Lone Gobbler

[softball head]

I need some advice fellas. I have right at 800 acres to hunt on. Last year i tagged out really quick on 2 really good birds. I made a trip to the farm yesterday morning to listen for gobbling. Based on last year i expected to hear a lot of diferent birds, but after sitting and listening until well after daylight I had heard only one bird gobbling. I was sitting at one of the highest parts of the farm and I know from last year that if a bird gobbled on the other side of the farm from this vantage point i would be able to hear him. Now, normally I wouldnt get to worried about this because i know sometimes they just dont gobble but after listening for sometime i decided to slip up on some of the usual strutting areas that were being used last year during mid- morning hours. NO BIRDS AND VERY LITTLE SIGN. what is going on with this place? The one bird that i did hear i was able to locate, he was in the middle of a alfalfa field with six hens. He was easy to figure out where he roosted and i am sure if he keeps on roosting there i could set up on him opening morning. But if he spoils my fun I sure would like a different bird to go to . What do you guys think is gong on with this place? There is plenty of food to satisfy a flocks needs. The land consist of rolling ridges, creek bottoms, brushy draws for nesting, cow pastures, and cut corn fields and alfalfa fields. Was the hatch that bad last year? Any input would be grteatly appreciated

[ceohunter]

They could still be bunched up some in that area. My B in law had 6 longbeards strutting in one of his fields yesterday, which tells me in some areas they are still not completely busted up.

[CPA Hunter]

Softballhead,
One of my buddies on this site said it best, you just don't know what a turkey is going to do and neither does he. With that said, I have roost spots where a friend or I killed a gobbler just about every year and you come back before the season and a new bird has filled his spot, so I would wonder why they were not there. Maybe your area had a bad hatch two years ago, or maybe something pulled them away.

For instance, about 3 years ago a farmer friend of mine had a 10+ acre corn field he never got in and a few cows got in it and knocked it over. Anyway, he got the cows out and you've never seen so much corn knocked over and just laying on the ground that spring -- half eaten cobbs in every square foot. We sucked birds in off of a lot of farms that year -- I believe they are extremly mobile and will move to food -- legal or otherwise. I even heard from another guy who hunted a farm about a mile away that year and he noticed a drop in birds -- I knew where they were and was not complaining ;).

There is always the option that a boss gobbler punks on any gobbling bird -- I've read it but I don't know how much I believe it. Many of us have probably seen jakes try to gobble and we know there are longbeards near by. Good luck and hope you can find some more gobblers.

[softball head]

thanks for everyones input. I find it hard to believe that it is a food issue unless someone on a neighboring property is baiting them up real heavy. I to have killed birds aout of the same areas year after year, even seen birds move in and roost in a specific tree just days after harvesting a bird that had been roosting there previously. I also noticed a high number of jakes on this property last year, and none were taken. Thats one reason I was so disappointed after yesterday. The only thing i can think of is the birds are still real bunched up and have not spread out yet but i think that theory might not be right on after seeing the tom yesterday with his hens.

[CPA Hunter]

They've busted up really good on my honey hole -- got quite a few gobblers, but never more than 2 together with hens all in a different area (except for 3 jakes that stay together) and go from group to group getting punked by longbeards -- they have not figured out all three of them could wipp one longbeard if they ganged up on him (I've seen in the past where a bunch of jakes gang up on a lone gobbler with hens and run him off).

[skin_dog1]

With the spring being so early the birds may still be flocked up on an adjoining farm. once flocks are busted up toms will be more wide spread.

[Multidigits]

If you don't have turkeys now, chances are you won't for a while. I'd be looking for a back up spot. Some areas just change from year to year, or someone's pulling them out from your land.

[NKYBOWHUNTER]

2 Weeks ago I went out and pulled along the side of the road in one of the areas I hunt before work. I heard over 100 gobbles between what appeared to be 8-10 birds in a 30 minute span. Saturday morning I went out, did not hear one gobble but I seen the birds all up on the roost. It was a group of about 10-15 turkeys. 5 of which were gobblers strutting around the field once they hit the ground. Like someone stated above, I think they are still bunched up pretty good. I think the weather in March stayed alot cooler than I can remeber in the past, atleast in my area. So, that could be playing apart of why your not hearing because they know right were each other are.

[SixPack07]

I wouldn't get discouraged yet. If you don't hear anything for a few days in a row, then you might want to, but from my experience, they can be quiet one day and the next they won't shut up. My experiences usually have me hearing 6-10 gobblers one morning, and the next I hear 1 way off, and then the next day I hear 3-4 real close and then it's different again the next day. They don't stay in the same spot every day, and if they are out after hens, it's just like deer, they might end up a long way from home one day and not make it back til the next.