I ain't much of a turkey hunter
 

So, I had my spot picked out for the Monday opener. Good activity, hard to access, so shouldn't be bothered by anyone else.

I had to work until 7 then get the kid's off to school/baby sitters .
​​​​​​ Ended up getting to hunt from about 9 until almost noon the first day.

Saw two deer and a bunch of geese. No gobbles.

Tuesday morning I got out before daylight and eagerly awaited the morning gobbles . Nothing. Started to call a little. I'm always worried I'll do more harm than good.

After some calling I noticed a hen coming my way so I shut up and let her come in. Unfortunately nothing was behind her.
​​​​​​
Called a little more and called in about 30 buzzards. They circled a bit then landed above me and waited on me to die I guess.

Maybe I need to work on my calling technique.





-Jake

naw we all have those types of days. Indiana has been horrible this year for me. Rain and cloudy the whole time here. I wouldn't become discouraged.

Saw a hen and passed on a little Jake this morning. I've seen so few birds, I just didn't feel right about taking a young one this year. Hopefully next year I see some more.

This was the first legal turkey I've seen in five hunts this year. He came by about 6 yards out.

Looked just like this bird with his beard sticking straight out.



-Jake

Been a slow year for me as well. First morning out I had a Tom gobble at me over 200 times but could not get him closer than 50 yds and so thick I still couldnt see him. He has been to that dance before and was not going to come in any closer and no way for me to get any closer to him. Next time I only heard one bird gobble three different times on the roost and then shut right up. Two more mornings havent heard any gobbles. Gonna try again this weekend. Keep trying!

when they hang up and can't see ya call very softly, and not very often, reach down and rake the leaves with your hand if your sure he can't see you, works like a charm!
RR

Looks like those Buzzards had you on their menu.:p

I hear ya Ridge Runner. I tried all those tricks and none worked for that ol Tom. I started off really quite and only subtle purrs and clucks, which he would respond to but would lose interest quickly. When I started calling more aggressive, so did he. I moved away from him to see if he would come closer but he would not. Thats the way it goes sometimes.

If anybody needs buzzards called in, I'm your guy.

I'm willing to trade my buzzard calling ability for someone who can call turkeys

-Jake

Jake take a shower. Buzzards can smell....lol

Sorry couldn't resist.

You may be on to something JW.

-Jake

FWIW.
This has been strange. Late spring. I'm into my 25th day as I'm hunting the full 6 weeks. Maybe more if I go to another state.
But so far nothing like last yr. I thought winter kill had really taken its toll. But I am wrong. Plenty of birds. They just are not that vocal.
Out of the 6 taken so far. Only 1 played the traditional game.
I have seen far more hen strutting right along with the Tom than ever.
The hens have been really quiet. Early was just purring. As of late a few yelps with purrs.
So I have stuck more to very soft calling.
I scout a ton and cause of my physical well being I sit high traffic areas.
My partners younger than me still R&G. They are also witnessing the same. Once and a while you'll get gobbled at. But nothing has been like it should be.
Soft calling has been our best success.
JW

I've only been at this a few years. But each season it seems like I hear the same. "Birds aren't gobbling like they used to"

With the years of experience that you have JW, what do you attribute that to? I've heard everything from more coyotes, to the more vocal birds getting shot year after year so the less vocal birds are reproducing more and their offspring continue the less vocal trend.

what's your take? My limited turkey success has mostly been from scouting and being in the right place, right time. My biggest bird did come from calling and he came in with 3 other gobblers in full strut and gobbling their heads off. Quite a show they put on.

I know some others like RR may have thoughts on this as well.

-Jake

To me.
It's about the availability of hens.
Lots of hens the Tom just follows in Full Strut hoping to get lucky. He doesn't need to gobble. If he gobbles at all it's a few times from roost and maybe a time or to once on the ground to announce his presence.


Yes we still are finding that hot Tom occasionally and it's a classical text book hunt.
But mainly 2 yr old. Either alone or following a few Jakes.

And the second peak of gobbling hasn't started yet.
Hens are splitting off, I am seeing single hens here and there and they may be laying eggs. But certainly no where near incubating.

Oh another factor.
I'm not seeing the number of birds using fields.
They are staying and feeding in the woods.
Still lots of acorns.
And I seen my fair share of coyotes.

I fact I had 3 Jake's in molesting a hen decoy. They clearly saw that coyote but just kept on molesting my decoy. I really thought the yote was going to charge. And I was ready for him.
But a live Turkey leg kick on a rubber decoy, created a sound that spooked that coyote.
It saved him.
I've got pictures. Will post when I'm off this phone.

Just my musings. I've hunted 2 states so far. Am in constant contact with guys in two others.

Was 25°F this morning. A bit chilly.

To me.
It's about the availability of hens.
Lots of hens the Tom just follows in Full Strut hoping to get lucky. He doesn't need to gobble. If he gobbles at all it's a few times from roost and maybe a time or to once on the ground to announce his presence.


Yes we still are finding that hot Tom occasionally and it's a classical text book hunt.
But mainly 2 yr old. Either alone or following a few Jakes.

And the second peak of gobbling hasn't started yet.
Hens are splitting off, I am seeing single hens here and there and they may be laying eggs. But certainly no where near incubating.

Oh another factor.
I'm not seeing the number of birds using fields.
They are staying and feeding in the woods.
Still lots of acorns.
And I seen my fair share of coyotes.

I fact I had 3 Jake's in molesting a hen decoy. They clearly saw that coyote but just kept on molesting my decoy. I really thought the yote was going to charge. And I was ready for him.
But a live Turkey leg kick on a rubber decoy, created a sound that spooked that coyote.
It saved him.
I've got pictures. Will post when I'm off this phone.

Just my musings. I've hunted 2 states so far. Am in constant contact with guys in two others.

Was 25°F this morning. A bit chilly.

Oh and I've been questioning my ability as a Turkey hunter too!

Just flat out a weird yr.

And as my mentor quoted.
"It's just turkeys being a wild turkey."

IMO JW nailed it, I blamed coyotes for the lack of gobbling here in wv for years, went to ky where coyotes are thick, they gobbled their heads off. When I was a kid, fall hunting was a big deal, now no-one does it. and any experienced turkey hunter knows a gobbler don't make much noise with a hen in his vision, yeah if he turns his back on the hen during his display he may shock gobble at hen noise but soon as he turns around he sees the hen again he clams up.
Now if hens get so populated that he can see a hen from the time he opens his eyes on the limb, till he flys back up, he don't hafta gobble. my opinion, worth what it cost ya.
RR

I am seeing hens. So that would make sense.

-Jake

I agree with RR.When Tommy is with Hens he doesn,t need to make a peep.I was workin a Gobbler for over a hour last week and when the Gobbler was seen about 150 yards away another one gobbled right behind me.He came in silent till that point.Long story short I missed the one that came from behind when he stepped out in the open.

The Gobbler i was workin was alone and so was the one that came in that I missed.

I can hunt tomorrow from 9-noon.

Going to set my decoys out and just do some very sparse and light calling.

-Jake

Hey All,

It's been that way in SW Michigan all spring.

Like JW noted, most of the birds are staying in the woods. There's not a lot of mast in the woods around me, and I haven't yet figured out what they're eating, but I think it may be bugs. The ticks are worse this year than the last 5 combined.

The other thing that's interesting, at least for around here, is that older birds are going down in higher numbers than 2 yr olds - there have many birds shot this year with 1.25 to 1.5 inch spurs, suggesting the older birds are the ones doing the searching.

I can't confirm it (i.e., my best guess) is that for whatever reason last year there were many more jakes to survive winter than jennies. I've seen very few small hens, and the best gobbling is most often to high pitched yelps that mimic a younger bird. This has in some manner screwed up the normal mating behavior, in that either the jakes and 2yr old are running off the mature birds, or there are just fewer hens to breed which is concentrating the birds. A local farmer had a flock of 60 birds in his field last week, with more than 10 in strut. That's unheard of for the middle of May...

Well I got skunked for the second year in a row.

Next year I think I will take some time off and do it right.

I didn't make it to pa this year which is my better hunting.

I'll take a few days and do it right instead of trying to fit hunts in around a busy work and family schedule.

-Jake

Sounds like you have perfected the dying turkey call!

Here is another thing noted this yr.
Shock gobble.
Most of what I witnessed was a Shock gobble when a Tom saw a hen. Not hearing a hen in most cases.
Late season I would see a nice roaming single Tom. He would see my decoy. Instant shock gobble.
Mostly witnessed this with a Jake out too.
Jake's and strutting decoys are a 50/50 gamble.
The Tom either comes busting right in or stays out of range.
I had one Tom stand there and strut for an hr. Never made a peep

I did more hen bantering this year than ever. We ( my partner and I) witnessed far more hen strutting than ever. In fact my partner witnessed a strutting hen gobble
albeit weak
Both of us did get on a few classic bird hunts.
But the majority where not.
I've got a picture with a coyote busting in close on 3 Jake's. They didnt care. They clearly saw the yote.
Safety in numbers I guess.
And in as much as us guys think we rule the roost.
That is incorrect. Females do.

I called in more hens this year than toms and most off the toms I did get to gobble never came in. Thursday I never heard a gobble but I had two hens come in off the roost and then begin to call if you think that soft hen calling is the trick you would question it now. She stood out at 20 yards and and cut and yelp almost non-stop until a gobble rang out some distance off. She continued to cut and yelp as the gobbling got closer I thought this is gonna be great. She is doing all the calling for me but then when the tom was maybe 80-100 yards out she stopped calling and went in his direction and he shut up. I waited a bit then cut he gobbled at the same distance. After another wait I cut and yelped no answer I figured he was with the hens so I decided to make a move. As I was slipping up I saw the tom walking in the woods with the two hens . I got set up and when he peeked around a tree at 40 yards I shot. He ran off. I thought what but realized I had not seen the 1 inch limb about 2 feet in front of me that took most of the pattern. This year I have not killed one bird by just calling and getting a tom to come in. It has all been by making moves and using woodsmanship . I even just sat over a good dusting area and killed a good tom that came to dust with two hens at 2 pm when you would think he would finally be alone looking. This year I have had to work way harder to fill my tags and ended with 7 out of 8 eating tag soup in Michigan which is really unsual !! So don't feel too bad Bocajnalla I hunted a lot from the start April to the last day of May. In fact yesterday in my honey hole that I usually don't hunt I never even heard a gobble all day !!!

I attribute this tag soup to a lack of dedication.

I tried to work my hunts in around a busy schedule.

One day that consisted of walking out back and sitting for about a half hour doing some light calling before having to go in so the wife could leave for work. It was scattered stuff like that and only 3 or 4 real mornings to hunt.

Pretty much going out blind hoping to get lucky in places that I've seen birds in the past.

Just didn't have the time to dedicate to it.

​​​​​​Next year I'll try to get 5 days off to give it a serious go. And I'll head to PA where I see allot more birds.

-Jake

Hey man for me this is the toughest year I've had hunting turkeys so don't be too hard on yourself lol

Worst part is this am I took my dog for a walk and two of my neighbors feed the turkeys and deer and I saw 10 toms in 2 different locations strutting for a couple hens at 9 am in the neighbors front lawm lol

Just my $.02 & experience....

I started turkey hunting in PA, in the late 1980s. I wasn't very serious about it, had no mentor, just tried to figure it out on my own. I'd kill a tom every so often, or a jake. But it was something to do with a bunch of guys, we'd go fishing & drink beer the rest of the day after 12.

I got real serious about turkey hunting in the late 90s. Learned what I could, hooked up with some experienced turkey hunters, and cut the learning curve. All the time I hunted in PA & NY back then, and you would hear gobbles until noon most days. I also started taking a week each year to hunt with friends in southern GA. Things were different there, birds only seemed to gobble in the trees, and once they hit the ground, they were quiet most of the day. Those birds had been around for a long time, and weren't the offspring of trap and transfer birds. I was shown to hunt toms a little different there, it was more of a waiting game, and calling softly and intermittently, and getting into good travel & strutting spots.

My theory is that the birds that had been in an area a long time (GA) had passed on their genes, and birds who gobbled the least tended to avoid being shot. Now it seems the same thing is happening in areas where trap & transfer birds have gotten established...birds that gobble less are passing on their traits to their offspring...evolution happening before our eyes.

I could believe that and it makes sense to me.

-Jake

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