No Gobbles/The Farm I Hunt

[KYHUNTER14]

I have heard one gobbler all year. I am starting to get discouraged. I know there are turkeys around, just don't make much noise. In the past 2 years, the farm I hunt has been timbered. What effect do you think this has on the turkey population in the area? Thanks

[oxmos]

Sort of have the same situation on my farm in southern ohio. It's been selectively timbered over the past couple years. The number of birds fluctuates from year to year. This year I have yet to hear a gobble although I know they're around. This is more of a boom or bust cycle of the population I think. If anything, the timbering may cause some growth in the woods. Not sure how extensive the timbering on your place was. If you have any fields you may want to plant a few plots as this can attract new birds to your area. Just have to watch out for those brown four legged lawn-mowers.

[SixPack07]

I think you need to stay positive and put in your time in the field, and you'll get lucky and slip up on one. I'm sure the logging has affected the turkeys, you just need to go out and scout a little to see how it has changed it.

[jdixon]

They may not be gobblin' yet in all areas of the east. I spent all day Sunday hunting with my 9 year old near Cave Run L. Being a bit windy made it admittedly rough but, after an entire day of calling I believe I heard one. He was so far off I have to say I only "believe" I heard it. It could just be out Ashland way, they have not started getting vocal yet.

[SixPack07]

That could very well be true. And I don't know if this would be any part of it, but maybe if they have so many hens around them, they don't need to gobble. Don't need to give away their location if they have all the girls they can handle around them already. Later in the season they'll probably gobble more if they can't find any hens.

[quackrstackr]

Not to be the party pooper.. but they logged my lease (WestVaco) about 6 years ago between deer and turkey season. That year the hunting was incredible. The hunting since then has sucked.....:( The trees have been replanted and have made a strong comeback but the turkeys moved out and have been extremely slow coming back. So much so that I'm not even buying tags this year. Not worth the drive.

I talked to the county CO and he told me the same story about his farm. WestVaco logged the property next door to him, all the turkeys left for greener pastures and have yet to return in any significant numbers.

[SixPack07]

I just read an article that talked about that. Timber companies cut down all the big trees the turkeys love for roosting and all that, then plant these little things and the turkeys say forget that and move on. Said turkey numbers will continue to increase for a while, but if their habitat keeps getting taken over, they will start to go down. I think it will be like deer. Less habitat+more turkeys=unhappy people with turkeys in "their" lawns and it will be demanded that a hunter should be able to shoot 10 turkeys a year.

[quackrstackr]

I don't think turkeys are nearly as resilient as deer are. More than likely a loss of habitat will just = fewer or no turkeys.

They didn't really lose their roosting trees on us. Maybe some with a couple of pine stands that were cut. All of our mature roost trees are on the drainages, which they are not allowed to cut. But the turkeys don't hang out much in the thick, overgrown mess that takes over after they replant saplings for the next 8 to 10 years either.

I could take you in the morning and walk you to one of the two exact places the turkeys (what few have stuck around) will be roosted on us now, which is right on the property line. They don't roost in the middle of the property any more because there is so much thick mess for them to travel through to get to a strutting area. As soon as they fly down they head straight next door and are gone pretty much the rest of the day off our property until they come back to roost again. I'm not much on driving an hour for 20 minutes (maybe) of hunting and watching the turkeys across the fence.

By and large the vast majority of turkeys have just up and left us though. Used to be able to go down pretty much any time of day and fire up a half dozen different birds on us... at daylight you may have heard a dozen different birds hammering. Since the "big cut" you do good to hear a couple of birds roosted right near the fence in the mornings.... and that's all you're gonna get all day long. :(

[SixPack07]

Any chance of clearing up a little spot in that mess and planting something in it? I don't think it would have to be that big of a clearing, but it might draw them back for a little mid-day strutting. Also could look into planting other spots, and creating some nesting habitat or something to get them drawn back to your side of the fence. I don't know really what all is on your land or what you can do with it, but just some thoughts.

[quackrstackr]

Our land belongs to a timber company. The only spots that don't have trees (and right now along with those, head high weeds) planted are the access roads. Only field type areas around are across the fence.

We have 420 acres of dense bedding area now... which is good for deer.. but sucks for turkey.

Timber company won't let you do any sort of clearing whatsoever. No tree cutting, nothing screwed or nailed into the trees, not even so much as limb clearance for shooting lanes.

Just not enough real estate in logging roads even if planted to keep the turkeys keyed on them.

[Xcutter]

They may not be gobblin' yet in all areas of the east. I spent all day Sunday hunting with my 9 year old near Cave Run L. Being a bit windy made it admittedly rough but, after an entire day of calling I believe I heard one. He was so far off I have to say I only "believe" I heard it. It could just be out Ashland way, they have not started getting vocal yet.

where abouts are you hunting cave run

[buckfever]

I wouldn't give up hope yet. I've been out several times in the last few weeks. On only one occasion did I hear strong gobbling and see normal amounts of birds, and that was last Weds.

I think that the abnormally low amount of turkey sightings and mating observations may be related to two things. First, the statewide mast failure may have caused many birds to winter (and look for food) in strange, new locations, and they are just now starting to return to their spring breeding/nesting sites. Second, we've had an unusually cold, rainy late winter and early spring with very few back-to-back days of good weather. This may have also dampened their enthusiasm. With no bugs, they haven't been in the fields. In my area (Shelby, Oldham, Jefferson Counties), the spring "green up" only started in the last week or so. I'm now seeing lots of blooms popping up everywhere. I've also received some reports in the last couple of days that turkeys are starting to appear on our farm in their "normal" numbers. I think that our turkeys are just now starting to get into the mating swing, big time, which is about 1-2 weeks later than normal.

If there's any truth in my observations and assumptions, I'd guess that the peak breeding will occur a week or two late in many areas of the state. Obviously, this would make opening week prime time to kill a turkey. I just hope we don't kill too many.

[ril7572]

I wouldn't give up hope yet. I've been out several times in the last few weeks. On only one occasion did I hear strong gobbling and see normal amounts of birds, and that was last Weds.

I think that the abnormally low amount of turkey sightings and mating observations may be related to two things. First, the statewide mast failure may have caused many birds to winter (and look for food) in strange, new locations, and they are just now starting to return to their spring breeding/nesting sites. Second, we've had an unusually cold, rainy late winter and early spring with very few back-to-back days of good weather. This may have also dampened their enthusiasm. With no bugs, they haven't been in the fields. In my area (Shelby, Oldham, Jefferson Counties), the spring "green up" only started in the last week or so. I'm now seeing lots of blooms popping up everywhere. I've also received some reports in the last couple of days that turkeys are starting to appear on our farm in their "normal" numbers. I think that our turkeys are just now starting to get into the mating swing, big time, which is about 1-2 weeks later than normal.

If there's any truth in my observations and assumptions, I'd guess that the peak breeding will occur a week or two late in many areas of the state. Obviously, this would make opening week prime time to kill a turkey. I just hope we don't kill too many.

BF has nailed this one. Give things another week and they will make a big change for the better.

[buckfever]

Went scouting this morning. Rain ended last night and the temp was about 50 degrees. Clouds were dissipating. Heard at least 25 different gobblers, and most were gobbling basically nonstop. The hens were also making a racket. The birds stayed on the roost until very late in the morning (approx. 7:15 am). They usually don't stay roosted that late unless its rainy weather. I watched two diff't toms breed two diff't hens at the same time in the same field within 100 yards of one another. That's a first for me. Looks like things are looking strong for next Friday.

[SixPack07]

I hope I get to hear something like that this weekend. Going to get a few last days of scouting in and hope to confirm what I already am expecting. It's close!

[schuyler olt]

I hunted an area that was timbered pretty heavily, with the treetops left laying around, etc. The hunting in that area went to zip.

But I agree the birds may be a tad late this year. I drove to Paducah last Friday, and the woods looked pure winter. We're getting some pretty rapid greenup around here this week, though, so I'm optimistic about the 15th. Of course, hope is the last thing that dies...:-)

[buckfever]

I hunted an area that was timbered pretty heavily, with the treetops left laying around, etc. The hunting in that area went to zip.

But I agree the birds may be a tad late this year. I drove to Paducah last Friday, and the woods looked pure winter. We're getting some pretty rapid greenup around here this week, though, so I'm optimistic about the 15th. Of course, hope is the last thing that dies...:-)

SKY - See my last post above to reinvigorate your HOPE! It is starting to happen around the Louisville area.

[jonescreek]

I hunt the same place in Garrard County every year, and I've never seen as many. Last weekend when I took my son we saw three gobblers with about five hens in the wide-open from a distance. Later he missed one. But there wasn't a lot of gobbling going on. But birds were sure there. In earlier scouting trips the flock was about twice what I had every seen on this place which was not what I was expecting to find. But was glad to see.

[SixPack07]

It's always nice to be pleasantly surprised instead of the other way around.