Hearing a few in southern part of state. Sporadic. Not intense yet.
Had a buddy tell me they were gobbling at a thunderstorm the other night down here in southern part of the state.
Here in the Eastern Panhandle (Hardy Co.) I have not heard a bird. I have been out 4 mornings. Saw one fly from roost at about 8:00 and about 4 in a field but too far to tell what they were. I see sign but none have yelled.
:happy0064:
Heard one gobble the last 3 mornings here in
Hardy.. Not gobbling hard!
Quote from: redmag on March 18, 2016, 09:28:52 AM
Here in the Eastern Panhandle (Hardy Co.) I have not heard a bird. I have been out 4 mornings. Saw one fly from roost at about 8:00 and about 4 in a field but too far to tell what they were. I see sign but none have yelled.
Hope all is well with you and the bride!
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WVRR, We are doing ok. Looking at places in Berkeley, this may be the summer of all goes well that we move. Hope all is well with you.
Have not heard or seen one in northern panhandle
I have been several mornings and I have only heard a bird gobble 2 times. I have been seeing groups of hens. This AM I saw 8 hens together, a group of 4 gobblers and a single gobbler in a field but not a word from the boys.
Two different gobblers this morning in Putnam county, gobbled hard on roost, few times after fly down, glad season is in a week earlier this year, seems like an early spring in this part of WV this year
Heard two this am gobbling on roost,shut down after that.
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We are right on schedule. Birds are still heavily flocked up from what I can tell. Saw a lone gobbler strutting yesterday around 9:00am and then today saw a big flock, probably 10-12 hens a strutter and 2 other longbeards with them around 2:30 this afternoon. Everyone I am talking to is seeing big flocks too still, the breakup has not occurred yet which is good. Some breeding being done that we have seen, very little gobbling after fly down. Right on schedule to hit it wide open on the 18th, should be a great season
It has been awful in the part of Mon county I am hunting. Hardly any gobbling at all. Have even seen birds and called to them and they would not respond. Usually they are tearing the woods down here the first week. :OGturkeyhead:
Spring fell late this year, so therefore birds are a bit behind too. Meaning ALOT of mature birds still having hens with them. The best hunting is ahead of us as those hens start to nest and leave boys lonely up in the mid morning killing hours!
Elevation plays a part in this too, as well as spring weather patterns. Some years u hit it wide open first week, and some u are a little bit behind. Just depends. I can't complain though as I have been on birds every day I have been afield. But I have also heard a ton of other birds that had hens. So I'm really looking forward to the late season and getting on them then
I also think spring is late here in Hardy Co. I have hunted in VA and WV since 8 April and honestly have not heard a bird gobble. I killed one in VA as I just called blindly and he popped up over a hill and strutted close to 100 yds to me. He never gobbled once. My brother saw a gobbler walk by him out of range and paid no attention to his call. I have seen a few hens though. Good luck to all.
Woke up a $ AM and it was raining like pouring you know hat out of a boot. At 5:30 still raining, finally slowed up enough around &:00 so I put on rain gear and went. I was just off the edge of a field when suddenly he appeared from my right and within range. I was calling ever once in a while but he didn't gobble before wandering past. He was alone. He had a fair number of dandelion tops in him.
Killed one off roost on Monday, birds seemed to be heavily flocked up still through the morning, don't seem to move much. Looking forward to later in the season when hens go to nest mid morning and leave the gobblers lonley.
Horrible first week for me. I only worked one bird all week and I heard the hen go running to him. I saw one snow white hen @ about 100 yards. She did not respond to calling at all. Last year my father-in-law and I called in 12 birds, of all ages and sexes, in the first week off the same 3 farms we were hunting this year.
Back in Greenbrier now...It has to get better...right?
I've only heard two bids all week, usually my area here in Marshall co. Has a ton. I was able to call one in around 11 this morning but couldn't get him any closer than 50 yards. I hope it gets better!!!
Killed one Monday morning @7:30, he had 8 hens with him. I've been out 4x and only heard birds that only gobbled few times, then silent rest of the day. I'm seeing plenty of sign but they just don't want to play.
Had an incredible first week mostly in kanawha county. Filled my first tag Monday morning at 7:15, heard 8 that day all gobbling like crazy.
Went back there wednesday and called another longbeard up, just out of range with hens, heard 4 that day gobbling good.
Took a boy out thursday and wound up having an amazing hunt. Called in a huge Tom with his 4 hens in tow. And my buddy squeezed off on him to seal the deal with his first bird ever. Heard 2 gobbling good that day, the bird we killed gobbled no less than 300 times.
Went to my very best farm saturday, in calhoun county. Heard 7 different birds there hammering, this is a decent day there, but nothing like its capable of. Ended up calling in a giant bird around 9:00 for my buddy. Came in in awkward place and put my buddy in a bind and he ended up missing. But that happens.
Then finished the week this morning in roane county before church. Set up on a big gobbler on the roost, bout 70 yards from us on fire gobbling. Then hen started talking and they flew down, he got with her and shut up. Ended up hearing 8 gobbling hard, but gobbling slowed way down once on the ground.
Overal an awesome week for me, God is so good! I'm beyond blessed! I truly believe the best is yet to come
Congrats on a awesome week of hunting. I would certainly take just one of those hunts at this point. Slow going in central VA
Heard 2 birds this morning, first this season. One gobbled 3 times and the other 1 time but they Later on maybe I can fool with them because there is a lot of good season left.were in a place I couldn't go to.
Rained overnight and early this morning. I saw 2 single hens while creeping about. Driving out of the property I had to cross a 500k power line and there he was with several hens, maybe 4. I have been hearing nothing here in WV. Crazy to see him and the hens together now, I thought they were through playing. ???????
All in all it has been a crappy season with very few birds ever gobbling. Went today in Berkeley Co. on a farm when just before good light a hen flew into the field. I heard 2 birds gobble twice in the distance. Maybe about 7:00 a jake flew into the field and milled about for 20 minutes or so before 3 jakes came through the fence and joined him. They fed about and disappeared out the other side of the field. Next year......
I think I would be finding some new farms if I only heard a couple birds all season. Heard birds every day out this year, gobbling good. Not as heavy gobbling for me this year as in years past but can't complain at all taking into account the weather for most of the spring.
Longboard, Don't hunt any farms here in Hardy Co. unless it is along back of the property on NF lands. All the good places are posted and of course the same old story when you ask permission, "my brother in law hunts here some". I intend to hunt a lot more in Berkeley Co next year as the birds are far more abundant there. Most people I have talked to around our area didn't hear much gobbling either. Glad your season was productive.