I’m not there yet but getting real close to that point. I’ve heard a total of 3 different birds so far and killed one of those. Very thankful for him. I’ve had some off years in the past but none this bad. I don’t think it’s me but actually the turkeys—or lack thereof. Not sure what’s going on exactly. Anybody else struggling to find a willing contestant to play the game, or just hear a gobble or 2 for that matter? Not crying or whining because it is what it is. Just wondering if anyone else is having a rough go of it so far.

I’ve only found one willing to play the game and that was first couple days of season. I screwed it up and never killed him…..since then it’s like they’ve just vanished into thin air. 3 different properties in 2 diff counties. Finally heard a few gobbles this morning but not close or willing

Most likely gobbled out. They been at it since Feb.

It’s Alabama. Birds don’t run around gobbling everyday all long. Short bursts are all you will get if you get it. I’ve killed one bird that gobbled to the gun barrel. The rest never made a sound other than drumming. Learn what they do, just like deer hunting. Knowing where he is and will be is half the battle. I don’t get much time to hunt. If I waited only on gobbling birds, I’d end the season disappointed.

If you hunt them as if they never even had the ability to gobble, when they do actually gobble, you will already know where he’s been, where he’s going, and where you need to be in order to kill him.

Great post…I’d typed about 3 or 4 things trying to say the exact same thing but couldn’t phrase it right. Birds that won’t shut up just attract unnecessary attention from every Goober snatching fence jumping piddler in the area.

Sir, I have a couple questions for you that need your brutal honesty. Will Topo maps be a tool that can relate to birds?

I’ve tried that too Hevi with no luck. I’m not a true turkey killer like some folks but I’ve killed my share over the years. There’s very little sign of turkeys where I hunt this season. In years past it wasn’t hard to setup on a bird if you knew where to look and what to look for. There was some sign of where they had been and could kinda tell where they was going. Didn’t have to call or hear him gobble to kill him. Not the case this year. Very little sign in the woods and haven’t seen any hens nesting so far. Something is just off with them this year, at least where I hunt. Coming to the conclusion that you can’t kill what ain’t there. I hope that’s not the deal but I can’t put my finger on what exactly is going on.

Like Thread Killer, I'd like some elaboration on your first paragraph. Earlier in my life, I hunted a lot of pasture areas and as a result, it was pretty easy to find birds when they weren't gobbling - just cruise fields until you find a gobbler loafing and go from there. Now, I hunt wooded areas and knowing where birds will be at any given time of the day OR time of the season is difficult to figure out. Would appreciate any insight you could lend to the situation.

And every one you kill by seeing him in a field or on a camera or sitting in a bunch of sign and getting him killed via whatever silent turkey method you choose is simply lessening the odds of hearing one gobble later that season and/or seasons that follow. Yes, someone else may kill him…..but if you individually do…it is a guarantee he will never be heard by you nor anyone else again. So in essence, you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face in the locales you hunt if more gobbling is something you desire (which you may not but I know I do). In these days of lessening turkey numbers, especially across Jackson County, I’m finding it more and more and more difficult to arrive at the proper balance of it all. These are simply not fun times for me compared to the years when turkeys that wanted to act halfway right were SO much easier to find, whether I killed them on that day or not.

There's a difference between having silent birds and not having any birds at all. I'm used to being around silent birds ones that still leave tracks and poop and scratching but that's not the case this year they're literally no turkey sign in some places where there had been loads for the past 4 or 5 years straight. I think the past 2 years of covid hunting have really pushed forward the population issues are already occurring underneath the surface

In certain situations, yes. Others, no. I know that’s vague but that’s the best way I can answer it. Big timber can show potential roost locations, but boots on the ground will provide proof or dismiss it. Habitat changes and timber types are the most important thing you can learn. But, knowing what timber types wild turkeys prefer during each phase of spring is something you will need to understand in order to use that information correctly.

^^^ the God's honest gospel truth right there ... along these lines above by Hevi, i just uploaded this video - listen to how i'm approaching the bird i've nicknamed "Scaredy Cat" ... stop watching those glorious YouTube videos of birds "acting right" & hunt these aggravating Alabama birds w/a different technique - it will work

for all of you who have already posted saying your land doesn't have birds or they won't cooperate - PM me the address of your land & i'll do some investigation for you & report back to you on what i've found out Hevi can come with me, too

I’ve been beating the brakes off this Pinhoti trail and these gas line brakes nearby. Walking 3-4 miles in a day. Seeing multiple hens, using soft non aggressive calling with a push button K&H and a MAD Boom Box. I see several scratch sights. Just can’t get a damn bird to gobble or even see proof of their existence other than dead pictures.

I guess I'm kinda the opposite. We never had turkeys. Trapped coons and opossums for 3 years pretty hard. All of a sudden we started seeing turkeys. I have more turkeys this year than ever before but that still isn't saying alot. I've let 7 jakes walk and had a coyote cut me off on one gobbling bird. At this point I have decided to start trapping again, plant some chuffa patches and hope its better next year.

Seems like some birds gobble more and some rarely gobble. Maybe you should just take pictures of those birds that gobble more and shoot the silent ones. The rest of us want to hear them too.

Yes but my desire is the result of facing reality. Every property excluding a few I’ve had the chance to hunt has never had gobbling turkeys running wild gobbling all day everyday. So, what are my choices? Sit at home with my pecker in my hand, go fishing, pay thousands of more dollars to hunt turkeys I dang well know aren’t going to gobble either, OR learn about the turkeys I have access to and use woodsmanship to kill them. Learning what the birds are going to do during each phase of spring helps me kill more turkeys than simply finding a gobbling bird. Do I love killing gobbling longbeards? Of course I do, it’s why I turkey hunt. Will I walk away from a turkey I know I can kill just because he won’t gobble? Of course I won’t. My job is to kill turkeys. If he’s there, I’m going to kill him. Turkeys move, predators will kill them, food sources change. I’m not waiting on a chance that he will gobble later in the season. Been there done that. Most cases he vanishes and those gobbles never exist later anyway. But, nevertheless, gobblers will gobble when the mood strikes them and they’re lonely. It may be 6:30 pm, 45 minutes before fly up, but the only way to know is to be close to him and to be there when he does gobble. You have to hunt all day, every chance you get. In the heat, in the rain, and in the wind.

I’m not arguing with you by any means, just light hearted conversation. But to give you an example, one property I hunt I know has had 10 longbeards on it this season, 10+ jakes, and who knows how many hens. Since February, I’ve found just a few piles of scat, a few sets of gobbler tracks, and two dusting bowls. This is from February through today. Little to no feed sign , no feathers, no strut marks, whatever. Trail camera videos, pictures, and time lapse photos has proved the turkeys are there. And more importantly, when they are there. I never doubted the birds were there, but using those cameras told ME when to be there, then my eyes confirmed what the trail cameras had already shown.

I know where so many gobblers are and most will only gobble one time and or not gobble at all. Over the weekend I found multiple turkeys by getting close to hardwood fingers in the pines and hearing them drum. when the late season foliage fills in the turkeys lose tons of visibility on top of them being busted by numerous yotes/ bobcats and hunters all season making them "gobble shy". Out of the 17 trigger pulls I've seen this year only a handful of hunts had turkeys gobbling all the way to the barrel and most of them were in the first part of the season. the last two weeks have been mighty slow on gobbling, but you can still kill them if you know where they like to hang

I can kill ‘em- I hav tagged out on some of the toughest WMAs Bama has

Right now I don’t hav a lot of birds - last 2 years they leave me a few days before season - the place got thinned and they stayed on me some early - but were henned up and would not talk - I hav called In One that gobble 5-6 times and I finally sat down to one that would gobble on 4/21 - first bird I had a chance to work - that is pitiful odds - then a 4 wheeler guy ran in place - Sunday birds were still gone - gobble way across the line - hope to hook back up w him before season over - last 3 seasons been brutal - I am desperately in need of spot upgrades

I did go to Tenn and shoot one w bow - other than that - pretty quick hunts m Bama if u don’t even sit down

Spot on bamaguitar. Done every bit of that except the decoys. I just don't use them. I've hunted A LOT of public land over the years and you just about have to cut them off. There are times to get aggressive, but more times than not it is what you just described.

I also agree on your philosophy of shotguns and patterns. Too tight of a pattern can hurt you. Get him within 40 yds or closer. I like it. Great tips!