Lack of Gobbling, what causes it?

[jjb4900]

what do you think causes a lack of gobbling, especially if you know there are turkeys around? I'm going to dismiss too much calling by hunters right off the bat, I've heard real hens, that if they were hunters, would be considered over calling by some, too much use of locator calls? last week I did a few owl hoots and the real ones started up and went crazy......bad calling? I've heard real hens that sound terrible compared to some callers. There's been days when it sounded like there was a Tom on every ridge and the next you would swear there wasn't on within 5 miles.........what do you guys think? I'm gonna go with hens already being with Toms and a general lack of interest on their part at certain times.

[Lawdwaz]

You come up with THE answer to that question and you are the King Of The Hill.

 

 

[ATbuckhunter]

I think there are already hens with the gobblers. I'm thinking the hunting will get better in a couple weeks. 

[jjb4900]

You come up with THE answer to that question and you are the King Of The Hill.

yeah, you're right..........it would be easier to come up with reasons that don't cause it, or maybe not.

Edited May 6, 2015 by jjb4900

[Lawdwaz]

I think there are already hens with the gobblers. I'm thinking the hunting will get better in a couple weeks. 

 

Tomorrow could be the day that the bird you're hunting goes nuts and runs in to two rocks banged together.  Only the bird knows and he won't know until he hears those rocks. 

 

 

You can't kill them from the couch.

 

You have to be in it to win it.

 

You can't win big if you don't bet big.

 

Plain and simple, you have to put in as much time as you can muster so you are there on the RIGHT day.

 

[ants]

I really have no idea.To some extent,  hens cause it…I guess. But I often think of a spring season, a few years back, where I took 2 long beards, and my buddy took a third. We also called in several jakes and screwed up on two other long beards…... We didn't hear a single gobble that whole season!!  Not one..we heard plenty of hens sounding off but the Toms all came in quiet.  

If anyone figures it out let me know!!!!

Edited May 6, 2015 by ants

[jjb4900]

The day I got mine this year, I was at a vantage point across the valley where I could see a few guys stop, get out of their trucks and leave after a few minutes of calling from the roadside.....I went back to the cabin for a bite to eat and went to the same spot an hour or so later, within 45 minutes I tagged my Tom at that same spot. The last three years I got my birds in the last hour of the legal hunting hours after hearing zip all morning.....so I'm gonna say they are there and you gotta hit it right.

[wildcat junkie]

I was once told by an Indiana DNR biologist that barometric pressure has a lot to do with it.

High barometric pressure being more conducive to gobbling.

Monday morning the robins were already singing & the whip-poor-wills calling @ 5:50 AM. We had 2 gobblers sounding off shortly thereafter before I made my 1st call.

My friend, on his very 1st turkey hunt, got to watch both toms for quite some time, but they never got close enough.

We're going to try a different strategy on Friday, positioning him closer to where the birds came from with me near there final destination along the N/W corner of my hay field. I had originally been in that fence row, but I repositioned myself to put my buddy between me and the birds.

[turkeyfeathers]

I'll quote myself and say " full moon " wonks them out I've also heard barometric pressure but I've never actually looked at it during turkey season The full moon according to all my lull of success is a testimony

[NFA-ADK]

Barometric presser and moon phase?  Add in temp, wind, cold/warm fronts (Barometric presser) moon phase/cloud cover.  This could be a chart for fishing or hunting.  It certainly affects deer and fish, why not birds?  Sounds good to me.  Now if you can pattern the animals with this script your a guru, I think I know it but the animals don't!  Hope they learn soon, lol.

[turkeyfeathers]

I'll be out there again tomorrow for the 5th day of 7 available so far. Looks like a little cloud cover. Like someone else said, put your time in and can't shoot them from the couch

[wooly]

what do you think causes a lack of gobbling, especially if you know there are turkeys around?

 

Let's put it this way....

You and momma jjb4900 are spending some time stretching the sheets on the new Serta when the phone rings and caller ID shows it's her MOTHER!

She keeps calling.., and calling.., and calling.., untill she finally gets the picture you are BUSY!

Would you answer it.... or let it go to the machine and MAYBE call her back later?

 

 

...a moment later, Mrs. jjb4900's young friend "Jenny" walks in on you two and asks if she can help with the interior decorating.

There's really not much to say at that point,lol

[maytom]

I think there are already hens with the gobblers. I'm thinking the hunting will get better in a couple weeks. 

 

 

My very thoughts as well......hang tuff, things will get batter for sure.

Lot's of season left, just be sure to bring bug spray, The Black flys are out in droves now!!!

[dbHunterNY]

if it has a tick on it's left butt cheek then it won't gobble.





.....in all honesty rain, hot temperatures, super windy I've SEEN them not gobble, if it's working through the woods I've had one pounding down bugs in one spot and it wouldn't gobble, if hens happen to be headed your way with him in tow I've had him not gobble, birds that have been called to a lot will gobble let you know where they are and then shut up.

that's about all I got.




 

[phade]

I can understand why one bird might not gobble, but there are mornings where ZERO gobbles are heard across a wide landscape. I think figuring out why all the birds go quiet on certain mornings/days is the big money question.

[dbHunterNY]

I've heard toms gobble right after others gobbling that are say the next valley over, on the other side of a valley, or a few ridges over.  so I think the fact that they get each other fired up must add to it.  if for whatever reasons a few birds are reluctant to gobble I think it would snowball the effect a little.

[Uncle Nicky]

I seriously doubt there is any rhyme or reason to it. They are turkeys, and that's about the only explanation I can offer. I don't think they even know why they gobble.

[meatmuzzy]

According to Ray Eye's Turkey Hunting bible, birds gobble best on consecutive nice, high pressure, windless days.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I think if they roost near their hens, they don't need to gobble as much. Everyone knows where everyone is. If something happens the night before and they get broken up, they gobble more to let the hens know where they ended up. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. I've had them gobble and not gobble in every weather possible

[maytom]

After being out 4 mornings now without even hearing a single peep, I'm begining to wonder what's up with all the silence? I can understand gobbling once before fly-down then becoming henned up afterwards, but this is crazy!!!

[turkeyfeathers]

If it were easy it would be called turkey shooting not turkey hunting. If it were easy I would chose not to do it. You're right though , an occasional gobble to get the heart pumping and hands shaking makes it a little more fun