Give me hope

[ThisIsAmerica]

All I want is a little hope.. Hope that I can still bag a
Turkey on public land this season. I've gone 2 seasons of endless scouting/hunting. This season alone I've put in well over 250+ hours in the last 4-5 months and hiked every endless foot of Boulder creek/Eagles peak/random Julian areas.. I even checked out palomar mountain one day to get a quick laugh in. I never knew what "bushwhacking" really meant til this season. I've had to put up with complaint after complaint from my gf mile after mile this season of "my feet hurt" "I'm tired" "we'll never find a turkey.." Hahaha if anyone deserves a little hope this season please let it be me. I'm starting a sheriff/co academy in January and will have no time to hunt for quite a while. I would like to put my gear and shotgun away at the end of this season knowing there was a reason I got up countless of times at 2am. Anyway enough complaining I'm sure you guys don't want to hear it, I've read enough of people getting bashed for asking where the hot spots are at, all I'm asking is a basic general area like "I got a turkey near Julian on public land yesterday" or something like that.. Or hey if you don't mind sharing something sweet, I won't deny a PM haha. Anyways, have a good day! Take care and God bless

 

[TaftHunter]

Damn that's a lot of work for a turkey. I've only seen maybe 5 turkeys on public land, that public can actually get to. Seen quite a few on land locked public... Not much a turkey hunter. Goodluck!

 

[wiley]

mostly because people put those names of places out on the internet and they are just over hunted now,thats why most won't do it.... a few years ago there was another good spot near julian till someone put a you tube video up naming the exact spot he found turkey at, Po'ed alot of guys that hunted there regularly..

Turkey on public land is one of the toughest hunts, especially in the Fall, I got Lucky and got one last spring on my 2nd trip and on my way out I ran into another hunter that said he had been hunting turkey for 16 years and still don't have one to his credit but he Enjoys the time out just the same, but i tell you what once he gets one he will enjoy it a whole lot more than i did and i was Pumped

try and setup next to private land and catch them coming or going, thats the advice i got

Enjoy your time in the woods man, beats sitting on the couch thinking of hunting any day

 

[ThisIsAmerica]

Damn that's a lot of work for a turkey. I've only seen maybe 5 turkeys on public land, that public can actually get to. Seen quite a few on land locked public... Not much a turkey hunter. Goodluck!

Right?! i really want to get into deer hunting with a rifle or compound bow, I'm using these unsuccessful trips to learn a little bit about deer as well before I buy a tag for my own, I see deer all the time on public land.. If only turkeys followed after them.

 

[ThisIsAmerica]

mostly because people put those names of places out on the internet and they are just over hunted now,thats why most won't do it.... a few years ago there was another good spot near julian till someone put a you tube video up naming the exact spot he found turkey at, Po'ed alot of guys that hunted there regularly..

Turkey on public land is one of the toughest hunts, especially in the Fall, I got Lucky and got one last spring on my 2nd trip and on my way out I ran into another hunter that said he had been hunting turkey for 16 years and still don't have one to his credit but he Enjoys the time out just the same, but i tell you what once he gets one he will enjoy it a whole lot more than i did and i was Pumped

try and setup next to private land and catch them coming or going, thats the advice i got

Enjoy your time in the woods man, beats sitting on the couch thinking of hunting any day

16 years?! When he finally bags one It better be the best bird he's ever eaten lol, hopefully its not on an insect only diet. Thanks for the advice and kind words, you're right for sure! A day unsuccessful but in the peaceful woods beats most others weekends, take care and God bless

 

[Sdbirds]

Dude you have no idea and it sounds like your starting just like me. I only started turkey's because we Couldn't wait till sept1st. Pre euros ant least in big numbers. Any way I knew so little I was hunting them like quail. Same zones as you named they are there keep looking just keep learning. All the hours spent make your first sweeter

Long story short i started there got pretty good at killing them now. At it 8 ish years now still learning I'll do a count later but I'm somewhere around 20 that called in for me and my friends all on public land besides two

 

[D16hunter]

I'm gonna say it you've given it your damnddest it sounds like but turkeys are hard to kill in the fall and only a little bit easier to kill in the spring it's hard to know the areas they are in if you didn't hunt them when they were vocal in the spring and even then it's not easy. I hadn't seen a single bird in almost a month until today and it was a flock of 20 or so hens and half a dozen toms but you can't hunt em their. I'd say just try to find their roosts and try to get in their in the dark and get within range for fly down.

 

[ilovesprig]

Well you picked one of the hardest birds to get in the fall.....Most taken on public aren't even the targeted species and the luck factor is most prevalent. We feel that part of the demise of the turkeys in the San Bernardino NF was because quail hunters shot them when they were 1st introduced there. At that time, San Diego Co. did not allow a fall season..... Our turkeys took off. The SBNF birds did not.

I hunt turkeys most everyday during the spring. And have a ton of friends who hunt turkeys.....I can't think of one that has shot a turkey in the fall in SD.....And to be honest, most wouldn't anyway, if given the opportunity (hens).

The other problem you have is that turkeys get fed on private properties. And in a drought like we're in, permanent water is common......Like others of said. Hunt near known private property with turkeys. Spring time is a whole other ball game because of spring dispersal. And the fact, you can call gobblers from long distances. Not the case in the fall and winter flock-up.

Good luck

 

[ThisIsAmerica]

Thank you to everyone who replied for your advice, the community on this forum is very helpful and informative and I see myself being a member for the long run. Since I started this thread I've been out another 3 times. I plan to finish the season tomorrow after one more hunt, except this time I plan on going to Big Bear, a little different than my usual trips to the CNF. I am planning on proposing to my girlfriend tomorrow and couldn't think of a better excuse to get her outdoors with me again for the third time this week than the excuse to hunt for turkey one last time lol. Any advice or tips would be much appreciated! (Trails, areas, don't do it, etc.. Lol) What I'm imagining in my head is a beautiful trail and backdrop, maybe a little snow, a lot of wild life.. A turkey would just be a very unexpected bonus, tomorrow's really not about that anyways haha. If anyone could give me any tips before tomorrow on where to go it would be GREATLY appreciated, because all I know is "maybe" there's some good areas north of big bear lake/fawnskin.. Hope everyone's having a good day! Thanks for reading, take care and God bless!

 

[TaftHunter]

That's awesome man! Good luck

 

[Lungpopper]

Congrats. Don't set a date during hunting season.

 

[M_juttner]

We feel that part of the demise of the turkeys in the San Bernardino NF was because quail hunters shot them when they were 1st introduced there. At that time, San Diego Co. did not allow a fall season..... Our turkeys took off. The SBNF birds did not.

There is still a old wise tell that a flock of turkeys still lives in the SBNF some have seen them on sugar loaf and blue ridge before

 

[TonyS]

M_juttner,

Sssshhhhhhhhh. Not a word.

 

[ilovesprig]

We feel that part of the demise of the turkeys in the San Bernardino NF was because quail hunters shot them when they were 1st introduced there. At that time, San Diego Co. did not allow a fall season..... Our turkeys took off. The SBNF birds did not.

There is still a old wise tell that a flock of turkeys still lives in the SBNF some have seen them on sugar loaf and blue ridge before

I know there were some near Fawnskin.......I hope your right about the other spots.......The biologist for that area attends my super bowl party.......He says he hasn't heard or see one in a long time.

 

[Baldkrash]

Awesome, I proposed to my wife on a hike in Big Bear too! Let us know how it went.

 

[NBK]

Awesome, I proposed to my wife on a hike in Big Bear too! Let us know how it went.

Congratulations!

 

[Baldkrash]

Awesome, I proposed to my wife on a hike in Big Bear too! Let us know how it went.

Congratulations!

it was long time ago, been married 17 years now, but thanks. I think everyone who gets engaged on a hike in Big Bear stays married forever. ;D