Failing big time with fall turkey hunt

[benCa]

Hi, new here, new to hunting.

I can't believe how unbelievably challenging it is to teach yourself to hunt.. That's what I love about it though.

I've only been hunting a few times; guided boar hunt which went great, and I'm fond of the infamous Mendel from Woodland's Hunt Club. So I've added dove, pheasant and duck to my dinner memories. I have enough equipment (just need a second job now apparently) to self-graduate now to a real hunt - where I have to put in the work.

I scouted Cleveland Forst all around Pamo valley; off-roaded every road except 1, and I've hiked around 30 miles in total, exploring Boden Canyon out to Sutherland. I've seen hundreds of turkeys in Pomo valley, where I can't hunt, and I think I saw some in Boden. So I went there.

Man, it's quite a hike to get into Boden too.. And it was 105 degrees there yesterday.

I didn't get squat. Actually, i'm getting the impression that fall turkey hunting can be tricky.

I know I'm not dealing with viagra laced Tom's here, nevertheless, I can do some calls, I got the decoy. I wonder if I'm wasting my time, countless hours, in this area of CNF.

1. Is the frustration normal, or do total newbs roll out to the country side and routine bring home a turkey?
2. Is this chunk of CNF fruitless? Should I scount more north towards Palomar or out east towards Santa Ysabel?
3. Is it normal that you do all of this alone here in California? I don't know a single person who hunts.

BTW, on my scouts, I've come across two groups of deer hunters. I don't think they did too well. I also, by accident, flushed out a covey of quail, and it was spectacular, just huge, and that was in the very north area of Boden, near CNF.

Oh, finally, I went to the CNF ranger office in RB, asked for help in narrowing down the turkey scouting.. they just smiled and said 'trade secret.' Um.. there's so man square miles and 3 separate districts! I don't want you to pin point anything, just tell if this huge area is a waste of my time or not, I'm just a mortal, with a career and kids! I can't just wonder all through CNF!

Thanks!

 

[Snake Charmer]

Fall turkey hunting is tough and by the way please don't take a hen. Spread your wings and look farther than where you have been.....

 

[ilovesprig]

Ben,

Welcome to SCH...We at NWTF don't promote or encourage folks to hunt fall turkeys here in San Diego Co. (That includes CNF)...Too many guys just shoot turkeys...So, hens are randomly shot...And every time a hen is shot, that's 12 less chances we will have to sustain our turkey population...We have 1/3 of the turkeys we once had here in SD Co.

If you want a more thorough explanation, please PM me...I will help you any way I can with your hunting endeavors....Steve

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Like Steve said, recommend skipping the fall season and hitting it in the spring. It's much more exciting then with the hot gobbling action and dispersed flocks. Unless you've really got it dialed in for the fall with splitting flocks and calling them back and all that, it's usually spot and stalk, which isn't like spring turkey hunting. Keep scouting and get an idea of where birds may work, then check back in February or early March when the flocks really disperse out.

 

[DMAX]

FREE TURKEY WITH $100.00 GROCERY PURCHASE WINCO MARKETS

 

[benCa]

Cool, thanks guys!

That is A OK by me, I'm in learning mode, and I'm happy to switch gears to quail. Going duck hunting to Wister this weekend. No idea what I'm doing there either, hope they let me camp there.. with a ridiculous 3AM reservation call!!

The spring time turkey hunt seems far more rewarding anyway, yes to calling in a Tom and instead of wandering the forests.. at 105 degrees.

 

[WaterDawg]

Wandering may seem like wasted time, but some of the best spots I have were discovered doing just that. Exploring is part of the process of elimination. Keep up the effort and you’ll find spots that are your own.

 

[benCa]

WaterDawg.. I absolutely LOVE the wandering anyway. Being out there for the sunrise, trudging back in the heat. Listening to the sounds. Not sure if I use hunting as an excuse to get outside or if I use hiking as an excuse to hunt. Doesn't matter! Can confirm though that if quail and/or mourning dove are your thing, MYSTERY PER TRADITION ain't too shabby... I fixated on CNF and MYSTERY because I live REDACTED, and the notion of driving 20 minutes to a hunt.. like a dream come true (I fled the Bay Area in 2019 and everything here is better than I thought, it's almost a different state)

 

[Hunt4lyf]

WaterDawg.. I absolutely LOVE the wandering anyway. Being out there for the sunrise, trudging back in the heat. Listening to the sounds. Not sure if I use hunting as an excuse to get outside or if I use hiking as an excuse to hunt. Doesn't matter! Can confirm though that if quail and/or mourning dove are your thing, ain't too shabby... I fixated on because I live right next , and the notion of driving 20 minutes to a hunt.. like a dream come true (I fled the Bay Area in 2019 and everything here is better than I thought, it's almost a different state)

Welcome to SCH Ben, it is surprising the amount of outdoor activities available to those in So Cal, one word of caution though is I would scrub those names of places from your posts, you may not like all the people who show up to your favorite spots, lots of people cruise these boards looking for people to name spots and then swarm them with their friends.

 

[ilovesprig]

Welcome to SCH Ben, it is surprising the amount of outdoor activities available to those in So Cal, one word of caution though is I would scrub those names of places from your posts, you may not like all the people who show up to your favorite spots, lots of people cruise these boards looking for people to name spots and then swarm them with their friends.

Totally agree about naming spots on an open forum...If these places weren't so popular already, they may have disappeared from your post.........

ps....This includes hunt sites at San J & Wister as well...Good luck

pss...No meeting this month or next month, but NWTF starts with monthly meetings again in January...4th Tuesday of the month at Hamburger Factory in Poway...Meetings start at 6:30 pm...We talk talk and most any other hunting or fishing subject.

 

[benCa]

Welcome to SCH Ben, it is surprising the amount of outdoor activities available to those in So Cal, one word of caution though is I would scrub those names of places from your posts, you may not like all the people who show up to your favorite spots, lots of people cruise these boards looking for people to name spots and then swarm them with their friends.

Done!

Yeah, hunters are social on forums - not in the woods! I saw two deer hunters and neither one was happy to see me - their faces turned from angst to smiles when I said I was out for turkey. I edited my post! All of this scouting work ain't gonna just be given away!

 

[HortoTheSlayer]

Keep at it man and welcome to the forum. Its definitely no walk in the park..This is my 4th season hunting and still trying to harvest my first Deer and Turkey..it definitely gets discouraging at times coming home empty handed but hunting has been a humbling experience for me. I've found plenty of tracks, sign and even got them on my trail cams but sometimes you just gotta be at the right place at the right time. Its nice to know they're out there just not when I'm around lol

Good luck at Wister!! It was slow last weekend when I went..I'll be trying to fill my D16 deer tag..got one last weekend to try and get it done!!

 

[benCa]

Good luck on that D16.

It is humbling. With fishing, you can blame luck. Weather. Stuff like that, but with hunting, you know you shoulder the failure. Which is also what I love. It is insane the work that goes into even the most basic things.

For example, on my first hunt, I hired a boar guide in Paso Robles. I had a new Tikka 6.5 creedmoor that was zeroed in and some hiking boots. He said "meet me at this gas station at 6PM and we'll head out."

We meet. He says "get your truck and follow me." I get into my Mazda.. because no where on his equipment list did it list "truck." I shot my first animal by 6:45 PM. My Mazda only had to go off-road for a few miles.

He then says, after we clean it, "get your cooler for the pig."

"Um cooler?"

Like the truck THAT WASN'T ON THE LIST!? That poor boar got thrown into his filthy truck bed where we took it to a butcher the next morning. Humbling.

I now have a truck and a cooler. But it seems like 10 steps forward and, if you're lucky, 9 steps back.