Rate this season

For those turkey hunters with 5+ yrs of turkey chasing . . rate this season (1 = worst, 10 = best) as compared to those in the past.

Consider amount of gobbling heard, # of gobblers seen, how cooperative the birds were.
Try not to base your score strickly on your kill #.

For me, 2011 score = 2 (for reference, 2006 and 2007 were 8s)

. . should include what part of Texas you hunt.
Central / south of Abilene for me.

I would say a 0, but that's because I have no place to go this year

I rate this year an 8. I killed three birds. One was a monster. 11 inch beard, 23 lbs. and 1 1/4 inch spurs. Killed on that had a 9 inch beard, 19 lbs. and 1 inch spurs. The last was a jake with a 5 inch beard. Killed all the first 8 days of the season.

I would say a 7 think the hogs are really cutting the numbers in the areas I hunt

zip here, never got out

Another 10 southern Oklahoma.

we hunt north of Laredo. I would have to rate this season 4. we (my dad and i) usually tag out every year on the 1000 acre ranch we hunt that we have been hunting for over 15 years. This year we shot only 1 bird and only saw around 6-8 different mature birds which did not respond to calls at all. we heard very little gobbling. I would say it is the drought that has started to take its toll on the birds. On the plus side we did see around 30-50 Jakes this year which is good for seasons to come, but if we do not get some rain soon, we may not have any birds to hunt next.

For me.. not good, but hey I did call in a hen..took an hour.. but no shooting

It's been a pretty good year for us. I've taken two mature birds. I had some friends come down and hunt and they took two mature birds and 3 jakes. I have not been in a couple of weeks. Gonna give it a try sometime this week.

Was the first time in 4 years we have seen turkeys on our property! This time there was gobblers everywhere...

My customers took 5 birds on 8 hunts...had birds work us on the 2 of the 3 we didn't get any...

To rate I would say 8-9 on a 10 point scale.

Was tough several days due to high wind!

I was pleased with the season!

J.J.

0

I'd rate it a 2. Hunting south of Sonora and because of lack of moisture there was no nesting activity at all. Very little gobbling, very little response to calls relative to past years.

+1.

Brown, Commanche and San Saba Counties. There's been enough "Simple Jack" birds around that I've been able to get multiple birds for myself, kids and friends but this season is the most subdued I can ever remember.

Not wanting to hi-jack Perrito's thread but have any of you seen an increase in gobbling/breeding activity with the rain we've gotten the last week?

8, the gobblers are acting better than last year where I hunt in Eastland and Callahan County. Hunted one day in Mississippi and called in 5 last Saturday on the next to last day of season. 16 birds in so far this year 10 jakes and 6 long beards.

Hang in there are still a few weekends left and May in the past several years May been the best month for getting birds in.

I would say a 5. Not much gobbling at all the last 2 weeks and way less than other years. Our bird #'s are back up and we have tons of jakes so that's good. But as far as calling birds and hearing birds all day like usual it just didn't happen on my places.

I have 2 more hunts, I will let it be known in a couple more weeks.

This morning reminded me of some opening weekends. gobblers with hens and talking a lot until about 8:30. Still were with hens at 6pm. Fun time to be in the woods for sure

-2 Second year with no turkey...

-Matt

Best season ever. Hunted 7 days and got 4 birds.

Best season ever. I took two Toms and missed a third. Good times

Shot best bird this year, tagged out, got to hunt 5 days with my best friends of over 30 years, got to hunt 3 days with my dad, and got to hunt 2 days with my wife and stepdaughter. So I guess it was my best season.

Seen a hugh tom last weekend, couldn't get a shot though, last weekend, last chance. Good luck to the one's that are going.

Leaving right now for the only hunt I was able to make this spring season. Not sure where the time went, but better late than never. My hunting partners have not hunted this spring season either, so it should be a sanctuary for the birds from the pressure on surrounding ranches.

My son got his first tom the first year on my cheap lease (and I scored a couple of weeks ago). Can't complain, but since I'm new to the lease I can't rate it against the average year.

One thing I can say, of the eight guys on my year round lease I'm the only one that hunted turkeys this year! It's a bonus being on that kind of lease with a bunch of deer-only hunters...

Southern Oklahoma. Best season ever for me because I had the best hunt of my life, but only got one bird. Had three hunts on a new place that was real thick. All hunts had very close encounters and I connected on the last day. Called one across the Red River from the Texas side to Oklahoma. Two hour chase and I got him 20 feet from me in the thick river bottom. Two local hens played nice and acted as decoys.

Would have been a great season, but was unable to go the first 2 weekends; then the land was hit hard by the Zephyr fire. Birds headed out. Should be even better next year and this fall too.

Brown Co.

Saw a few birds in Fayette Co. at the house/feeder, but mainly wanted to attract them there and hope some would nest somewhat closer.

well, got a bird opening morning, then SHUT OUT the rest of the season, soooooo all in all not bad, but coulda been better

It was a 10 for me but I only went on one hunt. The birds were calling everywhere and responding. A buddy and myself got two each.

I would have to say a 4. I heard plenty of gobblers and even saw a couple, they were just hened up all 3 weekends I went. Last year was even worse, but 2010 I'd say was a 12:called in 5 birds, 2 for me and 3 for others and we killed all 5!

...Oh, I'm north of Menard.

10
Onu hunt, chased birds, bird down in 20 minutes.

WORST SEASON in 16 years! enuff said.....

I would rate this season a 8. Heard and saw alot of birds. Had them walking thru camp past camp and this was just before season opened. I got 2 toms within 10 seconds of each other. I hunt just outside of Strawn.

I hunted in Uvalde and killed two nice Rios. It was a great time.
I love to hunt Rios in Texas. I try to come any chance I can. Here are two Gobblers.

I only went hunting once.. only saw one hen.. Thats it.. so a bust for me.

it was hard but very rewarding. got 4 in the panhandle and 2 out of state up north. very blessed. lot of competition on public ground. guys walking around with headlamps on at legal, guys running and gunning on top of other people, very loud bad calling..... so on and so on. got on a private place it was a total change. turkeys acted like turkeys. id give the public side a 4 because i still saw birds. private side a 10. but boys we need some friggin rain....

Guess i got to say a 8, not my best season ever, but my second best, even though it was a hard season in Louisiana I killed 2 3yr olds, 2 days in KS, 2 birds, 2 1/2 days in Neb, 1 bird, left for a spot in north Texas at 8pm one night drove 540 miles, hunted all day, seen 48 birds, kileed 3 birds, thought i had 4, and could have shot another if i had known it, left Texas at 9pm that night, drove 540 miles back home, been to Texas 5 times and had never killed a bird, so I should really say a 10, but hope to go back next year, all driving was done by myself, nobody went with me, but did meet up with a buddy in Neb, hope next year is this good

Id say a 10+++ but then again I'm around PK with no feed and no rain and half the county burned up. I pulled up in my truck to fill my feeder and scared off about twenty turks with some big deer aswell. Then just last weekend went Hog hunting and saw nothing but turkey.