Strutting but not gobbling?
 

I live in Maine and I saw a big Tom strutting around with like 5-7 hens in my neighbors lawn.
But I tried to get it to gobble for a good half hour. I stayed on the other side of my house so they couldn't see me. I tried a owl call,crow call and then some hen yelps but nothing. I then tried slamming my car door but the damn thing would not shock gobble.

I went to my friends house up the road, he said he saw a few jakes and a couple of toms in the field across the road from my house. But they won't gobble ether.
heck I even got a picture of a jake.
http://s846.photobucket.com/user/xxl...am027.jpg.html

What gives?

It's a little early yet for a lot of gobbling that far north I would think? Mr.Tom didn't have a big reason to gobble since he had the ladies with him anyway. If you ever hunt fields or open woods where you can see turkeys a long way off, you'll notice lots of times when you call they don't gobble they just strut. He knows the hen should see him so he's showing out and waiting on her to come to him.

Might be a little early up this way. Im gonna go out tomorow morning and listen but i have a feeling i wont hear what im looking for. Im just glad this is a real sprint unlike last year when spring was in full swing mid march lol

You calling to birds you aren't hunting yet?

Remember, you are not hunting to make a bird gobble, you are hunting to bring one in range so you can kill it... :)

Some birds simply don't gobble much and they gobble to attract the hens so the hens come to them...

If a gobbler has hens in sight, he doesn't need to gobble... ;)

A bird stops when he gobbles and he can also attract another hunter...Stopping slows him down and gives a hen time to come to him and cut him off...Another hunter can slip between you and him and kill him before he gets to you...

Once a bird has heard you and is headed your way, quit calling...He knows where you are, let him come in...

Agree 100%

its because the gobblers have hens with them

gobble
 

it's cause they are in new england and they don't know any better, gotta teach them everything

cheers

That right there is funny stuff..

Actually I do not know what part of the state he is from but up in this area they are just getting started. This afternoon around 2:30 I saw a decent Tom standing in a side road. I saw him start walking away so I gave a couple of calls and waited. He turned and started back towards me. He could clearly see me setting in my truck and came in surprisingly close. He gobbled most of the way in and where he stopped I could hear a couple of turkeys cutting. This is the first time I had heard any at all. So they are starting to get going now.
With some mixed weather for this weekend it may slow them down a little. Makes our season look even better..

Last year it took me 3 days to tag out.. That was with 2 birds I should of been tagged out on the second day but I messed that one up.

Here is a pic of him coming in..

Just my luck....1st season begins next week in northern IL and it's supposed to rain, light rain, all week. Oh well, gotta make the most of it.