The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - My hunting curse-help!

Poodleshooter · November 13, 2001, 12:31 PM

I cannot seem to match seasons and game!
Saturday: The last day of the early VA turkey season. I'm using a 12gauge. I took my wife along to Goshen-Little North Mt. WMA on the pretext of "hiking". Towards the end of the day we hunted a nice long sloping draw that looked promising-lots of oaks, a small creekbed and plenty of cover at the top of the draw. I spook up three deer while busting brush at the top. While hunting the lower creekbed later in the day, I see 3 turkeys, but all have seen us and are running away. No chance of a shot. A wasted day other than discovering where the local turkeys are moving through.
Monday: The first day of western VA deer muzzleloading season. I decide to hunt the same draw/creekbed in a slow stalk fashion. During the course of 4 hours, I encounter at least 15 turkeys, in 3 seperate groups with ranges as close as 10yds due to use of the local terrain features. I drew a bead on 4-5 of them just for the practice. All of them are following the late season pattern I've established for the local turkeys. (I haven't been able to pattern the local deer other than that they seem to be totally nocturnal feeders).
I see deer during turkey season and turkeys during deer season!

November 13, 2001, 12:31 PM	#1
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	My hunting curse-help! I cannot seem to match seasons and game! Saturday: The last day of the early VA turkey season. I'm using a 12gauge. I took my wife along to Goshen-Little North Mt. WMA on the pretext of "hiking". Towards the end of the day we hunted a nice long sloping draw that looked promising-lots of oaks, a small creekbed and plenty of cover at the top of the draw. I spook up three deer while busting brush at the top. While hunting the lower creekbed later in the day, I see 3 turkeys, but all have seen us and are running away. No chance of a shot. A wasted day other than discovering where the local turkeys are moving through. Monday: The first day of western VA deer muzzleloading season. I decide to hunt the same draw/creekbed in a slow stalk fashion. During the course of 4 hours, I encounter at least 15 turkeys, in 3 seperate groups with ranges as close as 10yds due to use of the local terrain features. I drew a bead on 4-5 of them just for the practice. All of them are following the late season pattern I've established for the local turkeys. (I haven't been able to pattern the local deer other than that they seem to be totally nocturnal feeders). I see deer during turkey season and turkeys during deer season!