Turkey "Rut"

[102]

Just got back from Middle Tennessee.I spent 3 days hunting. guiding, jaw dropping in the area and was utterly amazed at the difference in "Spring Green up" and the stage of breeding the local turkey population is in at this time.

Here in East Tennessee, I have been 7 times. 2 0f the 7 times I have heard a few birds gobble on the roost. VERY few.

But in Middle Tennessee, Sumner, Wilson, etc., the turkeys are seemingly EVERYWHERE gobbling, strutting, and responding to calls.

I had many opportunities to shoot, and so did my buddies. The guy who lives there is now done for the year. He barely made any calls and mostly shot in self defense.

The hunting that we do over there is not anything like around these big woods in East Tennessee. It is much more "user friendly".

It is different, just like deer hunting from county to county can be. Some easier, some not. This was definitely easier.

The deer sign was insane. So were the deer sightings.

It was "normal" to hear 10-20 birds gobbling at sun-up. We would move in, set up, and call in multiple Toms to select for the kill, or pass. I literally heard and saw more gobblers than I have here in the past 5 years combined. (and I have limited out several of these 5 years)

Now back to reality here in the East. Little or no green up, little or no gobbling.

 

[TeamMainStreet]

Yup

 

[G8rntn]

Was it private or public??? Hickman used to be that way for public but they have cut so much it's getting harder but still better than here in the East.

 

[SignalG]

Great comment and congratulations on an awesome hunt. Man, I wish I could do a hunt like that. here on the mountain its as you describe. Really hard to find birds and the population density is lower. I walked over 6 miles yesterday up and down steep hollers and ridges and all i got was a blister. I haven't killed one in 2 years and consider myself lucky to hear even one gobble. Sometimes I wonder if the turkey hunting I see on videos and TV is really the same thing I try to do

 

[Recoil]

This has been a great year for turkey population in Middle TN! I too have seen turkey everywhere and am saving one tag so I can hunt with a couple of buddies later this month. I would be tagged out otherwise. Congrats.

 

[timberjack86]

I have been hunting southern middle tn. I have heard 2 gobbles and called up one silent bird. He busted me. I killed one 10 minutes after leaving the truck and I only made one call. This year has been really slow for me in coffee county. I have yet to really work a bird.