Gobbling

[JHA]

What is the general time frame when Toms will begin to gobble? Middle to late February?

[1Morgan]

It completed depends on your longitude/latitude. The breeding all has to do with the amount of daylight. It will be different for me on the So. Carolina coast then someone in west PA.

[JHA]

ORIGINAL: 1Morgan

It completed depends on your longitude/latitude. The breeding all has to do with the amount of daylight. It will be different for me on the So. Carolina coast then someone in west PA.

So to a certain degree it's like the rutting moon with deer  - 2nd full moon after autumn equinox. Is there an astronomical even that corresponds to mating season with the turkey? Or as you note, the general amount of daylight given the general time of year based upon latitude/longitude?

[1Morgan]

It's the length of time of daylight. I'll try to find the science post on it.

[Bobbyparks]

Mr Morgan...you get up mighty early...even on Sundays?

[1Morgan]

Hehe, turkey season ruined my sleeping in...then I had children. Now, in between seasons, the early morning hours are "my time."

ORIGINAL: Bobbyparks

Mr Morgan...you get up mighty early...even on Sundays?

[eggshell]

Most things in nature are tied to a combination of Photo-period and temperature. As many of you know I worked 30 years plus in a government Fish hatchery. We knew by length of day (photoperiod) about when the spawn on any given species would be, but the final trigger was weather. Weather could speed up or delay things as much as two weeks, but in any given year the average was within a 7 day window.

[turkaholic]

Just to give you an example. On my farm in C.T. year 06 first gobbles herd on 3/14/06 then 3/11/07 -3/16/08 -3/13/09 -3/18/10. You can bet on when I'll be on allert. Weather is a factor but the daylight fires um up, CAN'T WAIT!

[shaman]

Since Mister Moto showed up, they're now gobbling year 'round.  However, in general I can say that the earliest I heard gobbles was the second Saturday in February 15 and the latest was the last Sunday in March.  

Moto changed all that.  He is a year 'round gobbler and he's produced progeny that have the gobble gene in them.  As a result you never know when you'll hear a gobble anymore.  I was down over New Years and heard a gobble in the middle of the afternoon.  Go figure.

[TeocTom]

It would probably depend on your location, and also current weather patterns.

My little spot cranked up towards mid April last year. I noticed that the mornings were still cool but not unbearable and later on in he morning temps would run mid 70's.
The first couple of weeks I didn't hear a thing but I busted one on my way to the truck.

I am keeping some notes to see if it will be the same way this year. It will be interesting to see everyone's reports this year after all of the harsh cold weather we have had.