Turkey conundrum
 

I need help. I've never had this problem before. We are now in week 3 of our turkey season and I'm without a bird. The turkeys are not gobbling in the areas where I hunt and I can't seem to locate any Toms the night before I want to hunt. Does anyone out there have any advise or suggestions on how to locate some birds and whats the smart way to hunt them when they have become call shy??? Help me please.

You'll hate this but....get in the woods in the dark. Carry a crow and owl call. Cover the ground in the known roosting areas. Blow your calls and you should get reaction gobbles. You have to be at least an hour before sunrise. It takes a lot of hiking. It's been years I didn't get two gobblers (limit) in the spring.

Right now, they may be with hens full time, hence the lack of gobbling. In another week or so, a lot of the hens will be on the nest and the toms will be out looking again. Be patient, the hunting is about to get better.

You have to learn to turkey hunt when they aren't gobbling...

Where are they strutting?? Where are they feeding??? Where are they meeting their hens???

Answer those questions and be there waiting for them...All gobblers don't come in gobbling their head off like you see on TV...

Also, wait and go in about 10 in the morning and hunt until the middle of the afternoon if legal in your area...Once a gobbler leaves his first hen of the day he is easier to coax in...

And...Call quietly and less often, by now many birds are call shy and many hunters are frustrated, making them call more often and louder...The turkeys hear their calls, realize that hens don't make that much racket and head the other way...

walk.. just go take a long walk on a ridge... starting before first light... I've done that plenty of times and caught up to a bird in the middle of nowhere... lots of work, but pays off

Thanks for the advise guys. Hope I can put it to good use this weekend. Time is running out for me. Just 10 more days until the season is done in VT.

nchawkeye has it pegged follow his advice.

I have to agree with a lot of what nchawkeye has to say as well. Only I still would plan on going in around 6 in the morning and hunting until at least 12:30 or so.. I would also be looking for some fresh hen droppings. If there is hens there is toms around. I would then find a place to call from. Only call once or twice per half hour. A tom can hear you and knows where the call is coming from. I would also be looking for some sort of small clearing where a tom can strut while staying back in the woods on you. It could be just an old logging road if you have them there. It does not take much of an area for them to do their thing.. I have only heard a few gobbles the whole time hunting here as well. I even watched one come in from around 400 yards away and no gobble from that one.

Good Luck on nailing a bird..

Well, it finally happened for me. Got the very illusive thunder chicken this morning. It had a 8.5" beard, 7/8" spurs and weighed in at 18 lbs. A sigh of relief. Thanks for the advise fellow hunters. Now I can relax.

Congrats! I am glad it all worked out for you! Now go get that score on for your team!