Warmer Weather or longer days?

[tennoutdrsman]

Ok so I've always thought that the warm weather is what got the Turkeys "into the swing" but someone told me "the longer the days are,the more the turkeys get into doin there thing" what do ya'll think?

 

[darn2ten]

Photoperiod, yes longer days. It may vary a little on timing, just like the deer rut. Phases could be maybe within a week either way but will still happen about the same time every year. Certain weather conditions do play a part, but even ifit stayed cold and snowed most of the spring they would still do their thing and reproduce.

 

[Setterman]

Photoperiod is the most important but I believe temps do have a lot to do it as well. Hard to focus on making babies when you're freezing cold

 

[Roost 1]

Here we go again.....I'll take an early spring over a late one any time...

 

[tennoutdrsman]

Calling for 60-65� maybe the Photoperiod will help

 

[knightrider]

turkeys gobbling and strutting and breeding when you can see their breath so i think that rules out weather

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I think weather can affect gobbling quite a bit, but biologically, most research I'v read says that day length triggers the breeding phase.

 

[Roost 1]

What's the explanation for why this past weekends youth hunt was so terrible?? If y'all believe what you are saying then it couldn't be the weather.. Same amount of daylight as this time last yr.... I'm anxiously waiting for responses.

 

[Bullfrog]

What's the explanation for why this past weekends youth hunt was so terrible?? If y'all believe what you are saying then it couldn't be the weather.. Same amount of daylight as this time last yr.... I'm anxiously waiting for responses.

I like to compare it to the White Oak scenario that goes on every year. Some areas are doing it, while some are not. This last weekend was pretty awesome, but it did take a lot of miles and boot leather for it to pay off.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

What's the explanation for why this past weekends youth hunt was so terrible?? If y'all believe what you are saying then it couldn't be the weather.. Same amount of daylight as this time last yr.... I'm anxiously waiting for responses.

The juvenile wasn't terrible where I was, so I can't explain why it was bad for others. Obviously, weather has some effect. Think back two years ago when it was 90 degrees on opening day and half the woods were green, and the turkey hunting was epic. I think it's a combination of the day length triggering their hormones and the weather making them fell like taking action. Like daytime deer movement being better during colder weather. It's probably not one or the other -- it's both.

 

[WORM82]

In my area it seems like it keeps getting later every year except 2 years ago when it greened up really early. Turkeys used to ba already split up 2 weeks before season and now for the last few years it's only a day or 2 before season before they bust up and I have a few birds move into my hunting areas. Also by now I have already found a few messes of mushrooms and the may apples are popping up.

 

[timberjack86]

Photoperiod is the most important but I believe temps do have a lot to do it as well. Hard to focus on making babies when you're freezing cold

x2!!

 

[Roost 1]

I will stick to my guns... The sooner it warms up the better the hunting at the beginning of season..Always has been, always will be..the sooner it warms up the sooner they break up from winter flocks, the sooner they start breeding, the sooner they start nesting, the sooner he loses hens, the more responsive to calling they become.... Now with all that being said I would say in a "normal" year the warming up and photoperiod coincide... We have not had a normal yr in a long time.... So I am back to where I began, I will take the early spring every time over a late one.... Good luck to all this weekend.

 

[AT Hiker]

I hunted Southern Al last week on the Florida line, 70 degrees and sunshine. Not one single bird was responsive. Moved to the central part of the state, it was 38 degrees and heard a lot of birds. Called up two 2yr olds but didnt take the shot, then came in hammering and in half strut. The next morning it was 55 degrees and only heard a few gobble on the roost.

I firmly believe temps are very important but I am proven wrong every year. To me, there is more to it and I have yet to figure it out. You can have back to back days that are identical and one day they are fired up and the next nothing but silence.

My favorite is a cool crisp, clear morning in mid to late season.

 

[MickThompson]

What's the explanation for why this past weekends youth hunt was so terrible?? If y'all believe what you are saying then it couldn't be the weather.. Same amount of daylight as this time last yr.... I'm anxiously waiting for responses.

Photoperiod drives hormones. It's what tells deer to rut, turkeys to strut, and ducks to fly north in February.

Weather effects hunters more than the turkeys, simple as that. My neighbors didn't go because it was drizzling and cool. Turkeys have to live in it, we don't. We pick and choose the days to hunt, and sometimes get a bad day, and sometimes a great one.

Turkey hunting wouldn't be much fun if they all did it the same way every day of the season, and we would run out of stuff to argue about on this forum pretty quick if they did.

 

[WORM82]

I have wondered if barometric pressure plays a role in situations like AT Hiker mentioned where u can have back to back identical days weather wise but one day they are on fire and the next they barely gobble.??

 

[knightrider]

What's the explanation for why this past weekends youth hunt was so terrible?? If y'all believe what you are saying then it couldn't be the weather.. Same amount of daylight as this time last yr.... I'm anxiously waiting for responses.

they were doing exactly the same thing they do every juvinille, they had lots of hens right infront of them so why leave them? they gobbled they strutted and bred hens just like they always do early season, they were being turkeys as always!

 

[BHC]

It's probably not one or the other -- it's both.

This^
Photoperiod and hormones effect when breeding turns on. Weather effects how vocal birds are, and how they move day to day... For example a cool, cloudy, windy day is generally not that good. You can kill em, but it can be tough...
Wind seems to be a big thing to me.. I have had great hunts in cool, and hot weather, rain or dry, but windy generally really shuts em up...

 

[Uncle Jesse]

This picture is from 4-11-12. I was walking across a hay field that was over knee high and actually stepped on this hen. Right now the same field looks like somebody's yard. I really doubt I'll be finding a nest on April 11th this year with 13 eggs in it.

We have to keep in mind that we're trying to understand something that God created and whether it's more light, warmer temps, or the combination of both, they are designed to achieve the goal of reproduction as efficiently as possible.

 

[WORM82]

I found an egg on opening day 2 years ago when we had the real early spring.

 

[jman 125]

I have wondered if barometric pressure plays a role in situations like AT Hiker mentioned where u can have back to back identical days weather wise but one day they are on fire and the next they barely gobble.??

THIS is the answer you are looking for ! High pressure= gobbling deer movement and ducks flying.. low and steady pressure slows it way down.

 

[AT Hiker]

I have wondered if barometric pressure plays a role in situations like AT Hiker mentioned where u can have back to back identical days weather wise but one day they are on fire and the next they barely gobble.??

THIS is the answer you are looking for ! High pressure= gobbling deer movement and ducks flying.. low and steady pressure slows it way down.

Im sure it plays a role but this is not a consistent thing either.

Its cool to discuss this but in all actuality we will never know, honestly I would rather speculate than know for sure. Thats what makes the hunting fun and gives me an excuse on why I didnt kill anything!!!!!

 

[PalsPal]

Photoperiod drives hormones. It's what tells deer to rut, turkeys to strut, and ducks to fly north in February.

So, middle and west TN get more light on the same days than east TN ;) ?

How do you explain the Plateau eastward usually running 1 1/2 to 2 weeks behind the rest of the state?

 

[SKFOOTER]

Photoperiod drives hormones. It's what tells deer to rut, turkeys to strut, and ducks to fly north in February.

So, middle and west TN get more light on the same days than east TN ;) ?

How do you explain the Plateau eastward usually running 1 1/2 to 2 weeks behind the rest of the state?

Difference in temperature and elevation.

 

[Andy S.]

So, middle and west TN get more light on the same days than east TN ;) ?

How do you explain the Plateau eastward usually running 1 1/2 to 2 weeks behind the rest of the state?

This has always been my argument for those who claim photoperiodism is the ONLY factor. The same argument can be made for any city that has same longitudinal position (E/W location), but different latitudinal position (N/S), such as Memphis, TN and Springfield, IL. Length of day is same for both every day of year, but the turkeys are 2-3 weeks behind in Springfield area, generally speaking, and even more behind the further north you go. I firmly believe weather and more importantly the ground temperature play an important role, especially the latter when it comes to nesting.

 

[AT Hiker]

So, middle and west TN get more light on the same days than east TN ;) ?

How do you explain the Plateau eastward usually running 1 1/2 to 2 weeks behind the rest of the state?

This has always been my argument for those who claim photoperiodism is the ONLY factor. The same argument can be made for any city that has same longitudinal position (E/W location), but different latitudinal position (N/S), such as Memphis, TN and Springfield, IL. Length of day is same for both every day of year, but the turkeys are 2-3 weeks behind in Springfield area, generally speaking, and even more behind the further north you go. I firmly believe weather and more importantly the ground temperature play an important role, especially the latter when it comes to nesting.

Could also be from the original location the stocked turkeys came from.

 

[Roost 1]

So, middle and west TN get more light on the same days than east TN ;) ?

How do you explain the Plateau eastward usually running 1 1/2 to 2 weeks behind the rest of the state?

This has always been my argument for those who claim photoperiodism is the ONLY factor. The same argument can be made for any city that has same longitudinal position (E/W location), but different latitudinal position (N/S), such as Memphis, TN and Springfield, IL. Length of day is same for both every day of year, but the turkeys are 2-3 weeks behind in Springfield area, generally speaking, and even more behind the further north you go. I firmly believe weather and more importantly the ground temperature play an important role, especially the latter when it comes to nesting.

I will be interested in hearing the responsed from this....I agree with you.

 

[NoNtYpiCaL1]

Photoperiod is no doubt the triggering factor in breeding. Turkeys strut, deer rut, and ducks migrate regardless of weather. The activity we see of these animals is based more on weather conditions. I kept track of weather conditions and hunting report a few years ago. My experience with keeping that record showed that barometric pressure seemed to have the most effect on turkey activity. Keep in mind barometric pressure is a direct relation to the weather conditions, so therefore rain conditions is usually with low pressure and so most usually associate rainy days with bad hunting. Keep in mind I'm not saying don't hunt with low pressure, I'm just talking of the peak activity was high pressure, not saying there was no activity in low pressure. I think ground temperature effects the nesting time based on research I have read. So late spring means later nesting which means birds grouped together longer. Grouped up birds means tougher hunting for me. I also think later nesting results in better poult survival based on normal weather conditions, especially my area of bottom land that is prone to flooding in early spring. With all my studying and stressing turkey activity I have learned one certain thing, if you don't go you want kill one.

 

[Hunt 365]

The turkey's breed and gobble when they want to, and we pretend to know how it all works....two years ago made me a liar on photo period, as the warm weather had it all over before it started.i have no idea