preditors facter in on bird talk ?

[turk]

I have birds come to me and give ample time and range for a shot but none gobble they always are walking on pins and needles. I've picked myself apart bought a gilly suit I practicaly hold my breath from 5:00 am to 12:00 pm when turkey huntingto stop movement j/k.  It was driving me crazy then I had a thought a few days ago I called to known roosted birds same thing no reply then I saw movement 3 coyotes comin. Am I crazy to consider that possibly the birds that are vocal are coyote bait ? They do answer certain hens that call but after they hit the ground the gobbleing is about over. Another thing I noticed about the turkeys in this general maybe 4-5 miles Rios is that I have not seen a turkey with less then my guess maybe 7-8 inch beard. I'm thinkin the coyotes are wipen out most of the young jakes as more vocal seems to equal dead. There are still alot a birds but im wondering how that can last. Think this is possible ? 

[Everyday Hunter]

turk: Welcome to the T&TH boards.

You ask a good question, and I think the answer is yes, predators can and do have the effect of diminishing turkey vocalizations. I doubt it is a factor when a turkey encounters an occasional fox or 'yote, but if they're seeing them frequently they are on pins and needles as you describe. Some people think vocal turkeys make themselves vulnerable, and the tendency to gobble is bred out of them because the non-vocal turkeys survive. I don't think that's the case. I don't think many turkeys are non-vocal, and I think it would take many generations for the "gobbling genes" to be bred out of them.

I don't know the answer to the question you didn't ask -- how to cope with that difficult situation. But I do believe turkeys don't need to be vocal to hook up with one another. I've seen turkeys get together without calling enough to believe they will find each other anyway. My best advice (I'm sure others will have better advice) is to keep at it, study the turkeys, their habits, their patterns, and learn how to put yourself where they want to go. Don't call much, and keep your calling soft.

By doing that, you'll invest a lot more time in the game, and you won't be as successful as you'd like. But other than that, my advice is to find a different place to hunt. There can't be that many predators everywhere.

Good luck. I hope others chime in.
Steve

[swpatrkyhunter]

Hello Turk! And welcome to the forum!
 
 I agree with Everyday Hunter. Finding a new place to hunt would probably work best for you at this point. But I think the problem your having lies most with the birds seeing the coyotes moving under them. The yotes will sometimes move to your calls looking for a snack thinking a bird is on the ground already. That is if your hitting the birds with tree yelps before sun up. Are the yotes you've seen moving around in broad daylight or just before sunup? The yotes around here in my area usually hunt most at night. Very rarely do I see one out in the day. The birds do have to be going SOMEWHERE to breed. Maybe find out where the toms are struting for the hens or see where there safe zone is after they hit the ground.
 
Good Luck!