Lockjaw

shamlin · 03-27-2008, 05:43 PM

The season opener in GA was this past Sat. I went out on opening morning, and they were wide open. Heard several diffrent toms and several hens. I assume they got henned up soon after they flew down, That is pretty common for the first part of the season. I did very little calling and did not hit any sour notes nor was I busted by any birds. I have been back three times this week and have heard nothing, hen or tom. I have been in mid-morning and afternoon, mostly hitting locater calls and still nothing. There was a slight cold snap on one of the days but other than that no changes. Any explaination for the sudden lockjaw is the weather that big of a factor to make all in birds in this area stop talking. What is the best way to hunt when it gets like this. Thanks for any advice.

kingvjack · 03-27-2008, 06:02 PM

So, they gobble on the roost and shut up at fly down or shut up all together...?
I've noticed that when its real cold..... the turkeys shut up...

shamlin · 03-27-2008, 06:17 PM

after opening day I havent heard any gobbling, but on opening day they gobble good on the roost and when they flew down. I had one get talk to me up to 20 yds but a hen came between us. is like they all leeft the area, but I doubt that is the case.

kingvjack · 03-27-2008, 06:22 PM

If its a high hen number area, I generally forget the gobbler and try and make the hens mad... or ambush the flock from the roost...

FlywayControl · 03-28-2008, 06:18 AM

Thats just a cycle they go through during the breeding season.I think a lot of the toms have bred so much that they arent very active.Give it a few days.Usually after this lull,the toms get lonely again.

Alabama Cackle · 03-28-2008, 06:46 AM

Same thing happening in southern Alabama where I hunt. First weekend a member actually witnessed a gobbler mounting a hen. Since then....same area...no gobbling. We have seen a few hens but nothing like the first weekend. There's a field off the property that you can always seea big group with several strutting birds. Last Friday and Saturday there were 12 turkeys in that field and I couldn't see a beard on any of them. Its like they reverted back to winter mode!

TEmbry · 03-28-2008, 06:50 AM

When I hunted southern AL last weekend, they were real bad about it. Still pretty early in the season, I bet it gets progressively better. They would gobble on roost a few timeswhere we were, then maybe 2-3 gobbles for the rest of the day from the ground.

Makes for some tough hunting, but it aint ever easy either.

Good luck to you guys.