Do the odds decrease as the end of season nears?

[Jimmy S]

Most folks I know that are successful usually shoot their Tom the first day or weekend of the season. Our season here in NH ends the last day of May and the last two days out have been a disappointment. Earlier I was seeing birds almost everytime out (most of them hens) but now it seems like the birds have moved elsewhere. Also there has been know gobbling to be heard. That was the most suprising to me.

What gives? Is this similar to hunting the rut and having the deer sightings go down as the rut comes to an end?

[Strut&Rut]

Jimmy,

Actually, what is happening is termed the post-breeding lull. Very normal, and happening a little earlier than the past few years here in New England. The birds will be quiet for ~1 week...basically, the dominant toms are resting up and just going to their strut zones, strutting for any open/young hens. The birds you do hear gobbling are most likely younger toms (2 year-olds) and jakes. The dominants, however, will still shock gobble when enticed.

This is an opportune time to call in a subdominant male early in the morning, and to go out later in the morning and call in a bird that has lost his hens. Until the hens start nesting full time, they will still meet up with the dominant tom (who will strut) but there will be no more breeding. The hens will go off to nest, and the gobbler will get lonely, which usually occurs mid-late morning to early afternoon.

I worked in a nice bird on Saturday---didn't even go out till 10. Didn't get him close enough to beat the noon whistle though...

EDIT: Sorry, one more thing about the sightings. The hens will draw the gobblers to fields now, to feast on the emerging insects (most of the mast is gone). The hens will nest close by in thick stuff, and the gobblers will either go to dusting bowls, lay in the fields, or work into shady draws to avoid the increasing heat.

I tend to set up in the morning in small clearings within the woods, which tend to be strut zones, and then move to the fields around 9-10ish to try and call in that lonely tom. Areas with good dusting sites and water are ideal...

[Jimmy S]

S&R...VERY informative...Thanks so much for the info.

I will definitely be out again before first light on Sat and Sun. The field(s) we have been hunting has always seemed to have birds in it very, very early. My son tagged his Tom before 6AM from that field. I do not know where the actual roost is located, that's why I setup where we have seen birds before. Maybe, I'll setup about 50yds in from the fields and move out to it later in the am....

I think I heard every bird in NH Sat morning, except turkeys. There were crows, hawks, owls, geese, jays, chicadees and many, many beautiful songbirds....not to mention seeing fox. To me that's what makes turkey hunting so enjoyable......

[Strut&Rut]

Jimmy,

Just so you won't feel too bad, this past week I had birds--- a mature tom, a jake and a hen---actually lay down in a field 50 yards from where I was calling. Too bad there was a house closeby, otherwise I'd be off my season & a half snide...[8D]

Anyhow, there's always 3-4 days a season here in CT where I won't hear anything. Best advice I can give, on days like that, is to set out the decoys in areas where you have seen birds frequent often and just let out a 30sec series of calls every 5-10 minutes. Be prepared for birds to sneak in silent, and as a general rule, if the woods are not loud try to call loud enough to be heard but soft enough to not scare that tom that may only be 100 yards from your setup.

As the day goes on, you can increase/decrease the amplitude based on weather/wind and how much time you have left to hunt. If you're calling every 10 minutes, but only have 1hr left to hunt, start calling every 5 minutes. When I go late-morning, I always call ~5minutes apart, somewhat loud and aggressive (yelps, fighting purrs, clucks & cutts), just because we only have until noon and I want the action to happen in a hurry.

S&R

[moose1915]

aound here, the gobbling has been starting later and later as the season progresses.

today they didnt start up till about 630am

just keep on plugging, last year i didnt fill a tag till the last day. that bird drove me nuts!

good luck,
moose