Not A Peep!

[Tom Linderholm]

Spent a very frustrating day today chasing tracks, seeing birds, re-setting etc.. and not hearing a peep. Had a good friend of mine calling, an amazing caller but for the life of us we could not get a bird going. We found strut marks left and right, a brawl zone fresh from this morning and even saw a few mature Toms but couldn't get them to go.

What would keep them from being vocal today?

[Archerysniper]

Predators will get them to shut down. Coyotes love chasing after those gobbles,or they have their hens and are just following them around.

[benbosh]

I have been wondering the same thing to but i've mostly been wondering about while they're still on the roost in the AM. Wednesday morning there was one gobbling his head off non-stop then the next day absolutely nothing then the past 2 mornings he was gobbling but not a whole lot. I'm keeping a log book this year to figure out some patterns/tendencies of these birds.

[DonBo]

I think it's as simple as, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. I wouldn't try to read too much into it.

[Tom Linderholm]

Thanks for the replies guys, we set up a little different today and wouldn't you know it, they were talking like crazy this morning, blew the own call and we had three different birds respond. However, they were well on the other side of the road, and we could not convice them into making their way our way. So we crossed the road, worked behind them and reset. We sat and listened as they continued to Gobble, however the moment we putted they shut down. We slowed our call and sat hoping they were running down the pines at us. 30 minutes later still nothing, walked out and on our trip out we found a handful of shells and wads and judging by the boot tracks they were within the past couple days. Explained why they wouldn't work to the South side of the stand of pines.

[DonBo]

...on our trip out we found a handful of shells and wads....Explained why they wouldn't work to the South side of the stand of pines.

A handful??? Sounds like maybe you found my secret spot.

[brittman]

Many a quiet Tom has walked into a waiting hunter. Most of the toms that I have shot went quiet the last 50 yards in. The birds that hang up just out of range often gobble their dang heads off - but also go into "you come to me" mode.

Not to critic your last post, but if you really "putted" - the birds would go the other way 99% of the time. The "putt" is a warning call and often the first one to turn tail and move on is the gobbler.

[goblueM]

the moment we putted they shut down.

I think that's your problem, giving an alarm call generally isn't the best strategy. Unless you meant to say something other than putting

[Tom Linderholm]

You guys are absolutely right, sorry was deprived of sleep while typing that earlier and not all of that seasoned of a turkey slayer hence me bringing my friend to call. My mistake, not a putt, but a cluck and purr.

[matchset]

Ive heard 2 legit gobbles in 3 days of hunting a stellar property in Franconia township

[Sturg]

I saw this guy from the road this morning at about 40 yds. I tried to get him to gobble but he just kept strutting or so I thought. I didn't see the hen at first, until he started rocking. Look close and you can see he is standing on her back. He didn't gobble because he was concentrating on the task at hand. Maybe the gobblers you were looking for were also likewise engaged?

[Tom Linderholm]

Great shot Sturg, that could have certainly been the case. Birds are weird this year. Seeing pairs, single Toms, double strutting Toms and mixed packs of 12+ birds between yesterday and today it's been just baffling. Today they were super vocal, yesterday they were shut down.

[DonBo]

Cool photo Sturg.

[rbs]

Awesome...turkey porn lol

[IlliniWalli]

awesome pic!!!!

[archerystud]

Heard gobbling each of the last 3 days while taking my 12 year old on a youth hunt. Called in a big Tom to 25 yards this morning. I heard him gobble once across the road (~200 yards). About 20 minutes later I see him at 30 yards and he was coming in. He never gobbled again until after he left.

Unfortunately my son didn't see him until after he got behind some trees. Oh well, he had a lot of fun and we had one within range. He wants to go next year so I consider it a successful hunt!