# A sad day for turkeys and ethical hunters around Bald Mountian State Rec.



## Mr. Botek (Mar 15, 2011)

I'm in agreement with you on all of your other stances Ben. Good luck and wishing you continued outdoor enjoyment! 

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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

Mr. Botek thanks man you had the best advice on this, using a locator wont educate the birds nearly as much as using the actual calls. And to everyone that gave me **** about calling on state land and educating the birds, its legal, its state land and obviously theres a much more serious issue going on there with birds poached so sounds like that area was ruined before i went out to get some excitement, knowledge and confidence out of my calling. The way i look at it is, whos gonna sight in theyre gun at theyre honey hole hunting spot when u can go to a public place, and the only other spot i can practice my calling/talk to birds would be state land. Its alot closer to where i live then where ill be hunting thats why i went there, and yeah sorry about your luck if you cant find a better spot then state land because i will continue what i do. State lands already over pressured and abused so im sure me going out and hitting a couple calls a week before season isnt gonna hurt anything, if you think so dry your eyes and sharpen up your skills cause i know im not the only one that does this.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Before










After










Yelped this bird up this Thursday evening for the pic.. Yelped him up again Friday.. Left Sat evening for another destination.. Sal yelped him up in the same spot and killed him today in 15 minutes.. Letting my stomach settle at the moment..


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

I shouldnt let these responses get to me, gotta take the good with the bad, i guess i see how it would piss of those who only have the public land to hunt. But ill be honest im not gonna say that i wont ever call on public land before season again. Matter of fact FireFighter id love to come blow some calls around your spot, i can take the other negative replys but yours were a little overboard. You over exaggerated saying let me come to your spot and call for a week straight the week before season, i did this once. Right from the pulloffs i barely went into the woods. And 2, who are you calling a rookie? 5yrs in a row, every season that ive purchased a tag ive filled it with a bird with a 9in up to 12in beard, i wouldnt say im a rookie. A little lucky maybe because i know im not the best caller, but seems to work. Good luck to everyone but the fireman


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

> Yelped this bird up this Thursday evening for the pic.. Yelped him up again Friday.. Left Sat evening for another destination.. Sal yelped him up in the same spot and killed him today in 15 minutes.. Letting my stomach settle at the moment..


Congratulations, looks like a good one! Still those birds out west are a lot less educated than the ones around here. I don't think you would repeat that calling result over a few days on the same bird here in the Bald Mountain Recreation area during the 3rd or 4th hunt period, certainly not yelping him in.


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

> i guess i see how it would piss of those who only have the public land to hunt.


Sorry we pissed you off but your wrong on that point. I have over 250 acrea's of primo private, managed land loaded with turkeys where I deer hunt and I choose to hunt public land around here because there are big enough tracks to truly turkey hunt and it's a lot more rewarding. We have quality turkey hunting now and many of us hope to keep it that way so it doesn't get like deer hunting in much of MI.


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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

the point of this thread has gotten totally lost...him calling pales in comparison to the fact that he found two poached birds...



im not bashing, but i beg you to call and report this..its never too late..i do hunt this area on occasion and this stuff makes me sick...its our duty as sportsman to weed out those who would call themselves hunters, yet continue to soil our image...do whats right man...


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## jem44357 (Jan 27, 2011)

Just for the record I do not do any preseason scouting anymore. I have not for years, unless you count the previous years hunting season. I have learned over the years by the time I hit the woods the whole scene is completely different. I hunt the last hunt/southern lower

So if calling to birds preseason educates them to be impossible to kill I should have never shot a turkey as I have chose to hunt the last hunt for 25 years which means many hunters have called to "MY" birds :smile-mad. I hunt a very heavily hunted and hiked area of state land. I have personally hunted the same bird(s) for multiple years and patterned them for others to kill and myself. In the process of doing this I am sure I educated them. My response to their increased knowledge was to hone my hunting/calling skills to lure them in again. My hunting party has many thick long birds with full fans hanging on our walls... They are not just jakes or bearded hens.

BTW anyone interested in educating some birds in the area I hunt I would welcome you to do so. I would love the challenge of pitting my hunting/calling skills against your attempts to foil them.

Also you should report it so it can be investigated if they care to do so.

Jim


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

EdB said:


> Congratulations, looks like a good one! Still those birds out west are a lot less educated than the ones around here. I don't think you would repeat that calling result over a few days on the same bird here in the Bald Mountain Recreation area during the 3rd or 4th hunt period, certainly not yelping him in.


I normally do not yelp them up.. Its the influence of predators in the woods two legged or four that shuts turkeys down, not calling..  Turkeys are vocal 365 days a year. 

As far as the western vs Eastern birds.. I have hunted Merriams that are as tough as any Eastern and have hunted Easterns that are easier than most merriams..

As far as pressure.. Where I am at right now has a bunch of it.. The road leading to the forest looks like a high way.. About every other walk in trail has a truck.. WE have seen plates from numerous states.. The road has went from smooth to a complete waffle board.


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## bigmac (Nov 28, 2000)

The way these threads spin out of control is hillarious...no... it's a shame. Hey!!!!turkeys have wings! How about those Red Wings huh? anyone.... huh?...anyone?


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Hmm. I guess i fall into the unethical category. I talk to turkeys year round public and private. I got a tom coming into the yard every day now. I understand what some of you guys are saying, but, i sure dont see it as unethical.


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## Jigin-N-Grinin (Jan 22, 2008)

I got up this morning with my son @ 5 am. We headed to 2 different woodlots we and others also can hunt. Stepped out of the truck at each one (over 200 yards away) and fired up the shaker to let out a couple gobbles. Sure enough....we got responses from multiple toms. The boy was smiling all the way to school babbling on about plans for the upcoming Monday opener. Been doing this for years as my scouting technique. Get them to respond.....confirm they are there.....get the heck out of there. 

Some of you freeks need to get a grip and back off other peoples LEGAL tactics .....these are turkeys we are talking about. When 10, 11 or 12 year olds can kill mature birds at 15 yards away....do you really think they are as smart as you guys give them credit for. 

Oh yea, I agree the OP shoud have called the DNR. Good luck to everyone this season


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## Jigin-N-Grinin (Jan 22, 2008)

SteelEFever04 said:


> Good luck to everyone but the fireman


:lol: I have to say Fireman.......you had that comin :lol:


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## FireDoc66 (Oct 9, 2005)

So Ded, I am assuming that those delicious looking morsels on that plate are from a bird that Sal shot and not the one that made it only 11 out of 12? :evil:


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

FireDoc66 said:


> So Ded, I am assuming that those delicious looking morsels on that plate are from a bird that Sal shot and not the one that made it only 11 out of 12? :evil:


12 for 12.. Killed one this morning. .


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## FireDoc66 (Oct 9, 2005)

........

Sweet! Congrats!


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

i didnt know theres any open season for turkeys right now..? Isnt the 23rd the first hunt? If im wrong maybe the birds i seen dead were killed legally, still why was one left to rot and the other bird all that was left was feet with 1in spurs.. im pretty dang sure theres no open season in this area though. 

Good news and the end of this thread, Just got off the phone, i reported the dead turkeys i found to the dnr, theres a officer in the area going to check it out. Not much further info but i did what i could and hopefully theyll hang around and catch whoever did such a thing.


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

SteelEFever04 said:


> im pretty dang sure theres no open season in this area though.


The tribal turkey season started on the 15th.


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## bassburner (Jan 6, 2011)

Yea you did!!! Man you might want to wipe your tears. You pretty much called the guy stupid, whats wrong with you. Good luck to everyone as well and I can not wait to get in the woods and see some long beards.


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## bassburner (Jan 6, 2011)

Jigin-N-Grinin said:


> :lol: I have to say Fireman.......you had that comin :lol:


Meant to quote this.


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## CVG (Oct 14, 2009)

Seen the same birds and did report them to the DNR also someone has broken all the gates in the area makes for a good use of our tax dollars because of all the damage along with the poaching


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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

srconnell22 said:


> The tribal turkey season started on the 15th.


 this area isnt covered in the tribal zone scotty. so these birds where absolutely poached...

good job making the call.(finally..LOL!)..cant undo the kill, but with any luck this will draw the CO to pay a little more attention to the area to prevent other idiocy.


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## blood trail (Mar 31, 2010)

flockshot said:


> the point of this thread has gotten totally lost...him calling pales in comparison to the fact that he found two poached birds...
> 
> 
> 
> im not bashing, but i beg you to call and report this..its never too late..i do hunt this area on occasion and this stuff makes me sick...its our duty as sportsman to weed out those who would call themselves hunters, yet continue to soil our image...do whats right man...


Best post of this thread Adam!b
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## buck37 (Aug 8, 2002)

I'm glad you made the call. poaching is uncalled for! As for you people calling before season. Yep its legal, I wouldn't call it unethical. Do it if you want, but I believe your not doing yourselves any favors. The birds do get educated. Hunt away and good luck.


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## Bux-n-Dux (Dec 18, 2009)

I'm about 99% sure that the dnr station is right on Greenshield Road in Bald Mtn where the OP said he was. Plus that's a pretty well traveled road. Pretty ballszy of some dirt bag to poach there.


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

CVG said:


> Seen the same birds and did report them to the DNR also someone has broken all the gates in the area makes for a good use of our tax dollars because of all the damage along with the poaching


There's some real scum bags out there for sure. They cut the gates off near the state land by my house and tossed out 1960's styled coaches(Oakland county).
I say always call the dnr whenever there's abuse of our natural resources. One of these days I hope to catch the POS in action!

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## backstrap bill (Oct 10, 2004)

Bux-n-Dux said:


> I'm about 99% sure that the dnr station is right on Greenshield Road in Bald Mtn where the OP said he was. Plus that's a pretty well traveled road. Pretty ballszy of some dirt bag to poach there.


 real ballzy!


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