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Four longbeards together!

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VolDoug

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No hens.

Answered cutts/cackles only, but they showed no interest in committing.

No strutting or any other "normal" spring behavior. They just picked their way across the pasture.

:(
 
Bummer. I hate to hear that, but it does not surprise me one bit. I have witnessed that exact scene and behavior since first week in many of the areas I have frequented (not all, but many). Did you gobble at them?
 
I really do not understand why 2 seasoned guys like y'all are so confused by this sort of behavior. It is extremely common, these types of birds are subordinate and by this point in the season know better than to strut or approach hens. They have had their brains beat in so many times for the last 2 months they are relegated to being bachelors and will still gobble, but don't dare come to a hen for fear of meeting the man.

Surely I am not the only person that has had experience with this every single season for the past 20+ I have been chasing these evil critters?

I dealt with it yesterday, 3 birds that hammered every call I made but wouldn't budge one inch. The reason? 1/2 mile down the mountain is a bird who I dealt with earlier that has about 10 hens and is the dominant bird. The birds I dealt with, would respond, but knew better than to come in.

I swear every where I have hunted this year, from Miss, BAma, GA, KY, and TN. The birds seem to be behind normal years. By now in this area there should be free roaming dominant birds who have lost their hens, however the dominant birds are still with hens all day long and roosting with them as well. That is about a week later than normal, and maybe 2 weeks in some places.

I am starting to hear more late morning free gobbling, but those birds still have hens, but have lost a couple and are gobbling to regather those which have been lost over the morning. Still dam near unkillable however.
 
Setterman said:
I really do not understand why 2 seasoned guys like y'all are so confused by this sort of behavior. It is extremely common, these types of birds are subordinate and by this point in the season know better than to strut or approach hens. They have had their brains beat in so many times for the last 2 months they are relegated to being bachelors and will still gobble, but don't dare come to a hen for fear of meeting the man.
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I never stated I was confused, I guess you assumed that I was?? :) I have experienced it as well, but I am not buying that dang near every single bird, some solo and some in groups, that my buds and I have seen/worked/killed this season that has acted like this has been subordinate. Some of them toting 1 1/4"+ spurs, and some of them with a harem of hens. I do believe some of the birds we have witnessed are subordinates, most likely more of them than not, but not every single bird.

Setterman said:
Surely I am not the only person that has had experience with this every single season for the past 20+ I have been chasing these evil critters?
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Nope, I too have experienced it over the years.

Setterman said:
I dealt with it yesterday, 3 birds that hammered every call I made but wouldn't budge one inch. The reason? 1/2 mile down the mountain is a bird who I dealt with earlier that has about 10 hens and is the dominant bird. The birds I dealt with, would respond, but knew better than to come in.
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Sounds right. Question of clarification: if you KNEW for certain these 3 were subordinate birds that would NEVER come in to a call (for reasons stated above), then why did you call to/mess with them? To hear them gobble? Seems like a waste of time and counter-intuitive to me if one's sole purpose is to kill a bird while knowing all along they are subordinates and scared to come in?? Maybe I am missing something.

Setterman said:
I swear every where I have hunted this year, from Miss, BAma, GA, KY, and TN. The birds seem to be behind normal years. By now in this area there should be free roaming dominant birds who have lost their hens, however the dominant birds are still with hens all day long and roosting with them as well. That is about a week later than normal, and maybe 2 weeks in some places.
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That has been YOUR experience (and maybe others as well), however, that has not been EVERYONE'S experience, certainly not mine. I have talked, texted and emailed back and forth with too many other good turkey hunters that hunt west and middle TN that have echoed exactly what I have experienced (for the most part) to believe it is pure fallacy on my part. There still have been turkeys to be had, several of the group tagging out and killing bonus birds on drawed hunts, but all in all it has been a strange season for us for sure. Not bad, just strange.

Setterman said:
I am starting to hear more late morning free gobbling, but those birds still have hens, but have lost a couple and are gobbling to regather those which have been lost over the morning. Still dam near unkillable however.
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Interesting. I cannot help but think east TN had a bumper hatch and you are competing with some 2 year old hens and most likely a lot of jennies for breeding rights at this point. Maybe, maybe not. Sounds like it from your posts.
 
I am not hunting fields so seeing birds is almost impossible now unless they are in gun range. The reason I know or firmly believe is they are subordinates is because of several factors. They are in an odd area for turkeys to be, there is zero sign where they were, and 3 gobblers together all strutting and all gobbling is usually a huge tip off this time of year. I also know the bird nearby had pile of hens since I dealt with him earlier in the morning. I hunt about 40, 000 acres and yesterday was the first time being on this mountain side, so knowing the satans trio were subordinate wasnt learned until yesterday. Also, a subordinate maybe unkillable today, but rush the caller tomorrow. It all depends if they think they can get away with coming to you.

I can understand how it doesn't make sense, but given the size of real estate I roam everyday brings different birds. I haven't chased the same bird twice, I don't think this year.

It has been different his year, but it has nothing to do with breeding cycle changes or anything related to the weather IMO. I speak with experience in all corners of this state.
 
A buddy of mine sent me a text yesterday of 4 longbeards standing in his driveway. They had been roosted behind his house and all were good birds. Between he and his son they have killed 4 off of it this year and these just showed up about a week ago.
 
I read, comprehend and take to heart a lot of the well documented biological studies/opinions/journals about the wild turkey, as well as what other reputable hunters are experiencing while afield each spring in their respective areas. With that said, this year just seems very odd when compared with historical data; both mine and that of others collected while afield this year, as well as some of the studies/journals I oftentimes refer to. I cannot say for certain why, but I can say for certain, that this turkey season will go down as an anomaly for me. As stated earlier, not bad, just strange in a lot of aspects. Regardless, I will be back after them tomorrow morning trying to help a friend get his first turkey.
 
I just watched a cell video a friend of mine shot this morning of two longbeaerds fighting at a WMA within a mile or two of where I'm sitting right now.... :crazy:
 

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