# June hunting



## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Well, if last night was any indicator for the first week of June, those of you trying to fill a tag the last week of hunting should have some birds willing to work. You do, however, need to find them because they are moving miles each day for the last week (at least in my area of KZoo county).

I called a flock of 2 hens, 4 jakes and 2 Tom’s 500 yards across an untilled cornfield last night. It took 2 hours but once the temps started to drop the hens committed.

My son and I were tucked into a hedgerow and hidden well, and I got them to a small water hole at 50 yards. My son does not shoot TSS, he used Winchester Doible X #6, and didn’t want to push a shot.

The birds moved thru the hedgerow and into the field behind us. My 16yo son then crept through the hedgerow until he entered the field. The birds were facing away from him the entire time, which was perfect, and I stayed in the hedgerow to give him directions.

He proceeded to use the tall grasses to his advantage to belly-crawl, military-crawl, bear-crawl and outright stalk to within 30 yards of the dominant tom - the only problem was it took so long that his season expired 10 min before he got close enough. 

This property is pretty much in the middle of nowhere so he could have shot and nobody would have known, but he ate his tag. On the walk back to the car he said it was the best hunt he’s ever had (yes, very happy and proud Dad moment).

Bottom line - if you find them, the birds are very workable right now and the weather (at least in the SLP) looks fantastic for the next 7 days.

So fire up the Thermocell, spray some Repel or Off, have some fun and good luck!


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

I have a question I believe you will know the answer.
My friend shot a turkey on Sunday that had 10 hens in tow with him.
Are these hens that are too young to breed? It seemed like a lot of hens this late in the breeding cycle.


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

No idea, that’s quite an inordinate number of hens to see in one flock this late in the season. 

That many hens there is almost surely a good mix of young hens and older hens, and most probably lost their first nest.

If he’s anywhere near ag fields, when the crews start tilling or taking the first cut of crop, you can see a large number of hens dispersed from their first nest - but usually not that many. Perhaps there was a very bad weather event - it happened in my area in mid-May 2020, when we got like 6” of rain in 24 hrs. I saw more hens in late May and early June that year than I knew existed.

Or - he’s simply either one ornery, bad-a$$ bird and clearly numero uno with the only harem in town, or there are very few male birds in the area. Usually at this point in the Spring the jakes are usually old enough they join the larger flocks, and even most dominant toms permit subordinates to tag along. 

This far into the breeding season it would take all his daily energy to either breed that many hens or fight off other males, so the male:female ratio is likely out of whack in that 1-2 mile area. He could have had that many hens simply because he was the only Tom they could find.

One thing to note, and the data is interesting but I think still not complete, but GPS info suggests that most hens that lose their first nest don’t seem to travel very far before getting re-bred and making their second nest. So if he was the only gobbler in their home range, then he may have simply hit the Lotto this year (well, until your friend took him out of the gene pool).

It would be interesting to see if another gobbler moves into the area or if the hens disperse out of the area. It would depend on if the gobbler actually bred all the hens or if they still require breeding - in theory I would think at this point they they were bred and already laying (just not full time incubating).


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Yankee#1 said:


> No idea, that’s quite an inordinate number of hens to see in one flock this late in the season.
> 
> That many hens there is almost surely a good mix of young hens and older hens, and most probably lost their first nest.
> 
> ...


Thank you I figured you would have an idea what was going on. Yes Ag field.


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Think the turkeys know there’s no June hunting in casco twp.almost every morning I see a group of 11 toms and jakes to gather about 100 yds off road real near land I hunt.I might hunt in fall but probaly not


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Yesterday morning. Strutting directly in front of the tree my son was against on the 31st, that’s about a 12yd shot.

He’s worth targeting next Spring…


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Heck this weather feels like mid April get after um you can...

I'm telling you guy had the property and the motivation he could make money guiding this June season... So many folks got into turkey hunting the past few years from out of state and alot of folks chasing 49, to knock a bird off the map in June or extend there season, they'd pay.... I cringe, wanna puke typing this but some well placed blinds if they had to deer hunt em they probably be all they need to be happy if birds were done... If sal and I were together and she were alive and we were in that zone it would have been considered, coulda booked up right fast on the forums if the landowners were on board...


Most folks I know from South head West after their season ends... They'd do that recharge their batteries come up for one more.... I was floored how many people came to Michigan this year for one bird...

It's seriously a disease that's part of the reason sal and I would travel before or season... Couldn't stand see other people killing birds before you had a chance, I'd log outta fb hardly frequent the forums til we were hunting... Couldn't take it, southern folk same way about us northern states


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

I’m still mad because in the middle of May I debated on having my wife get a ZZ tag or the ZF tag and hunting the first week of June.

The birds are on fire this week - next year my son graduates from HS in May and we’ve already decided she’s getting the April/June split season…


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Most birds I’ve seen in June every morning I drive around my couple blocks nothing to see 20toms and jakes but not many hens most toms are in groups one group of 11 I’ve seen every morning this week hope they make it till next spring if so be some real big ones because seeing lots over 10inch beards now but cant see spurs


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

retired dundo said:


> Most birds I’ve seen in June every morning I drive around my couple blocks nothing to see 20toms and jakes but not many hens most toms are in groups one group of 11 I’ve seen every morning this week hope they make it till next spring if so be some real big ones because seeing lots over 10inch beards now but cant see spurs


Really how it should be, good sign

Change up your tactics.... I know a guy with good dogs, if legal here he'd by the June hunt specifically for what you just said.... He believes birds should be hunted in the fall and you described a fall scenario


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Pissed, my walk across the road yesterday, right where I park hunting, drag marks...

Get all my stuff around last night was gonna go this morning and play with em... Overslept

I've been on turkey time since it closed waking at 430... Yup, one morning I wanna go mess around, 

Perfect sunny crisp no wind.

Minds churning for 23, is always been given calls to test, but there's alot of stuff out there I do want and may buy.... I miss running calls, it's relaxing, get my mind right.. Ordered new Merrells yesterday..


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

retired dundo said:


> Most birds I’ve seen in June every morning I drive around my couple blocks nothing to see 20toms and jakes but not many hens most toms are in groups one group of 11 I’ve seen every morning this week hope they make it till next spring if so be some real big ones because seeing lots over 10inch beards now but cant see spurs


The numbers you see each morning drive would equal what some see in one year. Your area is not the norm, you are fortunate to have those numbers in the area.

L & O


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Liver and Onions said:


> The numbers you see each morning drive would equal what some see in one year. Your area is not the norm, you are fortunate to have those numbers in the area.
> 
> L & O


I don’t know why they all seem to be in a 2square mile area not seeing much just little ways away where use to see a lot unless it hunting pressure can’t really tell hou many people hunt there because all private and everyone walks from there house.I know in mile sq block by me hardly anyone hunts maybe that’s why they hang there.I only have small area I can hunt


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

retired dundo said:


> I don’t know why they all seem to be in a 2square mile area not seeing much just little ways away where use to see a lot unless it hunting pressure can’t really tell hou many people hunt there because all private and everyone walks from there house.I know in mile sq block by me hardly anyone hunts maybe that’s why they hang there.I only have small area I can hunt



Is your area in/near a river system?


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

QDMAMAN said:


> Is your area in/near a river system?


No farmland and woods


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