Where Are They!!?
 

Hey guys, been a while since I’ve posted on here, hope everyone’s seasons have started out good. I have a question to those of you hunting private property. I picked up a new lease after hunting a place the last week of season last year, and the members don't Turkey hunt. I killed and also had several more I heard on the property then. I was excited about this year, and it is loaded up with turkeys... problem is it’s hens. I mean only hens! I have not cut a gobbler track in the last month nor had one on camera. Tons of hens and a few Jake’s sprinkled in but I have not had a place like this. Haven’t even heard a gobble from adjoining properties. Anyone ever run into this and have them show up later in the season? I can kill him if he doesn’t gobble, but I can’t kill him if he ain’t there! Haha

Are toms mating in your part of the country? If so, they should be showing up sooner or later. What method do you use for hunting? Calling, run and gun, spot and stalk, sit in a popup blind, etc.? Are you moving your cameras around if they're in areas with little or no activity? Are you using crow calls or other type of shock calls? It's tough when they're not gobbling and you don't see them but that doesn't mean there are no toms on the property. Sometimes they get skittish and sometimes they already have a enough hens around so they don't call for any more.

I hunt about 300 acres behind a locked gate on a cattle ranch with lots of grass, some oak trees and some brush. It's surrounded by other ranches and properties that aren't hunted so pressure is only from lions and coyotes. This year has been very windy for the last month with short grass (2-3" tall) and not much cover except in the brush. The few toms I've seen this year are skittish and there hasn't been that much gobbling except after they get up at sunrise. Normally I run and gun (more like spot and stalk) but there's no cover this year so I'm using a popup blind and lots of patience. I've been moving my game cams around and have found a couple of new hangouts where toms strut for the hens. I got a huge tom today after sitting in the blind for about an hour and a half. Keep moving your cameras around and consider changing your tactics if what you're doing isn't working. Good luck and let us know how your season goes.

well IMO< where there are Hen's, and mating season kicks in, there will be Tom's looking for love!

not many Tom's are that stubborn to stay where they are unless there is also a LOT of hens in there area already to work with!

up my way, Turkeys in general, both male/female
will go to lower elevations for winter time, and I'm talking just a few hundred feet in elevation
they don't start to r return till weather warms up at a more steady rate, as in not going back and forth in low temps
I can ride atv's snowmobiles all behind my place(few thousand acre's and over a 100 acres of food plots)
and from about mid dec till about late march you will not see a fresh turkey track on the higher side of the property
BUT as soon as temps stay above say 50 degree's

flocks of them turkeys return, there actually annoying there so many that come back, like walking shop vac's with claws! tearing up everything in never ending search for food!

SO< maybe try hunting lower elevations, or maybe look about area's your at to see where the better food is, as food supply from my experience seems to draw all wildlife in winter months and prime food win yr round!

I’m in Alabama and most Tom’s are usually flying down to hens at this point in the season. The hens are breaking up and I am starting to see singles now. normally time to catch an ole Tom alone in the afternoon.
Where there are hens there are gobblers iIl agree, that’s why this particular track has me scratching my head.
I am pretty versatile as far as strategy. Growing up my dad was old school and started Turkey hunting in the late 60’s and taught me patients in the Turkey woods (I started out in the early 90’s) and over the years I’ve learned the old run and gun as the woods have increased with hunters on most clubs. You used to could go about anywhere, but it’s gained a lot of popularity and less land to hunt every year. Both have seemed to work equally well depending on the situation and sometimes neither work if you’ve been on those type of birds! Haha
I’m hunting 600ac of select cut pines with scattered food plots, a gas line and a power line cut. Ideal for turkeys it seems in this area as far as food and nesting habitat.
Im not complaining by any means just trying to get a feel if anyone has hunted an area that Tom’s moved into mid season..? Like I said, several birds were left at the end of season last year and by the Jake’s I’ve seen it looks to be promising again next year.
I’m going to nickname this place “the hen house” for the time being.
we can hunt all day here and I do every chance I get. I love being in the woods at daylight but have taken the majority of birds from 10a-4p over the years.
I do appreciate everyone’s input and strategy suggestions so please keep em coming. Believe me I’m not one to turn a new trick down, it just adds to being successful in the spring woods.
I use a crow call for locating but like to let them do their own thing at daylight. I do call some to locate too, but usually shy away from it if I’m moving a lot in case one is coming and does not answer (a lesson that took a while to learn) If I call I like to sit a while before moving.

Tom's are there. Still in their bachelor group. Have faith.

Gotta go with JW on this one. What do your game cameras show? If nothing, consider moving them to cover the area better.

How often do you listen early morning?

JW posted some good advice. The toms and jakes are still moving in bachelor groups and it's critical to listen in the early morning. Preferably be in place before first light and sunrise so you can hear any toms gobbling and figure out where they are. So EFH, how's your season progressing?

Since you have a lease and time is valuable. Place trail cameras in the high hen traffic areas. That will give you more information.
I have several caneras that take a plot area view. They take pictures for several hours at 1st light to dusk.
JW

EFH How ya doin turkey killer? EFH is a great guy and a turkey killen machine. Met up and hunted with him years ago. Only cotton field I ever hunted. Made my day.

I had the same luck last year up here. Others hearing gobbling in other areas and I never heard one except for a jake that I was crossing the road up in front of me. Hens everywhere where I was hunting. But that jake had me change my game.. I discovered him traveling by areas where the run offs were when the snow melted. So I started setting up in areas like that and had my best season ever. But that jake that morning was the only gobble I had heard. The spring run off areas stood to reason once I had thought about it. Up in this way the green growth starts first in those areas without going into a field.. Good luck with getting one..

Whenever I hear something like “nobody else on the lease / in the club hunts turkeys...” I know somebody is hunting them long beards. That somebody could be a fence hopper, a neighboring property owner (kid there of) or maybe another club member. Sorry.

Keep on the hens. Wherever they roost, will draw in a lonesome tom. Turkeys can hear other turkeys.

So how about an update EFH? I'm curious to see what you've found. In my neck of the woods, things are slowing down some but I still hear gobbles at dawn.

The OP must be busy (hopefully having better luck) since he hasn't come back here for a week. :happy0001:

Arrowmaster you may have to tie me one up and let me have a crack at em! Haha! (About to send you a pic) finally broke the ice, but on another property.



Still no sign of a Tom on my lease. I’ve moved locations at daylight, but it would not be hard to hear one on roost in this select cut. I’ve hunted around a few dust bowls too only to have a couple hens and a Jake visit regular. Have not seen a strut mark or gobbler track. Due to the rain and red mud, I don’t feel like anyone is hunting but me, although I know how sneaky people are in the spring woods. There are a lot of roads to walk soft enough to keep up with where the turkeys are moving and I’ve hunted most of them. Cameras are still catching turkeys but they’ve slowed way down. Hens have split and dogwoods have greened up, it’s just that time of year. Our season usually ends last day of April if that gives an indication of where the breeding cycle is. There are a few lucky Jake’s that are becoming men on this place with no one there to put them in there place, and have seen several walking around half strut with a hen or two. They will be hangin upside down next year haha

Lots of jakes. A good sign for next year.

-Jake

Sounds like you got one on another property. Good size?

Sounds like your at least out there enjoying the chase and not stuck on a dang computer ! I hate it when someone says good sign all those jakes for next year (no offence meant Bocajnala) I hunted a place in Kansas where I saw a ton of jakes several years in a row and the next year a ton of jakes again but only a couple longbeards lol

:happy0001:

It seems like every year in PA I see a lot of spikes, 4 points etc. All illegal bucks. And every years people say "next year should be good!" And every year it's the same thing. Spikes and 4points lol.

So I know what you mean.

My theory is that since I only rifle hunt in PA I THINK the archery guys get allot of the legal bucks before gun season comes in. And the ones that are left are smarter than me

I don't know how that would apply to seeing allot of jakes.

-Jake​​​​​

11-1/2” beard 1-1/4” and 1-1/8” Spurs.. not sure on weight... I swear I think they are all 20lbs but he was probably in the neighborhood of 18.

Not sure if I can post pic from phone. If I can someone let me know and I’ll post up these super Jake pics too 😂