Turkey woods has been quiet

[nybuckboy]

I've been out twice May 2 and May 9 and never heard a gobble.

[mowin]

Went out this morning. Not a single gobble.  It's my last morning getting up early.  I'll drive by the farm and if I see one in a spot I can get to without them spotting me, I'll sneak in and try some soft calling. 

[Five Seasons]

been out twice only as well. Normal gobbling, shots at 2 hens but no beards. No drive this year with this cold and damp weather. Throw in life and all that's going on and this one might be one to forget. But there's still time and I'll try and get the kids out at least once too.

[Jeremy K]

I was out once the opening day and walked all 88 acres and didn't even see one track , private land birds are a major challenge ,once you hit the border your game is over . 

[Mazenblu3]

Been seeing a few birds around but they all had hens with them. I hate the lockdown phase.

[phade]

Didn't get out this weekend. Been out two mornings. Will make a go of it one morning this coming weekend and then I'll likely be done.

Private land birds as noted is a big factor. May make a run down to Ohio and sit one morning and set a stand before it gets hot as Hades pending summer. 

I struggle with hunting birds in the back half of May. So much going on at that time of year...fishing heating up, gardens, vacations, etc. I understand the biology but I wish our season was at least a week prior. Totally get late May can be good hunting, but it just loses out to competing priorities.

Edited May 10, 2021 by phade

[Pygmy]

I've been hunting gobblers nearly 50 years, and this is the worst early season I have ever seen....Very little gobbling and the birds that do gobble on and off are not cooperating...It's not just me, either...Most of my local friends who are hardcore gobbler hunters and generally limit out year after year are having the same luck, or rather, lack thereof...

I have hunted every morning except one and have heard just one gobbler on the roost within calling range, and he shut up as soon as he flew down...

I am hoping the approaching warming trend will get some hens on the nest and the gobblers will turn on....

[Grizz1219]

Hit or miss. Shot a nice 3 year old opening weekend. Text book hunt. Buddy hunting same farm never heard a bird. Last weekend we switched. Here's his 2 year. Hoping this weekend we both kill. Good luck to all still hunting.

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[Gobbler Chaser]

Gotta be out there to meet up with a gobbler coming out of the henned up phase of the season. But I do agree that the local population in lower Ulster here is down this year. It's been up and down the last few years here. It's been a cold May to boot, a warming trend could make things better

[Dstrizzy]

Been going out pretty frequently and haven't heard much gobbling at all. actually hadn't even seen a turkey until just the other day. But went out this morning and heard a bunch of gobbling on the roost. Then they flew down and shut up. heard a couple more gobbles around 6:41, couldn't pinpoint the location but it was definitely a good sign. Hopefully things start to turn up here shortly.

[cas]

Maybe the 'yotes ate all the ones that gobble?

 

In the "old days" (old meaning just a few years ago), I'd go out before sunrise and just stand in the yard. Then listen for the gobbles from the surrounding hills and decide which way to go. Often there would be two or three directions to choose from. Those days are gone.

 

In all seriousness, sadly if I do the math of gobblers vs howls/yelps heard over the last three years it would be 1 to... hundreds?

 

 

[Gobbler Chaser]

1 hour ago, cas said:

Maybe the 'yotes ate all the ones that gobble?

 

In the "old days" (old meaning just a few years ago), I'd go out before sunrise and just stand in the yard. Then listen for the gobbles from the surrounding hills and decide which way to go. Often there would be two or three directions to choose from. Those days are gone.

 

In all seriousness, sadly if I do the math of gobblers vs howls/yelps heard over the last three years it would be 1 to... hundreds?

 

 

I learned recently that crows are one of the biggest problems for nesting turkey eggs. They wait for the hen to get up to feed and move in for an omelette

[turkeyfeathers]

2 hours ago, cas said:

Maybe the 'yotes ate all the ones that gobble?

 

 

 

In all seriousness, sadly if I do the math of gobblers vs howls/yelps heard over the last three years it would be 1 to... hundreds?

 

 

Killed a bird opening day and been out 2x since. Both other days had coyotes yipping barking and howling patrolling the woods. Zero chance at birds are going to talk let alone fly down until  noon. Saw 2 lbs strutting in plowed field on my way out at 10 other morning. Well within ear shot of where I was, They never gobbled. 

[nybuckboy]

So Friday night about 7 I heard the beautiful sound of gobbling in the distance up on the back hill about 700-800 yards by Google Earth measures.  It kept walking  and gobbled for at least 30 minutes and I could tell where he was.  Got up with my son-in-law and at 4:35 we were walking in and up my back hill thru the woods to a small field on top.  It wasn't even 5 and there was the first gobble and he kept it up every few minutes. We walked across the small field and set up just a few feet in and about 150 from him.  We let him continue gobbling until about 5:20 and SIL starting some soft calls and the tom lit right up.  So he waited until it gobbled again and there was 2 different gobbles.  After a couple of calls back and forth we shut up. We never saw either one and they circled around us just out of sight.  We followed the little field around and into the larger field and walked the edge but they were moving quickly.  We caught up to them and they kept gobbling but would not come in to his calls.  He figured that they wanted the hen to come to the toms or no dice... there not coming out.  Eventually they continued moving and occasionally gobbled but we left to get some coffee.