[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.