Need some expert opinions..

[SuicidJky]

I just spent the last 8 days doing some turkey hunting.....this is the second time in my life I have hunted turkeys. We went to all the locations we seen and heard turkeys last time (2003) and we heard nothing not a sound.

[petey]

Wow, that many hens in one bunch this time of year? Sounds like the boys got plenty to choose from which could be the reason for silence.

Even if a place isn't over pressured with hunting those ol toms (and young ones) will just zip their lips if they have a hen. Picture this. Tommy boy roosts right there with his hen, struts in the tree, pitches down and struts around her while she mills around....no reason to gobble, his girl is right there.

I've had birds in the tree gobblin their heads off, by me comes a hen, the bird sees her, pitches down and doesn't gobble again all morning long. This is very typical during the first couple weeks of season (here anyway). Once the girls are bread and go to nest then Tommy starts getting agressive again. His girl isn't paying attention to him anymore, so the typical male..."gonna find me another gal"

Right now, you may not hear a bird on the roost at all. In fact you may not hear a bird until 7 or 8. Rule of thumb around these parts, if you get a bird to gobble after 10 am when they aren't gobblin, then you probably have a workable bird since his gal is probably sittin on a nest. Yes there's a lot of "probably's" in there This past Wed I didn't hear a peep, one day after I had two longbeards give me the slip, course they had a hen with them and she decided she'd go the other way once she heard the "other" hen yackin. Sat in the exact spot they went the day before. I knew they were there, they just never gobbled since they had their hen.

When they aren't gobblin it's rough..The typical turkey hunter wants to run and gun. Strike up a bird and go after him. Unfortunately the best thing to do is to call sparingly (not agressive at all) and just wait...and wait...and wait. Call ever 5 or 10 mins, just a few times. Simple yelps, clucks and purrs. Don't consider cuttin', you'll just drive that hen the other way. The idea is to get that hen to come to you, hopefully gobbler in tow, if not after 9 or 10 once his girl has left for the nest, he'll remember your location and come-a-looking. Just because he doesn't gobble at your call, doesn't mean he didn't hear you and store your location in memory. Turkey are unreal, and can pinpoint a location of a sound to almost the exact spot, even 2-3 hrs later.

The short story is...it's typical, it's gonna get better later in the season. Less hunters as most have given up by then and the hens are trying to hatch so they are sitting longer and Tommy is all alone looking for love again. I experience it every year, and it's a real pain in the rear sometimes. Sometimes the only way to kill a bird during this period is to go where you think they are roosting and hopefully see or hear a bird fly up in the evening. Get in early and close and bust him once he's on the ground. Course that's just not as fun as calling a screamin bird in, but unfortunately it's that or try to coax his girl in, he'll follow. If season was a month earlier when pecking order is taking place and they are looking to start breeding, everyone could call a bird in.

Don't get disgruntled, that's what most hunters do. Now's the time to call sparingly and sit still...be patient. Throw in a crow or goose call every once in a while to see if you can get a shock gobble. It doesn't mean he's gonna come to your call but it at least lets you know he's there and to sit still until he decides to finally come. On Tuesday I had a bird that would gobble just about everytime I'd blow a crow call, but he wouldn't answer any hen call I threw at him. He stayed in one place about 300 yards away. I knew from that he had a hen and wasn't about to leave her. Unfortunately time was one thing I didn't have so I had to leave him and get into work...Wednesday I closed the deal on a different bird. I did just what I suggested. I sat, I called in a hen that happened to have a tom with her. I may go back next week and get the other one.

I always say "He's just not ready to be killed yet" and move on to another bird the next day.

[petey]

The two primary locators I use are crow and goose, mostly crow will do the trick. I do have a pileated woodpecker call but have never really had a brid gobble at it. Course it's something I rarely use. It's not something that's "shockingly" new for them, it's something loud that forces a gobble out of them. Something they gobble at.

Heck they'll gobble at ya slamming your car door, but I don't recommend driving around open and closing your door expecting a shock gobble. You may try a hawk call also. A turkey's three primary "bird" enemies are Crow, Hawk and Owl. All three will torment a turkey and dive bomb them. I've had crows and hawks attack my decoys before.

The number one call to force a gobble...um a gobble. If you can master the art of the gobble on a diaphram call or buy yourself a gobble tube, or rig a box call with a rubber band to gobble then that'll do the trick.

My second favorite is a crow call, especially if I know there are other hunters around. A goose call works in early light, when you'd be hootin on an owl hooter, but most people have played the hooter to death around these parts. Plus it's typically something you use when it's still a little dark. A crow, woodpecker or goose call can be used any time of day and get results. If you can conjour up a believable gobble by some means then you're set also. Any one of these should help, but I bet by this weekend, they are back to talkin.

If you're interested in trying a gobble witha diaphram, simply place the meat of your hand between your thumb and your pointer finger and violently move it up and down as you blow air through your pallet with your call in your mouth. (make a fake pistol with your hand and place your mouth in between your finger and your thumb) A few times trying this and you'll make a halfway descent sounding gobble in no time. Years of practice will show you the right rythm and amount of air to blow for tone.

[Jack]

In my area, the owl hoot and the crow call have been used so much, turkeys ignore them, IME.
The best results I get for locating birds is a predator call that imitates a squealing rabbit.
I don't believe there's anything magic about the sound of a rabbit in distress, but not many use that as a locator.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

SJ, Petey got me all fired up just reading his post..I almost wanted to gobble just reading it....listen to what he had to say...all good advice and answers to why they are quiet now. Guess things change all the time. I have had them attack and destroy a decoy, yet this year decoys seemed to spook them. Toms and 2x a bearded hen..ran when seen decoy... I had some jakes race in to us when my daughter used her new wing bone call I made her and the other day, watching a long beard hang in the pasture with horses and cows and when I just made one little putt on a call, he turned and ran away as fast as they can run. Just one little putt to get his attention and he was gone.

I have used 2 blocks of 2x4 and when slam them together produced a shock gobble. Try that out..works.

I have to add my quick story for this year update tky hunt...Daughter got hers on first day..He came in from her right side..the offside shooting angle..she got turned enough to shoot when he looked up again and I watched her slide back about 2 feet and roll onto her back with feet up in the air..as the 3 1/2 mag went off...got her a little off balance...what a laugh that was...I still laugh when I picture it all...I sit by her..then we moved about a mile..she called using the wing bone and a bearded hen jumped off the strip mine mound right in front of me..(like petey said, they can pinpoint you)......she looked right in my eyes about 10 yds away...and ran..Then the tom ran over a mound headed to us..I aimed as he came up the other side and when he stood there about 10 yards from me I squeeze and gun not go off...I put safety back on after the hen ran...was still on..835 safe is on top....he seen me move finger to top to remove safe and he ran off....missed him..got away..lol..gave him a week to settle down..sat same spot..hen jump down again..look right at me in thicket..ran again..believe that?..Then the gobble again and I watched him over the same moggle..head in to me..only this time I had the safe off...made sure of it..he came up other side..same trail and stood in same spot..only 10 yds away, gun went click......yes I had one in chamber too..only the click...he ran off as I racked another round in..got away again..I had a bad primer in a winchester round..was dented...not go off..what a lucky bird..but I did end up at a new spot and had 8 long beard pass around all morning just out of range but ended up with my quota by 9am.....not will take daughter back to this new spot for her second bird....I lucked out when a farmer asked me to clean a few out of his fields....lol....yeee ha....

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Have to clear up the Now will take daughter back to new spot.....sounded like not take her....that is more fun to me than shooting them myself.....but I did get my 2 birds for the year.

[skeeter@ccia.com]

Very nice. Not all turkey hunts are the same. That is what makes it fun. One day this works....another day that works.....but it is all fun and makes for a memory.... good luck in the rest of the hunt. I am to take my daughter out the 21st here. See if we can get her second for the year.....nice bird again.

[Dan Morris]

Good looking bird..my congrats.
Dan
:)