Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Cab on May 08, 2017, 01:14:36 PM

Title: Not Talking.....
Post by: Cab on May 08, 2017, 01:14:36 PM: So opening weekend I went out I heard multiple birds but now the last two weekends I haven't heard a single gobble all day :bash:. Time to try a different spot or is anyone else noticing them being really quiet?
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: b0bbyg on May 08, 2017, 01:17:32 PM: I was out yesterday and did not hear anything.
It was a half hearted attempt as I only went for the 2nd part of the day.

When you were hearing them was it throughout the day or just in the mornings?
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Smokepole on May 08, 2017, 01:22:55 PM: I was hearing them in the mornings until the lightning storm rolled through. After that, nothing. :dunno:
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Cab on May 08, 2017, 01:41:37 PM: Quote from: b0bbyg on May 08, 2017, 01:17:32 PM
I was out yesterday and did not hear anything.
It was a half hearted attempt as I only went for the 2nd part of the day.

When you were hearing them was it throughout the day or just in the mornings?

mostly in the morning right at legal time and then again around 9-10am. Haven't heard a single gobble. Not hearing even shotgun shots so I know its not just me not finding birds.
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: bhawley76 on May 08, 2017, 01:57:21 PM: Have you tried locating them at night?
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Gametaker23 on May 08, 2017, 02:25:46 PM: I'm having the same issue it's frustrating to say the least I've been out the last two weeks Sunday Monday without hearing a single peep. I thought they toms were just henned up and it was gonna be better but maybe there breeding season is over in my neck of the woods
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Gobble Doc on May 08, 2017, 02:46:46 PM: I would move to a different spot. Keep trying around 10 am.

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Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: ctwiggs1 on May 08, 2017, 02:49:22 PM: Our experience was that locators would work first thing, but since they've got most of their hens by this point in the year they just weren't interested in hen calls after they came off roost. Here's what has worked for me:

1) Mornings - locate before sunrise with peacock or goose call. Sneak as quiet as possible as close as possible and right as sun starts to crest, do a few small putts. Don't yelp, it'll overcall that close. Be absolutely still because they will see everything.
2) After the flydown, they will not talk. They are currently busy gettin' busy and aren't interested in 1. Why leave 10 for 1? Find a "turkeyish" area and plan to sit for a long while. You can putt and yelp but for the most part you don't want to over call. You just want to sound like a feeding turkey hanging out. This is actually how we killed our 4 this year. Just hanging out during the day and not going in for naps (we really did want those naps though).
3) Evenings - if you can find a launch location for their roost, get there a few hours early and set up. Your goal here is to ambush them when they come in to launch for the roost. After you do this, you've officially ruined that launch site for awhile so make sure you make good shots or you just busted a hunt area for nothing.

I'm sure others have difference experiences, but this is what has worked for me. It was pretty cool after I was done hunting to see a flock on private land and start calling. While the tom was out in the woods, he would gobble back at me. The minute he got in with the hens, I couldn't get his attention to save my life. I've heard that you can call the hens in at this point and the tom will follow - going to read up about that before 2018 season!

Curtis
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Gametaker23 on May 08, 2017, 03:57:52 PM: Ctwiggs wat part the state u hunting?
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: ctwiggs1 on May 08, 2017, 04:05:22 PM: NE
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Gametaker23 on May 08, 2017, 07:05:44 PM: I was afraid u were gonna say that if it was that tough over there then it's def over where I hunt I went out today hoping to come across that Tom still out looking for love with no luck I guess it will be till next year for me I hate to admit
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: ctwiggs1 on May 08, 2017, 07:21:14 PM: The cool thing is though that you aren't lugging a heavy pack like elk season. And shoot you're in the woods with a gun between January when waterfowl closes and August when bear opens. It's a great way to fight the hunting blues!
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: 270Shooter on May 08, 2017, 07:27:42 PM: They were very henned up in klickitat county on some private land I had access to on Saturday. The time would gobble a little bit but wouldn't come in even though I called in 4 hens. Maybe by next weekend he will be more responsive.
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: PA BEN on May 09, 2017, 05:07:16 AM: I still hear gobbles in the in the evening and a lot in the morning starting at 4:30 a.m.
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: WoolyRunner on May 09, 2017, 06:22:06 AM: In 4.25 days of hunting ive heard 3 gobbles. Very frustrating.
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: KFhunter on May 09, 2017, 06:25:35 AM: I seen a dude whip his truck to the side of the road, run out and sluice a turkey down over the embankment
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Cab on May 09, 2017, 07:57:02 AM: Quote from: KFhunter on May 09, 2017, 06:25:35 AM
I seen a dude whip his truck to the side of the road, run out and sluice a turkey down over the embankment

I've thought about doing the same haha! I keep seeing a few in the same spot every Fri when I drive to my spot to camp out. Roads WAY to busy for that and honestly not my style but when it gets this frustrating its hard not to think about it. :bdid:
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: HNT-GFX on May 09, 2017, 10:36:39 AM: Its tough out there and its universal. Hunted NE Oregon weekend before las and we got two, but it was alot of work. Covered miles and nothing after that. Hunted the Klickitat area on Sunday; over 16 miles walking Western Timber land on the GPS... not a peep. No sign, no shots, no gobbles. its a strange time but usually they will start kicking off again once the poults hit the ground. Public land birds are tough! but this behavior is totally normal
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: Cab on May 09, 2017, 11:19:35 AM: Quote from: HNT-GFX on May 09, 2017, 10:36:39 AM
Its tough out there and its universal. Hunted NE Oregon weekend before las and we got two, but it was alot of work. Covered miles and nothing after that. Hunted the Klickitat area on Sunday; over 16 miles walking Western Timber land on the GPS... not a peep. No sign, no shots, no gobbles. its a strange time but usually they will start kicking off again once the poults hit the ground. Public land birds are tough! but this behavior is totally normal

-Hnt-GFX thanks for the insight! Man you're burning some boot leather! Good to know it's not just me and honestly when they're not talking I just morel hunt and enjoy being in the woods.
Title: Re: Not Talking.....
Post by: CaNINE on May 09, 2017, 02:59:44 PM: It's been a strange year. Maybe I just didn't hit it at the right time. Made 3 trips to the NE corner. Took my daughter over for youth season. We got a few birds to gobble but they had little interest and never came looking.
Opening weekend birds were pretty non responsive and henned up hard. Made a trip over last weekend and heard a lot of gobbling in the early AM but birds still with hens all day. Couldn't find any eligible bachelors to come in mid day. Finally got some hens to come in for a fight and brought their boy with them gobbling the whole way. Was able to close the deal on that bird. Logged 30 boot miles this year to get that bird. Hard hunting but it was fun and helped whip me into shape for bear season.