4-26-26 Turkey Season, Fishing Reports and Tactics

Jim and Scott discussed turkey season progress, fishing reports and tactics, dove field prep and wildlife notes.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
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(01:05):
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(01:25):
Jim Straighter Outdoors right here on News Radio eight forty whas.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Good evening everyone, Jim Straighter here with Scott Gronin and folks,
we got a information pack program for you tonight. Scott
and I both have been in the field and on
the water a lot, and Scott has been to a
Turkey camp which has become an annual event that he

(01:52):
heads up over in Indiana. And we're gonna talk about
the observations of a lot of people that were here
in our region recently hunting and what their thoughts and
are some of the problems they encountered here. We're going
to do fish reports because a lot of things changing
very rapidly there and a lot of good things to

(02:14):
come as well. We're gonna talk about some wildlife management
specifically talk about dove plot initiations, which should be underway
pretty postaste now. So Scott, we've got a lot of
ground to cover, but it's gonna be a fun show.

Speaker 3 (02:33):
Got a lot of ground to cover, and there's folks
out there covering a lot of ground and trimming up
those outboards and getting out on the water and having
a really good time. I don't know if we've ever
had such great weather when it comes to just getting
outside and not having to worry about a thunderstorm or
getting wet. And it's been kind of eerie when you

(02:55):
look at what's happened and transpired from all the way
back into tomorrow up to now. There's not been a
whole lot of days Jim that's kept us off the water,
out of the field when it comes to those big
rain clouds and getting the soap. We've had a lot
of opportunity to get out and.

Speaker 4 (03:13):
Enjoy dry ground and dry air.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
But we're starting to see the consequences of it too.
We're in an extreme drought, especially in the western parts
of Kentucky, and it seems like most of Indiana, Tennessee,
and even some surrounding states Missouri are really paying for this,
and it leads us to some concern and it's really

(03:37):
changed how we're hunting fishing right now.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
And it's gave some folks some.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Great conditions to get out there and find some success,
and it's gave others a bit of a challenge.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, and of course the wind has been a big
problem for the fishing. One I tell people all the time. Anymore,
I feel like I live in Kansas or Oklahoma where
the wind seems to blow all the time on the
days that you know people could deal with it. It's
been good, good fishing, but some odd things and we're
going to discuss all that after this break now. Folks

(04:10):
were taking calls tonight if you'd like to call in
and give us your observations or comments or have any
questions for us. The numbers call for five O two
five seven one eighty four eighty four. That's five seven
one eighty four eighty four or eight hundred four four

(04:31):
four eighty four eighty four. So without a further ado,
I'm going to go to break here. It's presented by
sm I Marine. They'll take great care of you all
your boating needs. If you got troubles with your boat.
They're the right people to fix that for you and
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don't forget you never get soaked by my friends at SMI. Okay, Scott,

(04:58):
I'd like to start out talking something about Turkey Camp,
which you held over there in Indiana for their opener,
and interesting things jumped out about that. I guess let's
start about goblin because most of the folks that I've
talked to here in Indiana are talking about low gobbling activity,

(05:22):
not much on the ground once they hit the ground,
and you know, just subdued gobbling overall, which is no
doubt dude to how many hens are already nested and whatnot,
but it depends on the day, of course. But what
what things can you share with us about all the
fellows that came.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
In, Well, we roughly had twenty sets of ears and eyes,
so I feel like reports there are a little bit
more consistent and relative versus like just you or I
going out and maybe parking somewhere pre season scout.

Speaker 4 (06:00):
And it's it's really interesting when you get.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
A group of people who respect the privilege of having
public lands to hunt out of states that can network
and grow the sport, especially for our youth. But then
put that intel together over some picnic tables and inside
of some camp fire rings each evening and afternoon over meals.

(06:24):
And there's a big difference in hunting public land turkeys
in general because sometimes we have to share those birds,
and folks can come in on us and kind of
booger things, and hot turkeys get a lot of ears
on them, and folks will kind of go to them
pretty quickly.

Speaker 4 (06:41):
But the amount of timber that Indiana.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
And Kentucky Tennessee has to offer really puts the timber
turkeys this year into somewhat of a difficult wave of
where they're at, what folks are experiencing. And we'll just
take for example, we won't give away any exact locations.

Speaker 4 (07:05):
To help the hunters that are still out there trying
to harvest their birds. But folks could be just.

Speaker 3 (07:12):
A mile apart from one another, and one hunter may
be here in three or four different birds goblin and
the birds are really hot on the limb and then
shutting up when they hit the ground. And then other
hunters were reporting the fact that birds weren't gobbling at all,
like for example, opening morning of the Indiana season, I
didn't hear a bird gobble on the limb, and I

(07:34):
didn't have a long time to hunt that day because
of getting back to work details and responsibilities to what
was going on for advocating for youth and networking. But
I harvested a bird, and a harvested that bird because
I was in an area that birds really liked to
hang out.

Speaker 4 (07:52):
It's a transitional area.

Speaker 3 (07:54):
There's quite a bit of mass crop that was still
left over from the.

Speaker 4 (07:57):
Winter in that mass had not rotted.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
And did end up getting a bird to gobble on
the ground several times right before I killed him. But
there was no There was no goblin on the limb.
And the bird that I killed was not even the
bird that I was set up on and working. The
bird that I killed was a bird that come in.

Speaker 4 (08:17):
From my backside.

Speaker 3 (08:18):
I was actually working a bird to the west of
me and thinking that he was going to do the dance,
and he would have, I do believe, But the bird
covered a whole lot more ground and and folks are
very frustrated with this Turkey season on the gobbling. Overall,
it seems that the field birds have been very active

(08:38):
both on the Kentucky, Tennessee grounds that folks have been
on and most of that's going to be in the majority.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
Of your private property.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
And then the heat wave has really impacted, i think,
just overall how birds are getting out and utilizing open areas.
Of course, there's a tin tremendous amount of agriculture that's
been going on with fields being disk and planted and fertilized,
and so what the main report is when you when

(09:12):
you listen to a lot of people, is that you
really have to get out there and scout and find
fresh sign and listen, try to find.

Speaker 4 (09:20):
Birds that are that are vocal.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
But most folks are going into areas that have been
consistently good to them for several years in a row,
that have been walking out back to the truck kind
of with their hands up in the air gym and
and they're going in with as many rounds that they
they are coming out with as many realms as they
walked in with. And and then the folks that have
been successful have tend to really rely on old history, terrain,

(09:49):
and fresh sign. It's not been the best year for
birds to be real hot and coming to the call,
but there's been a lot of turkeys getting fired up
and getting killed because of how dry the leaves are
in the timber. And multiple people in our group had
ran every turkey call that they had in their vests,
in their darn good collars. But the only thing that

(10:09):
got birds fired up walking out to the truck back
to try another spot.

Speaker 4 (10:14):
We had two guys in our group that got.

Speaker 3 (10:16):
Birds going just from the sound of their footsteps, and
we're able to find a good piece of timber to
set up against her and get their gun up on
their knee, and they killed those birds real quick, I
mean extremely quick. And a lot of ten o'clock to
one o'clock activity in the deeper timber where the creek
bottoms are, and a lot of your exposed rock structure

(10:40):
and bigger tracks of timber. A lot of times between
moisture and just the characteristics of what rock does, there's
a lot of difference in that air temperature, and those
birds have.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
Been migrating in there.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
But I cannot stress enough how important it was for
people to do preseason scouting, and those beech nuts and
all those.

Speaker 4 (10:59):
Acre and stuff that were left over.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Those birds they know where they're at and not all
of our mass crop stays good for us in this spring.
It's been towards the advantage of those folks that know
their tree species and have kind of kept on what
aterns are still out there not rotten, and that seems
to be where those woodland turkeys are at.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Yeah. I harvested a bird this week early in the week,
and I feel honted for some of the reasons you
were discussing. And it was an afternoon hunt. I got
a good friend of mine in western Kentuck and invited
me down. We had a you know, one of those
sets where we knew the birds that were used in

(11:43):
the field, and so we slipped in there in the
afternoon and actually spook birds going in with the truck,
but were patient and waited and called, and then alive
hem came and fed all around the blind and when
gobblers drifted back in. It was one of those really quick,
easy hunting in many regards. But those birds needed strutted

(12:06):
an arganabel because we called, you know, to see if
we could stir them back up after they left, and
so it was it was a different kind of hunt,
which is a lot of people are seeing, Yeah.

Speaker 4 (12:17):
And we're seeing too.

Speaker 3 (12:19):
There's there's a different kind of Turkey out there other
than the eastern wild turkey and that and that turkey
is folks like myself. It's it's folks like the individuals
that come into camp. And I want to talk just
a little bit about what I'm seeing in Kentucky as
far as on public land, we're seeing about eight out

(12:42):
of every ten trucks gym vehicles have a non resident
hag on them. And I'm a non resident hunter myself
in Kentucky and Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, whatever. Over
the years, I think we've all kind of expected just
going over the state.

Speaker 4 (12:59):
Line and in hunting bordering states much.

Speaker 3 (13:02):
More so than this traveling forty nine turkey question that's
gone on. And in Indiana, we were you know, who's
your national force is sixty thousand acres. So if anybody
gets upset with the fact that we're bringing up the
who's your national force? So down for just a minute,
because I want to advocate for the residents in Indiana,
especially those that hunt the forest, the government land, and

(13:26):
there's other areas in and around Gordon that that folks
will be familiar with there's state forest, and I want
to advocate for those of us that are they are
non residents too. But but in Indiana, without a doubt
one percent, I'm very solid on this, nine out of
every ten vehicles JIM are non residents. And it's Mississippi,

(13:48):
we're seeing Oklahoma, We're seeing Texas.

Speaker 4 (13:50):
I talked to residents that have lived.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
In and around the forest their entire lives, and they're
sining more and more and more and more influence on
on the public lands. And I'm starting to wonder states
such as Florida and some others.

Speaker 4 (14:06):
And I am going to advocate for this.

Speaker 3 (14:08):
I do believe that the residents inside their own state,
whether it's Kentucky or Indiana, I do think that we
need to have it to where it's sustainable, to where
resident hunters do have land to hunt on and they
have a good experience. And I do see that there
is definitely a generous amount of revenue that the Indiana
DNR and the Kentucky Department and a Fishing Wildlife do

(14:31):
benefit from from non residents and residents utilizing private and
public lens. But I do think, and this is just
the ground that I stand on not to dirt that
you're on.

Speaker 4 (14:43):
But I do believe that we're going to see.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
A time where Indiana in Kentucky is going to have
to do something to save the quality of the hunt
in the utilization of public lens the first three, five
or ten days of the season. While I wish I
could tell you from the sportsman's side that everything that

(15:07):
I seen was ethical and good quality characteristics of individuals,
I can tell you that the majority of what I'm
seeing is a nineteen to late twenties group of males,
And unfortunately, most of those vehicles that are parked along.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
Side of the gates and the roadways and.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
The entry areas and parking lots, most of those vehicles
have two to three young men, and they're pretty aggressive.
Hunters are pretty aggressive at gates. Like even places where
we were up at the gates before they were there,
there was there was a little bit of confrontation about

(15:53):
disrespect and how public land should be utilized. And when
you have sixty thousand, let's just use the shoot Hoosier because.

Speaker 4 (16:02):
We were there.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
Etequacy is not pulling fifteen or fifty yards up in
front of a truck that's already there turning off your
licen get mad and go stomping through the woods and
acting like you know it's a free for all on
these turkeys. My thing is for anybody that's going to
get out and attempt to hunt these public lands, don't
give up on it. Make sure that every one of

(16:27):
us are using the best sportsmanlike conduct we can and
different than just hunting turkeys in the midday. Please don't
overlook how you can go into a spot ten thirty
eleven o'clock, how things will free up in the afternoon.
Hunting midday hunting is a lot of times a lot better,

(16:47):
And there was some things that I was seeing. Folks
need to make sure that they follow the rules and regulations. Remember,
if you're going to camp on the forest, no matter
where you're at or a WMA, you need to know
the rules, the laws and the regulations. But a lot
of folks are starting stage vehicles and trucks in areas
overnight that is illegal.

Speaker 4 (17:06):
On some of these WMA's and public lands.

Speaker 3 (17:08):
And if you're going to camp, you've got to make
sure that you're following some of the rules and the
orders of doing some backcountry camping and follow dispersed camping rules.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
Yep, before we go to break real quickly, I concur
about the need for either a lottery for out of
state folks or a later or open Those are things
that I've been promoting for years and it applies to
deer hunting as well, because the out of state hunting
pressure is pushing people local people, the people who you

(17:43):
know pay the bills here off to the side, and
these agencies they better think about it because it's not
really a sustainable model of operation.

Speaker 3 (17:53):
Well, animals need it, the residents need it, and the
safety of the sport needs it.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yes, sir, all right, you got to go to break
care is presented by as my marine GLMN tim Eddington
and his staff are friendly, they're trustworthy and remember it,
you never get soaked by my friends at SMI sky
Will was still talking about Indiana and I'm gonna solk
Kentucky in here with it. A lot of people concerned

(18:21):
about the bobcats and the cows. Southern Indiana is polluted
with bobcats. Anybody that's out in the bath, it's certainly
got to understand that from their observations, and it's my
understanding they're doing to liberalize a bit. But my goodness,
the reports are crazy, aren't they.

Speaker 4 (18:44):
It really is.

Speaker 3 (18:44):
And the thing is is we got proof it's not
just people thinking. I've sent over some videos to you
of several of my friends from the startup of the
Indiana season, and I've had a few people in Kentucky
but not like the Indiana thing, that have had the
bobcat coming into their setup, especially with decoys and so

(19:06):
bobcats are no stranger to human scent and movement. And
really it shows that the Turkey hunters that are able
to capture video of these bobcats coming in within feet
of their decoys, that you know they're setups really good.
The other thing is too, Jim, I've had a tremendous amount.

(19:27):
This happened to me in Illinois a few years ago,
hunting with good friends of mine, Dave Berry and Jim Dawson.
But lots of reports and even Matt retired game warden
over there Spain Hower in Indiana. We were filming for
the Nationallle Turkey Federation one year and had it happen.
That's the amount of bald eagle just experiences that folks

(19:51):
are getting with either.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Swooping down on decoys or.

Speaker 3 (19:55):
Actually being in the field and seeing these bald eagles
go in and and approaching and scattering flocks. There's just
getting to be the point where our predators are impacting
not only the turkey's population and their ability to reproduce
and have good high pop counts and sustainability, but it's

(20:18):
getting to the point to where it's creating enough of
a nuisance to the hunters to where it's blowing their
scouting and their good setups. And that's that's really important
from and to the point of where we were talking
before the break of things impacting the experience of the hunters,

(20:39):
especially in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana this year, is.

Speaker 4 (20:44):
Is cost a license.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
That's something that I want to focus on for a minute.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
A lot of people think that the increase.

Speaker 3 (20:54):
Of cost of a license will detour folks from coming
in and hunting and in the state. Between the online
fees and my hunting license and stamp and my fishing
license in Indiana, I spent almost two hundred and seventy
dollars to be a non resident angler and hunter in

(21:14):
the state of Indiana.

Speaker 4 (21:18):
In Kentucky, we've.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
Seen a little bit of an increase, but one thing
that We've got to consider too. Kentucky comes in on
a Saturday, so that's not a soft opener. Indiana comes
in on a Wednesday, so it is a soft opener.
In Jim I can honestly tell you several years ago,
several years ago, I could tell you that there was

(21:41):
a huge difference in any state that you hunted in
that had a soft opener, like a Monday or a Wednesday.
Now opening day, it seems like it's always busy, doesn't
matter if it comes in on a Saturday or a Wednesday.
But then people get back to work on those soft openers.
I will I will tell you that this had to

(22:02):
be this year the absolute most impacted amount of pressure
to the public lands in Indiana that I've ever seen.
And they open on a Wednesday. So between the residents,
the non residents, the predators, and different things that we're

(22:24):
seeing with the maybe the reduction of the amount of
land that people.

Speaker 4 (22:27):
Have access to.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
I think that both yourself and I are advocates to
make sure that sportsmen and women have the ability to
hunt and fish on public and private lands and have
a good experience. And that was that's the whole point
of the Turkey Camp. We call it Turkey Camp and
because that's really that's where it's what started it all.
But we're looking at and we're addressing this with industry

(22:52):
professionals and folks all across the United States. And I'm
telling you, I had guys in from Louisiana.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
I had some guys in from Ohio.

Speaker 3 (23:03):
I had some folks in from Florida and Jim, they're
telling us that the hunting pressure is unbelievable. Even had
some folks from the Carolinas that were there. And we
had the awesome experience of working with Matt Stewart on
behalf of the Nationwide Turkey Federation, Turkey Call Magazine and

(23:28):
the nwtf's national film crew to be in and start
interviewing and recording and taking part of this this year.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
And even their comments.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
Were about how surprised they were with the amount of
people who are coming in and hunting. Now they're all
for residents and non residence, honey, but where is it
to the point where we start making changes?

Speaker 4 (23:57):
So the changes with Indians and they're bobcats harvest. That's good.

Speaker 3 (24:02):
That's something you've advocated for for a long time, and
you deserve a pat on the back for that.

Speaker 4 (24:09):
All of us.

Speaker 3 (24:10):
Trying to take the amount of time through these airwaves
to find out our people experiencing frustration with the amount
of land that's being leased or the amount of non
residents that's coming in and maybe crowding their spots so
bad where they don't have a spot even the hunt
at home.

Speaker 4 (24:26):
That's what we want to hear about tonight, Jim.

Speaker 3 (24:28):
We want people to give us not just field reports
of what they're seeing as far as goblin and what
they're harvested, but what are you seeing as far as
hunting changing and where are we going? What concerns do
we need to have because Gym Trader's not a better
program in the country for Kentucky and Indian or residence
to get engaged in.

Speaker 4 (24:49):
In your radio show.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
Well, I appreciate that kind of comment in that regard, folks,
if you want to call numbers are fabled to five
seven one eighty four eighty four or eight hundred four
four four eighty four eighty four. It's got the thing
that keeps jumping out at me and hearing what you

(25:12):
all experienced in the camp and what I've heard from
people is and we're gonna do a full show on
this here before too long, because it is a huge
concern to me, and it's emerged as a burning passion,
and that is these agencies need to wake up and
take care of their own better than they're taking care

(25:35):
of the non residents. What I mean by that, when
it's all said and done, when the non residents come
in and lease up the ground exclude the resident people,
that's a big problem when they pounce upon opportunity on
the public ground, which both of us, you know, we

(25:57):
love that. I love seeing people involved, but there needs
to be a balancing actor as if the agencies are
blind to that. So I guess we're both serving.

Speaker 3 (26:09):
One of the things Jim, as you're talking about that
is I would like to see in Kentucky and Indiana,
and I know you've hunted all over the country as well.

Speaker 4 (26:20):
I would really like to see some of.

Speaker 3 (26:22):
The sportsmen and women's dollars being extended over to the
private landowners who are willing to adapt. With the Indiana
den R in the Kentucky Department of Fishing Wildlife, I
would like to see more opportunities where land becomes available
from the dollars that sportsmen and women generate to put
some of these private acres into the accessibility of folks

(26:48):
that want.

Speaker 4 (26:48):
To hunt, whether they're resident or non residents.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
I wish we had more spots that private land was
being utilized from the sportsmen and women's dollars, where these
landowners could be a fit from an income source and
allow us to not only hunt on these lands, but
also even access them for fishing. And for several years

(27:13):
you may recall that this was trying to get gain
some traction. It was trying to grow some legs with
the dove fields and different things, and about the time
that COVID rolled around it, it lost a lot of traction.
And in COVID did expose people to kayaking and fishing
and hunting more on government ground public lands, and people

(27:37):
that had private lands had the ability to go out
and hunt and fish more. I will tell you from
talking with game mordans, conservation officers, biologists and land managers
of these WMAs and these national forests, they will tell
you that the private land engagement has decline here in
the last year or two. But they will tell you

(27:59):
also that the amount of utilization of government public lands
has not backed down the same way and COVID did
change how public lands got utilized and the way in
which we work now for on or for off, or
you know, work thirty days in a row and get

(28:21):
thirty days off. The forty hour week has changed in America,
how people work and working from home and the ability
to log into a computer and do the work. It's
allowed for professional people, it's allowed for employee people. It
takes money to do this, takes money to travel to
hunt and fish, but it's allowed them to still hold

(28:43):
a job. And it's something that very very few people,
And we discussed it at camp this year.

Speaker 4 (28:50):
Amongst the professionals.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
There's not a whole lot of writings and a whole
lot of YouTube or productions out there talking about how
the employee had has changed in how friendly The new
way of working and reporting the work, working from home
or working online has impacted the amount of sportsmen and
women that are out in the field during the week.

(29:13):
There's there's more hunting now during the week than ever before.

Speaker 2 (29:17):
Ever. Yeah, this from my experience, and it's all added
to that pressure cooker we've been talking about. All right, folks, again,
the numbers call in tonight five two, five, seven one
eighty four eighty four or eight hundred four four four
eighty four eighty four. Coming back from break, we're gonna
give you some thoughts and tips for the season going forward.

(29:41):
And then we're changing gears and we're going to talk
about fishing and the opportunities there, observations, and going to
talk some wildlife management including dove plot and the upcoming
spring squirrel season. So still a lot left on the plate.
This break is presented by us my marine. Go see them.

(30:02):
They'll take great care of you, Tim and to the
staff will become friends once you enter the door. And
remember you never get soaked at SMI Again, folks, we're
delighted to hear from you tonight with your observations and
thoughts about our subject matter. Numbers five seven one eighty

(30:22):
four eighty four, eight hundred four four four eighty four
eighty four. And we've got Andrew online. There came from Tennessee.
Hey Andrew, welcome aboard.

Speaker 4 (30:36):
Hey, thanks for having me.

Speaker 5 (30:37):
Jim, how are you.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
I'm doing just lovely, sir, a turkey hunting and fishing
and working in wildlife management plots, and life's pretty good
at my head.

Speaker 5 (30:48):
Yes, sir, I heard that I you know, I just
wanted to come in on touching a few of your subjects,
a the turkey's. You know, I've hundred two states at
this point, and the turkeys seem to be overwhelmingly not
gobbling near as much as previously. Last week hunting up

(31:09):
in Indiana, one thing that I did notice that was
a little bit different to me was that turkeys were
responding way less to any sort of hind calling and
way more to door slamming, crows screaming, not as much hoodiling,
it seemed like, and that that was a little odd
to me, considering that turkeys in Tennessee where the big

(31:31):
Dac opposite, they just shut up as soon as their
feet hit the ground.

Speaker 2 (31:36):
Well, I'd like your thoughts on what that would a
tribute to that would immediately comes to my mind, as
you know, your car doors and what have you. That
shock gobbling, as you know, but this stuff, I think
his predator driven into a large degree, you know, the
fact they're not talking and what are your thoughts?

Speaker 5 (31:58):
No, I agree one hundred percent. And that's a conversation
that we had. There was and actually pulled up a
red fox right to our set one morning and after
that it was almost synonymous that these turkeys have a
lot more to hide from now, and then being that
the turkey's, you know, number one job.

Speaker 4 (32:19):
Is just to live.

Speaker 5 (32:21):
There's a lot of predators that are on the grounds
running around now and less people and or less people
hunting the predators, I should say, And the turkeys are
just smart knowing the less they gobble, the less they
help other predators are there.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (32:39):
Okay, well, those are excellent observations. I'd also like to
ask you early nesting this time, don't you think that's
had a lot to do with some of the peculiarities
we're seeing too, because we're already at the point where
most of the birds are nesting.

Speaker 4 (32:58):
Yeah, no, I agree.

Speaker 5 (33:00):
My observation just from the last couple of weeks is
from the weather and everything, I feel like the turkeys
are probably somewhere around the two weeks ahead of where
there was last year. I think that they're definitely starting
to do a lot of nesting. And I actually killed
the bird on Wednesday of last week, and not because

(33:21):
I knew where he was, just because they got in
his bubble on accident at eleven thirty after he left
his hands but besides that, I definitely think it's tough
early in the morning and that the mid morning birds
or where you're gonna find right now.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
Okay, Scott, you got anything for Andrew? While we got it?

Speaker 3 (33:40):
Well, Andrew's a fine turkey hunter. He's even even better
deer hunter. And I've known Andrew for several years. He's
hunted in and around us. I think the things that
he's seeing is what a lot of folks are seeing.
And I just think good old fashioned heat has got
these turkeys tuckered out.

Speaker 4 (33:58):
Not just being head of schedule.

Speaker 3 (34:02):
We haven't had any really type of reset with rain.
We're really stagnant and so it's just been the same
thing day in and day out. And the conditions that
we've had, like really cloudy mornings, a lot of cloud cover,
really dense fog when you're getting out of your truck,
and most all of us have gotten omobile now that's

(34:23):
got some type of temperature gauge on it sixty two degrees.
Walking from your truck to your private farm set up
or ridge that you prefer, or edge of a field
that you're going to set up on and sit your
blind or public ground is not the turkey hunter's friend
at all.

Speaker 4 (34:42):
And I think that between the peck.

Speaker 3 (34:45):
And order and the amount of bird age structure difference
that there is now, I do think we've got a
bunch of squarely two year olds that have basically fought,
don't know how to act or how to straighten things
up as far as is their uh, whether their friends
or enemies. I think that's created some really tough situations

(35:05):
where birds are standing out and gobbling on ridges and
nose and out in the middle of fields, and and
they're not they're not even falling the hen groups.

Speaker 4 (35:13):
They don't want to get whooped up on.

Speaker 3 (35:15):
So I do believe that the good hats, the good
numbers from the cicadas, has made the turkeys be less vocal.
I think the heat has impacted everything when it comes
to the roost gobbling in and the monks, the mornings
and I and I do believe that the amount of
cover that is around plays into somewhat of a disadvantage

(35:40):
to us as hunters for being able to hear birds
very well. But I also think the birds know that
the predator's got more areas to to hide.

Speaker 4 (35:49):
Then I think that.

Speaker 3 (35:51):
The birds have just been a little bit more on
the reserve side with talking. And this really gets complicated
when you start talking about because one thing's for sure,
we know that turkeys will gobble on and off throughout
the year, but it is pretty common for hens and
gobblers to have basic vocalization clucks, purs yelps, wins three

(36:14):
hundred and sixty five days during their living and their
overall just turkey vocalization on both the male and the
female side is just down significantly, and it's making to
where if you don't adapt as a turkey hunter, you'll
see some frustration. But one thing for sure, Andrew brought

(36:34):
up being in that bubble man, it's amazing how quickly
things change when you get inside of that nice little
one hundred and twenty five yard area where that turkey
knows that they're close enough they can come take a look,
and you make them feel a little bit.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
More safe and secure. So don't give up.

Speaker 3 (36:53):
Keep walking, keep scratching them leaves, and keep that call
turned down on the low volume side instead of going
too high pitch and too often.

Speaker 4 (37:01):
Less is more right now.

Speaker 2 (37:03):
Yes, definitely, less is definitely more. Same applies to decoys
this time of year, when things get like this. I
usually just use single hen and I definitely don't want
too much Jake activity because he's chakes. You're running a
lot of gobblers off, which is a weird deal. All right, folks,
got to go to break. It's presented by SMI Marine,

(37:26):
all kind of new boats for sale, some great deal
on used boats. You never get soaked by my friends
at SMI. All Right, folks, again, we would love your
observations or comments about the program tonight or any of
the subjects we brought up. And the numbers to do
so are five O two five seven one eighty four

(37:48):
eighty four as five seven one eighty four eighty four
or eight hundred four four four eighty four eighty four.
We're gonna talk a little fishing now because it has
been really really good across the board on a lot
of things, but it's also been very highly unusual. Point being,

(38:12):
white bass spawned early and then it was pretty much
game over. The croppie spawn hit like a tornado. It
was early and it's still There are still a few
fish upshallow, but most of them have moved down into
deeper water. Now we'll transition into I think summer type

(38:35):
patterns very quickly going forward, because my goodness, the water
temperatures are just like the air. Their heids feels like summer.
I described last week and continued to see this week.
I never can remember catching so many bluegill on the bed,

(38:57):
hard on the bed in mid April. That's generally, you know,
main business, and that's something that was very unique this year,
and I jumped on it, and Scott you reported early
about the shell cracker movements and they were filing right
in there as well. And what I want to point

(39:19):
to right here is we got a full moon coming
this Friday, folks. So the fact that they a lot
of these blue yill and red hair shell cracker whatever
you prefer to call them, we're spawning in April, doesn't
mean we're not going to see another big Russian fish.
Matter of fact, I'm gonna predict that we will, and

(39:40):
so you want to be on point for that, Scott,
I know you got some thoughts about him. Will give
some technique tips here while we're talking about this bluegilld deal.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
Yeah, I think that we're going to see a phenomenal
year to fish for bluegill as long as we can
hold off on the rain and the weather doesn't throw
us any crazy curveballs. The reason why everything is so
advanced is because it's more important to the fish of
what the water temperature is and what the date is

(40:12):
of the calendar to us as humans, and they respond
to the amount of sunlight and that water temperature much
more so they are not necessarily going in there and
looking at the same things.

Speaker 4 (40:24):
That we look at.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
We have multiple things that we can look at, but
they do really utilize temperatures. And where we were at
around the first of April, we were basically into water
temperatures that are in mid April, and so when we
started going to the lakes and people started getting their

(40:47):
their gear out to go fishing, because of traditional calendar dates,
a lot of folks found themselves to be behind instead
of a head, and the fish were ahead. And now
that we're getting into the part of the full moon
coming up on May the first, that is what's going
to significantly trigger.

Speaker 4 (41:07):
The blue gill going on the bed and.

Speaker 3 (41:09):
To do their spawn, and so that folks don't get
too nervous or panicky. I fish some waters this week,
even in Indiana where the fish were not showing signs
of being on bed yet and everything goes with fish
in waves, and you can do it by gender, you
can do it by size, and when one group moves out,

(41:31):
another group moves in the readier. For example, you're still
going to catch a few readier.

Speaker 4 (41:38):
Amongst in any blue gill beds.

Speaker 3 (41:40):
But that's pretty much done for I mean, that peaked
out really early.

Speaker 2 (41:46):
And now that.

Speaker 3 (41:47):
We've got our traditional blue gill, it's going to be
important that you get in there and realize that we've
got really thirty good days of fishing ahead starting today
moving forward, that you should be able to get in
there and really put quite a few bluegill in the.

Speaker 4 (42:04):
Cooler or in your live well.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
And nobody is gonna hesitate on eating a good old
filet of blue gill or pan frying some. I mean,
blue gill is such a unique species gym because it
doesn't take just the big ones to make make a
good meal and h and folks sometimes maybe focus too
much on on just getting that.

Speaker 4 (42:27):
That boneless filet.

Speaker 3 (42:28):
But blue gill serves such a good table fair to
all of us. And people like catching them in different
sizes and eating them in different ways, and me and
you like to catch them in a lot of different
methods and hopefully we can help folks to night between
the wax worm and nightcrawler, the fishing on the bottom
or the bobber or whatever to to to have plentiful days.

(42:52):
Uh and and I want to advocate too that as
these days ahead do shape up for us to have
phenomenal catches, Please don't catch all these fish off the
bed and fish it out. We're going to share some
strategies with you that will allow you to pick up
and leave a bed that you've taken plenty of fish

(43:14):
off of and give you some ideas to go to
another bed, maybe a little bit of a different time
period in the week, or even if you're on the
lake that same day. But it's important for us not
to go in there and just clean house.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
Yes, sir, I want to start with something that will
probably surprise a lot of people who are used to
catching the majority of their blue gill off the beds,
which are normally predominantly the males. And a lot of
people think the males are the bigger fish. I can
tell you in this point. So you're talking about not

(43:48):
cleaning off the bed early in the mornings and late
in the evenings, there are areas where those big female
stage to get ready to move up to lay their eggs.
That they're in a push at that time, you know,
that's when they like to move up and do their thing.
Of course, the males stay there fan the bed all

(44:09):
day long wants the eggs are laid. But if you
will fish those outer areas, you'll be surprised at the
size of those large females your catch, and that can
be an adjunct and enable the males that are sitting
on those eggs and protecting them to go about their business.
And yet you'll still have a good harvest and some

(44:31):
really really big giant fish. Actually, some of these older
females are some of the biggest blue yello out there.
We're talking about how to find them. Talk about your
favorite you know, walking a nightcrawler or red worm.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
Well, my technique's changing a little bit about my gear.
I still love using spinding equipment with ultra light rods
I've gotten nowhere, I'm using braid a lot more work
in areas that I'm very familiar with when it comes
to blue gill, which would surprise a lot of people
because if you're in areas that you're going to get
hung up a lot.

Speaker 4 (45:09):
Braid is definitely not your friend. And and my bait
choice has changed just a little bit.

Speaker 3 (45:14):
I've gotten to where bait stores and good qualities of
bait have gotten.

Speaker 4 (45:21):
Harder to find. When I fish with my family and friends,
it's easy.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
To go through quite a bit of bait. So my
two favorite.

Speaker 4 (45:30):
Ways to catch.

Speaker 3 (45:31):
Bluegill is always going to be on the bottom both techniques.
I really like dragon and it basically puts my split shot,
and this depends on how far I need to cast.
Sometimes a little bit different water, but I normally try
to put that split shot about eight to fourteen inches
somewhere in there, and that can make a difference on

(45:52):
how that presentation gets you with fish. I'm really particular
out using some type of bait holder barb on my hooks,
and I'm particular about using some of the Eagle Call brand.

Speaker 4 (46:11):
Sizes of hooks that have a little bit more spine
to them.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
They're a little bit beef here and that night crawler.

Speaker 4 (46:20):
I always try to put just a little bit more
than the hook.

Speaker 3 (46:24):
I try to try to go up the hook. And
then on those Berkeley Power baits, I like the White.

Speaker 4 (46:31):
Power wigglers and I really like the short truth.

Speaker 3 (46:34):
It's starting to become a little bit more of a
favorite with me just because short truce in general will
just get you some more bites. I know you're a
big charchrush jighead man, but the bobber fishing and all that, though,
gets really good when I start finding fish that aren't
necessarily right up on the bed and I can get

(46:55):
into some of that wood structure where the wood's not
actually at the bottom of the lake. And also a
lot of your grass type beds, any areas that you'll
see some transition of maybe even some lily pads in
different areas that you'll see vegetation in and around the water.

(47:18):
Sometimes I do need to float and suspend my bait
so that my presentation is is just a little bit better.

Speaker 4 (47:24):
And I'm a big slip float guy when.

Speaker 3 (47:27):
It comes to bluegill, because it's not uncommon for me
and anybody that's out there is listening to's fish with me.

Speaker 4 (47:35):
Man.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
When I pull up to my bluegill spots, my and
I call them perennial beds where I know, year after year, if.

Speaker 4 (47:42):
It ain't working, we're not staying long. You think that
you're more in.

Speaker 3 (47:45):
A bass ranger, bass boat fish off kind of tournament deal,
because those blue gills should be pretty aggressive to hit.
And that's how I kind of like to utilize my techniques, Jim,
as I'm looking for that big, fast, aggressive bite, and
I am looking for those bluegill that it's hard for
me to get my hand all the way around them.

Speaker 4 (48:07):
I love love.

Speaker 3 (48:09):
Catching those hand sizees as my grandpa used to always do,
used to hold his hand out and come about two
inches past his wrist, and that right there on ultra
light equipment will make a forty seven year old man
act like a kid again straight out of Oldham County,
you know.

Speaker 2 (48:29):
And blue gill fishing in some regards a lot like
bass fishing, there's a lot of ways you approach it.
I'm the other end of the spectrum. I'm a moving
groove guide till I find them. But as you know
from fishing with me, I'm a very light jig either
thirty second or sixty fourth ounce jig on extremely light

(48:49):
line four is as big as I go. I use
a lot of four. That's the size too, because it
enables me to cancels light jigs and I tip them
with a waxworm more often than not, and or bee
moth as boys in Indiana refer to them. But there's
a bait, and you and I talked a little bit

(49:10):
about it, that the honeyworm made by Berkeley. It is
a great addition to any of the artificial jigs that
I like to use. For example, and I do at
times use real small one inch curly tails, and I

(49:32):
like to tip them whenever I use them because but
you know, it does have a tendency to nip rather
than inhale. But all those techniques really will work fantastically
once you know they're on the bed. When they're on
the bed, you can't hardly go wrong.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
Really, Yeah, And I will say vans down waxworms are
the number one bait that if I need to really
go in and just you know, catch fish and put
fish on ice, you can't hardly beat it. Crickets can
be that way during certain times, but I feel like
fish cycle kind of through the cricket stage, and fishing

(50:11):
with crickets can be somewhat of a pain.

Speaker 4 (50:14):
And if you.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
Put yourself in a position and it's what you and
I both try to do, where you're taking other people out,
whether they're aging anglers or younger anglers. The good thing
about the Berkeley Bill and your paycheck or my paycheck
isn't being paid by Berkeley. It allows everybody in the
boat to fish more, because it's not uncommon to get
twenty five to thirty fish in the boat off of

(50:37):
that one grub, sometimes more. And the other thing that's
really important about it is when you've got to start
side arming, or you've got to start moving that bait,
and that's that presentation when those fish are a little
bit more aggressive. It doesn't take long for those bluegill
to start wearing that bait out. And a lot of
times you'll have kind of this the skin left your

(51:00):
waxworm or your nightcrawler, and you won't have no gut inside.

Speaker 4 (51:03):
And if you don't think a blue gill is a finicky.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
Or picky eater, you're wrong, because it's amazing how sometimes
they'll put their nose up in the air to just
that little piece of skin of waxworm on the barb
on the hook, and they won't hardly do nothing with it.
And then you put a new worm on there and bam,
flat jack, there you are.

Speaker 4 (51:24):
You got another one in the boat, but technique in strategy.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
When we come back, I want to talk a little
bit about what.

Speaker 4 (51:32):
Type of fish.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
Sometimes you might start catching when you're on a blue
gill bed, Jim, that kind of gives you some type
some sign that it's time to maybe move on to
another spot, Yes, sir.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
And one thing I do want to bring up though,
before we close out here for break is that I
know the shell cracker by slowed down and you're part
of the state, but up this way there's definitely gonna
be another way with them.

Speaker 4 (51:56):
Come up, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
I'm basic that on. You know my experience here this
past week. They're they're staging up and gonna do it again.
All right, folks, going to break here. It's presented by
s and by marine. Go see him. They'll take great
care of you, remember, and he never gets sunked at
SMI Scott, you had another point about spawning behavior right
there before the break.

Speaker 3 (52:21):
Well, over the years, I've just noticed that a lot
of times whenever you're in and around some beds and
people have different names for him. Some people have warm mouth,
pumpkin seeds.

Speaker 2 (52:37):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (52:37):
You know, there's some some different types of sunfish. But
I just always have have gotten to the point, and
I'm gonna do this in honor of my mom.

Speaker 4 (52:47):
She would always call them little bait robbers bait steelers.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
And when you're on a bed and it's been real
good and and fishing has kind of slowed down, and
you start getting into your your little short fish, a
lot of times I've just noticed that it's time to
back off those beds and go on to somewheres else.

Speaker 4 (53:06):
And maybe try it again another day.

Speaker 3 (53:09):
Maybe that's because you had a little bit too much
moving in the boat, or you got a little too
close or what have you. But and I was just
going to see what your opinion was over the years.
If you've fished a bed and had pretty good luck
on it, then all of a sudden, those bait stealers
or bait robbers whatever start coming in, and that's more

(53:29):
or less what you're getting hit on. If if you
tend to find that it may be his best to
move on to a different spot.

Speaker 2 (53:36):
Oh, I definitely think so, because many times what that
means is the blue jail are winding down and those
other species which tend to do their spawning a little
later than the blue yell. For example, the long ear
sunfish or what most people referred to as punkin seeds,
the green sunfish. You know, those species you mentioned war Man,

(54:00):
they all spawn later. So if you're you're around areas
and that's what you're running into, chances are you better
change gears and start, you know, fishing for bluegill and
more traditional ways than the spawning cycle. Yep.

Speaker 4 (54:14):
And I will say this.

Speaker 3 (54:15):
I know from time to time we both and our
journeys talk to some anglers that really enjoy the fly rod.
I really look for this to be a phenomenal year
for the bluegill anglers, whether they're on.

Speaker 4 (54:29):
A fly rod or.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
Some folks just like to fish with artificial tackle because
they like the aggressiveness and the speed of the bay
and that style of fishing. But where we've had this
warmer weather and we've had an increase in shoreline structure
changing and that that is live growing plants.

Speaker 4 (54:48):
Our invertebrate.

Speaker 3 (54:50):
Invertebrate population is up, and so I do look for
folks to have a little bit more action on in
time to where they can spend on the water with
top water insects.

Speaker 4 (55:02):
Whether that's a fly rod or spinning rod.

Speaker 3 (55:05):
Or just a traditional make casts and real don't don't
overlook that the warm weather has put a lot more
insects there on the table for these panfish to get
in and get after, and tadpoles as well.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
I'll look for that kind of be a aggressive.

Speaker 3 (55:22):
It may even be where it's a harder bite, Jim,
where they've got so much food and forge this year
that are wigglers and worms may not be all that
they're looking at.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Well, I'm definitely getting ready to throw what I call
the long ride. I love catching blue jell on the
fly rod and bass for that matter. But I think
you're right with the amount of insects as warm as
it is and this bedding cycle coming, Boy, you can
murder am I use little leech batterns or each popping bug,
you know, all the above, or deadly on them when

(55:53):
they're on the spotting beds. All right, folks, got to
go to break again. It's presented by SMI Marine. Go
see him Tim Maddy to the stand for pros and
troubleshooting problems on your boat. Remember he never gets soaked.
And that's about okay, folks. We're gonna talk some dove
field management tips because tis the season. The sport where

(56:15):
more shotgun shells are fired than any of the hunting
that's out there and Foley do. However, Scott, I think
we ought to mention that there's gonna be shallow water
bass activity in and around those blue year beds. There's
no doubt gonna be another wave of bass come up

(56:35):
on this even though you know there's been a majority
of fish already spawn and the blue catfish are in
pre hard pre spawn right now.

Speaker 3 (56:46):
Yeah, our buddy Kevin Murphy has been taking advantage. I'm
not gonna tell what locking down systems he's been in
and around, but any of those rocky areas that that
good water flow are pretty hot right now, and yeah,
catfish will be starting to do their mood.

Speaker 4 (57:03):
Bass will be doing everything.

Speaker 3 (57:05):
And the most important part about what you're talking about
on the bass activity, it is by far my favorite
way to fish, and that is when bass start blowing
up on fry and bait fish and getting in and
chasing those those blue gill up on bed and that
that old bass that's a that's one of the top

(57:27):
things on their list of things they enjoy to eat
is the blue gill. You do any type of plund
management at all, and not to get into the argument
of you know this or that hybrid bass or f
ones or whatever. But uh, bass like bluegill period. Uh,
I like to eat them. And don't be surprised if

(57:49):
you don't catch a bunch of fish up and around
other fish spawning bits. And we've been trying to give
people good information on that. We talked a little bit
about it last week. It's a you know, it's that
multi multi species angler approach it you and I have.

Speaker 4 (58:05):
I mean, we're coming in that.

Speaker 3 (58:06):
Aluminum boat clubs, old buddy, you know, like we put them,
We put them all in the boat, and we put
a knife to all of them because they have their
their time and their place. And and I encourage folks
to speaking of that bass bite, Jim. You know, if
you're a person that likes to put fish on the table,

(58:27):
don't don't be holding back on trying multiple species.

Speaker 4 (58:31):
To fry, bake, or broil.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
I mean, bass is phenomenal to eat, especially younger bass.

Speaker 4 (58:39):
And in our private people as far as our private
ponds and and waters.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (58:45):
Man, look at those rules, laws and regulations on what
you can bring back and put a knife to.

Speaker 4 (58:51):
Because man crappie, walleye, bluegill. They all got their spot,
but so does so does the bass in so many ways.

Speaker 3 (58:58):
My dad's old laddy, Mike Jaggers, used to even put
the knife to some small mouth and I'm telling you
it's it's it's.

Speaker 4 (59:05):
Great on the tongue. The palatability of that fish is amazing.

Speaker 2 (59:09):
Yep, we were talking about those bass beat around. Bluegill.
Business were real quick aside my buddy Chick Anderson. I
were fishing early in the week. I had some oral
surgery late which they going it clipped me out of
your turkey camp. But anyway, I was pulling the bluegill

(59:32):
to the boat, and by to the boat, I was
lifting it literally out of the water in a really
big bass six seven pounder came up and took this
hand size blue gill like it was a guppy. Yes, sir,
I said Chick. If I wanted to, I could catch
a small blue gill and put it on a hook
and have that joker. But we were having too much fun.

(59:54):
Slants and Buckkilly.

Speaker 3 (59:56):
Those old guys are down in Florida, buddy, They've been
doing it for years, don't I mean, yeah, they're shad
out there, but where it's legal to fish with blue bill.
It's one of the it's one of the main things
you can catch a whopper on.

Speaker 2 (01:00:07):
So yes, sir, well, let's uh, let's switch gears here
and talk doves. It is time to prep your fields, folks.
Or as I mentioned, it's one of the most fun
things you can have with your clothes on. I like
to say, because it's camaraderie. It's a lot of shooting
and they're great to eat. And now is the time. Uh.

(01:00:29):
And we're pointing again at the moon face coming that
will favor those seats popping with a little bit of
rain and forecast.

Speaker 4 (01:00:36):
I hope.

Speaker 2 (01:00:38):
Uh. They're saying that's coming. We'll see what we get.
But now it's when you want us plant sunfire for sure.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
And get advice too. You know, there's a lot of
there's a lot of ways in which folks can get advice.
They don't have to do this all on their own.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Right right the obviously those of us have done it
for years. Utilize the pair. There's a lot of discussion
and argument about the ones that are. You know, you
can treat with chemical versus the other. I prefer just
the regular paradovic by prepping the field first and then

(01:01:16):
trying to plant early enough where if I get a
lot of weed growth of stuff in the field, I
can do a burn down in mid to late August,
and you know, take care of that. I can get
rid of the foliage I don't want, So it just
depends on how you want to do it. You talked
earlier about some of the other things. I do love

(01:01:37):
millet for doves and in my plots wherever I can,
I try to integrate winter wheat somewhere, you know, in
that vicinity eight and feed the deer during the winter,
but be to have to manipulate to start my doves
in before. Sometimes the sunflower are exactly ready and you

(01:02:00):
can roll them in that way, and it's a great
starter millet. I'm a big believer in pro Sol millet.
It's my favorite. The German or foxtail millot is good
as well. In my experience. Brown top not so much.
I've tried it and manipulated a lot of different ways,

(01:02:22):
and I tend to one rather have pro so or
white millet and or the regular fox tail almost ten
to one in my experience.

Speaker 3 (01:02:31):
Yes, it's so important for folks to get out and
utilize your county extension agent. Every county's got one in
the state of Kentucky. If you're in a surrounding state,
you still have the cooperative Extension service off your land
grant universities, getting your fertility and all of your herbicide
needs taken care of, knowing what ratios of chemical you

(01:02:54):
need to apply, when to apply it, kind of looking
at your budget from anything from fertilizer to your seed costs.

Speaker 4 (01:03:02):
It's really important.

Speaker 3 (01:03:04):
It's important as well that you start looking at what
date you want your dove field to be ready by
a lot of people are looking for that dove field
to be ready for the opener, but there's still a
lot of folks out there that try to spend that
out over two or three weeks, even a month, and
some folks even cater to a little bit of the
late season dove hunting.

Speaker 4 (01:03:26):
That we get into.

Speaker 3 (01:03:27):
But your power lines, your water sources, the amount of
bare ground that you have looking at snags or dead
trees and which those birds can perch on, in areas
in which those birds can evaluate before they fly down.
And of course you've got to have places where doves

(01:03:49):
roost right. And when you put together a dove field,
you need to have a big picture in mind of
have and more of theirs than just seed on the ground.
The doves are looking for more than just sunflyer. Seeds
are looking for.

Speaker 4 (01:04:07):
More than just milo and millet, And you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:10):
Need to have some cover and some strategy and how
you mow these dove fields and what goes on. But
more importantly, Jim, the reason we decided to talk about
this topic is the last few years, it's no surprise
that dove fields take a little bit of money to
get prepped and get ready, and it takes a little

(01:04:32):
bit of time. And when all of that comes in
to play, if folks get out there for the opener
and they have some negative results from all of their work,
one or two years of that hitting the back pocket
can lead in the folks maybe given up. And one
of the things that we wanted to do was to

(01:04:53):
advocate to make sure that folks are getting things up
and going. And Derby's coming here next weekend and the
early section of May is always a good time to
put on your calendar to be ready to have everything done.
Everything done for those dove fields that can reward all

(01:05:15):
of us so much, and it's one of the few
ways and what we can all get together still gym
and hunting groups and socialize and have that camaraderie. It's
no different than the Turkey camp that we talked about.
And it's still the number one day in the United
States of America that hunters get out and get in
the field. Lot of dollars generated and a lot of

(01:05:36):
good memories and friendships and bonds made over that migrating bird.

Speaker 4 (01:05:41):
And it's a great table fair as well.

Speaker 3 (01:05:44):
So several different ways to shoot them, several different ways
to have plots for them, and several different ways to
get a multitude of individuals out there to have some
enjoyment out of it, whether that's in the morning or
the afternoon style hunting that we're allowed to do.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Yes, the beauty of sunflyer, I'll beat their expensive and
they are to require pre extensive management, is what you
was talking about. You can extend your shooting dates. Whereas
if you're using millet or wheat, once you put it
on the ground, all takes is a rain or two
and within three to five days you got sprout and seed,

(01:06:22):
and birds tend to leave it. However, on the flip side,
wheat is so easy to grow, so inexpensive to grow.
And again it's a double bank for your buck because
you can feed deer with it in the winter and
then you can manipulate it in the fall for for
does and Mille. It. One cool thing about it is

(01:06:45):
you can plant it later. You're not in such a rush.
Mille it all the way up into early June and
still have seed ready by the time dove season gets there.
And if you got a big enough plot, you can
manipulate some of it. If the rain hits you, you
got more, you know, to work on later. So there
are a lot of aspects to that that that folks

(01:07:07):
need to consider. But now's the time to be thinking
about and doing those plots, all right, got to go
to break here. This break is presented by our friends
at S and My Marine, all kinds of new boats
for sale over there. They got some great deals on
used boats as well. I'll be glad to troubleshoot any
of the problems with your current watercraft. And remember you

(01:07:29):
never get soaked by my friends at s M. I
got for those die hard hunters out there, we do
want to remind them the spring squirrel season in Kentucky
is about to open, and uh, it's gonna be really
interesting this time. Uh for example, good grief, and there's
gonna be a lot of mulberries. They're they're gonna be

(01:07:52):
early and very profuse, hopefully in areas where there was
sufficient water and they weren't nipped by the front too badly.
But good crop of young squirrels are going to be
out there, no doubt.

Speaker 3 (01:08:07):
Yeah, the limited Squirrels comes with a free amount of
unlimited tics too.

Speaker 4 (01:08:12):
It's important that you treat.

Speaker 3 (01:08:15):
Your clothes and use your thermo cell or different types
of repellents. It's one of my favorite times to get out.
And the good thing about the forecast ahead is there
are some forty degree mornings and looks like some cooler evenings.

Speaker 4 (01:08:29):
We'll see where all that pans out, but it's a.

Speaker 3 (01:08:32):
Great time, especially for young kids to get out. And
it's a really great time to get out and advocate
for the use of a shotgun. Even though I'll hunt
a lot with a rifle. My favorite area is to
hunt is cattle pastures. I really like going after those
areas in which there's kind of some mix of fence

(01:08:54):
rows and some either grays pastures or clip pastures. Those
are really good and a lot of folks can take
advantage too when they're out and about to to hunt
from a boat with squirrels and other game species. You
can't do that, but those kayaks and canoes and fishing

(01:09:14):
boats that.

Speaker 4 (01:09:15):
You got can really be cut be put to good use.

Speaker 3 (01:09:19):
And there's nothing wrong with with keeping a firearm in
your boat while you're fishing. You don't have to go
out there thinking that you've got to fill up a
whole sackful.

Speaker 4 (01:09:26):
You don't have to get your limit to have a
good day.

Speaker 2 (01:09:29):
Absolutely, And they do a lot of rambling this time
of year, which means you know they're they're visually available.
I guess I would like to say a lot of
people that have never done it think that the folios
is so dense that it doesn't work out. But those
young ones are running up and down the trunks and
chasing each other through the limbs, and and uh, they're

(01:09:52):
very active actually, And as you mentioned, it's it's it's
it's quite the thing, really.

Speaker 3 (01:09:59):
Yeah, And so else it's really important about this timing years.
We get into that halfway point of turkey season and
move into spring squirrel season. Is it's a very convenient
time of the year, Gym for folks to have their
deer mineral ready in the truck, whether they're using something solid,
and I know both of us use trophy rock quite

(01:10:21):
a bit. We use loose mineral in areas our doughs
are going to start dropping faunds and it would be
best if that mineral was already in place, and just
to shoot everybody straight.

Speaker 4 (01:10:33):
It's a little harder this year for.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
Deer to get that loose mineral because the ground is
hard in a lot of areas because of the lack
of moisture.

Speaker 4 (01:10:41):
So highly encouraged folks.

Speaker 3 (01:10:43):
It's not a commercial of highly encouraged folks to utilize
the trophy rock.

Speaker 4 (01:10:48):
With the conditions that we're in and be that steward of.

Speaker 3 (01:10:52):
The land, especially with the lactation that these doughs are
going to be having with the faunds hitting the ground.
And can't preach enough about just being looking forward or
ahead to the natality of our fishing game and when
it comes to these game species, with the amount of
vegetation and growth that we've had, it's going to be

(01:11:15):
really good.

Speaker 4 (01:11:16):
For some of these critters to.

Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
Hide really well, and they're going to be in a
little bit taller vegetation than what they normally are because
of the weather and things that.

Speaker 4 (01:11:27):
Are transpired to spring. We've got to do our part when.

Speaker 3 (01:11:31):
It comes to hay season and mowing and starting to
cliff or bush hog areas.

Speaker 4 (01:11:38):
We really want to try to avoid mowing.

Speaker 3 (01:11:40):
At all costs if we can, Like this is one
of the worst times of the year just to bush
hoog or clean something up. So I want to advocate
if you don't have to do it for your livelihood,
you don't have to do it for your living, you're
not feeding the cows or you're not in the hay business,
please let that bush hog set the next six to

(01:12:01):
eight to ten weeks. Please, But if you do have
to get out and you've got to get that hay
cut and get things bailed up. We're not stopping agriculture.
We never will. It's a livelihood. But it's important that
folks take the precautions and get out there and make
sure that we're doing all we can to make sure

(01:12:23):
that those funds and those turkeys aren't impacted from our
agricultural practices. And we don't want to have fatality to
our funds, and we don't want to have complete devastation
to these turkeys, whether that's us killing the hen or
crushing the entire nest.

Speaker 2 (01:12:46):
Yep, yeah, it's you know, one of the things that
I really paid attention to last year. I was concerned
about the flooding and all the rain we had and
dag gone if we didn't end up with reproduction. And
I am of the opinion that a great part of that,

(01:13:06):
especially in these ag areas, was the fact that the
rain kept the farmers out of the fields. And I
don't begrudge them that by what I mean by that is,
Lord knows, they got to roll when they need to roll.
But what I'm getting at is when when the hay
binds and what have you? Were you know, aside because

(01:13:28):
of the conditions, A lot of these turkey numbers that
we're seeing I think is directly attributable to that. So
what we're trying to impart and you said it perfectly,
If you don't need to do it, then please stay off,
because their chances of survival are so much better, I mean,

(01:13:49):
and it's crazy, and you talked about this. I think
last week or week before, take the time if you
possibly can, if you're a farmer, to enter the field,
walk the field'll do whatever it takes to try to
see that the fawns aren't in the way of your mowing,
or that the turkeys you know, that are on the
desk that you don't you know, chop the whole thing up.

(01:14:12):
It's I know farmers are disgusted by that, just like
we are. However, I do regnize in a great way
that they got to make it a living. So U yeah, no.

Speaker 3 (01:14:23):
Doubt, no doubt, and you know it's it's gonna be
a it's going to be a tricky year when it
comes to everything just in and around agriculture, bush hogging period,
because a lot of folks do like to keep areas
cleaned up and and things have kind of got a
little Harry and Wooley got out of control. But anybody

(01:14:43):
that's just getting into owning property or is new end
to managing their ground, remember that that this whole growing
season you can let that vegetation get up and let
it grow. It's actually better for the wildlife to let
it grow then to mow it and later on.

Speaker 4 (01:15:02):
In the year that same vegetation.

Speaker 3 (01:15:05):
When it gets a frost on it, it's a lot
easier to mow and deal with. And if folks aren't
utilizing the Kentucky Department of Fishing, Wildlife or any end
of DNR to work with their private lands biologists, I
encourage you to do so.

Speaker 4 (01:15:19):
Those resources are out there.

Speaker 3 (01:15:21):
And it's as simple as sending an email or making
a phone call. And just remember, if you're ever in doubt,
there's somebody there to help give you some advice and
leave you along the way so that.

Speaker 4 (01:15:33):
You can make the best decision.

Speaker 2 (01:15:35):
Yes, sir, well that's a wrap for tonight everybody. Again,
we covered a lot of ground. Hopefully it was useful
to you. God bless everybody. Be safe out there.