I don't get it
 

I've been (conservatively) hunting an area where I killed my first bird last year and my son got one on this years opening day of youth season. I hunted it last week and heard birds gobbling on the roost in all directions and some were very close but my hunt was interrupted by the farmer's yard dogs. I waited a full week before going back and set up there earlier than usual on Thursday morning with my fan on a stake. The morning silence was interrupted by gobbling in all directions, one was close to the edge of the wheat field that I was set up in. Shortly after daybreak a hen came into the wheat field where an old tree had fallen into the field and followed a ditch straight to my truck. Thirty minutes later, the gobbler came into the field and when he got to the end of the tree, he strutted in the small area at the end of the fallen tree where there was no wheat for over an hour. I would call to him and he would cut me off every time but eventually he went in the same direction that the hen did. When he left the field, I slipped out to my truck and called it a day. Well, Saturday morning my son and I set up early inside the field's edge near the fallen tree and waited. We never heard a single bird all morning. I couldn't believe it!!! I know that I had heard at least 5 different birds on Thursday morning, some close and some far away. What do you guys supposed happened to these birds? How should I change my strategy? BTW, he gobbled the entire time that he was in the field. This is about a 6 acre field. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

God Bless,

RE: I don't get it
 

Pay special attention to the weather and temperature.

Temperature drops - cause birds to be less active.

Or

The Tom may be henned so bad that he won't gobble or even worse yet - he is in someone's freezer!

But if you heard multiple birds gobbling - temp drop did it.

JW

RE: I don't get it
 

Actually JW, the temperature rose to a record high here Saturday. Friday I went to the field with a tee shirt, long sleeve heavy shirt and a jacket, Saturday, I wore a tee shirt with my Bug Tamer jacket and was sweating when I got to the spot. I wonder if the temperature makes a dramatic change from cooler to warmer if that would slow the birds down as well. We rode around and can usually see a few birds in the roads and the fields but we only saw a lone hen run from a field. Any ideas? Should I try this spot again in the morning or wait until it cools off later in the week?

RE: I don't get it
 

Temp drops in the south usually have an opposite effect in my opinion JW. Some of the most wild gobbling mornings I have experienced have been during a late spring frost. I think that the barometric pressure might have something to do with it.... but I don't think science even knows for sure. I don't evenknow whether its better up or down either.... I'm going either way if I can though.

BT:

Nothing shuts gobblers up faster (being dead aside) than excessive pressure.... be it from hunters or yard dogs or whatever. Even when birds are henned up hard they will still gobble like mad as the hens lead them away from you. Sometimes they won't gobble at all. Figure that out and I'll bet you could make a million dollars.

The other thing that shuts them up is actually breeding hens, not being with hens.. but 'being with' hens. At the risk of being making myself look like a typical guy here let me throw you an example (remember.... I'm really just beinging honest... so any women that read this... here is a no non-sense peek into the male mind, both turkey and human).... I'll answer my cell phone when I'm out at the bar with a girl or with my friends... sure....heck it might be another girl with a better or more promising offer.....but if I'm at home (wink wink) with a girl or even on a serious date.... it doesn't matter who is calling... I'm indisposed and she has my full attention.Turkeys and humans really do have a bit in common.... but thats as far as I'm going today.

As far as your strategy goes, the other day when that bird strutted in the field... he just drew a line. He can't strutt in tall wheat... and he won't go someplace he can't strutt... not to a hot hen anyway. The path thehen walked on and that he went down is probably a fairly common travel corridor they use..... solution... make sure its in range. I'm not going to say you overcalled to that bird... but if he wasgobbling at you everytime and cutting you off everytime... you probably did it. I have gotten birds to come through super tall wheat, across canals, over fences, through cutovers even... but it is NEVER super hard calling that does it... not in our part of the world. Curiosity is our best ally in your situation. If you get him to come through that wheat thinking a hen might have traveled that way instead... he'd do it... but he is used to having hens come to him.... and in a good spot to show off.... hefurled his sails and dropped anchor.

One thing you have to keep in mind when its hot too... is just like yourself... the birds will like the shade.... and they will want water. We've had a fair bit of rain lately,but there is probably one spot they favor... and thats what I'd find if the birds are being hush and its hot outside. Those often used travel ways.... if they are on the shady side (west facing) of the field.... thats probably where they'll walk... maybe even just in the treeline. But water is where I'd focus myefforts.