Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk ALTurkey Talk -- Beards and Spurs Silent birds

I have heard a grand total of two gobblers this year gobble about 4-5 times each (across the property line of course).
I have two pieces of land I hunt and neither have gobbling turkeys. I've probably went 15 mornings and walked and driven no telling how many miles from one end of the club to another and have not found a gobbler.
I'm thinking the main problem is coyotes and domestic dogs. I have seen several tracks in the roads of these scoundrels this year.

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem in the past and did extensive trapping and seen any results the following years.

That's what I'm thinking on doing this off season.

Frustrated.....

I wish I could answer your question.
But one things for certain, some properties hold a lot of birds that just don't gobble.

I'm sure its a combination of things but predators would be high on my list.

some birds don't gobble much, like pretty much every bird on every piece of land I hunt lol

dominate birds can suppress gobbling on properties also. When you get a combination of predators and a couple dominate birds it can shut it down quick.

It's shut down all over the northern half of the state from what I'm hearing. I have yet to hear a bird where I can hunt and haven't sat down and called to one yet.

Thought I had found the gobbling spot yesterday. Got there a little late and spooked the one I went after off the limb. But I heard at least 5 more gobbling across the creek. This morning I got to the spot across the creek in time to get in position. Not a single gobble. I called a little after 6:30 and had a jake fly down to me but no gobbling heard. I will go back there and try it again.

We had a lot of gobbling early, and I heard a lot of gobbling yesterday morning. That being said, the bird I set up on promptly flew off the roost and headed the opposite direction gobbling every 50 feet. Across a cut over no less.

I had a weird morning. I heard three gobblers, all of them gobbled only once each on the limb.

I set up on the closest tom, about 150 yards out. I did a fly down and a couple of purrs and clucks. He never answered. I never heard another gobble.

This is hte same group of toms that gobbled 200 times last week. One of them paid the ultimate price. He was my biggest bird ever, and had to be the dominate bird in the area. I figured that would open things up for the other toms, but they have just shut up now.

The "real" turkey hunters on our club in North Baldwin have heard very little this year as well. Heard very few yotes during
deer season as well. All bordering properties have expressed the same thing and all of them are getting frustrated. We know we have birds, they have not wanted to play the game. Glad I am not a "real" turkey hunter...

Bankhead went from awesome to down right nothing, but I know they are still here so another day I guess.

Matt, I hunt in the northern half of the State and I have been hearing birds every morning that I've hunted (only missed 3 mornings so far).

I have been hearing lots of bad reports.

Lonster

I have two 100 acre parcels that is separated by about 40 acres. One year one parcel is better then the next year the other will be better. I think next year you need to feed early.

Has anyone done much predator trapping in the past few years, and what has been the result in the quality of turkey hunting since you began trapping?

I started trying to trap some of the coons but started too late. Got 7 but my game cams say I could trap about 20 more.

Consider your experiences on the extreme side of good this year. I'm having a LOT of bad reports, and people who normally kill turkeys are questioning me daily. Heck I'm questioning myself. I too am hunting Fayette, Marion, Winston, Lawrence......and seriously the very few birds I have heard have only gobbled a couple times and shut up, and were generally well over the property line. I got a good gobbling one morning but that rascal was so far off the property there wasn't much hope of me killing him. I've hunted every piece of ground I have permission to be on.

What's even more weird, is the people who are killing and hearing turkeys are doing it with seemingly very much ease. Some folks have said their birds are on fire. I haven't experienced that yet. Very unusual year.

Chickens are there man. Just soft calling and patience will serve you well. Our land is much the same. Tons of yotes and wild dogs, but.....if you stay committed, they will come to you. Try the Quaker Boy Box Call, its money!

I guess I've been lucky. I've hunted 12-14 mornings and have heard gobbling Every morning. Mostly at least hear 3-5 birds gobble at least 20-30 times on a bad day. I won't complain tho. Just can't seem to seal the deal.

Gob, what ive founds works best at our place is scratching, not even calling. When the birds dont talk, they respond to other sounds. Its kinda like losing one of your four senses, when you cant use one, the others work better. I've called up several hens and jakes by just scratching, and at the same time I use the leaves to cover my sely almost completly. If calling isnt working, try scratching, like a turkey does

They've gobbled like crazy on our property in Brewton.

Matt any indication the birds are still thee? Just curious.