Why didn't you just do that about 4 years ago?

My unscientific guess, open terrain leads to more gobbling. I do think they understand that gobbling attracts predators. Here in the southeast we have a longer growing season which leads to more thick vegetation. Since a turkey's number one defense is his eyesight, they feel safer in areas where they can see further. Birds up north seem to gobble a bit more than our birds. I think it's because the forest floor is not as dense with plant life that can hide predators. Go out west and the Merriam seems to gobble 24 hours a day. The birds out there don't know what a thicket is. They can see predators coming from a long ways off.

Man I dunno they got buckbrush out there and that is some bad stuff. Lots of places I've hunted in Kansas you just gotta walk along the existing deer trail. The turkeys walk it too and gobble pretty good. Never figured that one out.

I definitely think the thicker pines have an effect.
The area I hunted was great for gobblin when it was all hardwoods. They would freakin roar..everywhere. Id hear a lot of birds and kill my limit.
However after the coal mine came and stripped half, it was planted in pines and NOT near as much gobblin as they got larger. Id still kill and see a lot of birds..and limit out, so they were still there.
It just appeared they learned to not gobble near as much.
I think maybe the predators can sneak a lot closer in those thick pines and they learned to get a lot more close mouthed to avoid predators .

I don't think that has anything to do with it. Plenty of pine plantations in south Alabama where they gobble just fine. In fact I've never hunted anywhere north of Birmingham, where they gobbled as good as most places in the blackbelt I've hunted. Even though most of the woods are more open.

While I don't know any scientific reason for gobblers not gobbling in areas that may be a tad thicker, I can say without a doubt this is my experience. I have hunted around 4-5 places consistently in the state. Areas of planted pines and thickness, no gobbling. Areas of 30-40 year old hardwoods with a timber program to clear out occasionally, much more gobbling. What's not ideal is they are easier to kill on the power lines and such of pine land, but not near as much fun as open woods when they are hammering

Trust me, I tried everything trick in the book since I been hunting him. I swear he has underground tunnels all over our property. I have had my gun raised and safety off on this bird 4 times, but he just seems to know how close he can get. I have sat up within 30 yards of him roosting and could have been unethical and blew him off the limb but I refuse to go that route. So this year, I took my chainsaw and leaf blower in and I have cut a number of trails to areas that he has slipped by me before because I wasn't 50 yds this way or 50 yds that way. Well no more. I have hunted him like a turkey for the last time. 4 or 5 of us are considering identifying where he is roosting and surrounding him and just wait for him to walk by. I feel certain is running other toms off, because he starts his double gobbling, the others shut up and leave.

Hmmmm.... Sounds like you've got an old Boar Gobbler on your hands Muzzy. Sounds just like the kind of tricks they pull. I believe I'd just call Whild Bill to come take care of that rascal for me and then go on and hunt the other ones.

Definitely an old warrior!! Best of luck getting him. We had one last year we killed that you wouldn't believe the weight if I told you, anyway. There was no calling him. Pitched to a pasture every morning and sat there and gobbled till he had every hen in the area. You call, hens take him the other way. After a few days of this. We set up, watched him with hens, called, they go off and we get around the other side and bushwhack him. He was prolly the oldest warrior we've shot.

Aww man, don't leave us hanging Ol cm!!!

Was he a 30lber???

He was a legit 27. Well, as legit as we could do it. Didn't have a hanging scale so I got on a household scale, then held him. Probably not entirely accurate, but he was big. Taxidermist said he had to order a different mold for the bird. Little beard rot, so not that impressive otherwise

Bingo! Black belt birds are different

I believe ya...up on the mountain we kill huge birds...I shot a 26lb 10in beard 1in spur and another guy killed a 28lb 11.5 and 8in beards 1.25in Spurs couple years ago...now huntin all around south Bama, largest one I've killed was 23lbs and it was a biggun

Dang. Sounds like a huge ole bird. Now I noticed you bush whacked him. Dont get me wrong..good job!
Ive bushwhacked a many...crawled on my belly after em through cactus's and all.

But,..I had to ask. Did you bushwhack him cause you might have been over the property line a tad? Didnt want to call to draw attention..and maybe end up with a big ole Black eye?
Just askin....

Lol! No sir, this one was in chambers county, not our lease with the neighbor who is so butt hurt

Was up on a little hill above a small road where they generally will go. Had to watch 19 hens go by about 15 yards from me and my buddy, he's new to the game, thought for sure he was gonna shoot that lead hen with about a 8 inch beard.