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Here we go again, if the weather had been normal there would still be this stuff going on. I was in Middle TN last weekend, and have been in West TN all week hunting with folks who live in both locations.

They all agree that things are about normal, and they have a season or 30 under their belts.

Same can be said for my people back in Southern Miss, S. Al, and GA.

Nothing different other than folks getting it stuck in their heads that because it warmed up earlier and the leaves popped earlier that it means that nature will completely alter decades of DNA coding to accommodate.

This is simple biology and not a difficult concept. Go ask BSK if he is worried about the deer rutting early if we have a cold September, get ready to after wards to get run out of the deer forum.
 
My speculation and discussion here has nothing to do with the warmer than normal temps and earlier than normal foliage, it has everything to do with my observations in the field compared to my last 14 springs. I still do keep the anomoly year we have had weatherwise in the back of my mind just as a mental note, but by no means am I saying all of the behavior I am seeing is because of the weather. I am just stating what my observations (along with ten others) have been up to this point. Nothing more, nothing less. As I stated earlier, I look forward to having this discussion May 13 with everyone here to see what their observations/opinions of the season were. Again, nothing more, nothing less.
 
As long as there are hens willing to breed, there will be gobblers seekin to breed them, regardless of "peak" anything. I hunt public land in Monroe and Polk counties (South Cherokee)
 
Setterman said:
I was in Middle TN last weekend, and have been in West TN all week hunting with folks who live in both locations.
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Good to hear this. What counties? If you will, give us an update of what you and your buds are seeing/experiencing as far as gobbling (limb & ground), strutting, drumming, response to calling, breeding, nesting, field use, gobblers with/without hens, etc goes. I am all ears. I am sure there are others that hunt these areas that will be glad to hear your report as well.
 
Andy S. said:
Setterman said:
I was in Middle TN last weekend, and have been in West TN all week hunting with folks who live in both locations.
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Good to hear this. What counties? If you will, give us an update of what you and your buds are seeing/experiencing as far as gobbling (limb & ground), strutting, drumming, response to calling, breeding, nesting, field use, gobblers with/without hens, etc goes. I am all ears. I am sure there are others that hunt these areas that will be glad to hear your report as well.
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I was in Benton County Monday-Thursday right along the river I think, near Natchez Trace. Those birds gobbled good on the limb but there was virtually no ground gobbling, most birds still had hens, and the longbeards we encountered which were alone were so subordinate that they knew better than to approach a hen this time of year. Didn't see one nest, did see a random lone hen here and there late in the day, birds used fields sparingly, and many times it was either a dominant birds with hens or a hen budding late in the day, response to calling was completely normal for birds with hens.

Middle TN was virtually the same, except more ground gobbling than western TN. I hunted outside Murfreesboro, zero lone hens, and the few gobblers we encountered that were without hens would not commit to a call, they would gobble some times, but clearly knew where they stood in the pecking order.


Things seemed normal, and just because a gobbler won't run to a call when he is alone doesn't mean he is gay or done. The vast majority of the time they are subordinate birds and rushing into a hen they can't see leads to an _ _ _ whipping.

After 2 weeks of hunting plus juvi hunts, many birds have become educated. They have been bumped several times, shot at, called to, and it is pretty well set where they fall in the breeding order on the property.

Rather than just assume every gobbler a hunter sees or hears should march in to his death, consider the hundred variables as to why he won't. The last variable is hens being bred, there is a ton of young hens this year which are just now beginning to become sexually active, and will be locking longbeards down for another few weeks at least.

We are just under 2 weeks in, and there is a ton more season to go, how people can get worried at this point is beyond me.

In this not so humble hunters opinion, anyone claiming it is over or that it is even close needs to be patient and observant until they have a few more spring seasons in the rear view mirror.
 
Birds on my area appear to be close to schedule.

However I have read reports from another liar of seeing poults in middle tn :D !
 
Thanks for your update Setterman. I can relate to what you experienced all to well, just not this year in the areas I have frequented thus far. Believe me, I am not worried, just very dedicated and observant, like the other 10-12 guys I associate with every turkey season. We will be out there until May 13, either hunting, calling for others or helping a newbie get his/her first turkey, regardless of what the birds are doing, that is a fact. Some speculate weather, some speculate X, some Y, looking for things to blame. I am not doing that nor am I concluding anything (too premature at this point), I am just offering up my observations, along with 10 or more other seasoned turkey hunters who have been in the field A LOT the last 13 days in west and middle TN. Bottom line is this spring thus far has been very different up to this point for me and my buds when compared to the last 15-20. My gut feeling is we have had better than normal hatches last few years (2010 & 2011) in middle and high grounds of west TN, however, I have no brood survey data to proof my hunch. I have often times wondered if the better than normal hatch has led to a plethora of hens which is influencing what we are seeing to some degree. Personally, I believe it has as you mentioned in your post above, resulting in more hens in some areas, however, I am not convinced that is the case for all areas/counties. With that said, I do not believe all of the old birds we are seeing alone out in fields and openings are subordinate, many have died with 1" - 1 3/16" spurs. I have a hard time believing these are all subordinate birds, some maybe, but not all. Several were out in fields and power lines loafing and ignoring hens that are 50-100 yards away, all of this before 9AM in the morning. I witnessed it firsthand several times over the first 9 days, along with many others. What I have witnessed in the past more times than not would have been these old birds strutting with hens up until mid to late morning, not pecking in grass in one end of the field/opening while 4-5 lone hens feed 80 yards away. Another thing that was was dismal the first 9 days for me was limb gobbling, almost non-existent in areas I know held 4-5 old birds. I would later see these old birds hanging out together around 9-10AM not strutting, not gobbling and no hens in sight, just pecking around eating. I have seen this behavior many times over the last 15 years, just not the first week in the counties I have frequented. FWIW, the majority of my turkey kills previous to this year have been in hardwoods where I typically do not get to see much of the social interaction that goes on before I pull the trigger. This fact alone may have some bearing on what I am seeing and what I think I should be seeing. Regardless, I will be at it until the end and time will tell how it will all unfold. As much as I love to chase gobbling turkeys, this will be a time I hope am wrong about my assumption and the best is truly still yet to come (in the counties I hunt).
 
muddyboots said:
Andy i have decided u and i know nothing about turkey hunting
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:) I can take it, my wife reminds me daily of just how little I know. :D In all honesty, I have never claimed to know it all or know exactly what stage every turkey in every county is in, but I will stake claim to LOTS of hours in the turkey woods over the last 15 years, along with many of my buds that are dedicated as they come. I will also stake claim to what I am experiencing each and every day while in the woods. I may be mistaken as to how I am interpreting or processing the things I am seeing/experiencing, but I am not crazy and I know what my eyes and ears tell me.

muddyboots said:
and heck we dont even know any good turkey hunters.
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I know we don't. :) All jokes aside, I know and converse with some of the best in the counties I grew up in and several more very hardcore and dedicated in middle TN. I put a lot of faith in what they tell me after hunting alongside them and seeing their kill pics over the years in multiple states. The proof is in the pudding.

muddyboots said:
I have begged for an earlier season in my county for years.
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I have read your posts over the years about how you have always wanted to hunt the two weeks prior to the TN season opening. That is one belief you have held onto; I have read it for many seasons and you have held true to your beliefs. I believe you know what you experience and what you desire more than anyone else who is 8 counties away from you, such as myself. I have also made a mental note that you are in one of the southernmost counties. I would never be so shortsighted as to think what I was experiencing in my neck of the woods was exactly what everyone else is experiencing in their neck of the woods.

Good luck with the remainder of the season.
 
well this morning they were HAMMERING AGAIN, but this time it was only 1 long beard and 1 jake with 8 hens. He was locked up and wouldnt come off the hens. However he was strutting at 13 yds from me but I could not get my gun over to him without getting busted so i had to just watch him turn around and walk away with the hens. Had birds still gobbling when i left at 8am

this was a different spot then my original post but same county
 
Thanks for update REN. I just got another report of a guy in middle TN this morning that has been chasing a lone gobbling old bird that was traveling expeditiously across the country (we call them track star turkeys) headed toward prime nesting habitat, 4-5 year old cut over interspersed with pines. He got close to the old bird one time, had him gobbling, and even called up the old bird and his running buddy, a gobbling a$$ jake. He said he could not believe that old bird sat out their at 80 yards and let that jerk (alias for jake in my group) come up in there (10 yards from him) gobbling and acting like he was the man, finally the old bird walked off as if he had no interest in anything. Stay after them REN, you gotta love some hens. At least you know what your competition is (hens) and that can be dealt with accordingly. Unfortunately where we hunt, seeing hens with old birds at any time during the day has been a rare occurrence thus far. That would lead one to think that the old birds would be very interested, however, this has not been the case thus far. I'm about to hit the woods for a few days and see for myself.
 
A couple of observations I had over the past couple years.

January/February 2010- Weather both months was bitterly cold with snow staying on the ground in the areas we Grouse hunt for weeks at a time. We began seeing strutters with hens in late Jan all the way through February. We found strut marks every trip out for the 6 weeks leading up until march even with temps rarely exceeding 35 degrees during the day. The last 2 weeks of February we never went to the woods where we didn't hear birds gobbling over the course of the day, and most of the times hens could be heard in the same locations. Fast forward to the 2010 turkey season. Hunting was no different than in any other year despite birds actively displaying, vocalizing, and probably doing some breeding well in advance of the actual season. It changed nothing and birds still gobbled, had hens, and strutted until the very last day in Mid-May.

February 2011- For a solid month of Grouse hunting during the coldest winter recorded in 30 something years, we heard birds gobbling all day long, saw strutters with hens, strut marks, single gobblers, single hens, etc etc. I literally never hunted a day that I didn't hear birds gobbling. Fast forward to turkey season, 2011 was one of the best years I have had since I have lived here, birds gobbled all season, many times had hens, but the gobbling ceased on the final sunday when I tagged a lonely longbeard around 9:30 filling my fourth tag.

Jan/Feb 2012- Mild winter and never, not one time did I hear a gobble, see a strutter, or see any strut marks. Not once, and that is a first.


I present the above to try and illustrate that if it wasn't "early" during 2011 and 2010 than it dam sure isn't going to be early now. Also, I show the above to highlight that weather plays no role in this stuff, and that gobblers are usually in the mood way before the season gets here. How about all the birds we all hear every fall/winter while deer hunting? I know I sat almost every hunt in December listening to birds gobble, and hens talking together on the roost.

There are so many variables as to why birds gobble versus not gobble, that it is impossible to say why things are a certain way or another. However, it has been well documented over the years that weather has little impact on the breeding cycle, but can affect hunting negatively.

One thing that is for sure, and that is that turkeys are f-ing crazy, and make little sense most days. I have seen a bird that refused to gobble or commit, suddenly have a change of heart and march to his death gobbling the whole way.

We have most of the season left, and a ton more birds to chase. Enjoy it, before long it will be over and we will be dying for it to start again.
 
I have heard more gobbling after fly down the past 3 days then i have all year in my spots (Smith, Trousdale and Wilson Counties) still seeing some very odd things for this time of year but also seeing some normal things.

just a weird season so far is all.
 
REN said:
I have heard more gobbling after fly down the past 3 days then i have all year in my spots (Smith, Trousdale and Wilson Counties)
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That is very encouraging REN, thanks for sharing. I hope my experiences echo yours in the coming days.
 
Had two birds with hens hammering this morning but couldnt seal the deal. Only one hen broke off from them after a little while
 
One other thing to note that my buddy in southern middle TN stated this morning was the old bird and jake started gobbling at 5:40 (very early compared to 6-6:10ish they have been starting) and flat blew it out (gobbling very often) until they hit the ground around 6:20. Few other observations: they gobbled infrequently and seldom once they hit the ground and he is 95% certain they were alone. He also stated that the old bird burned a trail to the thick cutover/pines (1600 yards away) once his feet hit the ground and that the roads (only openings) inside the cutover were murdered with hen tracks, droppings, dust bowls, turkey feathers, etc. My gut feeling tells me that old bird knew where the hens are hanging out; in the thick stuff tending to their nest(s), thus the reason he blazed a trail to get there. Just passing this along.
 

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