Since the turkey hunting season started today I will take a shot (no pun intended) at some field reporting for you from Door County, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin's spring turkey hunt runs for 6 weeks and a hunter is allowed a 5 day period for one of those weeks.  The first week started on Wednesday, April 12 and runs through Sunday, April 16.  Subsequent weeks run from Wednesday through Sunday.  Hunting hours are from daybreak to 5:00 p.m.  The tags are only good for male birds.  No hunting is allowed on Monday and Tuesday of each week.  Each hunter's tag is good only for one specified week.

Early scouting trips indicated that the flocks had increased and several flocks of 15 - 30 or more birds were seen routinely. 

Hubby's tag was for the opening week and he headed out early this morning.  By approximately 6:20 a.m. he heard turkeys leaving their roosts and moving in his direction.  He was sizing up several nice jakes when he heard a tom gobble in the brush.  It took about 10-15 minutes of calling and waiting when the tom stepped out of the brush and into range.  At 8:00 a.m. he had harvested a very respectable 21 pound bird with an 11 inch beard and 3/4" spurs.   Stopped in at one of three registration stations to register the bird at 10:00 a.m., and had the 3rd. bird registered so far.

It looks like it might be a very promising season, however my tag is for the 5th. week of May 10-14.  Hoping the birds are still responsive to the call at that time.

kishka - Door County, Wisconsin

Tuesday p.m., the eve before my 5 day turkey hunt.  I spent the evening going over my hunting equipment one last time, taking a few more practice shots at the target, finished packing the hunting bag and filling my quiver with my hunting arrows (the practice tips won't do much good in the field). 

The alarm went off at 4:00 a.m., I had no trouble getting up.  Time for a quick cup of coffee before heading out to my stand.  I had scouted my area pretty thoroughly and had picked about 4 locations which looked promising.  I had about a 15 minute hike to get to the stand; then set my decoys and get concealed in the stand.  I was now ready.  It wasn't long before I heard the first gobble, but it sounded too far off.  I called back and listened.  Nothing ... then another faint gobble.  Worse yet it sounded like they were moving away from me.  That meant they were probably heading to the freshly seeded corn field to the west of me, not through my stand area to the south field.  So I gave a few more calls just to be certain then decided to pack up and head to my alternate stand, west of where I had started and in the direction I had last heard the gobble.  I got set up again and called several times.  Nothing, nothing and more nothing.  My guess was they had gotten out to the field before I had gotten set up and started calling.  Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse it started to rain, and I do mean rain.  I headed back to the house and was thoroughly drenched by the time I arrived.  That was it for the season opener, it rained the rest of the day.  But, it was only Wednesday, I had 4 days left.  Set the alarn for 4:00 a.m. again. 

kishka - Door County, Wisconsin