very quiet in the turkey woods
05-14-2015, 02:36 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,646
been happening here for years, in the 90's I could kill them at will, now though we have more turkeys than ever, they just don't gobble, have hunted 2 mornings this season, heard more gobbleing than I have for years.......8 gobbles.
RR
RR
05-17-2015, 07:54 AM
#26
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hatton, Alabama
Posts: 520
Some have suggested lower numbers. Some have said disease or predators are to blame.
The only common denominator I can see over some of the broad areas (say from Tennessee to south Alabama) is weather. I know of pockets of birds that are essentially segregated from contact to other flocks of turkeys. These birds seemed to be less vocal this year. I can't see how they contracted a disease unless it is spread through contact from any avian . Is it possible that a black bird or starling migrated through and spread a disease? I know that areas that I knew were packed with birds didn't produce the numbers compared to the gobbling I might hear. You hear 8-9 birds within one 80-100 area you know they are there. We were able to take only one of those birds and we were about the only folks pounding that piece of land.
The only common denominator I can see over some of the broad areas (say from Tennessee to south Alabama) is weather. I know of pockets of birds that are essentially segregated from contact to other flocks of turkeys. These birds seemed to be less vocal this year. I can't see how they contracted a disease unless it is spread through contact from any avian . Is it possible that a black bird or starling migrated through and spread a disease? I know that areas that I knew were packed with birds didn't produce the numbers compared to the gobbling I might hear. You hear 8-9 birds within one 80-100 area you know they are there. We were able to take only one of those birds and we were about the only folks pounding that piece of land.
05-17-2015, 08:41 AM
#27
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
Terrible season for me up here with very little gobbling and only one young Jake that has come in so far. I think the crazy weather is to blame as one day up here it's in the 40s and the next day in the 80s. I came home from up at my cabin yesterday a day earlier than planned as we had a terrible hatch of skeeters and black flies after several days of rain and warm weather. I still have two weeks left, but am about out of gas with the quiet season this year that I'm experiencing since if they don't gobble I just don't have any fun hunting silent birds!
05-17-2015, 11:01 AM
#28
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 270
In my part of Maine the population is definitely down after an exceptionally harsh winter, but 1 2 year old Tom in the frig and looking for a second. A lot of henned up Toms so far plenty
of gobbling on the roost but things get very quiet shortly after
fly down. Haven't heard any gobbling latter in the day yet, I
think that's got a lot to do with a much latter than normal
spring here in Maine and many hens have yet to start sitting
on their nest. Good luck to all, still 3 weeks left here in Maine.
of gobbling on the roost but things get very quiet shortly after
fly down. Haven't heard any gobbling latter in the day yet, I
think that's got a lot to do with a much latter than normal
spring here in Maine and many hens have yet to start sitting
on their nest. Good luck to all, still 3 weeks left here in Maine.
05-18-2015, 09:04 AM
#29
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: New York
Posts: 39
I thought maybe the birds just haven't started to breed yet but that theory was killed as I spooked two hens off their nest sitting on the eggs. my theory is that with the warm in April and the really hot May the turkeys are being tricked into thinking its late breeding and breeding early, I seen 3 gobblers all alone but still not responding to any calling or even gobbling at all.
05-19-2015, 11:45 PM
#30
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 2,820
Yesterday was the first time out this season that I actually heard a bird sound off. Got set-up on him, but that was the only gobble out of him!!! Stayed put, calling every so often thinking he was coming in silent. Nothing. Then a gobble rings out directly behind me. That bird seemed to be about 65 yards away, but refused to come in any closer. I was pinned down, and couldn't move. This cat and mouse game went on for over an hour before he finally wandered off. Will be headed back there this morning and setting up accordingly for round #2.