Yesterday I was working in the front yard and I hear a Turkey in the woods across the street. A few minutes later I hear it again. About a half an hour later, my wife was sitting on the porch "supervising" my work progress and we hear it again. This is the first time I have heard a turkey down here in Toms River. We see Deer practically every day but I did not think there were any Turkey in there. Too bad the area (600+ Acres) is posted as a wildlife sanctuary, so there is no hunting.

I am sooooo excited for spring turkey!!! YEAH!!!

 

I have been driving around and calling with my crow call just to see if I hear anything....

LOL!!

There was one trying to get through my neighbors fence last week.

So where do they come from, 5 years and never heard or seen any and all of a sudden they are 100 feet from my house?

So where do they come from, 5 years and never heard or seen any and all of a sudden they are 100 feet from my house?

 

Eggs John, they come from eggs.

So where do they come from, 5 years and never heard or seen any and all of a sudden they are 100 feet from my house?

 

Eggs John, they come from eggs.

:clap:

Thanks! :laughing-rolling:

Thanks! :laughing-rolling:

 

No problem!

Ok, i am not crazy. A few days ago, there was a turkey in our parking lot, on main st in downtown Marlboro. go figure.

I have to chase those bastards away. Counted 80 in my yard one day.

There have been several HUGE turkeys at Dix lately, mostly in the more remote areas in the north. There was a large flock for several years in the vicinity of Range 15, it was very difficult to avoid running them over sometimes

I have to chase those bastards away. Counted 80 in my yard one day.

 

You could make some extra money with a turkey farm ehh?

last few years i have noticed more and more turkeys.. I see more now than i ever seen..could be the affects of less predators and the lack of mosquito spraying..

The turkeys are tough bastards. They will see you from 100 yards away and know to leave the area, but you can also watch 4 of them in a row slip on the same patch of ice in the same way, so they are kind of dumb in that way.

You can call them in with a piece of slate. If you make short, fast circles on the smooth slate with the right kind of stick it sounds like clucking to them....

They are reproducing and spreading, so this should be a good season. I saw 100 of them on a hill out by swartswood state park the other day....

 

Happy Hunting!!!

They are reproducing and spreading, so this should be a good season.

 

I agree - and I would bet it has something to do with the recent climate weirdness.

I find it really interesting that in one area you may see a ton of different animals and a couple miles away in very similar surroundings you will see none. Growing up on my parents farm there was only one time that we had ever seen turkeys in the area. A couple miles away and I see and hear turkeys pretty often in my yard and surrounding woods.

 

last few years i have noticed more and more turkeys.. I see more now than i ever seen..could be the affects of less predators and the lack of mosquito spraying..

 

Less predators...? It seems like many people keep talking about coyotes and how many coyotes there are??? :confusion-confused: Personally I have never even seen a coyote in the wild! I'm curious as to whether or not the areas that I've noticed having more turkeys even have coyotes. I know they have foxes though.

I find it really interesting that in one area you may see a ton of different animals and a couple miles away in very similar surroundings you will see none. Growing up on my parents farm there was only one time that we had ever seen turkeys in the area. A couple miles away and I see and hear turkeys pretty often in my yard and surrounding woods.

 

last few years i have noticed more and more turkeys.. I see more now than i ever seen..could be the affects of less predators and the lack of mosquito spraying..

 

Less predators...? It seems like many people keep talking about coyotes and how many coyotes there are??? :confusion-confused: Personally I have never even seen a coyote in the wild! I'm curious as to whether or not the areas that I've noticed having more turkeys even have coyotes. I know they have foxes though.

 

 

There are alot of coyotes out there. Last winter at Swartswood I almost got ROLLED on by 2 coyotes who were trying to WORK me...it was nuts...I have never seen anything like that before.

We have all types of animals that are making their way into this state...they pic areas where they cant hunt. Montain lions usually will stay on hills, but wont pass up a running deer in the forest..its easy picking for them...Turkeys are creatures of habit, and are still spreading out in NJ after being almost wiped out and then reintroduced in 1977. Turkeys will always travel in groups, so that may explain your sighting patterns...

All I know is that I am getting ITCHY to go turkey hunting in a couple of weeks....

Predators follow the prey. The quantity of coyote and large cat sightings is up because the game populations are growing. Hunting in NJ was in steep decline until NJF&W introduced the home study course (as per their website).

Predators follow the prey. The quantity of coyote and large cat sightings is up because the game populations are growing. Hunting in NJ was in steep decline until NJF&W introduced the home study course (as per their website).

 

This is true, if you look at newjerseyhunter.com you will see lots of posts that begin..."new guy to hunting"

Hunting is the best...its a vacation without leaving the state, all time disappears...yet Im less than an hour from my house and have 5 bars of service while lost in the woods...its great...plus you can 'open carry' your shotgun, even cross a road and have some anti gun weirdo freak out and stop short for you without realizing that people actually hunt in NJ...LOL...

Anyway, that coyote got a fist of buck in the face, and the other one ran off when the gun went off...so much for preadtors vs 12 gauge...I called a state game number to report that I had shot a coyote and they told me dont worry about it.

One of my favorite visuals that happened over the last few years:

Picture this, 5 guys all cammo'ed out with guns slung on each mans shoulder. State Police cruiser rolls up as we are walking the road to go into the hunting area...State police guy was very friendly, big smile on his face as he sees us...State Police Guy "See anything?, Get anything?" Guy in my hunting party "No, we just got here, did you?" State Police guy "No I dont hunt, but good luck!" and off he went...VERY FRIENDLY...