Originally Posted by
bald9eagle
This year was a doosy for me. Started the season with a missed opportunity and a missed bird. Took vacation the first week of April and didn't hear a bird two of those days. Had one day of rain and another couldn't hunt that week. Had a cold mill outage the 3rd week of April which pretty much ruined my season. The birds I did get on were henned up and would go silent on the ground. It was pretty frustrating.
Hope everyone else had a good season.
I feel you my friend, I've had a very similar year! Please don't take my words wrong... just remember, the hens WILL sit on the nest, and Toms, WILL hear you!
Will they always gobble, nope!
Will they always come in, nope!
I would argue that with enough patience, if there is a Tom in the area and you can call well enough, he'll come check you out eventually.
Realizing this I have not eaten a tag in 12 years, yet in those years I would bet that 75% of my birds were dead silent and taken between midday and late afternoon.
Hang in there my friend... it's a VERY frustrating undertaking.
This dude was stone silent at 3:30 in the afternoon!