winter turkey hunting

neb · 01-02-2007, 07:06 PM

I live Mt. and was out turkey hunting this past weekend. I had 50 to 60 birds around me and there where no toms but had 7 jakes with all those hens. I never took one because I didn't want to take any more of the males from this flock. It seems to me there should of been some toms in that big of bunch. What do you think.

TEmbry · 01-02-2007, 08:54 PM

some times there are, sometimes there aren't. most of the time during this time of year (atleast in ky) gobblers tend to run in bachelor groups similar to whitetail bucks in the summer. usually, when i spot a gobbler in the late fall and winter it is in a small group of 3-10 gobblers. when i say gobblers i dont mean all 3 year old 25 lb birds, i just mean 1 1/2 and up birds that all are developing long beards. i see the jakes running with the hens rather than trying to join this bachelor group.

so dont lose faith, because i gaurantee with that many hens around there are still some gobblers. they are just off by themselves in bachelor groups.

shouldve smoked one of those hens, they all eat the same and one hen wont devastate the population.

mauser06 · 01-02-2007, 08:57 PM

in the fall and winter its not uncommon to find no longbeards in the flocks. longbeards tend to hang out together...just like bucks do in the summer. form "bachelor groups"...the young of the year and hens tend to flock up..and the longbeards in another flock. they could be in the same area...might not be. thats why i usually settle for a nice hen in the fall. the turkey populations in the small woodlots around here are pretty large..me taking a hen doesnt hurt them anymore then a car nailing them..which happens pretty often here.

neb · 01-03-2007, 06:55 PM

That is interesting that those tom might be hanging out by themselves. I was really surprized that withh all those birds there was so few jakes. I wasn't going to take one worried about not enough mature birds. Thanks so much for the reply's.

neb · 01-03-2007, 07:04 PM

The day after that happened I was in a completely diff. area and there was about 50 to 60 birds in bunch also. I got up on them in the creek and had 6 jakes right in front of me about 20 steps at the most. I couldn't get them to leave because I wanted to see what was in the bigger bunch. I would move some and they would gooble not all that good but not to bad. They finally moved after about 15 min. I got closer to the big bunch and did spot one bird with 6 inch beard. I do know there was not too many mature birds in that bunch either. I didn't take a bird there either I was looking for a muture bird. It was a show those 6 jakes put on I should of had a video.