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A

AR turkey

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When do y'all think they will start breaking up? I carry the mail over here in north arkansas in the ozarks and they are still in big winter groups. See big groups everyday. Just curious on when y'all think it will happen or has it already started for y'all tn boys?
 
I seen two flocks with in 3 miles of each other today. First group had 6 other group had 8. I think it's starting here in east TN.

Good news is I have both of these places to hunt this year.
 
Still winter flocks here. The males are starting to mix in with the female groups so roughly two weeks around before they start breaking up.
 
In the last 10 days or so, I have finally started seeing birds in the fields. I drive about 1000 miles a week in East and Middle TN, and have seen very few birds this winter. In the last 10 days I am seeing several big groups each day, but they are very divided into gobbler groups and hens/jake groups everywhere I have been.

I have seen some groups of longbeards which had up to 30 birds in them, and some hen/jake groups with upwards of 60 birds.

I can't recall seeing this in at least 5 years, and don't know what to make of it, if anything.
 
Setterman said:
I can't recall seeing this in at least 5 years, and don't know what to make of it, if anything.
Click to expand...
Question of clarification here; what do you mean by this? The sheer number of turkeys in single groups, the sheer number of turkeys period, or the timing of seeing all of these turkeys?
 
Andy S. said:
Setterman said:
I can't recall seeing this in at least 5 years, and don't know what to make of it, if anything.
Click to expand...
Question of clarification here; what do you mean by this? The sheer number of turkeys in single groups, the sheer number of turkeys period, or the timing of seeing all of these turkeys?
Click to expand...

I am curious as well, i got 6 hens on camera on my place. And that is the biggest flock we have had in a long time. I seen 3 the other day by their selves so i wander if they are different flock of hens. They leave our place in about the time bow season rolls around and they start breaking up they come back about the last of February. So they are breaking up somewhat
 
Yall seen more than I have. I am getting worried for my place. We hardly ever have any winter or fall flocks, usually just spring/summer nesting and brood raising. But I usually start seeing hens and gobblers in our pastures, woods, and trail cams by this time of year, and hearing one or two gobble on my place. I heard one turkey gobble about two weeks ago way off my spot. No sign in my woods, no pics, no nothing. Hopefully one will move in soon.
I am in giles county, aint like it used to be around here I promise you that..
 
muddyboots said:
It seems to me we are what i call a more normal year with turkeys still in the winter flocks. Maybe we wont miss most of the good stuff as we have in the last few years.
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Yea, it has been normal weather wise winter. I don't think weather has much to do with their mating habits, except last year was a very extreme instance.
 
A few years ago I pre-scouted an area and had winter flock in a field headed towards the woods I was in. I hunkered down just inside the woods and they all filed in and right past me at point blank range...all 258 birds. Boy there were some nice gobbles in there too! Two weeks later when I went back on opening morning they had aready busted down into their smaller flocks.
 
Andy S. said:
Setterman said:
I can't recall seeing this in at least 5 years, and don't know what to make of it, if anything.
Click to expand...
Question of clarification here; what do you mean by this? The sheer number of turkeys in single groups, the sheer number of turkeys period, or the timing of seeing all of these turkeys?
Click to expand...

Seeing turkeys in very segregated groups is what I meant. Usually by now they are starting to intermingle, and the large gobble groups have broken into similar age classes.
 
Last couple years I have seen big flocks till March. Then during March they seem to start dividing. They 200 groups get down to 40-50, then 20-30 by youth hunt. Then usually teens by opening day.
 
whiskey said:
Last couple years I have seen big flocks till March. Then during March they seem to start dividing. They 200 groups get down to 40-50, then 20-30 by youth hunt. Then usually teens by opening day.
Click to expand...
Ditto for my neck of the woods, with the exception of last year. As I harped all last spring, the turkeys were doing everything 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule last year in the areas I hunt.
 
Andy S. said:
whiskey said:
Last couple years I have seen big flocks till March. Then during March they seem to start dividing. They 200 groups get down to 40-50, then 20-30 by youth hunt. Then usually teens by opening day.
Click to expand...
Ditto for my neck of the woods, with the exception of last year. As I harped all last spring, the turkeys were doing everything 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule last year in the areas I hunt.
Click to expand...

I agree Andy. I have hunted one traditional roost for the last two years. Youth hunt 2011, we had 30-40 birds total with six gobblers. Opening day 2012, ten birds total with two gobblers, which is what was going on at that roost the second or third week of the season in 2011.
 

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