Quiet Turkeys

[YosemiteSam]

Do turkeys sometimes just decide to "go dark" for the day?  I spent most of yesterday on a scouting mission for turkeys.  Hiked in about 2 miles in the dark & blew some locator calls along the way.  Nothing.  

Got back to an area that had some turkeys there last year and setup within ear-shot of where I thought the roost was before daylight.  Nothing.  

Hiked around where I heard a lot of gobbling last year.  Nothing.

Hiked back along the same route, yelping & occasionally cutting.  Nothing.

Setup on some good looking areas, yelped, napped, yelped, read a short book, yelped again.  Nothing.

Hiked along some unexplored areas.  Yelped, setup.  Nothing.

My experience hunting turkeys in my teens were always 100% hit or miss.  Either we went out to an area, heard birds & got one.  Or we went out somewhere & struck out on both.  I was inclined to think that there were no turkeys around at my spots anymore.  But I've seen tracks just a couple miles from this area just a month ago.  So I know there are birds around.  Do turkeys just quit gobbling some days?  Weather related, Perhaps?

[Shadowhnter]

Yes, they do a lot actually.I cannot count the number of times, I knew for a fact the birds were there in numbers, and they never gobbled at all. Ive known they were present from watching them fly up at 50 yards away, and sneek out and come back the next morning only to find silent turkeys. Its one of several good reasons to adopt a hunting strategy that does not depend on hearing a gobble, or calling them in. Ive killed a slew of birds that never gobbled even once. If you know the birds well, you are still in business. I venture to say, many birds were around you.....you just didnt know it from the silence. Its a common occurance. Ive seen silence last as high as 2 or 3 weeks before....then killed nice toms anyway.

[ksbowman]

I agree with Shawdowhunter. Some days they just have lockjaw.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by Shadowhnter:
Its one of several good reasons to adopt a hunting strategy that does not depend on hearing a gobble, or calling them in.  

Shadowhnter, do you mean just hunting from a blind, sort of like whitetails in the fall?  Or do you have a special method you'd be willing to share?

Good to hear that it was probably just an off day.  My son & I are heading back in a couple weeks for our annual trip together.  I hope I didn't just give a bunch of toms a good education in my calling techniques.

[doubleo]

I have hunted lots of days when I didn't see or hear a turkey. But I knew there were turkeys in the area. Weather, henned up Toms are all factors. Sometimes there not in the same place as they were the year before!

[highlow]

They seem to have done just that here in North Jersey. Heard some about a month ago right behind the house and now nothing. I know they're here as I had to brake going down the driveway yesterday to allow five longbeards and the two hens they were dogging to cross. One was in full strut but not a one gobbled. Maybe they're getting smarter than we think.

[Birdbow]

Patience. Sit em out. Call sparingly and wait. They hear 'hens' and will often eventually come around for a look. That's my recipe

[Doc Pain]

Originally posted by Birdbow:
Patience. Sit em out. Call sparingly and wait. They hear 'hens' and will often eventually come around for a look. That's my recipe

Absolutely. Have killed quite a few over the years that never made a sound. Just suddenly showed up in front of my decoys. When they are quiet it pays to stay in one spot and call occasionally. Moving around only alerts them to your presence and you will never know they were there.

[Bvas]

It is my belief, as far fetched as it might be, that higher predator numbers are leading to more and more silent birds.  I'm not sure whether it is learned habit, or an evolution type thing.  As in the silent birds survive.
In recent years though, I have had many birds gobble while on roost only to go completely silent on the ground.  Have even watched birds from several hundred yards away go into full strut repeatedly at the sound of my call, but never reply with a gobble.

[bucknut]

I put all my faith in pre season scouting. Just because they were there the year before doesn't really mean much. Predators or hunters could have moved in, Food sources change from year to year and so will the birds. I will sit them out if (and only if) I know for sure they are currently using the area. If you are in open country it may pay to spend a day with the binos just locating them. The answer to your question though is a definite yes. Years ago I was hunting our property in WV. On day 1 I didn't hear a gobble. The same spot the next day I heard 50ish different gobblers. Why, I don't know. (How does a posi trac in a plymouth work? It just does.)

Just my opinion. John

[FlintNSteel]

Two years ago the birds in my area (and there are a LOT) would gobble once or twice on the roost, then nothing all day long...and I mean nothing.  I sat in good areas and very lightly and sparingly called.  I'm no turkey expert, but have always read to do what they do.  Ended up getting a bird on the 5th day that year just sitting a small opening they frequent.  It was about 10:30 AM.  I'd post a picture, but it was with flint not on the end of an arrow.    :D