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REN

REN

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Wilson County, TN
Ok so this morning birds gobbled awesome! I took an 11 year old girl out for her first hunt and we had an awesome time. had 11 Jakes and 3 Long Beards come in gobbling like crazy but just would not get in range for her gun (I could have SMOKED all 3 toms)

my riddle is we ended up having 15 male birds all together with no hens. They would answer to a call but would not even think of coming in. Even more odd is i look behind them an 3 hens are just hanging out behind them.

Just very stange to see that many males together this time of year.


We never did get a shot off but did call 4 different toms in later in the morning but the girl just couldnt get her gun in position. Was a pretty fun day for her and the landowner was happy so i was happy as well.
 
Poser said:
Most be a big, bossman in charge to have that many subordinates. I don't think I have seen more than 6 or 7 males together before in the Spring. I bet you the boss was hanging back with the hens and the subordinates were not willing to take a arse whooping to go after a cutting hen. He must be one bad mambajamba :)
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Yea, the only time I've seen that kind of situation is when there is one dominant bird and the other birds just won't chance it.
 
well that is the odd part. They all flew out in to a HUGE open field that boarders the river. i could see all the birds that flew out, the group i stated above came by first. back where they first flew down to were just a hand full of hens and 2-3 more jakes.

Not one of all those males ever went into strut for the hour i watched them, however they would gobble like crazy to hen calling or jake calling.

it was just odd, it was almost like they were back in Early season groups and only sorta cared what the hens were doing.
 
Kinda sounds like it's the tail end of the breeding phase. It does the same here towards the end of season. From the sound of it, they are grouping back up. Not good. The unseasonably warm temps this year got things ahead schedule around here. I'm sure it's the same in middle Tn.
 
harvester said:
Kinda sounds like it's the tail end of the breeding phase. It does the same here towards the end of season. From the sound of it, they are grouping back up. Not good. The unseasonably warm temps this year got things ahead schedule around here. I'm sure it's the same in middle Tn.
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X2. This explanation gets my vote as well. I have talked with 7-8 very serious turkey hunters that have spent numerous hours in the woods over the last 13 days and they all have the same opinion (all hunting in west and middle TN). They have many seasons under their belts; all with 15+ years in the woods and two old heads that have been chasing them for 35+ years. They all echoed exactly what you described REN and they all had a gut feeling that what Harvester described was indeed occurring. I too witnessed male birds in the same proximity as hens during the first week totally ignoring them, as if the hens were not in the world. I also hunted right where I knew there were 4-5 old birds without hens (been glassing them during previous days with binos) only to hear 10-12 gobbles all morning on a fine day. To further complicate matters, I did witness a few turkeys and flocks that displayed typical first week of April behavior. All in all, the majority of turkey behavior I witnessed the first 9 days of the season reminded me of May 1 behavior, not the first week of April. Time will tell the final tale; I look forward to having this discussion once season is over and everyone can reflect on their personal experiences and observations in various parts of the state. My prediction is the male birds are ahead of schedule for most areas and about done in some areas, all of this in middle and west TN. I have no feel for the plateau and mountains of east TN. My .02
 
One thing that gives me hope - a couple years ago there was a big ole tom strutting his tail off with a bearded hen in the field behind my house. He was pretty vocal about it too. It was 5 days past season so I guess there are stragglers?
 
Andy S. said:
harvester said:
Kinda sounds like it's the tail end of the breeding phase. It does the same here towards the end of season. From the sound of it, they are grouping back up. Not good. The unseasonably warm temps this year got things ahead schedule around here. I'm sure it's the same in middle Tn.
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X2. This explanation gets my vote as well. I have talked with 7-8 very serious turkey hunters that have spent numerous hours in the woods over the last 13 days and they all have the same opinion (all hunting in west and middle TN). They have many seasons under their belts; all with 15+ years in the woods and two old heads that have been chasing them for 35+ years. They all echoed exactly what you described REN and they all had a gut feeling that what Harvester described was indeed occurring. I too witnessed male birds in the same proximity as hens during the first week totally ignoring them, as if the hens were not in the world. I also hunted right where I knew there were 4-5 old birds without hens (been glassing them during previous days with binos) only to hear 10-12 gobbles all morning on a fine day. To further complicate matters, I did witness a few turkeys and flocks that displayed typical first week of April behavior. All in all, the majority of turkey behavior I witnessed the first 9 days of the season reminded me of May 1 behavior, not the first week of April. Time will tell the final tale; I look forward to having this discussion once season is over and everyone can reflect on their personal experiences and observations in various parts of the state. My prediction is the male birds are ahead of schedule for most areas and about done in some areas, all of this in middle and west TN. I have no feel for the plateau and mountains of east TN. My .02
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I think we are close to the tail end here in Giles. I have switched my strategy to more spot and stalk with little calling, which I do not enjoy as much but I think that gives me a better shot now. Actually going to sit in a blind in the morning where I have been seeing a bird pretty regularly and wait him out. The positive is that I can take my bow and maybe get my first bird with it :) And that I am out in Mother Nature and not at work, although minor outpatient surgery awaits for me at 1:00.
 
I might add that my gut feeling is the further south you are in the State (southern most counties in middle and west TN), the higher the probability you will experience what I described above. I'd expect the northern most counties in middle and west TN to be 10-14 days (possibly more) behind the southern most counties, with the possibility of some experiencing decent hunting/gobbling days before they reach what the southern most counties are already experiencing, the tale end, or the end.
 
Interesting...I'm curious to see how N. KY is this coming Saturday. When we open!! Talk about late, but it has been good in past years so I'll let it be for now.

Obviously this is a lot further north, but 2 weeks ago the birds were gobbling really good on the limb and with hens in the fields. Not sure how much day gobbling they were doing.

I know in KY biologist have intentionally tried to set dates after a lot of hens are breed. Lots of debate on KY boards right now especially with the warm weather and early green this spring.
 
REN said:
See that's the thing. They are still gobbling like crazy on the limb
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Wilson county? FWIW, about every hunter I have spoke with (10-11 as of now) that has hunted middle and west TN, from Reelfoot Refuge to Savannah, has experienced some gobbling, but nothing like what they have in years past the first 13 days of season. The worst part is it has been very infrequent, gobble some today, not a lot, just some, then not gobble for two days, then gobble like crazy a day or two, answer your calls, then just shut off like a switch. Several of these old birds I refer to are alone because we can see them in fields and other openings (power lines, gas lines, etc). My hunting buddy and I discussed that it is almost as if the old birds are confused, kind of like they are thinking/knowing they are supposed to be gobbling this time of year, but why bother, they have bred most, if not all of the hens in their immediate area, and they have gobbled for the last 10 days with little to nothing to show for it. Furthermore, we have witnessed more than a few old birds out in fields feeding with hens in the same field and not a single one strutting, very similar to behavior I typically see May 5-15. I still have a glimmer of hope things will make a turn for the better, but if I were a betting man, I'd bet against it. And heaven forbid if the temps go through the roof; that has always shut down gobbling in the areas I hunt when compared to average or a little below average temps. As I said earlier, time will tell. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Sounds like Turkeys being Turkeys midway through the spring breedin season to me. Wish more people where I hunt(South Cherokee), had the same mind set as those on here and would hang it up because they thought "it was over". Would make the mountain a lot less crowded. Been huntin and killin Turkeys for many springs and one thing has stayed constant, I've seen gobblers breed hens from mid Febuary right on through the end of May into early June every year regardless of the weather. For those of us who know better, the best huntin is still to come ;)
 
Our best hunting here is always before dogwoods bloom. They bloomed here on the juvi hunt. You can still kill them here but they are not gonna run to the calling. Its kinda like only getting to hunt the deer season in post rut. It can happen with a wall hanger but odds are down.
 
curdogtn said:
Sounds like Turkeys being Turkeys midway through the spring breedin season to me. Wish more people where I hunt(South Cherokee), had the same mind set as those on here and would hang it up because they thought "it was over". Would make the mountain a lot less crowded. Been huntin and killin Turkeys for many springs and one thing has stayed constant, I've seen gobblers breed hens from mid Febuary right on through the end of May into early June every year regardless of the weather. For those of us who know better, the best huntin is still to come ;)
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Exactly. THIS!!!!!
 
muddyboots said:
Our best hunting here is always before dogwoods bloom.
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Best turkey hunter I know in TN (200 birds called in and killed) always says any day with dogwoods in bloom and whipporwills calling is a good day to turkey hunt. He's nuts over them. He's a mailman and more than once has been running his route, heard a bird, asked the landowner, taken a kid or other hunter to call the bird.

He has also said 3-4 week of season is usually the best...interesting year and as a turkey novice, I'm trying to learn all I can from it. I love the biology side of hunting.
 
I agree with some of the earlier comments about the peak definitely having passed. It was absolutely dead as a hammer today where I'm at in west TN, and not much better the last couple of days. I've glassed more lone gobblers just chasing bugs and loafing than any other time in recent memory and have flushed squatting hens left and right in the last week.

It was a really good year for me but no doubt in my mind...the best hunting has come and gone for 2012 in my area.
 
curdogtn said:
Sounds like Turkeys being Turkeys midway through the spring breedin season to me.
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I'll go along with that to a point; it is very possible that some of the behavior we are seeing is turkeys just being turkeys. I'd say we have chased them long enough to recognize that. But for the rest of the oddness, I'd go with the majority of people whom I have referenced who have had boots on the ground the last 13 days in middle and west TN. I'd venture to say that the consensus of 11 serious turkey killers with 200+ years of experience is not too far off with their observations in the field. It would be different if it were just my observations, or maybe me and one other, but that is not the case.

curdogtn said:
Wish more people where I hunt(South Cherokee), had the same mind set as those on here and would hang it up because they thought "it was over". Would make the mountain a lot less crowded.
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I never mentioned anyone I referenced hanging it up. IMO, that is not describing a very serious turkey hunter. Some of the guys I referenced are done, some looking for their next bird and some getting ramped up to go out of state for their next turkey season. Regardless, all that I referenced will be at it until they limit, season closes, or they venture out of state. Most will fall in the first category if they have not already.

curdogtn said:
Been huntin and killin Turkeys for many springs and one thing has stayed constant, I've seen gobblers breed hens from mid Febuary right on through the end of May into early June every year regardless of the weather.
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Agree 100%, but I'd also add that this year was an anomaly weatherwise when compared with anything any of us here have ever witnessed, unless someone here is 135 years old.

curdogtn said:
For those of us who know better, the best huntin is still to come ;)
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I hope you are correct about this. I'd say this is probably true for some areas/counties, but not for all. What counties are you referring to? Reason I ask is the peaks of breeding and gobbling is not the same date(s) for the entire state.Those that know better ought to know this. ;)
 
I dont mind eating crow. I hope the best is yet to come. But i am like Andy lots of very good turkey hunters i know around here are saying the same things but we are as far south in the state as you can go. I am sure some northern counties have hit it perfect.
 

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