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Turkeys staying in the woods?

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Goshen Valley Boy

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I hunted my grandpa's farm in Hawkins County on opening weekend. Normally, in years past, you could count on seeing lots of turkeys out in open fields. This year, people are not seeing many. The turkeys are still there from all the gobbling going on in the mornings, but they are just not coming out into the fields like normal. I did get onto a couple of beautiful mature toms on the mountain ridge, but couldn't call them off their ridge on onto mine.

It isn't just hunting pressure that is making them stick to the hardwoods because this trend was happening well before the hunting started.

Two questions...

1. Is anyone else seeing less turkeys in open fields this year than normal?

2. What do you think would be the possible reasons for this?
 
the boys from AR are on my farm right now and i told them the same thing before they started hunting. the birds just aren't coming into the fields like they normally do. there must be something in the woods that they want to eat, not sure what it is though.
 
I've seen some in the fields but on sunday I think all the jakes and toms went into the woods because all I saw were hens in the fields.
 
Funny...I was thinking they were out of the woods a lot more than usual as I've seen quite a few as I drive around Nashville. Maybe the birds prefer urban living nowadays ;)
 
I had one theory about this, I have no idea if it hold any water but what about this?

Has the cold winter and chilly wet spring limited the number of insects in the fields to this point and consequently kept them in the woods to scratch up grubs and worms and such?

That is the only idea I could come up with for the disappearnce.

As I said, in years past, you could count on seeing lots of turkeys and strutting toms out in the fields at Grandpas all throughout the day. This year, nada.

I certainly don't mind hunting them in the woods, I just wonder why they aren't in the fields this year.
 
So they still eat acorns this time of year? I figured they were all rotten. If that is the case, that would certainly explain it because there is a ton of acorns still laying around.
 
yep,and because not many bugs and food in the fields right now.and turkeys flip stuff in the woods and get insects
 
I hunted Saturday morning, Sunday morning, and this morning and all 3 mornings I've had birds in the field (should have killed one and blew it) but there's one bird that roosts back in the woods and stays there when he flies down. He'll come to within 75 yards of the field edge and then turn and walk parallel to it gobbling the entire time. The next morning I hunt and don't have any luck in the field I'm going to ease back in the woods and see if I can get him to play.
 
There is 2 reasons why they are not hitting the field and they both have been mentioned already.
1. ACORNS: Watch your scratching signs in the woods and when you find lots of sign, look up and you will be standing under an oak tree.
2.The fields don't have the bugs in them yet. I have yet to see a mosquito while hunting, I use mosquito as an example because they are most noticeable to me in the woods LOL. When the fields turn yellow from the little flowers, you will then see grasshoppers and such in the field.

I don't know why they have stayed on the acorns so long, but I have seen it like this before. I feel like you will see them transition to pine woods getting grubs for a short time then the fields shortly after or near the same time. We are a little behind normal schedule right now, but my past experience says that they will still stay on acorns somewhat since they still are now. No big deal, birds are there- ADAPT AND OVERCOME
 
We had the the same problem last weekend. Our solution was going into the woods which paidoff with seeing over 50 birds and getting one. We did see several in the fields in the afternoon while riding to get lunch though.
 
NoNtYpiCaL1 said:
There is 2 reasons why they are not hitting the field and they both have been mentioned already.
1. ACORNS: Watch your scratching signs in the woods and when you find lots of sign, look up and you will be standing under an oak tree.
2.The fields don't have the bugs in them yet. I have yet to see a mosquito while hunting, I use mosquito as an example because they are most noticeable to me in the woods LOL. When the fields turn yellow from the little flowers, you will then see grasshoppers and such in the field.

I don't know why they have stayed on the acorns so long, but I have seen it like this before. I feel like you will see them transition to pine woods getting grubs for a short time then the fields shortly after or near the same time. We are a little behind normal schedule right now, but my past experience says that they will still stay on acorns somewhat since they still are now. No big deal, birds are there- ADAPT AND OVERCOME
Click to expand...

Really good info, thanks! I will be back down this weekend and try them again!
 
Exactly, plenty of food in the woods, and the bugs, especially grasshoppers, arent very abundant yet with these cold nights! It was 31 at the house this morning! Birds still using the woods heavily here around my part of East TN as well.
 
That would explain the scratches under those giant oak trees. But I have not seen them roost or feeding in there yet, they are either in fields or nowhere to be seen, probably feeding under some other oak trees in the woods or running from all the other hunters.
 
I witnessed a group of birds sunday that moved about 300 yards from their roost to a oak flat and never moved from a 100 yard radius until they flew back up to roost. This type of behavior really limits turkey sightings.
 
High temps with bright sunshine pushes the gobblers into the shade after 9-10am or so. That's what went on Sat and Sunday. Hunt a cloudy day and more gobblers will be out in the open.
 

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