Gobblers Back Together

[Setterman]

Thanks..everbody..Its seems most people experienced what we did with gobblers in full rut & strut alot earlier than normal this year. This year is the earliest I have ever seen birds chasing hens.

I know you are speaking in broad terms, but gobblers don't rut, and don't literally chase hens. They might follow them, but generally the hens go to the gobblers.

yes and no, during mid day if they are lonely, they will "SEARCH" for unbreed hens. This time of year the search can start 1st thing in the morning. This is where you will get the "2-3 year old non-dominate bird groups". They have been searching and found each other, and they are staying in groups.

If they weren't willing to search you would never call one in.

Generally yes they do stay in one spot and let the hens come to him.

Also, if you consider deer hunting and a deer chasing, and getting a doe alone, the RUT. Then yes gobbers would then rut and chase. I have seen many times a gobbler will push a hen away from the group, or the hen will leave and he will chase that hen to breed her. So they kinda do chase and rut in a way......

Sure they will search, but most birds this time of year understand their territories and where they can and can't go. If they cross the magic line into another birds woods, a butt whooping is coming. They usually have a circuit they wander. Strutting, and gobbling.

I would say they are receptive more so then searching. They are in their comfort areas and when called to, they will respond and work calls, sometimes coming to them and dying.

Most groups of gobblers are brothers or have grown up together, except in the winter when they sometimes flock back up with various aged gobblers.

Gobblers that are roaming and run into other gobblers will sometimes join together, but the hierarchy of breeding does not really allow for multiple birds to search for single hens. I am sure it happens, but it is not the norm. Generally, most birds this time of year which are single, stay single until late summer or early fall. Gobblers which have buddies will stay with their buddies until late summer or early fall.

They do search, but their travel is fairly limited, generally you can find a bird withing 400 yards of the same spot everyday of the season. Unless he shifts his patterns dramatically to stay with then hens as they move to suitable nesting habitat.

 

[go_okfishin]

I went yesterday and only heard 1 gobble. The grass has gotten tall in the fields where I hunt. Never saw a gobbler in the fields I usually see them in. I guess I am done.

 

[orion43]

I hunt 400 acres, private land here in West Tn. Harvested my first bird the second week, called in another a week later that I missed. I saw 7 other gobblers the same day I took the first one. Have not heard a single gobble since. I did harvest my third bird May 8.
Interesting thing I have seen a group of 10 jakes, a group of 5, two groups of 4 and doubles and singles. I believe the jake groups have taken over and chased the older Toms away. I watched two jakes late this afternoon and was trying to get the 5 jake group in range as the sun went down on my season. Already excited about next season.

 

[Setterman]

Jakes can be a real problem for mature birds, and so can 2 year old gangs. The constant harassment sometimes will drive them away, and more importantly the hens get tired of the harassment and will slip off as well.

Pay them back next year