It's getting to be that time of year again!
I am about to start my scouting as soon as the rest of this snow melts off and dries up a tad. Please post your findings in here.
So far I have seen a group of Toms on a couple occasions walking together, probably the same group of 3. Very excited to hear that first gobble of the spring!
Anyone hearing anything yet? Tons of poults running around with hens back in the summer. I am hoping for a good year.
Saw multiple groups of longbeards during deer season on the farms we hunt, the largest flock being 12 longbeards together. The beginning of March is when I usually will start my scouting and put out some trail cams
Had a lady show me a picture that was taken out her kitchen window. There must have been 45 in the flock ( Alleghany county )
Found a patch of oaks tore up Saturday afternoon while checking a trail camera. Turkey scratchin's always make me smile.
Been doing some shed hunting and have seen more birds this winter in the mountains than in probably the past 15 years. Not sure what they are eating as our acorn crop was a failure but glad to see them around
Anybody een out, I've heard a few are starting to crank up
I've yet to listen but have gotten plenty of birds on camera.
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Pulled a card close to home today. Got the juices really flowing.
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160226/c3ef146ea8b24c7ae2fa44ce2fc608c4.jpg)(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160226/55aeab837dbfc6e11a16fcf372edef08.jpg)
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Good lord, them boys look sharp!!!!!
Went out this morning for a little bit on Quantico MCB and didn't hear anything. Had a friend deer hunting in Loudon county and heard 2-3 gobbling pretty good. They were done once they hit the ground.
Heard a couple this morning at the farm in Prince William. They didn't start gobbling til they hit the ground and then they only gobbled every few minutes. Not real fired up but getting there.
1 gobbled about 5 times this morning in King George. Had hens with him that were very vocal in the tree. Lots of yelping, cutting and fly down cackles. Hens were still very vocal once on the ground but the gobbler quit gobbling.
The ridge they were in has an old logging road that runs the top of it and it is absolutely tore up with scratchings.
Heard a bird gobble several times yesterday morning in Greene Co. Not sure how much of an affect this warm weather is having on them, but its left no doubt with me Spring is here!
Sweet. I'm going to get out this weekend in King George to see what I can figure out.
Heard a solo one and a small group this morning. May have been 2 or 3 fairly close, I didn't want to spook them so I kept my distance
I went all over a 4K acre public land. Nothing all morning from about 5:45am to 8 am
No gobbling in my area that I have heard. I did see two strutters in a field.
I talked to friend a church this morning and said he has heard them cranking up. He does a ton of large farm equipment moving so he probably sees more land than most. Hopefully I can get out to our tracts this week and see if anything is sounding off.
Heard one Sat. AM in SW VA, gobbled once at 6:27, heard him again around 7AM once he was on the ground. Gobbled 3 times then. Been out 4 mornings so far and he is the only one I've heard where I hunt.
Heard two birds on Sunday in the Northwest . One bird gobbled two times on the roost and one gobbled about 6-7 times on roost. Trail cams are showing a lot of jakes this year.
BTW a bit off-topic but I'd be interested if anyone hears any grouse drumming. I'm not asking in order to run to some area to hunt, I just want to know if any are heard. It seems to me that grouse in the NW part of the state are pretty much non-existent and may never recover and I'm wondering what others are hearing.
Out in Cumberland this morning. Heard 1 gobble a couple times on the roost. Lasted no more than 5 mins.
A friend and I visited a new property this morning that had not been hunted in the past 3-4 years. We heard 9 different birds gobble. The first bird gobbled around 6:55 and when we left at 10 two birds had fired back up.
That's awesome. I got out this afternoon in a ice rain storm and walked for about 3 hours in a location where I seen birds lots last year. Not even a track, feather or dropping. Couldn't believe it, could be a bad year for me.
We were on our way to one of our land tracts in Cumberland yesterday morning to do some scouting and saw some turkeys in a open field so we stopped and watched them for a little bit. Drove a little further down the road and we see a monster gobbler strutting in the field. We stop and watch him for a bit then all the sudden he goes into the breeding position. He does his thing then next thing we know the hen pops up. First time I've ever seen that in the wild. Poults in process here in Central, VA!
My dad did call a couple of times but he only had one thing on his mind!
Chow hound where do you hunt in Cumberland?
Went to one of my farms Saturday morning. Heard one bird that was really fired up in the tree. Was still hobbling at 8 when I left. Went to another farm and heard two more birds up there.
Also watched 3 long beards fight and gobble at each other a few evenings ago just across the ditch on the side of the road. One of the coolest things I've ever witnessed turkeys do.
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Things have slowed down my way compared to last week. Still gobbling pretty good on the limb but not much going on after they hit the ground. We'll see what happens later on in the week when things warm up some. Still seeing groups of gobblers together in the fields with hens. I guess they'll start to split up sometime soon.
Quote from: kwcb12 on March 20, 2016, 07:57:12 PM
Things have slowed down my way compared to last week. Still gobbling pretty good on the limb but not much going on after they hit the ground. We'll see what happens later on in the week when things warm up some. Still seeing groups of gobblers together in the fields with hens. I guess they'll start to split up sometime soon.
Probably from the weather. That cold front seems to have slowed them down. I have not heard a dang thing. Getting depressed.
Seen these Gobblers and hens in Suffolk,VA..Mid morning in the light rain..There was another group of 2 Gobblers and 6 hens to the left in this field..but to far away to shoot any pictures.....
Finally! Seen a few stutters and about 15 hens in a field off 301 in King George. About time
I made a last minute decision to walk a property Saturday morning just to get a feel for it. Heard one gobble mid morning. Then saw a gobbler by himself in a field on my drive out. Not quite what I was hoping for, but I managed to put a few miles on the boots anyway.
Heard 1 in central VA. Gobbled 4-5 times on roost. Not hearing nearly as many birds as last year.
heard 2 this morning and one was fired up!!! he continued to gobble for awhile once on the ground also.
Heard 4 birds this morning and they were gobbling really good. Continued to gobble even on the ground as I was leaving. A lot of hen talk also.
Heard a bird few times in Highland Co...Gobbled a few times on ground before dropping into deep hollow, This was March 24th.
I have been out several time here in WV and today in VA just West of Woodstock, VA. and heard nothing. On my way back home along a secondary road there were approx. 15 hens just off the paved road. I still see groups of hens here in WV also.
Heard and Saw Several birds in Prince Edward Co this weekend. Saw a group of 4 long beards with a bunch oh hens. Also saw a few gangs with a big gobbler and about 5-6 Hens Each!!
Good luck to all the Young hunters and their guides on Saturday. Hunt safe!!!
Out the last 2 mornings in central VA. Cool and windy. Heard 1 gobble yesterday morning and none today. I can't believe it but leaves are starting to pop. I would say 2-3 weeks ahead of last year.
Was out Sat and this morning. Not gobbling hardly at all once they hit the ground. Bird I hunted this morning only gobbled twice on the roost and none on the ground. Seems like leaves are a couple of weeks ahead
I heard zero gobbles while in they were in the tree this morning, but had a gobbler sound off to my mouth call at about 6:30. I got in as close as I thought I could (I could've gotten closer in retrospect) and worked him for about twenty minutes, until he went quiet on me. He made it in to probably 75-80 yards, but I never saw him. I think he probably found a real hen and went off with her. The woods have been dead quiet since.
Heard a gobbler on the roost at 6:15 a.m. Saturday morning I yelped and he gobbled again about 200 yards away. Around 6:40 I yelped and he gobbled about the same distance. He didn't make another sound and showed up in the food plot around 7:00 a.m. he was met with a dose of TSS about 07:05 a.m. and was over the shoulder shortly after that.
My brother heard a gobble about 06:30 a.m. nothing else was heard until the gobbler showed up in his food plot following two hens about 07:30 a.m. and was met with a dose of TSS and was over the shoulder shortly after that.
Heard zero gobbles today. I ended up moving spot to spot and sporadically blind calling. After my second set, as I got about 60 yards away I ran right into a jake that was very slowly making his way in. I let him run off, since I wasn't quite ready for my day to end. I sat there for over an hour, and he never made a peep.
Is anybody hearing any gobbling after the birds are off the roost? I heard 11 birds Saturday morning and was able to kill one, but nothing gobbled once they hit the ground. I sat up between 3 birds that were less than 75 yards from me and I never heard a single hen come in.
I have hunted my home county and 1 Western county and I'm getting the same results. What is happening in your neck of the woods?
I've only heard gobbling on the roost as well. Buddy killed one that he said gobbled a dozen times on the ground and none on the roost. So direct opposite on his.
I have not heard a bird yet in VA. I have hunted Clarke CO. and Shenandoah CO. Tuesday I killed a bird that had not gobbled, I called blindly from a blind made of sticks, etc. and he popped over a rise and strutted to me, still never gobbled. Talked to a guy this morning and he has not heard any since Saturday when one gobbled during a brief snowstorm.
Heard zero birds Sat and four Sun. By 6:45 they went quiet. This is in central VA Louisa county.
Hunted this morning and heard one bird gobble twice on the roost around 6:20 a.m. then all was quiet, no response to my calls and waited for 3 hours calling periodically and nothing. My brother heard two different birds gobble once each on the roost around 6:30 a.m. then all was quiet. Not sure whats going on right now with the birds once they hit the ground. Hopefully things will change tomorrow morning. We were in Appomattox.
Hunted again this morning 04/16/2016 only roost gobbling once again. My brother had three birds respond to his calls on the roost and had one coming in on a string but got impatient and moved towards the bird because it was talking and got busted and the gobbler flew off. Only roost gobbling but they are killable.
My day went out yesterday 04/19 and hunted from sunrise till noon and didn't hear a peep. The birds are there they are just quiet. If you don't catch them gobbling on the roost and close the distance its tough hunting.
Most frustrating season I have ever had. Hunted every day so far. Have yet to hear a gobble after 7:30 and most days there are no more than 1 or 2 gobbles after they hit the ground, if that. I was thinking they just weren't cranked up yet but that is getting harder to believe with every passing day. I have only heard 2 shots so far. Central VA. The kill numbers have to be way down.
I would have to agree. I will be out tomorrow morning and I will give you guys a update. Hopefully things will be wide open and the birds will be sounding off after roost!
Same here for me as I began hunting in VA on the 9th and on the 18th in WV and I still have not heard a bird. This morning while hunting in Jefferson Co., WV my brother saw a gobbler walk through the woods beyond range. He said he called to him and he acted like he was deaf. Couple local guys (Hardy Co., WV) say they have heard birds gobble 2-3 times on the roost and that is it. Going again tomorrow, might be the day.
My brother and I headed out to the turkey woods this morning. I heard one bird gobble three times on the roost and it sounded like he was a couple of counties away. I made a move towards him but never got a response. My brother heard nothing all morning. Hopefully they will pick it up on Saturday.
Hunted here at home yesterday and today (Hardy CO, WV) and still no gobbling. Did call a hen in yesterday. Out early today, things to do.
Its been tough for sure, I hunt in Prince William and Loudoun counties and places I use to heard 8-9 different birds a day i'm now lucky to hear a couple gobbles. Did get one fired up this morning, gobbled 40 yards away for about 25 minutes straight. Was too thick to see him. Called him back in and got him killed but he was the only bird I heard all morning
Today I was shaking my head for sure. Last weekend I hunted some public land and as the sun was coming up I listened to 10 to 12 Toms for close to 1\2 hr.I went to the same place and only heard two gobbles off in the distance. One was where a hunter i met (Alan) got busted by a Hen off the roost. As she flew away the only other bird roosted there (Tom) gobbled once and flew down from his roost. He only got a couple steps before he was greeted by some #4's.
It was a little breezy and cloudy this morning. I'm sure most of those gobblers I heard last week were still there this morning, but I'm not sure why they were not sounding off?
I heard good gobbling off the roost today. 3 different birds, all 3 gobbled on the ground. Couldn't close the deal tho.
I ended my streak of hearing at least one gobble each time I have been out this season. I did not hear a peep this morning. My brother said he might have heard a faint gobble off in the distance but my dad and myself heard nothing. Tough season for sure after opening day.
I went this morning and heard one gobbling his head off first thing this morning. Worked my way to about 75 yards or so and then he shut up. Not sure if a hen got to him or if he heard me, he couldn't have seen me with how thick the woods were. Heard a shot at about 7:20, so I guess one of the other guys hunting there killed one. Sadly I couldn't stay any longer.
Wow. I feel blessed! I've hunted 21 days heard thousands of gobbles seen and called in around 31 birds in Craig, Co. , Floyd, Co. And Dickenson, Co.
I'm tagged out. I tagged out opening week. My 15 yo, my 10 yo, my wife and my dad has all killed birds I've called in. 3 birds were killed in Craig, co. 4 killed in Floyd county, my buddy that hunts and films with me killed 2 in floyd, co.
I have not had luck hearing or seeing any on properties we hunt in Botetourt, Bedford or Roanoke County.
Dickenson, County was full last week of hungry longbeards coming to calls. Floyd is now henned up and not responding.
My dad hunted this morning in Appomattox and called in 3 hens separately. No gobblers seen or heard. Still slow. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.
Possibly skunked again. I may have heard one gobble this morning about 9:45 a.m. but I think it was my mind playing tricks on me. I did call in a hen and she came in within 3 yards so that was pretty neat while sitting in the open. We did see one other hen/jake in a food plot but that was it for my brother and I. Another tough morning in the woods.
Same here man. It was shut down out my way. I did hear one gobble around 7:30 but it was more than 400 yards off and I wasn't certain on direction.
I hunted Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, heard a total of 2 gobbles. I did see 3 different longbeards on Saturday, all 3 were henned up. Getting beyond frustrating. I keep waiting for it to "turn on" but it's getting awful late for that to happen.
I heard a few distant ones today. Once again, I am not in the right place at the right time. One was clear on the other side of a small lake. Since I heard him ore good around 10-10:30 I packed up and drove around. Got to where he was and now nothing..... Seriously :angry9:
Hunted my backside off for three days in the hot and muggy, rain, thunder and lightning, fog and sometimes cool weather. Only to not hear one turkey sound at all. The only excitement was seeing a hen in the bottom of the field pulling in after church. (the Lord has a strange sense of humor sometimes)haha
From what I'm reading and hearing, it seems a lot are having the same tough time. Sure is a night and day difference from last year. Last year I couldn't decide which way to head out because birds were cobbling everywhere, this year, can't decide which way to go because they all have lock jaw! All in all, no place I'd rather be than chasing these birds in the spring of the year... Good luck to all and congrats to those who have been successful already!
My dad was able to get out this morning, he said he may have heard a distant gobble around 11:30 a.m. but other than that all was quiet other than the awesome rain. Hopefully tomorrow will make them turn loose. I am going to head out this evening and see if we can roost one.
Nothing for me all morning till 10 and packed it in. I checked 4 different fields, 3 miles worth of logging trails and no birds on them
Set a blind in Amelia yesterday to take my grandson this am. Last Saturday we heard two that gobbled fairly well but would not respond and acted as if they were with hens. I set the blind in the path that the turkeys went down last week, did not hear a peep or see anything (other than a hawk harassing my decoy).
Another tough one today in the turkey woods. First of all the weather was beautiful but it didn't help the gobblers. Spent the first part of the morning on our lease in Cumberland and it was a baron wasteland with little sign and no gobbling. We then left and headed up to Appomattox. No gobbling to be heard but my dad and I were able to call in a set of hens in to about 10 feet while sitting in the open which was pretty cool. Long warm day and zero gobbles.
Yesterday was garbage here. No gobbles. Seen a few individual hens out in fields when the sun came up. One looked pretty big but about 300 to 400 yards off and I didn't have binos so I thought it might be a gobbler. I went in the tree line 70 or so yards back and worked my way down to about where the "tom" was. Got a good setup on the bottom of a slight ridge so when "he" poked his head over to would be all done. Everything went to plan except the head was that of a hens...... She came over the ridge looking for me and went back where she came from. It was exciting for about 25 minutes :)
Quote from: 357MAGNOLE on May 08, 2016, 09:49:48 AM
Yesterday was garbage here. No gobbles. Seen a few individual hens out in fields when the sun came up. One looked pretty big but about 300 to 400 yards off and I didn't have binos so I thought it might be a gobbler. I went in the tree line 70 or so yards back and worked my way down to about where the "tom" was. Got a good setup on the bottom of a slight ridge so when "he" poked his head over to would be all done. Everything went to plan except the head was that of a hens...... She came over the ridge looking for me and went back where she came from. It was exciting for about 25 minutes :)
:icon_thumright:
My dad and I were able to get out and hunt most of the day today in Appomattox. Morning started off pretty good by hearing a couple of gobbles from a gobbler around 5:45 a.m. but he was a good distances away so we moved. Got set up and heard him gobble again still a good ways off. So we moved again. We set up and heard him gobble one more time but wouldn't respond to any calls. My dad thought he heard another gobbler to our right but again no response to calls. By 6:10 a.m all was quiet. We setup up multiple times throughout the day and would cold call in different areas for 45 minutes to and hour but nothing else was heard. I assume the gobblers this morning had hens and they took them the opposite direction of our calls. Usually by this time in the season the hens should be on their nests but we have called in several hens in the last several days that obviously were not on their nests. Getting down to the crunch time now boys! Something has to give!
Was able to get out and hunt this evening(first evening of the year). I figured it was worth a shot. We went to some public land just to try something different. On the last setup I heard two clucks but nothing ever materialized. Looks like we are still in the same pattern. Two days left and weather is not looking to great.
I hunted most of the day yesterday and heard nothing, zip, nada... Multiple setups, on two different sections of public land. It was rough. The only thing I heard was a hen go by me at about 70 yds out just clucking as she walked. I did see a gobbler though, in a field... out the window of my truck... as I was driving between spots. Oh well, I got whooped this season since that was my last chance. A couple of close calls and a miss from peeking off the stock. I'll get them next year!
Last day tomorrow guys and girls. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU!
First of all I want to thank the Lord for keeping my family and I safe during the season. What a tough season. I only heard roost gobbles and can count the number of gobbles on two hands I heard throughout the season. I was only semi able to work one bird and that was on opening day. He gobbled to my neighbors yelp who was sitting on the property line, then I yelped he gobbled I gave him a bit yelped again he gobble then went quiet when he hit the ground until he showed up and worked over the decoy until I shot him. Other than the first day this season was way to close to deer hunting for me. Making sets and cold calling every 15 to 30 minutes staring off into the distance is rough. Called in 7 or 8 hens this season and some with in 5 or 6 feet but no gobblers or even jakes after the first day. Not quite sure what happened to the gobblers once they hit the ground this year. I know there where gobblers around because I heard a least two gobble on Thursday morning. Over all I hunted 11 or 12 days and heard probably 8 or 9 gobbles the whole time. My dad hunted 15 to 16 days and only heard 4 gobbles and that was not until last Thursday and no bird on the ground but also called in multiple hens.
I assume the kill numbers will be down this year and a ton of gobblers got to sit and watch us walk around like fools and learn all of our tricks. So next year could be interesting to say the least. Some records should fall next year with the amount of birds that got the pass this year. Good luck to any of you guys still hunting. Now on to look for some land or a hunt club to join because we are not renewing our current leases due to price increases($1350 a year to $2500 a year) and they are clear cutting the other tract we leased. Let me know if you know of any good hunt clubs in the Central VA(Powhatan/Cumberland) area or land that you guys know of for lease.
Very optimistic of you but I do agree.
I bid you all in Virginia a farewell. I am moving to Florida in September. Good luck next season and hopefully I can get on some good property down there.
I had a very tough season, but was fortunate enough to fill my last tag Friday evening. I got it done via brute force, hunting every day except 2. I probably only heard about 6 shots all season. I hope we have a good hatch and things are better next year. I did see/hear more jakes this year than I did last. All the birds I killed were at least 3 years old, and I am wondering if the 2 year age class of birds was mostly non-existant.
Quote from: chow hound on May 16, 2016, 12:48:08 PM
I had a very tough season, but was fortunate enough to fill my last tag Friday evening. I got it done via brute force, hunting every day except 2. I probably only heard about 6 shots all season. I hope we have a good hatch and things are better next year. I did see/hear more jakes this year than I did last. All the birds I killed were at least 3 years old, and I am wondering if the 2 year age class of birds was mostly non-existant.
I agree with you. Between me and all of my hunting buddies, I only know of a few 2 year olds that were killed. Every other bird was 1 1/4 inch plus Spurs 20+ lbs and 10+ inch beards. I came up one tag short but also called 4 more to their death that I couldn't have killed had I been alone and not calling for someone else. I also killed my longest spurred bird to date, 1 5/8", so even though it was a slow year, I guess I can't complain too much.