I've got a friend who is having a hard time geting a bird here in Crawford County Indiana, our season ends sunday. The birds seem to have vanished the past few days no sign of them. I know it's late in the season and they don't gobble much this late. What can we try to get them to come with our calls or where do they tend to go after the heavy mating time passes? Any insight would be appreciated.

doetrain - I'm in southern Indiana (Gibson County) and I am having the exact same problem. I have heard maybe 4 or 5 gobbles total, in the last 14 days. Talked with a bunch of the guys last night in the chat room (JW!, J76, springspur, x-mountie, Ridge Runner, among others) and here are some of the pointers they gave me. First and foremost, try 2 locate where ur hens are feeding and/or nesting. The toms will be with them and after the hens nest, if u are there, u are in a prime location to intercept a gobbler. An ambush may be your best bet at this point, because they're not being vocal and chances are they're call-shy by now, so calling them in to your location is unlikely. Another suggestion was to find small pockets of woods and tree-lines within a field. Many have had some luck with those. You could try trolling (walking and trying a locator call about every couple hundred yards, but I'm not doing that simply because I don't think they'll call back. You may get lucky though trying something like that. The upside to that, is you cover a lot of ground, your calls will mimmick the vocals of a moving hen and you may flush a tom out that way. Your best chance is to be where they roost, nest or feed. I'm sitting in my blind right now (on my blackberry, LOL) and trying a totally new area. We have a strong wind from the south, so I found a little pocket of woods in a valley that fortunately blocks the majority of the wind. I have hens feeding all around me, I was lucky enough to see a tom with one of the feeding hens to my south. I'm hoping that I'm set up in her nesting area and she'll lead him right to me. I've heard a couple hens yelping to the East of me - 4 quiet yelps - so I'm echoing that on my slate call about every 20 minutes or so. It's a gamble, but I'm hoping I chose the right spot 2day. It's all about location, if you know where the turkeys are going to be then all you have to do is sit and wait for them. Easier said than done - I've been 12 hours in the blind trying every possible technique and location and I've had no luck whatsoever. Unfortunately, part of it is just that - LUCK!!! I don't know if this helps you or not - but I'm in the same boat as you guys, so I thought I'd pass along the advice I was given. Best of luck to you - I hope to see a post with some dead turkeys on it from you!!!

Kim

Thanks for the advice, I am having the same problem up here. Our turkey season has just opened up on Monday. The first day they gobbled up a storm all around me but none came out. After that they have not made a sound and it has been quite windy in the mornings. The temps were unseasonably warm for up here. I am thinking they have just about finished breeding right now. So calling has been difficult. I did see 2 hens yesterday and that was it. No responce to my calling what so ever..

Phil, that is EXACTLY what's happened to me! First 2 days of the season they gobbled their head's off but stayed henned up. Then came the worst weather possible, strong winds - severe storms for about 10 days. By the time that was done with, the turkeys were MIA (not hearing or seeing them) and 60% of the farm I hunt is flooded by the river due to all the rain! We've had good weather the past 5 days, so I'm hoping the turkeys will normalize a bit back in to their pattern. Now today the wind is quite strong - from the south - so what little calling I dare do, I'm afraid they won't hear it! If it's not one thing, it's another! Haha. Hang in there - I hope u get one bud!!!

Kim

My $0.02.....

If you are in an area that has held birds in the past, be patient. They are there. They are just not gobbling which makes you think there isn't a turkey around. I agree it is very hard to hunt them when they're not gobbling. Personally, I hate it. Those that stick it out through the quiet times waiting for the turkeys to show are the successful hunters. I commend them and have to admit I split on quiet days. But, I have landowner tag which allows me to hunt for over five weeks.

Anyway, my advice is to wait it out. They are there just not gobbling. Put your dekes out in a field with a large viewing area. Turkeys don't cover as much ground as deer. I recently read they have a home range somewhere around 600 acres. So their rounds should eventually take them to the field with your decoys.

BTW - Many hunters in Illinois experienced the same thing - gobbling early in season then a few weeks of quiet. I all by gave up on my private ground until two friends recently bagged a long beard and heard a bunch of others. I went out yesterday and shot a long beard in 30 minutes. I also heard one gobbling his a$$ off on the roost last night. They are still looking for love. If you can call and can stick it out all morning, you'll get one.

Patience is a very hard thing to possess while turkey hunting, but is probably the #1 priority when hunting without gobbling.

I know they are there and have seen a couple of hens in the area.. Today would have been perfect for me but I couldn't get out there. The wifes b-day was today and I had a 2 1/2 hour drive to pick up some beef I had ordered out. On the way there I saw a really big hen pecking away in a plowed corn field that was nearby an area i have been hunting around. Then on the way back in another area nearby was a nice looking tom. We currently have rain right now and I will not be able to hit them again until Thursday. I can't wait! I had a nephew nail an 18 pounder this morning in another area. It had a 10 inch beard and 1 1/2 inch spurs.