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PA hunters, whats going on?

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PA hunters, whats going on?

Old 05-09-2005, 06:07 PM
  #1  
Nontypical Buck
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Default PA hunters, whats going on?

I don't know if its just me, but this year has been tough on me. The birds are acting pretty weird here. They will spout off like crazy on the roost, but once they hit the ground, they zipped up. Wont respond to any call i throw at them. I am sure they have hens, as I've called a few of them in last saturday, but thats it. Nothing else.

I had another bird half heartedly gobble mid morning. I setup on him and tried working him for close 3 hours. He responded 3 times in the first 15 minutes, but then fell silent and never did sneak in. I run out of time as it was noon and had to back out.

The weather was very strange. 30 degrees in the AM and 40 or so by noon. Rainy and drizzly too. About 2 weeks before season even started, we had very warm weather, no rain and sunshine galore. I saw a lot of birds already with a harem then.

What the story elsewhere? Is anyone else experiencing this sort of thing?
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Old 05-09-2005, 06:23 PM
  #2  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

I've been hunting in SE PA and it's the same thing. One day gobbled like crazy then nothing,half hearted gobbles then nothing. I went out opening day and they gobbled like crazy until the rain increased and the temp dropped.
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Old 05-09-2005, 07:47 PM
  #3  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

This has been one of the worst starters in PA in a number of years. The birds have been tight lipped for the better part of last week, which was the opener. Pre-season scouting had way more tree talking going on. I didn't miss a morning all week, being on vacation, and only had two days that yielded birds that would play.

Those birds who did come to the call were right of the roost... a brace of jakes and another group mid week. The first group came to the call on Junior day, and things went downhill from there. We hunted hard in a number of different places and find now that the birds are just not talking. Only one bird responded mid morning, Monday, at about 1100 AM, gobbling to my calls, but never did come in.

I was out again this morning in a new part of the woods 25 + miles from the last, and even though it held good sign, never once heard a gobble. The ridge allowed for great bird locating, but no birds were talking. Personally, I think the birds are about a week + behind on the breeding schedule. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will improve in the weeks ahead. Failing that, I'm going fishing.
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Old 05-09-2005, 07:58 PM
  #4  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

Same here in SW PA , they were gobbling like crazy on JR day , had em hammering until 1145 , but then the cold hit and once a week they seem to call a ton off the roost , then shut up , and locating at night is horrible , the hens call back more then the toms...

Im just hoping that they heat up soon !

Also has neone noticed a ton of single hens ?
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Old 05-09-2005, 08:18 PM
  #5  
Typical Buck
 
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

i agree w/ what everyone is saying.. i too had a very bad first week.. only got to work one bird at 10:00 but didnt work out.. ill hear them gobble on roost but not too hard just a few then nothing.. i have also seen more hens than most years.. on fri i was calling w/ a hen for 2 hours then she came in but she was really looking for a gobbler.. on the first day i had a hen roosted right next too me and she called for an hour and nothing.. so im guessing they are really henned up.. the only non normal thing was one night i spotted 3 toms together in a field and i watched them go to roost and next moring i sat close enough w/o spooking them and they didnt even gobble on roost.. it is a crazy year so far.. but i cant wait for sat.
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Old 05-09-2005, 09:23 PM
  #6  
Nontypical Buck
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

I'm just glad its not just me. I have grown accustomed to the first two weeks being the best, but this year, it may be the last two weeks. They are just not talkative at all on the ground. I thought for a bit, that since they are so henned up, that maybe by mid-late morning, they'll get wound up look for more hens. That just doesn't seem to be the case. So either the hens aren't nesting much yet, or the weather has them screwed up. We are finally getting normal May weather so that might heat things up a bit.
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Old 05-10-2005, 06:10 AM
  #7  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

I had some good luck in PA last week, calling in 2x birds. One spooked for some unknown reason at 45 yards, and the other I called in for my father and he got that one.

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Old 05-10-2005, 09:25 AM
  #8  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

Horrible year so far. Week one, heard almost no birds and then it was only a gobble or 2 about an hour after light. Finally this morning I had birds sounding off everywhere. Only one was close enough to try and work, but I think some hens got between me and him. I hope things pick up. I spent my days off last week when it was bad. Now I only have to 7-730 weekdays nad the circus of saturdays.
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Old 05-10-2005, 10:35 AM
  #9  
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

Saturday, I was out with a friend when I caught a big tom mating with a harem of hens. He was breeding one, with three others hanging around.

My guess is that we're amidst a really heavy breeding phase. Every big tom I've encountered since the opener has been henned up.
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Old 05-12-2005, 05:07 AM
  #10  
 
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Default RE: PA hunters, whats going on?

Yep, been having the same problem here in the central part of the state. Last week the only bird I heard gobble was arouind 9:00 and the only reason he gobbled was because a military jet flew real low over the state forest ground where I was hunting and he sounded off at the roar of the jet! This week was the same. They aren't even sounding off much on the roost! One, maybe two gobbles and then silent until the noon cut off. Hope next week sees more hens on the nest!
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