhood. New York fall season starts October 1st. Bow hunting on the 16th. The season is upon us.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

Been seein' a gang of turks goin' either to or frum werk the past week or so ... they like the canola field across the road frum the WMA ... Tom (decent beard but not outstanding) & Hen and nine poults ... 

I know where I'll be on opening morning ... trubble is, there's prolly gonna be about 27 other guys there also ... 

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

The wife nearly clobbered a hen that bolted across the road yesterday. She wasn't 5o yards from our driveway. All three of the hen, poult flocks were on our neighbors lawn. Thank God she was able to stop in time otherwise she would have had tears in her eyes the rest of the night.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

My front lawn is begginning to take on the look of a barnyard. The turkey don't even bother to get out of the way. My son was going out yesterday just after 5pm when he came running back in to tell me that there were about 50 turkeys outside. Sure enough I walked out on the side deck and there they were. My wife came driving up the road and had to inch her way passed them all to get into the driveway. Even after she got out of her car they just continued to feed paying her no mind at all. I can only hope to see half as many come opening day Oct. 1st. Of course I can't hunt around my house.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

  Yep, been keeping an eye out for my local birds when I do my morning walk.  Have 6-8 birds hanging around the yard next door and heard a few clucking on a hillside in the State Park (bow only).  So, I'm getting psyched for Oct 1st!

Jeff

Hey Jeff, I see you're up in Columbia County. I used to hunt the old State co-op areas in Dutchess and Putnam. We had great hunting there years ago but like everything else they are gone. Good luck on the 1st. I'll be in the woods as well God willing. I've done pretty well over the years Fall Turkey hunting. Been lucky I guess. I'm hoping for a bit more luck this time around.

The freshest tracks still have feet in them.

  Yep, my backyard is Lake Taghkanic State Park.  Since it is bow only, not a lot of pressure.  I still hunt at Stewart Airport.  We got to get together sometime...you're just "down" the road.... 

Jeff

  So far, so good, weather wise for Friday.  No rain, maybe windy, hopefully not too bad in the morning.  Going to trek up my hill then & see if I can connect with the bow.
  Haven't taken a fall bird yet.  Missed a couple.....

Jeff