I haven't been out here in PA since the saturday opener (missed a nice gobbler). They were very vocal that morning on and off the roost. I went out the past two nights to try and roost some birds, but man...not a sound...no fly ups, yelps, cuts...nothing. My dad went out Monday morning, and my uncle went out yesterday morning, and heard absolutely nothing. We've had a cold snap move through PA this week, and since I'm very new to turkey hunting, I was curious if you guys have experienced this vocal shutdown, so to speak, due to the weather? Any tips or recommendations on how to hunt these conditions?

I think the same thing is happening here in Ohio.

Usually a cold snap INCREASES gobbling. And it definately increases your ability to hear it. Now, a low pressure system, like you can experience just before a cold snap, can hush them up.

If you suddenly aren't hearing gobbling, its due to one of a couple reasons (I'll list them in order of likely hood): 1) HENS 2) A low pressure system (some folks think it hurts a gobblers head to gobble when pressures are higher down on ground level usually right after the rains, or just grey cloudy ho hum type days) 3) The pecking order has been established, and you have one super dominent bird who will do the gobbling.... all the other birds live by his leave.... kill him, you'll get your gobbling back..... PS.. not all domient birds rule this way 4) Too much hunting pressure has hushed them up, or on an equal level 5) There just ain't no birds where you are hunting.

Well we aren't seeing the hens in the fields like we were either, so we're not sure if they've gone to nest already or not. I thought I remembered hearing that cold snaps increased gobbling, which is why I was confused. We can rule out number 5, as there are plenty of birds in the area...number 4 is out, as I'm the only one hunting really (the one time my uncle and dad went out will most likely be the last). It has been overcast lately, and a cold front has moved in with temps dropping to the low 30s in the mornings to mid 50s in the afternoon. That's the only change I can note. Pressure is also rising. Maybe my miss spooked them more than I thought[&:]

It was cold this morning and they were tearing it up in Indiana, but I know what you're experiencing. Usually, with the cold snap, it puts the hens on the nest and allows for the longbeards to be without hens. I love it when it's like this. It's almost a guarentee if you play your cards right. I know you can only hunt til 1:00pm, so get where the birds are and just wait it out and see what happens. Once it warms up a bit they'll start gobbling again. Seems like 10:00am is the magic number in my years of experience. Swampcollie, couldn't have said it any better. They all are correct and will quiet the gobbling for a bit. I'm heading to Cook Forest and the Allegheny national forest next week from Monday to Thursday if you want to tag along. Don't know exactly where you live, but I'm always open to fellow turkey hunters to tag along. Good luck and patience is the true virtue to turkey hunting. Hang in there they'll fire up soon enough. God bless!

David

I have been hearing an unusual amount of success stories from the peopleI hunt with. Everyone I talk to has had success already this year with a brother father or friend as a shooter. This year so far has been great and vocalization has been great as well. If you are in an area where they aren't vocal, I would suggest going somewhere new. So far this year, harvest of gobblers for my region is unusually high.

Eh, just the opposite here. Maybe three shots fired opening day within earshot of my property. 15 minutes away at our cabine with ~10 guys out, they came away with one jake. I called in two big toms on opening morning, so I feel I'm in the right spot considering what others are seeing/hearing.

Eastern turkeys are very funny with their habits. It doesn't take much to shut them off or turn them on for that matter. I have tons of birds on my places. I hunted one farm this morning and only heard 2 toms gobble but saw a total of 6 and I only was able to hunt until 7:30 AM. The 2 toms that were gobbling seem to be buddys sharing 1 hen.

i agree with DTC, Easterns are really picky. if it cools off a little or looks real cloudy, they shut up and don't say a word. they also seem to be extremely cautious birds, if the slightest thing don't seem right they'll be gone in the blink of an eye.