David Rearick Turkey Journal 2008

David Rearick's 2008 Turkey Journal

"Notes from the Turkey Woods…"

Date: April 19th, 2008- Youth Season

Bird Activity on the Roost: Slow, only three gobbles heard

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Slow, until about 6:50, then 5-6 different birds heard within the field

Weather Conditions: 30’s early up to about 50 by 7 AM. Partly Cloudy

Results/Stats: Mat bagged his first gobbler 18 lb, ½” spurs, 5 inch beard

Notes: What a way to start the season. Today I hunted with fellow Zink Pro-Staffer Erik Nilsson and his son Mat. It was “youth” day and today was all about trying to get Mat his first bird. After some hard scouting by Erik, we were set-up in a cut corn field nestled tightly into the corner awaiting daylight. Mat and Erik were set-up 20 yards to m right closer to the field and I hung back with video camera in hand. After a slow start and a few gobbles, about 6:50 things came alive with birds all just out of sight. After a little calling, what sounded like a great bird was working its way towards the decoys. With my view partially obstructed by a tree I couldn’t see much, but all at once a fan appeared just past the decoy. Not long after the bird started out of strut and the hunt ended with Mat bagging his first turkey!! What an exciting morning.

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

To read more about this hunt, click the LOGO below to view David Rearick's JE on the Avery Message Boards..

Date: April 25th, 2008- The Day Before the Season Opener

Bird Activity on the Roost: Excellent, 6-8 birds heard within the ½ mile stretch of woods

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Very good, multiple birds in view and many others heard gobbling up until I slipped out of the woods at 6:30.

Weather Conditions: 50’s early up to about 60 by 7 AM. Clear

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: With only day left before the season all of the scouting has paid off dividends. Between myself and my hunting partner Erik we have a solid 8 places with birds hanging out. At each locations there appears to be more than one long beard in the mix. Today I scouted a new piece of ground that I just obtained permission to, and as you can see from the activity, the birds are thick. With three two year olds on the ground and another boss gobbler making his way out to the field I slipped out in between numerous jakes. Things look good for the season.

Date: April 26th, 2008- Opening Day

Bird Activity on the Roost: Excellent, 4 different birds heard

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Excellent, the same 4 birds gobbled all morning

Weather Conditions: 60’s early up to about 79 by Noon. Partly Cloudy

Results/Stats: E.- 20.5 lb's, 1" spurs, 9.5" beard --- Hollywood 17 lb, 1" spurs, 9.5" beard

Notes: The morning started off early. We set-up my Double Bull blind on the edge of a row of hay bales and got settled in well before light. Erik had patterned these birds for the last two days after some scouting by both him and I a few nights prior. They had been on a rope to this field, and we hoped our decoys and calling would get these birds into gunning range. When the first bird sounded out from his roost, we knew they were in the same area, and the game was on. After some of the best gobbling of the season to date, the pair flew down and started to work our way. Two hens made their way through the field outside the decoys, and we hoped the big boys wouldn't do the same. After listening to these birds talk for minutes that seemed like hours, a third hen appeared just to our right. Not long after, two white heads poked under the fence and were headed our way out of the pasture. As soon as they saw the decoys, the birds went in and out of strut and walked right into the green where we needed them to be. E. had first dibs, and after he pulled the trigger, I swung to the second bird and downed him feet from his compadre. 2 birds for a "twin" double, and the day was over. After some heroes and PICS, we picked up my dad for a late morning hunt in the area I scouted the previous day. Even with all the birds I heard the day before, we couldn't get anything going for him today. With plenty of season left, and a few guys to take, things should get interesting.

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

Date: May 2nd, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Unknown

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Very good, multiple birds spotted in field strutting with hens.

Weather Conditions: 50-60's early. Clear and Sun. Pressure 29.90 in

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: What a great morning to be out scouting. Three different fields I have been scouting all season were holding good long beards in them. It is good to see that even after all of the hunting pressure, these birds are still utilizing the same fields. With a few people left to take this season, hopefully one of these spots will cash in next week.

Date: May 3rd, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Unknown

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Excellent, even with mor ehunitng pressure due to it being a Saturday, multiple birds spotted in field strutting with hens.

Weather Conditions: 50-60's early. Clear and Sun.

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: Although I missed out on the early morning gobble, I travcled out to areas that I didn't see many guys hunting. Results were promising with multipls birds out in the fields picking in the freshly tilled soil. One ood bird I ahve been watching all year, is still alive and well.

Date: May 5th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Moderate, a few gobbles heard

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Better than on the roost. Multiple birds heard and spotted.

Weather Conditions: 30's early up to low 70's. Clear and Sun.

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: After a timely meeting scheduled and an invite from good friend Rick Murphy, it wasn't hard to get me to take a vaction day. With a morning of turkey hunting and a afternoon of fishing for wild Brown Trout, the plans were set, Things started off slow in the AM, with birds heard but nothing going. After locating a big tom and with no luck at getting him away from his hen, we moved on to another area. Immediately, we were in the birds. After working our way around on them, we got set-up and let the party start. 6 birds were within 150 yards and they gobbled at every call. A little bit after a move up hill from Murphy on the call, the 4 jakes appeared but were hesitant to come any closer, and we had no time to set a decoy. After they disappeared, a long beard showed himself in the bottom of the field, with 2 hens just out front of him. After some hard calling by Murphy, he made the trek 500 yards uphill through the field to investigate. He got to the 50 yard mark, but was well on my right side, and got a little spooked when he didn't see the hen he was looking for. Ending the morning at 11:45, it was a great day in the turkey woods, even without bagging a long beard. Next we moved onto the trout stream and after a four mile hike, we tallied 23 wild Brown Trout and many good PICS for the scrapbook.

Wild Brown Trout

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

Murphy with a Great Fish

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

One of the Scenes Along the Way....

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

Date: May 7th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Low, only a few gobbles heard

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Good, a few birds spotted in the fields, but not as many as I have been seeing.

Weather Conditions: 40-50's early. Clear and Sun. Pressure 29.95 in and dropping

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: With Mike "Game Hogg" Bard coming to hunt with Erik and I for the weekend, the scout is on. The early morning gobble was slow, and I never spotted the birds I had been seeing day in and day out. Possibly, they are just slow today with the slightly higher barometric pressure and hunting pressure over the weekend, but I hope things turn on for Friday. I will spend the morning tomorrow in the field listening and trying to put the pattern on a good bird for the "Game Hogg". I will also be scouting this evening to try and get a better handle on one particular birds roost.

Date: May 8th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: NA

Bird Activity after Fly Down: With the heavy rain, the birds are out in the fields.

Weather Conditions: 50’s early. Cloudy and Rain

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: With a heavy downpour of rain this morning, the birds were in the fields hard. I spotted multiple fields holding birds for tomorrow's hunt with Mike, and gained permission on a new farm that looks loaded with jakes and gobblers. Things are looking very good for the AM.

Date: May 9th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Excellent up until fly-down

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Excellent, 19 gobblers and jakes within 125 yards of us on 2 farms

Weather Conditions: 50’s early up to 60. Cloudy w/ Light Rain

Results/Stats: Game Hogg- 21 lb's, 1 1/8" & 1 3/16" spurs, 9.5" beard

Notes: What an intense morning. It started off good with 9 birds in the field working their way towards us. As Mike lined up on the biggest bird in the group, out of nowhere, 2 long beards appeared at 20 yards to our left. They came in silent and were making a beeline for the decoys when Mike pulled the trigger. And then he pulled it again and again as the bird flew off and then ran across the field leaving us scratching our heads. The excitement and need to move quickly caused him to shoot over the birds head and leave us turkeyless in PA. Still being early, and with good spots left to hunt we cut across the edge of a wheat field in a heavily hunted area to get to the back corner. As we got almost into position, three long beards gobbled and strutted just 150 yards out in front of us. After some calling, scratching, and sliding back all to no avail, the birds moved off as 4 more birds moved. When they all got passed us and out of range, we made our way around the hill. Just as we got into position and began to set-up, the birds must have heard us working in the leaves and came to investigate. This time after being spotted, Mike wasted no time shooting the biggest one in the group and making the day even better than we could have hoped for. It was Mike's first turkey, and a true trophy with a set of ivory spurs to boot.

©David Rearick, Game Hogg Hunt Club

Date: May 15-16th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Moderate, constant rain is keeping the birds quite

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Gobbling is weak, but birds can be found in plowed fields.

Weather Conditions: 40’s-50's early. Cloudy and Rain

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: With a steady rain over the last few days, the birds have been hitting the fields. Hens seem to be going off to nest and lone gobblers can be spotted strutting and feeding while searching for a hen. It is a good time to get to the field and wait for them to come looking, if you have seen birds in the area. With tomorrow predicting similar weather, and a few birds located, I will be taking my father out all AM. Let's hope for the best!

Date: May 17th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Moderate, three or four birds heard gobbling randomly

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Good, but not overly responsive to the call until 7 AM

Weather Conditions: 40’s early up to about 50 by 7 AM. Partly Cloudy and Light Rain

Results/Stats: Dad bagged his first turkey 15 lb, 3/4 ” spurs, 5.5 inch beard

Notes: With a good few days of scouting behind us, and finally the opportunity for us to get my dad in the field, I was pumped and awoke even before the alarm stuck 3:45. We were quickly loaded in the car and headed to the field. I wanted to get there bright and early to avoid bumping any close roosting birds, and set-up my double bull blind for us to hunt from on the field edge. After seeing multiple birds here the past few days, i went with my cut and was determined to stick it out. With B- and She Mobile set in the field, I was ready to sit until 9 AM and then make a move, buy hopefully we would be done sooner. As the sun began to peak over the horizon and through the clouds in front of us, the first sounds of the morning broke the calm air with a sold hammer from a bird roosted 150 yards behind us, things were looking up.

After fly down, things got good, and then went silent. With a hen working behind us, a gobble sounded out and we did our best to coax him in. After waiting a bit and a stop in the rain, the birds lit up and it was evident we had 3-4 birds around us, all working our way. Erik did a good job of firing them up, and he was on point as the birds sounded like they were coming from his side. Soon after, he informed us two birds were in the field, and then changed the number to five. I told my dad to take his first opportunity, as we have had some mishaps in the past, and then quickly told him to hold off on the short beards in front of us as a long beard ran in from the back. Unfortunately, these birds spotted something, or maybe heard the heavy breathing and shaking coming from the blind, and putted him to a halt. I instructed and physically pointed my dad in the right direction, and he took his first spring gobbler and first turkey of his life. What a rush. After some PICS and some handshakes, he said that this may just be very addictive, and we walked the 1/2 mile out of the woods with 15 pounds of new weight on my father's shoulders. Another great turkey hunt on the year, and a few more left in the season.

Date: May 23rd, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: Moderate

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Unknown

Weather Conditions: 40’s early up to about 50 by 7 AM. Mostly Cloudy

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: Even though I am tagged out, I have still been scouting just in case I find someone else that wants to go. With fellow Game Hogg Bump coming down on Monday, I figured I would go out to one of my old spots and have a listen. Things are slow, but there are birds in the area. I will scout again Sunday night and see what is what.

Date: May 24th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: None

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Very slow

Weather Conditions: 40’s early up to low 60's. Partly Cloudy

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: Erik and I headed up to Jordan NY to hunt with Bard. I had absolutely nothing going where I was at, but they got into some birds. It was uneventful for me.

Date: May 25th, 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: None

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Only 3-4 gobbles heard

Weather Conditions: 40’s early up to 70's. Partly Cloudy

Results/Stats: Murph's Dad scored! 17 lb's, 3/4" spurs, 9" beard

Notes: I started out at the spot Murph and I had hunted in Southern NY earlier in the year. After not hearing anything on the roost, I made a move. I immediately heard a gobble and called back and forth with a hen who came in for a look. There was another bird just down in front of me, and when the hen got too close and spooked, so did the other bird. In the meantime, back where I was initially, Murph's dad had come looking for me and got in front of a nice tom who came to the call. We hunted a few other birds that were strutting in the fields the rest of the day, but ended up going home empty.

Date: May 26th 2008

Bird Activity on the Roost: None

Bird Activity after Fly Down: Only 1 gobble heard early, and then as the pressure rose, the birds began to gobble alot

Weather Conditions: 40’s early up to about 50 by 7 AM. Mostly Cloudy

Results/Stats: NA

Notes: What a great morning, except for the other hunters that made it difficult. We had three different opportunities where another hunter came in spooked the birds. One time 8 gobblers and jakes where 100 yards out and the other we had a bird gobble, spit and drum, and strut within 50 yards up over the rise. Being the last day, the pressure was on, and had we not had other guys in the area, we would have had a bird on the ground.