Pickney State Game Area turkey hunt

I and buddies have hunted there with good success. Opening morning, the first time we hunted there, we had six different toms gobbling at us. Then came the hard part of calling them in.
One guy got a nice one, the other missed a second one at 5 yds, and I had to pass 2 that were too far out for me to hit with the bow after I injured my shoulder. You should be out there right now finding their roosting areas and getting to know the land. All the calling in the world won't do a bit of good if you aren't in a spot the toms want to be in. Just be careful about busting them off the roost.

There are birds there and pretty much everywhere in southern Mi now where there is good habitat for them. A lot of public land around here has good turkey habitat. Keep in mind, the hunts on public land in southern MI are the toughest to draw a license. Only about 1 out of 5 applicants will get a license for the first hunts on public land. The late hunts have a higher success rate but the birds on public land get a bit educated to hunters. If you do get a license, don't go out calling birds the weeks before the hunt when scouting. Gaining access to private land is helpful to assure you get a license. Everyone who applies for the private land hunt, ZZ will get a license that covers the first 2 weeks of the season. Good luck in the drawing, I hope your son gets a chance for a close encounter.

Personally, my experience has been that the late season is better than the early season. Birds are more active. Yes, they are smart, but a good set up will bring them in. Main thing is to keep on the move and find the active birds. I agree about not calling to the birds before your season starts. Best bet is to get out in the morning and listen for them to gobble before coming down. I've found that even using an owl call in the evening gets overused, and often doesn't elicit a response just prior to the start of the season.

Originally posted by Mark Harmes
Oh, you know what I was thinking, was the late period. I was rabbit hunting in Chealsa and saw tons of turkey tracks, but then saw the sign that said no hunting after a certain time period, I think it was april. Anyway thanks for the clarification.

Click to expand...

Yep, the signs say that, but the hunting guides, also, list exceptions for most SGAs for spring turkey and early goose. I have heard of people being harrassed by an employee of Bald Mtn during early goose. It's good to have the regs in hand, just in case.