Can't buy a gobble

[String Music]

The birds gobbled good on the roost Sunday morning for the first time this year. Once they flew down, it was graveyard quiet. We ended up killing that afternoon on film, but we had to wait them out. The gobbler we killed was in the biggest flock I've ever hunted in east Tennessee. There were 3 gobblers, a dozen or so hens, and 4-5 jakes in the flock (a silver phase hen and several bearded hens). It made for some awesome footage though and I expect it to be on the Outdoor Channel next year!

 

[deerhunter10]

TERRIBLE! Besides on roost and even then not great either. Hopefully the weather this week will get them going.

 

[gobblinfool]

Catman....if it makes you feel better....I went to ridgetop for 30 minutes before school and listened.....and didn't hear a thing

 

[fairchaser]

There was a definitive change today. Gobbling started early and continued on the ground. They will gobble at the call but only at a distance. Once inside their bubble, they shut up, even with soft calling.

 

[PalsPal]

There was a definitive change today. Gobbling started early and continued on the ground. They will gobble at the call but only at a distance. Once inside their bubble, they shut up, even with soft calling.

Not where I was.

The lull has to break soon, right ?

 

[go_okfishin]

Nothing today in South Williamson County (Burrwood). Heard 1 bird on the roost a couple of farms over then dead silence.

 

[Bone Collector]

I have had mixed results, but the days i have had the best gobbling have definitely been the days or times of the day with the least wind.

I heard one gobble opening Morning, just before I shot him, the birds on day 2 gobbled like crazy and I don;t remember it being windy that morning. Last Saturday, nothing, then on Sunday had the one bird gobbling on the limb and coming in, but i hunted in the early AM, which is when the wind was around 5 mph.

I have not hunted a single afternoon yet.

 

[Bone Collector]

Nothing today in South Williamson County (Burrwood). Heard 1 bird on the roost a couple of farms over then dead silence.

There is a big flock in Williamson county right along Hwy 96. They have still been bunched up together, but today I noticed their numbers had dwindled from about 50 in the field down to around 10.

Around my land in Rutherford, there is one cagey old guy that has hens, the other toms are odd man out so i have been able to work them.

 

[MidTennFisher]

They are flocked up big time around here. Definitely not searching/chasing. I ambushed one Sunday and he was full of yellow fat around his breast, did have 3 beards though.

Are you referring to that fatty "breast sponge" as some people call it above the crop? I plucked my bird whole and had to remove that nasty thing. I thought that was just something wild turkeys had and those fat deposits were used for energy during the breeding season so it would indicate that he was focused on searching for females. Is that not correct?

 

[MidTennFisher]

Via the Tennessee Turkey Hunters group on facebook people are having mixed results. Some quiet mornings and some noisy mornings. I haven't been since opening day but when I was out there, they were thundering the treetops in the morning and continued until about 8am. Then it got quiet for a while until I got one to gobble around 1pm... he is no longer able to gobble :tu:

I'm going this weekend and can't wait. They have to start getting vocal sometime and the weather is perfect this weekend. Not too windy, not too cold!

 

[tree_ghost]

The birds gobbled good on the roost Sunday morning for the first time this year. Once they flew down, it was graveyard quiet. We ended up killing that afternoon on film, but we had to wait them out. The gobbler we killed was in the biggest flock I've ever hunted in east Tennessee. There were 3 gobblers, a dozen or so hens, and 4-5 jakes in the flock (a silver phase hen and several bearded hens). It made for some awesome footage though and I expect it to be on the Outdoor Channel next year!

Sounds like a great hunt...what show should we look for to see the hunt?

 

[catman529]

Via the Tennessee Turkey Hunters group on facebook people are having mixed results. Some quiet mornings and some noisy mornings. I haven't been since opening day but when I was out there, they were thundering the treetops in the morning and continued until about 8am. Then it got quiet for a while until I got one to gobble around 1pm... he is no longer able to gobble :tu:

I'm going this weekend and can't wait. They have to start getting vocal sometime and the weather is perfect this weekend. Not too windy, not too cold!

sometimes it's good to leave that fatty tissue on the breast if you're gonna smoke the breast or especially the whole bird. You can trim off the cooked "sponge" but slow cooking in its own fat is an awesome thing.


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[Woodsman10]

I'm not hearing many because there aren't many to hear.

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[dhj]

same where i hunt. in cutovers and thick pines just not near as many as there used to be in lawrence and wayne ,at least where i can hunt

 

[muddyboots]

Not a gobble today. Heard a little hen talk. Just sitting watching now. Not my favorite.

 

[krazykarl_13]

I've heard them the past 2 days. Had one close yesterday but it was too thick to shoot him. He went with the hens today. Still grouped up in Cumberland county.


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[muddyboots]

I have my best hunting before the dogwoods bloom and this year they bloomed on opening day here. My hunting is always tough after that. Everybody always says oh it gets good when they nest. I saw several lone hens today so I am assuming they are nesting???? Toughest day hunting yet.

 

[krazykarl_13]

This weekend was the opposite for me. First time hearing birds gobble this year. Funny the differences from place to place.


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[jejeffrries71]

I haven't really turkey hunted, but I am out a lot in the mornings year around. I have noticed that I am not hearing the gobbles this year. I'm also not seeing the large groups of birds out in the fields either. When walking in the woods I will sometimes startle a small group of three to five birds. Maybe something has changed their behavior? There have seemed to be a lot more coyotes this winter?

 

[timberghost35]

Same here for me. We killed one yesterday on a draw hunt that was a 2 yr old. Bird gobbled 3 times on roost and then 4 tines on ground around 830. Shot him around 830. Didnt have a hen or anything. Saw another huge group of jakes, but ever since Thursday, gobbling has been a whole lot less than it should be.