frustration thus far!

[bodetis]

this is my 4th season of hunting thunder chickens, i have basically learned and had trial by fire hunting experiences on my own. i was so relaxed and confident going into this year after killing 5 birds and having finially called in my first two last year. but let me tell ya i feel like its my first year all over, here in ky has been tough. they will gobble their head off a day break, but hit the ground and never come in, now i know its almost impossible to call one from his hens especially first thing in the morn, but it seems after that they are done, midmorning should be the best but i just cant strike a bird or even hardly seen one after the early morn, the unusual warm weather had then breeding at least a month or more before our season came in , not sure if they are winding down or what,. does any body have suggestions or tricks to get them right off the roost. i do some soft yelps when they are on roost but thats it, i wait til they are down before calling, iv tried a little calling, and loud aggressively calling, nothing works, and cant use decoys the woods are so green this year cant hardly see 20 yards in either direction. thanks guys!

[retranger]

Locating the roast the night before then get in close in am may help. Just don't forget you are turkey hunting and that is what you are doing. Harvesting a bird is only a small part. I experienced the same thing one year and never did take a bird but I had fun trying.

[1Morgan]

Are you sure the warm weather had them breeding early? If so why are they still with hens? My thoughts going into the season were the same (early breeding). My observations are that the breeding is later than normal.

[bodetis]

Are you sure the warm weather had them breeding early? If so why are they still with hens? My thoughts going into the season were the same (early breeding). My observations are that the breeding is later than normal.

i seen a tom on top of a hen in the 3rd week of march while fishing, the birds had been gobblin since beginning of march. ran my beagles 2 days before season and walked right up on a hen, she was on a nest, and i mean within about 3 or 4 feet. i sure not all were breeding but i believe a lot had been earlier than usual this year you have to take in mind that the hen to tom ratio is off the chart in my area, not many hunt hen s in the fall., so we have hens everywhere. the birds just to me act like they are on the decline of breeding at least the ones iv been around. i know of several birds being killed but not many being called in, mostly flying down to decoys from roost. as i said i cant get a bird to gobble after the daybreak hunt. im in ky and we had summer weather for a few weeks leading up to season.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I'd have to agree with Morgan. This warmer spring has everybody thinking the breeding is whinding down because the birds aren't saying much. The fact of the matter is the hens aren't ready yet and the Tom sound off on the roost and nothing comes to them so they shut up soon after they hit the ground. The hens up here they won't have anything to do with the Toms yet, they are still in small groups just doing turkey things, feeding and walking around without Toms following them. The birds that we've called in this year so far all have came to the Breeding Yelps and Sex purrs, because we are the only hens looking for action. Soft calling has been a waste of time so far, unless that bird is committed and coming in close. Cutts and excited calls in short series have gotten the birds to sound off and the breeding calls have brought them in. Granted we are a lot father north of you but it might be worth a try?

[bodetis]

I'd have to agree with Morgan. This warmer spring has everybody thinking the breeding is whinding down because the birds aren't saying much. The fact of the matter is the hens aren't ready yet and the Tom sound off on the roost and nothing comes to them so they shut up soon after they hit the ground. The hens up here they won't have anything to do with the Toms yet, they are still in small groups just doing turkey things, feeding and walking around without Toms following them. The birds that we've called in this year so far all have came to the Breeding Yelps and Sex purrs, because we are the only hens looking for action. Soft calling has been a waste of time so far, unless that bird is committed and coming in close. Cutts and excited calls in short series have gotten the birds to sound off and the breeding calls have brought them in. Granted we are a lot father north of you but it might be worth a try?

the birds around here seem fired up early, and then fizzle out early also, the birds have been breeding for some time, its almost like their winding down from post rut instead of the peak, i may be wrong but alot of hunters around here are seeing the same. with so many hens their is still some willing, but the toms act like they are worn, and dont want to do much after early morn. but thanks for all the responses!

[eggshell]

I just came home from Ky a couple days ago and experienced the same thing as you. However I did kill a bird and it took aggressive calling right off the roost. Your other option is to set up in the roost area and watch you might catch one wandering around going to roost.

[kygobbler]

Bodetis, just hang in there man. Try and get close if you can and get aggresive. I have noticed the same thing in my neck of the woods. By mid mourning the gobblers will have one hen with them and follow behind in full strut. If they are only giving you courtesy gobbles and not coming to you try getting ahead of them and cutting them off to where they are going. I have bumped a couple of hens and noticed that they were on the nest. One had 3 eggs in it and the other had 5. Thats the first time I ever seen a turkeys nest. Good luck, what part of KY are you?

[maineute]

I look at a little different than some of you, I think that you have to wait for the hens to get what they want and start turning away the Toms(they don't want or need it anymore) and then the Toms will be out looking for it, that is when they will come to any call. When they are all henned up, is when I like to get in where the hens live and are nesting and wait for them to bring him by an their way home from the date. When I do that I rarely even call, it is an ambush type of situation. But you have to know where they are to do that, it requires lots of scouting, locating the roosts and where they feed, the good news is from my experience Toms know these locations and will come to the slightest calls in these areas when they are horny.

[bodetis]

Bodetis, just hang in there man. Try and get close if you can and get aggresive. I have noticed the same thing in my neck of the woods. By mid mourning the gobblers will have one hen with them and follow behind in full strut. If they are only giving you courtesy gobbles and not coming to you try getting ahead of them and cutting them off to where they are going. I have bumped a couple of hens and noticed that they were on the nest. One had 3 eggs in it and the other had 5. Thats the first time I ever seen a turkeys nest. Good luck, what part of KY are you?

im from ohio county and as i said in a earlier post i seen a tom breeding a hen 3 weeks before season started, we had summer weather in late feb this year,no doubt they were breeding way earlier than normal. we have alot of hens and our birds are still strutting and gobblin with hens , it just seems as mid morn gets around they are done, which should be the best time to call one in, they are just done. either we have way to many hens and they are with hens all day or the toms are winding down from early breeding! thanks