AL Spring Gobbler season, 2019 (part 1)

bamaranger · May 1, 2019, 11:16 PM

In years past I've run a day by day account of my season and it seemed well received. This year was a bit different for a variety of reasons, but I thought some paragraphs as a summary might be enjoyable for other spring gobbler hunters.

Weather played a role in this season more than recent years past. The first two weeks (30 March thru 12 April) yielded some heavy storm cells, we hit the local tornado shelter one night after the third siren! There were also some big temperature swings. The week of 8April-15April the temps reached 80F plus, on the morning of 20April, I had to break out wool fall clothing it was so darn cold and wet, maybe the low 40F's. Gobbling activity suffered as you might expect. The last two weeks of the season , 16-30 April, the weather came off much better and the birds got vocal as well.

I was seeing large flocks with multiple gobblers right up into the opening week, never a good situation if you're trying to call one up. Toms stayed with hens throughout the season it seemed, but the last week I expect many hens finally got on the nest steady and I heard, saw and called many toms, managed to shoot a few too! On 30April I flushed a hen off a nest, she had 15 eggs!

This year I hunted the whole season, darn near every day, say 26-27 days out of 30, often twice a day. On the days where the weather was bad, or I did not hunt for what ever reason, I managed to make a loop by vehicle on country roads glassing open fields/pastures , or listening for birds going to roost for the next AM. My bad hip gave me fits, I was eating anti-inflammatory's like they were breath mints and did more sit/wait hunting than I did run/gun. Thank heavens for a good ATV and a stout hornbeam walking stick. A good friend, now in his 70's, came down to hunt with me for a week, and the two of us made a pair I will tell you! Thunderbolt and Lightfoot! He can't hear or see worth a darn, and I can't hardly walk. Together we made up about half a good turkey hunter.

As usual, the birds that got away (and there were plenty this year) made better stories than the ones I killed. I'll relate a few of those tales in part two of this seasons narrative!!!

May 1, 2019, 11:16 PM	#1
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,300	AL Spring Gobbler season, 2019 (part 1) In years past I've run a day by day account of my season and it seemed well received. This year was a bit different for a variety of reasons, but I thought some paragraphs as a summary might be enjoyable for other spring gobbler hunters. Weather played a role in this season more than recent years past. The first two weeks (30 March thru 12 April) yielded some heavy storm cells, we hit the local tornado shelter one night after the third siren! There were also some big temperature swings. The week of 8April-15April the temps reached 80F plus, on the morning of 20April, I had to break out wool fall clothing it was so darn cold and wet, maybe the low 40F's. Gobbling activity suffered as you might expect. The last two weeks of the season , 16-30 April, the weather came off much better and the birds got vocal as well. I was seeing large flocks with multiple gobblers right up into the opening week, never a good situation if you're trying to call one up. Toms stayed with hens throughout the season it seemed, but the last week I expect many hens finally got on the nest steady and I heard, saw and called many toms, managed to shoot a few too! On 30April I flushed a hen off a nest, she had 15 eggs! This year I hunted the whole season, darn near every day, say 26-27 days out of 30, often twice a day. On the days where the weather was bad, or I did not hunt for what ever reason, I managed to make a loop by vehicle on country roads glassing open fields/pastures , or listening for birds going to roost for the next AM. My bad hip gave me fits, I was eating anti-inflammatory's like they were breath mints and did more sit/wait hunting than I did run/gun. Thank heavens for a good ATV and a stout hornbeam walking stick. A good friend, now in his 70's, came down to hunt with me for a week, and the two of us made a pair I will tell you! Thunderbolt and Lightfoot! He can't hear or see worth a darn, and I can't hardly walk. Together we made up about half a good turkey hunter. As usual, the birds that got away (and there were plenty this year) made better stories than the ones I killed. I'll relate a few of those tales in part two of this seasons narrative!!!