Planning for next year

[nhn2a]

In checking my cameras I left out through the spring at my tree farm in Harnett County, I probably had a dozen photos over a few months of hens and a few long beards. I think they were just cruising through and curious if anyone has had any luck attracting and retaining turkeys in an area. I know ideally you want to hunt them where they are but historically they don't stay on the farm and I don't have access to any other private areas that hold turkey. In the 7 years I've owned the property and hunted it heavily for deer, I've only heard one turkey and never actually seen one in person out there.

Some have recommended to throw out bait in the off season but I would imagine once you stop baiting them they would just stop coming. Is that a reasonable assumption? I've also thought about planting some food plots specifically for turkey but with the abundance of agriculture fields around I don't know if that would be worth the effort and have a noticeable return. Currently most of my fields are planted in clover for deer. Does anyone have any ideas or recommendations about drawing in turkeys? I'm only looking at legal options here so when I talk about baiting I'm talking about stopping a few weeks before season to let it clear out and doing everything by the book. I would love to be able to hunt turkey on my own property and I know they are around the area, they just don't come through my area routinely enough to hunt them. Any ideas or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jug]

The birds move around alot in Harnett unless you are close to the Little river and Cape Fear river. I suggest doing a small prescibed burn in your pines during February or March. Burn about 6 to 8 acres and you will see turkeys using it. I did this in Northampton county. I had the forestry service burn almost 8 acres of a 12 yr old volunteer pine stand and man we had the birds in there that year. Opening day we had 4 gobblers in 2011 on top of us .
You can plant chufa also.... that helps if you have at least half acre.

 

[lasttombstone]

What kind of acreage are you talking about? How big are your fields? Turkeys love clover as well as deer so that is a good thing. Turkeys need a couple of things you didn't mention. Nesting areas, cover and water. If you didn't leave about 10 feet or so out from the trees before you planted clover you hurt yourself for turkeys. They need edge...... grown up weeds. This provides bugs as a food source for both mature birds and poults and it provides cover for nests. Deer need and use the same thing. The worst habitat you can have is one that is super clean and pretty looking. Also, if there is no water on the property consider creating something if nothing but a plastic water trough buried in the ground to catch rain water or runoff. Plenty of things can be done to improve turkey habitat.

 

[nhn2a]

The birds move around alot in Harnett unless you are close to the Little river and Cape Fear river. I suggest doing a small prescibed burn in your pines during February or March. Burn about 6 to 8 acres and you will see turkeys using it. I did this in Northampton county. I had the forestry service burn almost 8 acres of a 12 yr old volunteer pine stand and man we had the birds in there that year. Opening day we had 4 gobblers in 2011 on top of us .
You can plant chufa also.... that helps if you have at least half acre.

The boundary of my tree farm is little river for about 3/4 of a mile ... Lol

I'm actually working on planning a prescribed burn. I don't feel comfortable doing it myself so I've been looking at contractors that do it.

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[nhn2a]

What kind of acreage are you talking about? How big are your fields? Turkeys love clover as well as deer so that is a good thing. Turkeys need a couple of things you didn't mention. Nesting areas, cover and water. If you didn't leave about 10 feet or so out from the trees before you planted clover you hurt yourself for turkeys. They need edge...... grown up weeds. This provides bugs as a food source for both mature birds and poults and it provides cover for nests. Deer need and use the same thing. The worst habitat you can have is one that is super clean and pretty looking. Also, if there is no water on the property consider creating something if nothing but a plastic water trough buried in the ground to catch rain water or runoff. Plenty of things can be done to improve turkey habitat.

I've got 30 acres with about 20acres of pines, 5 acres of food plots and 5 acres of hardwoods. The boundary is little river so water shouldn't be a problem. Ive never burned the property so it's a rats nest under the pines of weeds, grass, and briars. Otherwise across the river is about 200 acres of ag fields normally planted in beans and around me are all hardwoods for hundreds of acres.

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[jug]

I've got 30 acres with about 20acres of pines, 5 acres of food plots and 5 acres of hardwoods. The boundary is little river so water shouldn't be a problem. Ive never burned the property so it's a rats nest under the pines of weeds, grass, and briars. Otherwise across the river is about 200 acres of ag fields normally planted in beans and around me are all hardwoods for hundreds of acres.

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Burn the woods and the turkeys will come. Burn them at least every 3 years.
Winter burns are not as bad. Once you have a professional do it you can do them yourself easy.
Burn all the pines if you can. Wont be much more to burn 20 acres versus 8

 

[oldest school]

well the other side of the river sounds better but Jug is giving some sound advice and you should get some spillover turkeys if you open up the pines some. Good luck.