Gobbling in PA?

[turkeylimb]

Was out fri. hear two birds across the road on other hill side.

[trkynut54]

Went scouting today. It was very windy and didn't hear the first gobble until 9:00am. Took a ride around and saw 13 turkeys altogether, 1 nice longbeard, 3 Jakes, and the rest hens. 

[turkeylimb]

Raining out saw 20 plus birds.

[Turkeybuster]

4/7 Arrived at camp late afternoon my buddie went out back and made a few calls a gobbler up on the mountain answered and started down we went inside and he came within 10 yds. of the back door exactly from where he called and brought 4 of his girl friends with him. They hung around for 30 minutes then fed off to roost.
4/8 Saw 20 plus birds 4 strutters in the valley then went to the top of the mountain heard 3 birds, it was snowing with a light wind and 1" of snow on the ground we also heard the old gobbler behind camp gobbling around 2:30 pm.
4/9 25 degrees heavy frost we wanted to see where the birds in the valley were roosted so we silently got into the woods close to where we saw them the day before. Turkeys gobbled up and down the creek at first light and we had a gobbler sail 300 yds. across the creek and almost landed in my lap then 4 hens did the same we never made a call. Birds gobbled very good at first light.
4/10 We were on top of the mountain at first light heard hens on the roost then the boss started gobbling the hens flew to him and things got quiet. heard another bird crank up close to us in another location and we moved on. We went to another spot to listen and as we were approaching the area we saw a big gobbler below us on the bench looking for company but was silent.
4/11 Back home Rain light wind birds gobbled good at first light but it died off as the rain and wind increased. Looks like the birds are getting very active now I hope they don't get burnt out in the next 2 wks.

[paboxcall]

ORIGINAL: Turkeybuster

4/7 Arrived at camp late afternoon my buddie went out back and made a few calls a gobbler up on the mountain answered and started down we went inside and he came within 10 yds. of the back door exactly from where he called and brought 4 of his girl friends with him. They hung around for 30 minutes then fed off to roost.
4/8 Saw 20 plus birds 4 strutters in the valley then went to the top of the mountain heard 3 birds, it was snowing with a light wind and 1" of snow on the ground we also heard the old gobbler behind camp gobbling around 2:30 pm.
4/9 25 degrees heavy frost we wanted to see where the birds in the valley were roosted so we silently got into the woods close to where we saw them the day before. Turkeys gobbled up and down the creek at first light and we had a gobbler sail 300 yds. across the creek and almost landed in my lap then 4 hens did the same we never made a call. Birds gobbled very good at first light.
4/10 We were on top of the mountain at first light heard hens on the roost then the boss started gobbling the hens flew to him and things got quiet. heard another bird crank up close to us in another location and we moved on. We went to another spot to listen and as we were approaching the area we saw a big gobbler below us on the bench looking for company but was silent.
4/11 Back home Rain light wind birds gobbled good at first light but it died off as the rain and wind increased. Looks like the birds are getting very active now I hope they don't get burnt out in the next 2 wks.

 
Sounds like you guys had a great weekend for scouting.  Falling asleep waiting out the next two weeks with all that activity running around your head is gonna be tough!!!  Good luck to you and your camp this year.
 
John

[paboxcall]

Here in western PA, the fields seem chock full of strutters.  Every morning I pull off and listen to them hammer in the trees and pitch down into the farm fields.  Coming home in the evening, still there and still strutting.
 
One flock had about 15 hens and ten gobblers in strut.  Would love to have permission to hun that farm -- with all that longbeard pressure for a dozen and a half hens, probably get run over by 6 or 7 gobblers if you made a single cluck hidden in the tree line.

[Turkeybuster]

John you are absolutely right about hard to fall asleep these birds have my nerves shattered at this point. I have a lot of places to look at yet just don't have enough time to cover all of the bases.
We have been working on the camp off and on the past three weeks and really couldn't spend too much time in the woods but what I saw looked good. I have been away from the local birds around home and will have to do some catching up the next two weeks. I think I counted 463 gobblers jump the fence before I fell asleep last night! I will be out there again in the AM. will let you know what happens tomorrow.

[paboxcall]

This really is the golden age for turkey hunting.  We're very fortunate.
 
Good luck to you TB.
 
John

[trkynut54]

Went out this morning to a different area. Got there about 5:50am, walked up a logging road until we hit some Hemlocks then waited. One gobbled above us then another gobbled same place. Then 2 more gobbled. Then we heard a hen yelp then they gobbled again. Then 3 more hens joined in with some yelping, cutting and cackling. Man those gobblers went nuts. We stood there a good 20 minutes listening to all that turkey talk. Then 1 gobbled across the road on the other side, then we heard 2 more gobble over there. So we snuck out of there and took a ride out the mountain. We went over the next mountain to another valley and saw a hen along the road. We got out and hit the crow call and 1 gobbled down over the road.

We left there and drove across another mountain and down into the next valley. We drove out across the flat and saw a gobbler on the road strutting. When he saw the truck he started running so I stopped and he went back into strutting again. There was a hen along the road we didn't see and we were watching them thru binoculars. We watched him for about 20 minutes, I wish I would have had my camera with me. Then we saw 6 Grouse in our travels. I thought we had a pretty good morning.

[Turkeybuster]

The local birds cranked up at first light they didn't gobble as hard as yesterday but seemed to be in different locations. This tells me they are fairly well broken up and going about their buisness.
It was over with by 7:AM. and henned up. I saw a flock up in the morning in a different area that had 2 strutters a couple jakes and 16 hens but is not huntible however if they move 1/4 mile north they will be on state ground and in huntable territory, will keep a eye on them as the strutters are big birds. Have to go back to work next week that is a bummer but maybe I can regain my sanity for two weeks.