What's the deal?

[moundhill]

I don't know about anyone else, but the turkeys on my farms, and all around me aren't gobbling this year. I know a week before season came in, I was scouting, and they were gobbling their heads off all over the place..i mean every direction. And come season they were just silent. And it's not just my properties, its everyone I talk to is saying the same, and says it get's worse every year they hunt. And it might just be me, but I cant hunt silent birds. In my opinion its gotta be one of 3 things...

Coyotes getting overpopulated
The turkeys are getting smarter..?
Or maybe it's just me..

If you guys are experiencing this, what do you think the reason for these silent birds is. I know the turkeys are there..but I cant hunt them...:smiley_boos:

 

[yotehunter]

Jmo the hunting pressure is highest I've seen it for turkey hunting and I think the birds get educated. The last two weeks around here. If you see a turkey out and you stop the truck a half mile away they hit the brush as soon as they see you. They may be a little smarter than we give them credit for.

 

[Bigslam51]

I've been experiencing some of that here. On the 600 acres my 2 buddies and I hunt they have been gobbling very little, today they didn't gobble at all. Yesterday when I killed my bird it only gobbled twice, and it was 500 yards out when it did, it came in silent all the way. Today was the only day that I haven't heard them gobble good off the roost, I only heard one at 6:03 then it was complete silence the rest of the morning, we left at 10:30 with me being the only one hearing a gobble. My buddy even watched a tom breed 3 hens out in a field today and that bastard never even gobbled.

 

[dante322]

I havent heard or seen a turkey, not even a track since 2 weeks before season.

 

[TripleA88]

Same here, pre season gobbling then they vanished and didn't make a peep. I just got on birds 4 days ago. The 7 I witnessed gobbling do not roost gobble at all. Come 7:30 or 8 they'll chuckle a few times. I lucked into finding ones roost zone today. Plans just to smack him soon as he hits solid ground and be done with this year.

 

[yotehunter]

Lots of hens too. They don't have to gobble much when they are henned up at day light right from the roost.

 

[lung buster]

Same thing in my area. They gobble one day and not the next. Its been very strange. I know the numbers are nothing like they used to be but we still have a few around. I really have no desire to hunt them when they are quiet!

 

[Bigslam51]

Lots of hens too. They don't have to gobble much when they are henned up at day light right from the roost.

I've been seeing a lot of hens to on the property I hunt, I might have to take a couple out in the fall.

 

[bowhunter1023]

It has been very quiet at our farm this year as well. Lots more pressure out there than there has been in the past and I'm sure that doesn't help.

 

[Diablo54]

They are gay

 

[bowhunter1023]

They are gay

Must be a Meigs County thing...
























lmao

 

[finelyshedded]

Very quiet here in the SW as well. I know nothing about turkeys to share an opinion other than I think there are a lot less birds and deer because I see a lot less sign and bodies.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I really think they gobble less than they used to because there is less competition for hens. That wouldn't explain a sudden drop from one year to the next as some of you are seeing, but it explains the difference from 20 years ago imo. Turkeys used to frustrate me. It drove me nuts that some days they gobbled on the limb and some days they didn't. Now I just figure its because they are turkeys, and turkeys are going to do whatever their pea sized brains tell 'em to do. I'm certain coyotes are a factor too. Mason and I had one come charging in to our first series of calls the other morning. Shortly after he went over the ridge we heard feathers flopping followed by three or four barks. Pretty sure he caught a big bird of some kind and I imagine turkeys that make too much noise while on the ground just don't last long!

 

[cotty16]

I've only had time to hunt a couple times this year. Two of the times gobblers came in, they came in silent. Not sure why, but they were in full strut and after my gobbler decoy. Did they just stroll by? Maybe, but either way, it takes some of the excitement out when they don't do the gobble thing.

 

[Big_Holla]

Usually when it get's that way it's simply because they are locked up with hens right away. Next couple of weeks those hens should be nesting good and not there to satisfy his needs LOL!!