Alabama hunters......
 

How is the gobbling? Have we hit the lull or have we even had the first peak of gobbling?

They aren't even gobbling on the roost. Normally birds will gobble decent on the roost during the lull but I'm hearing nothing. It's like they are suffering from low testosterone!

Been gobbling pretty good here. We had birds going good up until around 10 Saturday. I've had some friends that have struck birds and got them going after 1, but I don't think we've hit the first peak yet. North Bama still have birds in winter flocks and most of our gobblers are just starting to break up. Lots of good hunting yet to come ;)

I'm at Oakmulgee right now and couldn't buy a gobble. Took one Monday that gobbled twice and didn't hear a peep this morning. I figured we were a few days away from first peak.

Was there or has there been any temperature drop?

I found even a few degrees down from the day before shuts them up.

Just curious and is something to think about.

JW

The biggest drop so far I think is tonight....supposed to be in the 20's.

There have been some temp drops but this was one of those mornings that should have had them going. At least a few gobbles on the roost. I know I was in a spot that has birds. 42 degrees, sunshine, beautiful morning. I'm not use to going out on these kind of days and not even hearing a single courtesy gobble.

Wanted to see if guys near here were have similar hunts.

I think it's just a little behind in some places. They've been gobbling a lot in some and been silent in others. Birds will still gobble in freezing cold weather. I'm hunting no matter what.

They are kind of lukewarm on our land. Gobble a little but not a lot. First bird I killed didn't gobble at all. Second bird gobbled 2 times. Bird I fooled with this morning gobbled 2 times on the limb and not at all on the ground. Still managed to get within sight of him but my buddy that I was calling for just never had a shot.

It was 32 this morning and I heard 3 birds but couldn't get on any. They didn't say much on the ground.

We haven't hit the first peak where I am, but it's real close. I've gotten on a couple of young birds that gobbled a couple times on the roost. First bird I called up that died on the youth hunt didn't gobble on the roost at all, but after we witnessed a nice fight he started hammering. Called him in and shot him. The bird I shot the other day didn't make a sound. No turkey I saw that day gobbled except a jake on the roost. We called him in but of course didn't shoot him. It will be about 30 in the morning but I'll be there anyway. I don't anticipate much gobbling but it was 29 last Friday and I heard a couple hammering off my property. Next week will be great around Wednesday or so after a few days of nice warm weather. Stay on em.

The suckish part is I go back to work on Monday night. I'm off the second week of April so I'm feeling like the first peak is going to hit about Tuesday or Wednesday of next week and we start hitting the lull the week I'm on vacation.

Of course hunting the lull is a whole lot better than pre-peak in my opinion.

Went out scouting this morning as I am teaching a learn to hunt program which gets you a free one day license and with the new 3 inches of snow - well had crows, owls, tweetybirds, answer me along with one lone hen and that is it!
I am seeing bachelor flocks of wall hangers 20+ to the flock!
Ya think I could get one to shock gobble!!:( :<
Not lookking good.
Now the real season here starts 4/16 and my late season tags are looking really really good!

JW

I hunt the Florida, Alabama border and the only bird I could get never gobbled and if I hadn't seen it across the field I'd never had known he was there.Once I got him close he gobbled twice.Luck was, it turned out to be the best bird I've taken.

I grew up in Geneva, AL, so I know about where you are. I wish we had some turkeys on our land back home.

Winston County here. I haven't heard any gobbles yet. I'm going again this afternoon to listen; maybe I can find a flock and set up on them in the morning. Of course, the season just opened here (Bankhead NF), so there will probably be a blue million people out this week.

I saw birds a few weeks ago in my pre-season scout, but I've been crazy busy and just haven't had time to get out and check on them like I wanted.

Were gobbling good Thursday morning near Pittsview ... were mouse quiet Friday morning (heavy rain almost all day started at around 5:00 a.m.), gobbling again late Saturday morning (7:30-ish) after second wave of rain ended, and were going crazy Sunday morning. It was a "Gobble-Rama" Sunday miorning.

We had several great chances. My my grandson blew one for me .... not his fault. Tough on an 8 year old to stay stone still for 30 minutes with strutting, drumming, gobbling Tom working no more than 35 yards out. I had one clear shot at about 25 yards right at the moment my grandson peaked out of where I had him hidden to see the show. Oh well, we had a fun day anyway. This was the only gobbler I saw all weekend. Was able to call up a few hens Saturday.

My son-in-law and his good buddy, between the two of them, came across 9 different gobblers over the weekend, but never could get a clean shot at any.

From everything I've heard the first peak of gobbling started on/around Saturday in north Alabama. One friend had his son take a bird on the youth hunt. He said that there were four toms together but they all gobbled good. He had trail camera pics from the 25th that showed 5 toms strutting for 15 or so hens. The toms are starting to separate now. Heard reports from south Tennessee that the birds are busting up their flocks there too. Just in time for opening day in my part Alabama.

Southern TN birds have been gobbling on the roost pretty good, and for 30 minutes to an hour on the ground. Pretty tight lipped after that. They have been broken up, too, so the time is right. I figured it would be a little later, but the birds don't lie.

The place I hunt in TN still had birds flocked up for the most part this past weekend. I hope these next few warm days will bust 'em up!