Charlie P

Been out the last two weeks morning scouting. I like to get out at first light and listen for birds and watch a couple fields from a distance. Seeing plenty of sign. I don't call at all just observe what's going on.

4/9 Spot 1 heard several different Toms and then hens off the roost. 6:00 - 6:20 am then quite. About 8:00 am I saw a two hens with a nice Tom coming across the field he was strutting behind the hens no gobbling. They cut into the woods about 300 yards below me, about 30 yards from where I usually sit. Then I head a tom gobble about 20 Times to my left. He pops out below me and walks about 20 yards in front of where I sit.

4/10 Spot two, Windy and a little rain heard nothing at first light moving down a seasonal road. Was going to drive to spot three when I decide to check out an area I never hunted. Walking up the trail I see poop all over and some scratching then a bird gobbles three or four times about 150 yards in front of me so I did a loop to avoid running in to him. Get up to the edge of the state land and find there are two big green fields so I sit down and listen. Start hearing more gobbling and see three birds in the field, left my binocs in the truck. Very happy I stopped the truck and went for a walk.

4/16 Spot 1 hear three different birds at first light 5:54 am , each tom gobbled once or twice and then nothing watched a Tom in the field at about 700 yards moved my way and then lost sight of him no gobbles all by himself doing a little strutting I was out until about 10 am. Heard no hens at all.

4/17 Spot 2, Got in early and sat down for a listen nothing no toms, no hens. Nice morning sunny about 35 degrees and no wind you could hear sounds at a long distance from where I was sitting. Dropped out of there and checked out another area that I never had been in before. Found some poop and a few scratches but didn't hear a thing all day. Was in the woods from 5:00 am till 1:00 pm.

This is exactly what happened last year. Last May according to my notes I didn't hear a gobble my last 8 hunts and even the first part of the season I didn't hear a gobble after 7:20. Last year was freaky we had really unseasonably warm weather in March and April. Hopefully things pick up for the season. Have to get my butt to spots 3,4 and 5 .I was out to spot three 4-5 weeks ago and there were birds gobbling there heads off at 11:30 in the morning. With 4 inches of snow on the ground.

Teebugg

My vote is lull. Last year was horrible for me. I heard all the gobbling in march and april and maybe two gobbles during the whole season in may. Since we might actually have a real spring this year might help us out. Im still seeing birds which is something i didnt see this late in april last year.

I did catch two lone hens in a field on my way home last night so maybe they are starting to split up. Guess the youth hunt this weekend might give us an idea of whats going on

Teebugg

Im gonna go out tomorow morning and listen at a hot spot of mine. Unfortunately ive only been there once in the last few weeks but the sign was enough to tell me they are using it heavily!

Charlie P

That way for a bunch of guys I know. Three of them guide now or have guided and didn't get a bird.

BuckAlley

I'm confused right now. In my neck woods we still had plenty snow in woods until past wk. I just drive around my areas, and glass fields. I'm not seeing birds hardly at all. I always see plenty of birds in most areas I hunt. I've only seen 3 toms in all. Not sure if its the weather conditions, late snow, or winter was just hard on them. We did have a rough winter in my area.

White_Farm

I'm curious if the issues people have are related to weather or turkey population. We are having a chilly-to-normal Spring it would seem. I hunt one area near my parents mostly and some years are good, some years are bad...no idea why. I'm lucky enough to have a Father that is retired and considering I live 40 miles away its good that he can scout EVERY morning for me. He watches from the house and rides the roads and occasionally walks the edges of fields/roads. In mid March he had a batch of 5 youngish Toms (6-8in beards), 1 Lone Tom (3+years) and zero hens that he would see frequently, but hasn't heard any gobbles although they don't necessarily roost close to where he would hear. First and second week of April literally ZERO turkeys in the area to be seen. Looking every morning and nothing. Then all of a sudden last Sunday one Tom starts showing up consistently for a couple days wandering with a single hen. Then boom, this week 10 hens and two monster Toms wandering around the neighborhood, first hens he saw all year. Now where did these birds come from? Where did the 5 youngish Toms go? Who knows. Neighbor reported seeing a lone hen wandering their field yesterday, also a lone hen was seen by my father early this morning behind his house in a completely different area a mile away.

I would say all this leads me to believe in just this past week (in my area at least) they are starting to break up into their Spring groups and the hens are starting to do their thing and nest/separate. Not sure how the gobbling will be considering he has yet to hear a gobble even as he's watching some birds wander around in fields strutting.

We'll see what happens.

Teebugg

Yeah i believe around here they have split up.....hoping thats a good sign for may 1!

Charlie P

Went out again this morning and they were gobbling better. Wind really came up at sunrise so it cut down on what you could here. Stopped on the way home where the NWTF weigh in for the youth hunt was two nice Toms were being checked in.

bald9eagle

Here in Alabama we had very similar weather. Warm, dry March last year led to early hatch. Seeing tons of what I call "super Jake's", birds with almost complete fans and big bird gobbles but shorter beards and no spurs. This year the warm up was late. Down here the birds have been sporadic and have just really started going good. I have found a couple nests (one was busted) that had 4-5 eggs. My guess is that the pre-nesting lull may be going on.