Southbound and Down

Yeah, I’m loaded up and truckin’. Okay, flying out of friendly Newark, N.J., actually. It just doesn’t have the same “excitement of the open road sound” as those old Jerry Reed tunes. (Does anybody even remember him? Man, those songs made me want to be a trucker when I was a kid!)

Anyway, I’m jettin’ to Florida for my first foray into the spring woods this spring, and I have to admit, I’m as unprepared as ever. Other than driving the family nuts running a mouth call while I tap out these posts (just a little inspiration, eh!) I’m not even sure where half my gear is.

I have about six hours until I have to hop that plane, so I’m sure I’ll scrape something up. Good Lord and modern communications willing, I’ll be putting up some daily posts on how the hunt is going. Until then, keep those reports coming, and if turkey season is in where you live, turn off that darn computer and get out there!!! But before you do, here’s a few turkey reports in the contributors’s own words:

Brandon McElwain in Kentucky: I went scouting again the other day. Saw the same flock of about 60 birds with the 9 to 10 toms all strutting. Even saw two of the toms breed some hens. This is the earliest I’ve ever seen them breed here in Kentucky.

Also in Kentucky from former OL intern Will Brantley: I’m a little worried. I spent a good part of the weekend scouting, and birds were everywhere. As a matter of fact, my wife, Michelle, and I heard birds gobbling at several different times of the day. Right off the roost, at around 9 a.m., and at about 4 in the evening. Saturday morning, I heard five different birds and saw one strutter. Saturday afternoon, my wife and I were heading toward the lake with fishing rods in hand when we stumbled on a gobbler hammering like crazy at a flock of crows. I owl-hooted at him for the hell of it and he cut me off with a gobble three times in a row. I heard the same bird again this morning. So, although the report is good, I’m a little worried. Our season doesn’t start for a month and two days, and I’m afraid the birds will be all spent by then! I guess it’s a good problem to have.

Another blog visitor, Matthew Jones also from Kentucky (If you haven’t figured it out, the boys are serious about turkey hunting in the Blue Grass State) offers this: Storms moving in this weekend made birds anxious. Lots of gobbling in Northern Kentucky. Birds start gobbling at 6:20 am and fly down around 6:45 am. By 7:35 am they have quit strutting and are leaving fields for the woods. Not much gobbling in the afternoon. Saw a group of 37 hens fighting it out at 2 pm. Seeing a lot of strutters. Birds are just now breaking out of big flocks. It won’t be long.

CJ Wilson in Arkansas: I live in Arkansas and I hunt in Perry County. I went scouting this weekend and have not heard any gobbles yet, but I did see about 16 hens one day. The next day I saw a jake with a hen following it and then 5 big toms. The toms were seperate from the hen and jake though. I saw them at a different time. I have found plenty of tracks and droppings.

I’ll have some more for you this weekend from Massachusetts, Missouri, Vermont and of course, Florida!