@Steelhead707 did a great job describing the morning weather here in the SF Bay Area on yesterday's opener. Here in Clayton, Ca, the turkeys don't appear until the fog burns off enough for them dry.
So sleeping in was the order of the day, a luxurious 8:30 am start for my friend Eric and myself. The game camera was showing birds walking through our area around 10:30 am, plenty of time to set our pop up dog blind and two deke's.
The past weeks rain and moist mornings has greenery popping up everywhere, a nice change from the brown dusty landscape from the months of drought. The problem with the weather is the affect it has on the birds- when there is water and food everywhere, they've no restrictions.
The drought really seems to have depleted the number of poults and jakes are sparse. In past years, turkeys could be described as almost a plague. This year, they were were more limited in numbers and worked hard to remain concealed. When the numbers were large, the horse ranches and larger properties in unincorporated Contra Costa County had many owners fed up with the damage, excrement and general mayhem large flocks of out sized birds can bring to ones property. Access to hunt them on private property is pretty good but the property's aren't often conjoined well enough to pursue them. The best way to get your limit is to interdict their known travels. The weather upsets the apple cart a little, but hard work will get you an opportunity eventually.
Eric had driven an hour to come out give the hunt a try and we set him up in a comfortable chair with a view of the grounds below. This time of year, the birds don't call or talk much. They will make their "puck, puck" sounds when alerted or nervous- hearing that means you've probably been spotted and better freeze solid.
Eric put the time in, stopping at noon-thirty. We had air rifles so engaged in a little target shooting on the property, knowing that his Redwolf in .177 wouldn't alert anything. We were surrounded by leaf blowers, harleys rumbling and chickens squawking- the 40 ft/lb English work of art made less noise than a muffled Subaru door closing.
We left the area, stopping in the same area at another property where Eric killed a monster bird last year. There were 5 + birds milling around the property line, and I promised him I'd save him the first crack at them- he had a birthday party for one of his children to attend that afternoon.
I returned at 2:30 pm, not with much hope, but knowing that the birds weren't going to come to me if I stayed home- and there was a perfectly good blind and two decoys to work out of, already setup .
I had to leave George the wonder dog at home; the blind was large enough for us both until George gets the proverbial hair up his butt. Then, the state of California can't contain his energy, kinda ruining the whole idea of a blind.
I had a good book too, like @Steelhead707 (but not as good as "A helmet for my pillow"- highly recommend you read this one!) and settled in. Being in the country is plenty of entertainment, and I can sit and enjoy the smells, sounds and cloud watch for hours.
Well, lets quit rambling and get to the results: https://youtu.be/SdN0QKCHR4s
There is a nice bird all dressed in the frig and the it's going into the crock pot tomorrow. Our house is going to smell t-rrefic by 5:00 pm!
The quiet air guns don't blow the flocks apart- I remained concealed after shooting, until the flock has moved on, leaving them to resume their pattern again as the season goes on, giving us access to them again and again. Hope to drill a few more before the window closes and I'll bring those stories here if successful
So sleeping in was the order of the day, a luxurious 8:30 am start for my friend Eric and myself. The game camera was showing birds walking through our area around 10:30 am, plenty of time to set our pop up dog blind and two deke's.
The past weeks rain and moist mornings has greenery popping up everywhere, a nice change from the brown dusty landscape from the months of drought. The problem with the weather is the affect it has on the birds- when there is water and food everywhere, they've no restrictions.
The drought really seems to have depleted the number of poults and jakes are sparse. In past years, turkeys could be described as almost a plague. This year, they were were more limited in numbers and worked hard to remain concealed. When the numbers were large, the horse ranches and larger properties in unincorporated Contra Costa County had many owners fed up with the damage, excrement and general mayhem large flocks of out sized birds can bring to ones property. Access to hunt them on private property is pretty good but the property's aren't often conjoined well enough to pursue them. The best way to get your limit is to interdict their known travels. The weather upsets the apple cart a little, but hard work will get you an opportunity eventually.
Eric had driven an hour to come out give the hunt a try and we set him up in a comfortable chair with a view of the grounds below. This time of year, the birds don't call or talk much. They will make their "puck, puck" sounds when alerted or nervous- hearing that means you've probably been spotted and better freeze solid.
Eric put the time in, stopping at noon-thirty. We had air rifles so engaged in a little target shooting on the property, knowing that his Redwolf in .177 wouldn't alert anything. We were surrounded by leaf blowers, harleys rumbling and chickens squawking- the 40 ft/lb English work of art made less noise than a muffled Subaru door closing.
We left the area, stopping in the same area at another property where Eric killed a monster bird last year. There were 5 + birds milling around the property line, and I promised him I'd save him the first crack at them- he had a birthday party for one of his children to attend that afternoon.
I returned at 2:30 pm, not with much hope, but knowing that the birds weren't going to come to me if I stayed home- and there was a perfectly good blind and two decoys to work out of, already setup .
I had to leave George the wonder dog at home; the blind was large enough for us both until George gets the proverbial hair up his butt. Then, the state of California can't contain his energy, kinda ruining the whole idea of a blind.
I had a good book too, like @Steelhead707 (but not as good as "A helmet for my pillow"- highly recommend you read this one!) and settled in. Being in the country is plenty of entertainment, and I can sit and enjoy the smells, sounds and cloud watch for hours.
Well, lets quit rambling and get to the results: https://youtu.be/SdN0QKCHR4s
There is a nice bird all dressed in the frig and the it's going into the crock pot tomorrow. Our house is going to smell t-rrefic by 5:00 pm!
The quiet air guns don't blow the flocks apart- I remained concealed after shooting, until the flock has moved on, leaving them to resume their pattern again as the season goes on, giving us access to them again and again. Hope to drill a few more before the window closes and I'll bring those stories here if successful
