Where have they gone?

For the first time in 20 years of Turkey hunting I have gone over a week without seeing or hearing a bird. During late March and most of April I saw turkeys daily and heard gobbling every morning. For the last 9 days absolutely nothing. I am surrounded by woods and some pasture and crop land with multiple sources of water nearby but the birds have just picked up and left. Talk about being dumbfounded as to what has happened! Anyone else every seen anything like this?

Yep, I’m glad I don’t have a tag right now in MN, as I’d be trying to scare up some new land. What birds I am seeing are lone hens, which is good. These are likely birds looking for nesting locations or actively nesting. That said, I think it’s testament to how hard a winter we did have.

With pressure, hard-winters, or disease, this is what becomes of turkey populations. Pockets of birds, here and there, with excellent to prime habitat holding few to no birds due to lack of numbers to fill all the best habitat. I’m not ready to declare this past winter as something that wiped out birds, but numbers are down from what historical highs I think we enjoyed in the early – mid 2000’s, at least in the areas I hunt.

Joel

I’m leaving tomorrow for a few days of hunting. I don’t like your first sentence. The bar tab is going to get spendy.
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DT

 

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I’m leaving tomorrow for a few days of hunting. I don’t like your first sentence. The bar tab is going to get spendy.
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DT

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The guys at work have been getting texts all morning about turkeys being taken. Good luck!

This is the story of my spring. I’m trying to decide if I should take the girls up north again this weekend or not. Probably will simply because a day in the woods is way better than a day in the house.

Maybe just in my area 30 min west of you but birds are being shot as well as being seen, lotsa mid day activity, that said ya the numbers are way down but it doesn’t take them long to recover.

No mystery of course as to why the population is down but it is very odd that I saw birds before the breeding season got in full swing and now they are scarce. I suspect part of it is that they were in very rough shape and the rigors of breeding were too much for some birds and they perished.

I agree it’s been a tough season for us in our area in se MN. Every time out have multiple hens come into the decoys but no toms behind them. Hearing very few gobbles on the roost and as soon as they fly down they go silent.

Even in season B a few weeks back, the birds were widely spread out and compared with what we had seen in the weeks before the season, a lot of turkeys headed to parts unknown.

I don’t know enough about turkeys to know what to attribute this to. My suspicion is that the harsh winter and slow, late spring inserted a new variable in the game.

Best of luck.

Grouse

We finally had a good sit on Saturday AM. We had 3 toms gobbling their heads off at 200 yards. Never did come in as a live hen pulled them away, but it was at least positive. Lots of gobbling up north that morning.

I had the same condition happen here in Vermont. End of April through the first week of May the turkeys were gobbling morning, noon, and night. Birds were responding to calls like we all dream about. Then starting the second week of May and lasting two almost three weeks, the turkeys just plain shut up and disappeared. The occasional hen walking the meadow edge, but hardly any birds being vocal. I changed my tactics up to hunt them like deer with an ambush hunting style method which is a great hunt, just not as interactive with the turkeys. We still got birds and filled tags, but it was challenging to say the least.
Whitetail Strategies Guide Service
Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

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Welcome Fred! Glad to have a fellow turkey nut onboard. I’m looking forward to learning what I can from how things go in your neck of the woods!

Joel

Thanks Joel. Your right on about me being a turkey nut. Actually, its more like a bag full of nuts. I cant get enough of the outdoors. I have been that way since I could walk. I have tried everything I can when the opportunity was presented for any adventure outdoors. I have been canoeing in February on the Saco river in ME, bear hunting deep in the Allagash in ME, and moose hunting in Northern Vermont. I have enjoyed taking people hunting all over Vermont and other states like CT, MA, NJ, PA, OH, IL, IA, IN, TX. I really enjoy helping young hunters and fisherman, or those that have been hunting and fishing but want to up their game, learn the tricks I use in the field that work for me. I own a Vermont based outfitter and guide service, and I am now on my 6th season officially open. I am now part of many forums, and I am having a great time offering suggestions and tips for the outdoor sportsman in search for ideas. Thanks for the welcome sign!
Whitetail Strategies Guide Service
Fred Scott Owner/Head Guide

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