# Are turkey LE worth it



## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Never been but are they worth trying for


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

What I read when I drew one a couple years back is the birds are more vocal. I did call in and kill a bird at 30 yards. I haven't ever hunted the general but most likely will this year. I am interested in seeing how the birds behave during the general and if I can call one in again.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> .......are they worth trying for


If you don't know how to hunt turkeys or want to get to them before they become 4 wheeler shy, then it can be helpful.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

gdog said:


> LostLouisianian said:
> 
> 
> > .......are they worth trying for
> ...


Do you have to put in for a specific area? If so are there any decent areas within an hour drive of Lehi that offer not to hard of a hike for someone who is having some serious walking issues at this time? PM if you prefer


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

yes - they are region specific (ie: Northern, Central, Southwest, Southern, etc.).


for youth, they are definitely worth it. If they draw, they hunt the LE hunt + the general season hunt if they don't fill their tag during the LE.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Trying to enter my grandson and it keeps telling me I need to purchase a combo or hunting license for him. I am holding his hunting license in my hand. Combo license that expires 9/21/2018....tell me what the heck am I doing wrong. This is for the youth hunt for turkey in the spring of 2018


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

My last LE tag was 6 years ago. I haven't put in since then because I do better in the GS. It is harder to call them in on the GS, but I am not limited to an area and I hunt 3 different regions every spring. Access is better and they are just as vocal in mid may as mid april IMO. If LE was statewide, I would consider putting back in for it again, the way it is now, it is not worth it.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

The LE is a great way to get an early shot at the most responsive birds without much hunter interference.


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## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Early huntthe birds are more vocal andyou get the first shot at them. I still put in for the LE tags every year and just buy a GS if I don’t draw. It’s worth applying IMO, there are some advantages. As for why the application isn’t working, I’m not sure, but you can call the DWR and apply by phone and I’m sure they can figure it out and fix it.


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## silentstalker (Feb 19, 2008)

LL, 

I believe on that same screen you can input the data off your grandson’s license to move on in the process. If not I would do as suggested and call them. Should be an easy fix.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

silentstalker said:


> LL,
> 
> I believe on that same screen you can input the data off your grandson's license to move on in the process. If not I would do as suggested and call them. Should be an easy fix.


I did all that and it still didn't work. I called them and they said there's a problem and will call me back when it's fixed...maybe today, maybe not. Uh Ma'am I have to get him in today as it's the last day....oh well we will do what we can do....


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## weaversamuel76 (Feb 16, 2017)

Isn't the youth hunt a general tag? Just buy it and start the two days before general hunt?

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

TODAY(I think 10 or 11 PM)...is the last day! If you want a LE tag you can't wait until tomorrow to apply.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> TODAY(I think 10 or 11 PM)...is the last day! If you want a LE tag you can't wait until tomorrow to apply.


They finally got it fixed. For some inexplicable reason his license was not showing on one of their systems.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

What area did you put in for?


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

LostLouisianian said:


> They finally got it fixed. For some inexplicable reason his license was not showing on one of their systems.


I had that same stupid problem! I ended up calling the DWR and they did the application for me.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> What area did you put in for?


If I recall I put in first choice as Central. Wanted something where we didn't have to travel too far and hopefully can find an area with some birds that are not too hard to reach since I am not able to walk very far right now.

Have a doctor's appointment next week to begin to find out why I can't walk and why my leg and foot are so swollen I can hardly get a shoe on.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

LostLouisianian said:


> If I recall I put in first choice as Central. Wanted something where we didn't have to travel too far and hopefully can find an area with some birds that are not too hard to reach since I am not able to walk very far right now.
> 
> Have a doctor's appointment next week to begin to find out why I can't walk and why my leg and foot are so swollen I can hardly get a shoe on.


Good luck to you. Hope you get some relief from that foot problem.

The good news is that you sure don't need a LE tag to have a great Utah turkey hunt. The general season is great and with the whole state open to you for a month you'll have plenty of time to actual find and hunt birds.

One of my biggest complains about any LE hunt is the opportunity limiting factors. To put it simply, the less time available to hunt, the less opportunity there is to hunt. If Utah would just open up the entire state to a "normal" turkey season(Mid April thru the end of May), hunters would have much more opportunity to schedule hunting trips...more opportunity! Also, what we have created is basically two "opening days"...the nightmare of any hunting season. But alas, so many people have been brainwashed into the "quality" hunt mindset, and "I got all these points built up" that we will probably never see a nice casual turkey hunt that many states around the country enjoy.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

BPturkeys said:


> One of my biggest complains about any LE hunt is the opportunity limiting factors. To put it simply, the less time available to hunt, the less opportunity there is to hunt. If Utah would just open up the entire state to a "normal" turkey season(Mid April thru the end of May), hunters would have much more opportunity to schedule hunting trips...more opportunity! Also, what we have created is basically two "opening days"...the nightmare of any hunting season. But alas, so many people have been brainwashed into the "quality" hunt mindset, and "I got all these points built up" that we will probably never see a nice casual turkey hunt that many states around the country enjoy.


Bingo, could not have said it better myself.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

Imagine the nightmare of cramming all those hunters of those two opening days into one opening day in mid April! Folks would soon be pining for the good old days of LE.

Utah has the best of both worlds right now with the LE then the General.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

hawglips said:


> Imagine the nightmare of cramming all those hunters of those two opening days into one opening day


Like every other state?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

hawglips said:


> Imagine the nightmare of cramming all those hunters of those two opening days into one opening day in mid April! Folks would soon be pining for the good old days of LE.
> 
> Utah has the best of both worlds right now with the LE then the General.


You're probably right, it would be a extra bad hunting day, but it would quickly pass, as all opening days do, leaving a couple additional weeks to spread the hunting pressure out.

If opening days are the bad hunting days, then the non-opening days must be the good hunting days. So you want to take many good hunting days away from the general hunting public forcing the majority of hunters to suffer reduced opportunity for what reason?

There is other factors contributing to the definition of a good hunting day, for example, weather...if you have fewer days to go hunting, you are more likely to not get the chance because of bad weather. Vegetation growth...a big factor in later turkey hunts. Taller vegetation can make turkey hunting much more difficult and can actually end turkey hunting in many areas. Since taller growth usually happens toward the end of the season, many hunting opportunities may be lost.

In short, since there is absolutely NO biological reason for LE turkey hunting, the small advantages given to the few lucky recipients of LE tags in no way should outweigh those same benefits being given to all those wishing to go turkey hunting.

So no, I really don't think most turkey hunters will be pining for the good old day of the LE system.


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## OriginalOscar (Sep 5, 2016)

I like the LE because many of the FS roads are still closed and if you are willing to walk you've got zero company.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

BP, I don’t see a reduced opportunity for anyone with Utah’s system. A full month long General season is very generous, given the state’s turkey resource reality. The LE season is a bonus opportunity for those wanting to take advantage of an early hunt limited hunter competition, it seems to me. 

How many states with similar turkey numbers and majority public land seven days a week hunting have a six week general season? It’s probably not sound resource management to do that. 

States like GA with many times the turkey numbers that Utah has, very little public land, and no fall season, may do that and get away with it. States like NC with 10 times the birds Utah has only have a month long season. Many northern states with large turkey numbers and traditional turkey states with famous turkey numbers like MO have more restrictive spring seasons than Utah. 

Utah’s approach is a generous one, I believe.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Hunting opportunity is certainly much more than just the number of days we circle on the calendar. If this was the case, we could just hold the turkey hunt for 12 weeks in June and July and August and everyone would be happy. As I mentioned in the last post, other factors must be considered. You yourself said it..."The LE season is a bonus opportunity for those wanting to take advantage of an early hunt LIMITED hunter competition"...one man's special privilege is an other's restriction. 

Now, if you are talking about the LE as a tool for game management then yes, maybe it is a usable scheme, but Utah does not do that and openly admits it is only there to provide a few "lucky" hunters the advantages gained from an April hunt. No other reason!

I know nothing about Eastern turkey hunting and the states involved. Virtually everything about their outdoors and our outdoors is different. But take Washington State, a state with a huge population of birds, for example, has a 6 week, no special hunt scheme and you hear no cries for a special LE season. Their hunting season is open to all interested without taking a couple of prime turkey hunting weeks and giving them to a few "lucky" hunters. Sure, their opening couple days are a little crowded(I know, I've been there for every one for the last 25 years) but that is just the way it is when you give all your interested hunters an equal opportunity to hunt ALL the good hunting days.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

LE turkey hunts are lame IMHO. I apply because that's how we do it here but I think they should lower the tag cost to $20.00 and offer 2 OTC bearded tom tags in the spring and one either sex OTC tag in the fall. Far too many turkeys live in urban areas and on private property to ever become threatened by overhunting so let's open it up some. 

I could even go for an early general bow season during the time currently occupied by the LE tags and then a big fat general season after that. 

Hey LL, if you draw a central tag, hit me up and I'll point you toward some birds. Good luck to all who have a name in the hat for the Lame-O turkey draw.----SS


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Yeah, It's worth it.

I hope to send a payload of Magnum Blend through a turkey skull whether it be LE or general in 2018. I'm in either way.

I'm with SS... I could go for a couple of tags!

.


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## gdog (Sep 13, 2007)

Growing up back East I hunted NY, PA and OH. NY you can only hunt till noon. PA and OH you can only hunt till noon for first half of season and then full day 2nd half of season. All tag holders have same opening day. 2 bird limit for each of those states (one bird per day). All three states seasons run basically the month of May. Most good hunting ground is private. If you think the pressure during the OTC turkey hunts on public land is bad here in UT...you definitely shouldn't head east to hunt. NY has approximately *90k spring turkey hunters*. I've also hunted turkeys in TX (over 30 day season), MO (3 weeks) and MT (over 30 days). No special tags needed.

30 FULL days in UT is more then generous for the amount of PUBLIC ground we have for the number of hunters and the current ever growing turkey population. LE tags are completely un-necessary.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

BPturkeys said:


> Now, if you are talking about the LE as a tool for game management then yes, maybe it is a usable scheme, but Utah does not do that and openly admits it is only there to provide a few "lucky" hunters the advantages gained from an April hunt. No other reason!


The biology of it is the most important question to consider with seasons, with a number of questions coming into play. When is the breeding taking place? Can the population handle the pressure of the number of hunters, the way they hunt, and the amount of viable habitat available to support turkeys?

Most states try to time their spring gobbler season to allow the majority of the breeding to get done and have most hens setting on the nest by the time it opens. And they base that on studies that have been done. Does mid April in Utah make sense? I don't know, but I suspect it's overly early based on the times I know of small poults being seen in UT, and studies done in warmer, lower altitude, more southerly states like SC, AR, etc.

I wish Eclectic would chime in here. He's probably done more to establish wild turkeys around Utah than any living human, and he has some opinions that might be interesting to hear.



BPturkeys said:


> ....give all your interested hunters an equal opportunity to hunt ALL the good hunting days.


My opinion on this point differs markedly from yours. I don't think all the good hunting days should even be open to hunting. I think it counterproductive to the long-term well being of the resource to allow hunting them so liberally. Hence the approach most states take to set spring gobbler seasons after most hens are safely bred and on the nest. We've gone round and round on this question over and over again in NC, with a certain segment of the turkey hunters pushing for earlier and earlier seasons because they think the good hunting is earlier because they hear gobbling and see breeding going on before the season is open. My perspective is that hunting them is a privilege that should be allowed only if and when it is conducive to stable and increasing populations. If I were in charge of turkey hunting in UT, I'd be real nervous about hunting them so early, even if it's limited entry. Until some sort of study in UT is done on the breeding cycles, there's not a whole lot of information to go on.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

sawsman said:


> Yeah, It's worth it.
> 
> I hope to send a payload of Magnum Blend through a turkey skull whether it be LE or general in 2018. I'm in either way.
> 
> ...


What's the preferred size shot for turkeys? I was thinking #5 or #4 but would like to hear actual turkey hunters experiences. Also was going to get a turkey choke for my wingmaster. Any recommendations?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Short of doing extensive pattering, theory tells us that you want a heavy enough shot to insure penetration while providing the most dense pattern available. I kind of lean toward a more dense pattern and use #5 and #6. Lately I have had great luck with #6 Heavy Shot. I would like to try some of the TSS but I don't reload.

As to chokes, I 've never used anything but a good old Full choke. The tighter chokes do afford you a more dense pattern at a little longer range, but don't fall into a sense of security in taking longer shots because the manufactures are promising these crazy killing ranges. Know the patterns of the choke you are using.

Now, I know this is a little argumentative, but shot placement...I recommend, especially for young shooters, aim for the base of the neck and this is my reasoning. Most people have a tendency to shoot a little high, mostly because, in the excitement of the moment, they don't get their cheek down on the stock. So, if you aim for the head, as many hunters recommend, you will likely end up with your intended target, the head and neck, ending up in the fringe of or completely out of your pattern. By aiming at the base of the neck, even if you do shoot high, the bulk of your shot load will be concentrated on the neck/head area resulting in more kills.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

BPturkeys said:


> . I would like to try some of the TSS but I don't reload.


I can help you with that. Sent you PM.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

BPturkeys said:


> Now, I know this is a little argumentative, but shot placement...I recommend, especially for young shooters, aim for the base of the neck and this is my reasoning. Most people have a tendency to shoot a little high, mostly because, in the excitement of the moment, they don't get their cheek down on the stock. So, if you aim for the head, as many hunters recommend, you will likely end up with your intended target, the head and neck, ending up in the fringe of or completely out of your pattern. By aiming at the base of the neck, even if you do shoot high, the bulk of your shot load will be concentrated on the neck/head area resulting in more kills.


I believe this is very sound advice not to aim at the head.

I think of it as putting the center of the pattern on the center of the target - which in the case of turkeys is the central nervous system. That is a long, slender target running from the brain to where the neck vertebrae end. Here's a good luck at it in X-ray form. You can see the fleshy major curuncles at the base of the neck, and see that they are about in the middle of the CNS target. And you can see that the center of the pattern is a bit low, but is about there, and covers the turkey's whole CNS from the brain to the base of the spinal column. I think this is about the right place to aim.










As for shot size. It depends on what shot material you are shooting, and the payload. I kill most of my turkeys with a 28 ga load of 9-1/2s in TSS.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Any cc hits yet?


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## percheye (Jan 15, 2008)

Possibly? Iv'e never gone turkey hunting before, but it sounds fun. I put in for the central area since it's near home.


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