It's early but its also a very mild winter with hardly any snow and the saps starting to rise. Seen eight Jakes in a group and two nice Gobblers but there was no gobbling. Any one else?
I got a pic of a jake with 4-5" beard on a trail cam a couple of weeks back, by himself and he was moving thru pretty quick. I'll start my routine of early rising next weekend.
Went out this morning and didnt hear anything
Think things are starting to happen in Va. Had pictures of 5 Jakes and 2 LB's travelling together 1 week ago on a few trail cams. No hens with them. Now the Jakes are by themselves, and the LB's have left. I'm sure the 2 LB's have found the hens and are with them. No hens on the trailcams and hence I think they are on another farm. Anyway, its starting to happen.
Went out in central Va this morning, didn't hear any birds. Cameras show longbeards moving with hens @ all hours of the day last week.
Been out last couple days but did not hear anything and nothing on trail cameras except deer and one bobcat. Hunted cats hard this winter but had no luck. I think some of the Neighbors have feeders out.
Felt like I was at a turkey farm this morning, heard 5-6 different birds, one was def. a jake but still nice to hear, gobbled off and on from 7:04-7:30.
Last week saw about 7 or 8 hens in a field about 40 yds from the road near my house in northern Loudoun County. Following them were two long beards. Had a diaphragm call in the car so popped it in and gave a few yelps. They immediately went into full strut and when I called again their necks shot out and the gave me a simultaneous gobble.
About 15 mins later driving down the Rte 7 just after the Rte 9 exit, saw a Strutter w a hen in a nearby field.
It's starting and I'm Loving it!
Didnt hear any gobbles but saw a strutter down the road(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200314/9e524d105aeeebcd7e1dd55e4e634b5e.jpg)
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They were lit up Saturday morning, heard 4. Heard three this morning (Sunday) gobbled a few times but not until after 7:15am.
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Second morning this week I've seen this flock of hens. First time they didn't have any Toms w them. Today there were two LBs following 16 hens. Wouldn't gobble to my calls, but were in constant strut.
(https://i.imgur.com/uYlwJwIh.jpg)
I am seeing plenty of scratching but no Gobbling so far.
Saturday morning heard two, one was a jake. They gobbled a few times on the roost between 6:50-7:05am.
This morning got to my spot a few minutes late but was met with one gobbling his head off as I was getting my jacket on. He gobbled a lot between 6:45-7:10am. Walked further down the road and spotted two strutting across the river in a clear cut. Found some scratching on the logging road that wasn't there last Saturday.
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Heard one gobble twice right about 7
Went out to see where the birds I saw in field the other day were roosting. Well, I found out. Right next to where they were in the field!
(https://i.imgur.com/9jTRVLs.jpg)
Treeline next to field where birds spotted earlier this week. Roosted gobblers replied to owl hoot, but nothing on ground
(https://i.imgur.com/TrGjHNK.jpg)
Close up of roosted gobblers
(https://i.imgur.com/z78F7jg.jpg)
Birds flew down ~200 yds right in front of me. Brought zoom lens w me this morning
Was sighting in my turkey gun in the upper Shenandoah Valley yesterday at high noon. Heard a bird gobble several times. He was no doubt lonely and looking for love.
Tuesday morning was met with good gobbling beginning at 6:53, stayed put until 7:24 and watched the flock fly down. Heard a couple of other birds across the creek on another property that gobbled good too.
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haven't gotten out yet but seen one strutting in a field all by him self + 5 LB and 3 jakes on camera also saw 2LB and 25 hens sure on camera as well so not really sure will be going out tomorrow to listen unless it rains again :gobble:
Went yesterday morning and heard two gobbling pretty good on the roost. It was my third time going out but first time hearing gobbles. Really sounded good to hear gobbles again
Driving through Clarke county I saw 2 strutters with a bunch of hens off route 7 on private land at 10 am this morning.
Heard 3 this morning. One was gobbling good starting at 630. Other 2 only gobbled a couple times
Drove around the roads here in Bluemont area yesterday morning. Stopping at likely spots to owl hoot and hit the long box. Got six separate birds reply and saw three w binos in far off fields strutting. I stopped at the top of a hill to scan down into a large cut cornfield and just happened to look over to opposite side of the road in the farmer's front yard.
40 yds away was a big Tom. He was getting a little nervous w my truck stopped there an walking off. Remembered I had my camera and got this pic of him thought it was pretty neat, except I rushed it and he isn't in focus
(https://i.imgur.com/OUFLVJl.jpg)
It is neat. Did you get permission to hunt?
No. Need to research who owns it and now w the Corona virus folks don't like you walking up to their door unannounced
Made it out this am...Heard one gobble twice...Fog was thick...Louisa VA. Saw one on way out of hunt club with a few Jakes and several hens...Got him excited with a call as they were scooting away from road and he gobbled.
I have seen more Turkeys this year then ever before. Driving up the mountain saw a flock with two gobblers. Up in the mountains saw a really nice gobbler run across the road. After cutting wood drove up road to find a turn around and counted 10 birds at least three were gobblers. Going home and passesd a farm with a single gobbler out in the field. Out a couple of mornings and heard several birds. Looks like everything is ready to go.
Quote from: Brwndg on March 29, 2020, 07:52:21 PM
No. Need to research who owns it and now w the Corona virus folks don't like you walking up to their door unannounced
I tried to get permission to hunt outside of Berryville one time. Knocked on the door and the fellow opened it. I asked about hunting turkey's and he said no and to get off his property. He then turned it dog loose on me (true story). I drove away as the dog was trying to tear my door off. PS. This was right off route 7. With CV, he probably would have just shot me on the front porch and let me lay there. :)
Quote from: ahfox16 on April 06, 2020, 07:19:13 PM
Quote from: Brwndg on March 29, 2020, 07:52:21 PM
No. Need to research who owns it and now w the Corona virus folks don't like you walking up to their door unannounced
I tried to get permission to hunt outside of Berryville one time. Knocked on the door and the fellow opened it. I asked about hunting turkey's and he said no and to get off his property. He then turned it dog loose on me (true story). I drove away as the dog was trying to tear my door off. PS. This was right off route 7. With CV, he probably would have just shot me on the front porch and let me lay there. :)
I asked a lady in Boyce a couple of weeks ago. She said "NO" before I could even finish asking the question!
Quote from: RaspyD on April 07, 2020, 07:00:40 PM
Quote from: ahfox16 on April 06, 2020, 07:19:13 PM
Quote from: Brwndg on March 29, 2020, 07:52:21 PM
No. Need to research who owns it and now w the Corona virus folks don't like you walking up to their door unannounced
I tried to get permission to hunt outside of Berryville one time. Knocked on the door and the fellow opened it. I asked about hunting turkey's and he said no and to get off his property. He then turned it dog loose on me (true story). I drove away as the dog was trying to tear my door off. PS. This was right off route 7. With CV, he probably would have just shot me on the front porch and let me lay there. :)
I asked a lady in Boyce a couple of weeks ago. She said "NO" before I could even finish asking the question!
Might be time to change strategies. Maybe going through a friend of a friend might be better than storming the front door.
Quote from: mtns2hunt on April 07, 2020, 09:55:39 PM
Might be time to change strategies. Maybe going through a friend of a friend might be better than storming the front door.
Definitely the best way is to have a personal connection, friend, or neighbor of the landowner, but rarely possible. With this part of Virginia getting so populated, these landowners are getting hammered w folks asking permission I bet.
Can't say I blame them for being short tempered and curt.
But I digress and don't want to change the theme of this thread
Anybody not hearing birds or is it me? think were in the gobbling lull but not sure live in Bedford just for reference point :gobble:
Glad to know I'm not alone, I'm in Roanoke Co. Always take the second week off to hunt and the only gobble I have heard was in Franklin Co. Tuesday morning and he was across a river, he'd answer but only courtesy gobbles. All I've called in have been jakes and a few hens. Opening day was gobbleless, don't know if a lot of out of work guys are putting pressure or it's the normal lull just earlier with the early spring we had. It's been hard staying in the woods until noon when your not hearing birds that couldn't shut up the week before season opened.
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I'm hearing birds but at weird times. My good days have been days where I heard nothing on the roost, but they start coming alive at 7am. I've punched two tags those days. And had other birds are gobbling good as well. The only days where I had good roost gobbling were clear and cold mornings. I hunted the first ten days of the season. I've had a couple days of no gobbling at all, and so have some of my buddies.
cool stuff just went out this morning and heard one shock gobble four times, got set up about 80 yards and started calling went quiet and went to a field i don't have permission to hunt so... hopefully we'll get some gobbling at the end not sure though :gobble:
Quote from: Mountainburd on April 24, 2020, 04:21:03 PM
I'm hearing birds but at weird times. My good days have been days where I heard nothing on the roost, but they start coming alive at 7am. I've punched two tags those days. And had other birds are gobbling good as well. The only days where I had good roost gobbling were clear and cold mornings. I hunted the first ten days of the season. I've had a couple days of no gobbling at all, and so have some of my buddies.
Mountainburd, I hunt up that area as well. Had some good gobbling at sunrise, but same as other places...shut up at 0700ish. Had two jakes come in silent Thursday 4/23. Way too windy to hear 'em that day.
Heard one gobble yesterday at 8am, gobbled once. Nothing the rest of the morning (Roanoke Co.), this morning went to Franklin Co. heard zero gobbling, did find some recent scratching so at least their around. It's been a weird week off for me, I've hunted 8 days so far since 4/11 and only heard two birds gobble. Gary Norman forecasted a tough season and so far, at least in my neck of the woods, it's holding true.
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Quote from: Brwndg on April 25, 2020, 12:32:22 PM
Quote from: Mountainburd on April 24, 2020, 04:21:03 PM
I'm hearing birds but at weird times. My good days have been days where I heard nothing on the roost, but they start coming alive at 7am. I've punched two tags those days. And had other birds are gobbling good as well. The only days where I had good roost gobbling were clear and cold mornings. I hunted the first ten days of the season. I've had a couple days of no gobbling at all, and so have some of my buddies.
Mountainburd, I hunt up that area as well. Had some good gobbling at sunrise, but same as other places...shut up at 0700ish. Had two jakes come in silent Thursday 4/23. Way too windy to hear 'em that day.
Yes, wind has been relentless. Lets hope that backs off the next couple weeks.
Birds Gobbled today at 11 pm. One in front of me about 300 yards and another behind at 100-150. Had a jake pass by about 9:30am and seen a hen about 8:30 all alone. Weather forcast to continue being funky until next weedend.
15 days left, anybody hearing anything, herd a couple but not many but decent gobbling so cant complain to much, birds just wont commit :gobble:
Wednesday 4/29, I heard my first gobble at 0710. Birds were already on the ground. No roost gobbling. Moved in on them and called in two long beards to 20 yds. They were alone w/o hens. Killed the second bird after the first got a little spooky and started to move off.
Went out Friday and Saturday and not one single gobble.
Hunted This morning, central va. heard 3 birds. One gobbled 3 times on the roost, none on the ground. One gobbled once in the tree, none on the ground. Third gobbled 5ish times in the tree and 5ish times on the ground.
Same story this morning. Okay gobbling on the roost from a few birds, one gobbling good on the ground for about half an hour.
Best morning of the season hearing birds on the ground. Handful of roost gobbles then they went nuts on the ground. Got a nice bird to work in at 830, and he gobbled 30-40x on his way in. He's going on the grill tomorrow!
Nothing is gobbling. kinda tired of walking a lot. still keeping at it though :gobble:
Also had a very quiet May 4th morning. Not one Gobble
No gobbles Saturday; Real good gobbling Sunday.
But today was real good. Three birds gobbling. One only gobbled 2 or 3 times. Another gobbled real good starting g at 0700 then Went to hens. And a third has been hammering from 0620 till 0715 about four or five times a minute. Musta had a hen come in cuz he stopped right at 0715 and not another gobble.
Heard three hens as well.
Not much this morning, heard 3-4 birds, nothing that I could get to. They all gobbled 3-4x and quit by 0615.
Best ground gobbling of the year for me so far today. Bird gobbled about once every 5 minutes or so on the ground for an hour. unfortunately just on the wrong property
finally hear one, haven't in like 2 weeks, gobbled like it was opening day but wouldn't cross the property line :gobble:
Best morning of the season by far for gobbling on the ground today. Two birds on opposite ridges kept each other fired up for a good half hour on the ground.
Not me. I haven't heard a definitive gobble for almost a week. I'm finding sign just no vocal birds.