BrookTrout

22 hours ago, dawsonscreek said:

Hard work finally paid off. I put over 150 miles on the boots this year, 22 days hunted and I scored on a tasty jake! I had a very close call in my lease earlier in the morning, just couldn’t move my gun to get on the big tom without him busting me. So I ventured to some nearby state land, I called in a very talkative hen with was encouraging and after she moved off it was 11:30 so I figured I’d just sit in that area and call. I moved forward on the ridge about 200 yards and let out a call that was immediately answered by a whole bunch of gobbles. I knew I was dealing with jakes at this point and was not about to pass on an opportunity at this point in my season. I sat down and called a couple more times before I heard the footsteps coming. The second one to poke his little head over the ridge got a face full! My first public land bird to boot!

Good for you man, way to keep at it!  

I feel your pain, I had that bird come so close last week and some other close encounters since.  Keep at it and enjoy being out there!

Thats awesome he can help folks have success

Wow thats impressive!

thanks, yes I have been looking at upgrading my decoys, I think a jake/hen combo would be a good idea

So I haven't hunted turkeys seriously in years.  I am from a non hunting family and am totally self-taught. I started hunting turkeys after college (got into deer hunting and had turkeys gobbling behind my house) and after some limited success in my early 20 twenties on a nice farm in VT  that I had access to and one jake in the champlain valley, I haven't killed a bird in almost 20 yrs.  So this year being furloughed (along with everyone else) decided to get back out in the turkey woods.  I haven't seen that many turkeys since I moved here about 10 yrs ago but certainly know that are some around.   I did some scouting and located some birds on some local private land (7S) I obtained access to hunt.  I've also scouted and hunted a little on state land.  I have had some encounters with a big tom and a nearby farm but he gobbles once or twice than spends the day with his group of hens so he is tough.  My closest encounter so far was roosting a gobbler (jake I think) on a morning hunt where I managed to get in a field above him, set out an old bad looking decoy on a stick (lost my stake) and called him in.  He eventually worked in just on edge of my shotgun range ( I cant seem to get a good pattern beyond 35-40yds) but I wasn't able to get a shot.  I would have been happy with a jake for sure and was bummed to get so close but what a fun hunt that probably hooked me on turkey hunting again for years to come.  I filmed the hunt and edited a video if anyone wants to watch.  Please excuse my amateur calling and any constructive criticism is appreciated (I probably called way too much but so hard when he was gobbling at everything!!).  I just started this channel on youtube and also put up my first archery buck from last season and some Seneca fishing stuff with more to come...  Thanks and good luck to everybody out there!

Nice man!  Thats awesome!

Impressive!  Nice job esp on state land, good luck in PA!

nice laker, wow!!

1 hour ago, steelie said:

Well, its been a grind so far... we have had birds close but the kids have been busted twice due to the wiggles!! But they've been learning and seeing a lot of cool stuff.. They keep asking to go and I'm going to take them every time they ask, regardless of being successful. This morning was a special hunt, I sat with my 6 year old son about 80 yards away form my wife and 10 year old daughter. Well, the girls won!! My son and i had a hen within 3 yards of us when my wife turned it loose on a 3 year old.. Off my son runs to get on moms bird!! Hahaha. we've been blessed to have some awesome hunts together but never all together.

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Wow what a morning thats so great for your family!!  Thanks for the story

nice brown! 

7 hours ago, reeleyz said:

The first 2 mornings were quiet for me. Yesterday I had a similar situation with a big tom strutting. I snuck up to 70 yards in the woods and I could not get any closer. He strutted away from me out of sight. Then 3 smaller (2 year old) Toms just happened to come from where he disappeared and I called 1 of them in to 10 yards. Unfortunately the shot was so close it destroyed the beard. He never flopped though!

 

 

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Nice bird!

1 hour ago, suttontroller94 said:

I tagged out on day 2 at 6:25. Took my 7 year old son out on his first turkey hunt(he's been on alot of waterfowl hunts and a few deer hunts). Lots of birds gobbling off the roost and had a couple birds coming. Thought they were longbeards the whole way in, they never once had bad sounding gobbles and at first I could just see their heads and they were big snowball white heads. Then they crossed out infront of us at 10yards and popped into strut and I could tell they were Jakes. I informed him that normally I'd probably let those birds go but they were infact legal birds and would eat good. His heart was racing and he was shaking so hard as he told me to shoot! I let them beat up the avian Jake decoy for a big before I picked out one to take. At that point I could care less if it was a longbeard or a Jake I was honestly more excited on that bird than on Fridays longbeard. Hunter is hooked now and I had one of the most fun hunts of my life and a great memory that will last forever with my son.

Thats awesome, he's gotta be hooked for life!!  What a memory for you guys!

1 hour ago, Kevin J Legg said:

Opening morning I didn’t hear a gobble on a roost I’ve been scouting but did have a hen come in. Day two I went to another roost I scouted and again no birds but I did hear some gobbling and moved on them but no response. Third day I do some run and gun and heard nothing early. Went back to original blind and had a pair answering but the moved off.
Last night I roosted a couple and set up this morning. Ended up killing one after it flew down and walked to my decoys.


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Congrats!

Anyone having any luck?  I have been hunting in 7S.  I went out first 3 days.  Nothing day one (hunted area I had roosted bird before the big rain last week).  Encountered a roosted tom the morning of day 2 but he flew down away from me and was intercepted by 3 hens who took him off after a few gobbles.  Yesterday setup where I saw the tom fly down and strut but other than a bunch of curious deer sniffing and snorting at my decoy nothing...  on my way back across field I spotted the tom strutting with 2 hens, almost put the sneak on him near a little tree island, got within 75 yds but he moved into the woods with hens, I tried some yelps but he just fanned at me and kept walking, I tried to swing around in the woods to ambush but never saw them again....  At least I've seen some birds and had some interaction.  Took the morning off today to catch up on sleep. Have heard only a small number of shots the first few days.

Hows everyone else making out?

Sounds like a good day!  Nice to have a report in the winter!  Any silvers?

On 11/22/2019 at 3:37 PM, scobar said:

needs another year or 2

2.5 8pt.MOV

nice video 

nice buck, huge looking neck 

wow great report and pics

Glad you had a good week, thanks for reports

Nice fish, sounds like a good vaca so far

Got out around 730am Tuesday and fished the west side.  Didn't mark much bait/arcs in shallow so worked out deeper and across towards east side, started marking more fish and got bites off the deeper rigger.  Went 3/4 all salmon.  17incher went in the cooler, 2 dinks went back and a long distance release on another legal size silver.  All fish off rigger at 55ft on green ladderback spoon behind vertical green blades...

Made it out earlier today and it made a big difference.  On the water before 6am and was headed to the area I found fish yesterday but marked some nice bait balls and arcs right out in front of my lift so decided to setup and trolled south (east side), kept marking fish in 20-60ft with bait but no releases... made a big turn to troll back north and got my first salmon off a steely dan stinger down 30ft.  Trolling north through the same area and the bite was on.  Ended up with 12 releases and boated 8.  All legal fish from 15-21".  Of course the best fish came off after a couple awesome leaps, looked to be a 4-5lbr and I was bummed for sure.  But I had my limit on salmon and was happy with a nice 2 hrs of fishing.  Bite seemed to shut off by 830.  Orange seemed to be the color today and most fish came from the rigger at 30ft and from a cheater at approx 24ft on the deeper rigger.  One off of a fly/dodger combo with 6 colors of leadcore.   No fleas, few weeds, surface temp 72.... 

I am planning on redoing the decking on my small boat dock on Seneca.  Area doesn't freeze.  Dock is for lift access only, about 30ft long, 4-5ft deep at end.  There are currently 5 pairs of metal tube "pilings".   I assume they are driven into the bottom.  Area is sand/cobbles.  Dock seems to wobble a bit but might be due to loose connections and rotten wood.  My question is how deep should pilings be driven.  One needs to be replaced and maybe more depending on wear once I get it taken apart.  I was also just curious.  Couldn't find anything too definite when I searched it online.  Lots of stuff about seasonal docks...   

The pic below shows the dock

I have a lowrance, have heard the audible transducer click like you mentioned but not from head unit, I wouldn't worry until you have it in the water...

I agree that the major immediate issue is lamprey predation.  Top that with abundant bait and you get tough fishing,  I think Seneca will be on the upswing in the next couple years ...  

Got out for the first time on the lake yesterday.  Spent the afternoon before cleaning up the cottage and getting the boat ready for the year.  My boat dock is in need of serious repair but I cobbled together some temp repairs.  Good news was the boat ran great and weather mostly cooperated.  Bad news was fishing was pretty slow.  Started out deep but wasn't seeing much for bait so worked my way in closer.  Started marking bait balls in less than 60 FOW with a few arcs,  hooked up with a nice leaping salmon on a yozuri stick off 2 colors of lead just inside debris line from a tributary.  Fish ripped the inline board backwards and then nothing, thought he was off but he was running at the boat.  He surfaced in the prop wash leaping behind by dr cable and then wrapped up and self released on the cable but politely left the lure, fish looked to be 3-4lbs.  Boated one salmon about 16" with a lamprey near another point.  He came off a jointed rapala on the surface off an inline board in about 30fow.   Slow day but I didn't get skunked and no major issues so I'll take it.  Did notice lots of alewives in the shallows later that day.  Water temps were 53-58.  

On my way home I stopped and fly fished a local stream which was a lot more productive, got about 1/2 dozen cookie cutter stockie browns that were surface feeding on a variety of bugs including some big cahills and march browns.  Got chased off by thunder/lightening...  

nice fish!