Birds disappering??

[HunterLee]

Well thankfully i wait until next friday to start hunting. But my buddy was out this last season. We found a few birds last monday and tuesday and he ended up getting a nice tom. But then it got kinda cold and rainy. He was trying to help his other two in his party to get one, but they didn't see a bird in 3 days.

It wasn't just in there hunting area, and they don't have alot of pressure and really isn't alot of places to even hide. They put on tons of miles and checked alot of area out without even seeing a thing.

Even the last two days when it has been nice there hasn't been a bird sighting as a buddy is out looking tonight. What gives???

I know the hens are starting to nest, but why don't you see or hear anything? Is there a period when they just dissappear??

[DonBo]

I think you need to just keep looking. I was out hunting myself these last several days and we saw a bunch of birds. I even shot one during the cold and rainy stretch. Turkeys do change their habits during different weather patterns. They seem to spend the wet days in big open fields. Windy days more in the woods and bottoms. I also think the foliage is getting thicker right now and that may keep the birds out of some of the brushier places that they may have frequented just a week ago. It's not like the birds turn into dirt and just dissapear, they're still out there, you just gotta go find 'em.

And for what it's worth, I don't believe the hens are starting to set yet. We saw several later in the day and also heard them from their roost in the mornings, something that just doesn't happen if they are sitting in their nests.

[brittman]

As every spring, each hen is in a different part of the laying and incubating cycle. Cycle variation allows a gobbler to attact and hold several if not many hens in a spring. I believe they are ahead of schedule this spring ...

We saw many hens by themselves and quite a few solitary hens between 8AM and 2PM along a field edge or along the road side getting gravel.

I believe most hens are definately laying right now, but until their clutch is full - they continue to roost in trees and follow a more normal routine. It takes almost two weeks for the nest to fill with eggs before she starts to incubate them. Then its 3+ weeks straight on the nest with little break.

If the nest is lost, then she shows up at the gobbler's doorstep once again.

[Gordie]

Borch and I drove down to the minnesota river saturday late afternoon for some cat action and we ended up seeing a few birds there were 2 toms strutting around this hen that was/looked like she was crouching down as if in the hey I'm ready postition

Most of the birds that I have seen lately have pretty much all have been after five in the last few days

[Borch]

I've also been seeing more birds in the afternoon than in the mornings. Why I don't no for sure. I'll definitely be out in the early morning when my season starts this Friday. But unless I get my bird early I'll be out in the afternoon for sure.

[brittman]

Gobbling like crazy on the roost. Fly down - quiet. Tells me they still have company of an interested hen.

One day - calling in a gobbler. He got with in say 75 yards, but not visible because of topography (aka a hill). Hen came with in 10 yards ... did not see her until too late and she saw me first ... putt, putt, putt, putt, putt ... next gobbles were walking away.

No idea if she was with him and leading or simply intercepted him.

Also have to say birds were in areas where they have not been in a long time. Traditionally my best spot - big, public woods - held nothing. They were not gone because of hunting pressure ...

[Shoot2Kill]

I've been out scouting for my wife who got a surplus tag for the last season in our zone and this weekend I heard nothing in the morning for gobbles but I saw birds in the mid afternoon in these same areas where they were only seen in the mornings a couple weeks ago. So they were there in the morning, they were just not talking....patterns are definetely changing.

Hens are definetely setting as well.....I kicked up 2 hens during season C that were already on a nest.....and I had a hen set a nest in the treeline next to the creek in my backyard on 4/18.

[brittman]

Gobbling starting around 5:45 or so. Fly down right around sunrise if sky is clear. Leaves 20 - 30 minutes of audible scouting where we were.

[mws4dux]

Was out scouting tonight,saw 1 longbeard with two hens,and saw 4 other hens all in different fields around 6:30