RE: Sad Season In PA
 

I been noticin a change in the birds over the last 5 yrs or so too.Bout all a guy can do is change huntin tactics till ya find one that works.

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

RR brings up a good point... I have been seeing a lot of hens!!!! Maybe the DNR will make the fall turkey seasons a little longer:)

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

Maybe we need to have a "HEN" only season in Jan/Feb...North Carolina did something like this a few years back..I'm not sure if they still do it but it would work..maybe someone at the PGC could design a little identification test and make you take it, then grant you a special license..course' that would require some thinking.. OH yeah I forgot-it's the PGC !!

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

A few years back when they first started talkin bout a two tag season in the Spring.I suggested at one of the PGC meetins,a two tag fall season instead.The first bird would have to be a hen.Then the second could be either sex.It fell on deaf ears just like the hunter orange deal.

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

Cant say what the deal is as I've never hunted Penn!But I have also seen a change in the birds around here as well.RR makes some very valid suggestions that I'm sure have a bearing on the amount of gobbling activity we are all NOT hearing particularly on the roost.Coyotes as well as other pretadors have figured out turkey talk means a potential meal coupled with hunting pressure from man himself definately leads to much quieter woods.One thing I have definately noticed in our birds is alot of days there is more gobbling activity in the late afternoon hours than at first light.I do believe this ties right in with some of the predation issues as well as to many hens early in the day.Calif is pretty leniant as we can legally hunt till 4:00 PM.But with that said it still leaves plenty of day left for the birds to fire-up and do there thing....Bob

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

I think that the birds acted different this season as well. Could b several things, among them are:
Many states had poor hatches in 05, resulting in an older class of birds to deal with:
The record April freeze seemed to have changed the dynamics of normal mating activity, how im not sure, but it was different.
Anyway, toss in the high number of hens corvorting with experienced gobblers, the lack of 2 yr olds & it has the makings of teeth nashing hunting.

RE: Sad Season In PA
 

good call on the high number of hens. we can hunt hens in the fall here in KS so i guarantee my son and i will be out in force trying to thin a few out. we can harvest up to 4 birds in the fall.