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Quick Update
Since posting the first season updates the other day, I have heard from a couple of other guys who are saying much the same thing. Birds everywhere are still flocked up, but as you head south, the big boys are starting to strut and gobble a little more.
In Kentucky, former OL intern Will Brantley, now with FLW Outdoors has been eyeballing a few strutters in a field he passes to work each day. He's heading out for his first official scouting mission this weekend and promises to let us know what he sees and hears.
Meanwhile, Brian Dowler with the NWTF in South Carolina, hit the woods again the other day and this time, heard a single bird gobbling from the roost. Where Dowler hunts, the season is still a few weeks away, but just one county over it opens next week--so as usual, it looks like Low Country hunters are going to be fighting flocked up birds for an open shot. That's some tough hunting, but not impossible.
Just work the hens in and hope the longbeard follows. If they get close, but no shot is presented, pull a page from your fall playbook and scatter the flock. I've killed several spring gobblers with that one.
Sam Klement, owner of Spectrum Outdoors, says the birds in south Alabama and south Georgia are also starting to strut and gobble, but then, they are still ganged up as well, though flocks are mixing and no longer restricted to the single-sex groups of winter.
In Florida, the season's cruising right along and chatter on several online message boards shows that the birds are gobbling well from the roost then shutting up on the ground. Why? They're flocked up, just like the S.C. birds will be. Just get out there as soon as you can and then hit the woods as often as you can.
Hawaii opened March 1 as well, but I haven't heard from anyone over on our 50th state.
Other seasons that will open this month include parts or all of the following states:
Alabama March 15
South Carolina March 15
Mississippi March 15
Georgia March 25
Louisiana March 25
California March 25
Nevada March 25
As for me, I head out for my first '06 hunt next week down in Florida where I will be joining some folks with Hunter's Specialties, Winchester ammo and Cabela's. More on that later.
Hunt Safe!
Doug, have you tried the Winchester Xtended Range Hi-Density Turkey Load? My buddy and I tried it last season. WOW. I had just gotten a new Browning NWTF BPS, and I didn`t even use my Comp-N-Choke. I used the X-full turkey choke that came with the shotgun. Did I mention wow? At 20 yards, the Shoot-N-See Turkey head target was just torn up. I only patterned back to 40 yards, and I was still putting 39 pellets in the kill zone. Then my buddy and I scored on a double, and my bird dropped at about 25 yards, and never flopped or flapped a wing. These are awesome.
Posted by: Greg Russell | March 09, 2006 at 03:02 PM
Do you hunt much with Ernie? Next time you talk to him tell him that I'm waiting for him to get here. He always comes to Northern Kentucky for opening weekend. Also I have met Steve Hickoff and was wondering if you could send me his e-mail address. He wrote a column on a turkey I killed a few years back and I haven't heard or seen him since. Thanks for the info. Good luck in Florida.
Posted by: Matthew Jones | March 16, 2006 at 07:47 PM