Central PA Gobbling Report

[catclr]

Could be a interesting Sat. Youth hunt, as the hen's are still moving around, so the gobblers are at different spots, from one day to the next.

[HFultzjr]

04/21/2016

Went out to my spot where I plan on hunting 1st day.
Arrived about 5:30 Parked below where I hunt and walked the road so as not to spook anything. I set-up just off the road where I cut in, camo head to toe.
5:55....boom......1st one, then 2, then more.
At least 4 or 5 gobblers. Sometimes, 2 or 3 at a time.
Closest one sounded like about 100 yards from me.
The rest about 100-150 yards from him.
Also heard several more off in the distance.
Stayed concealed until they moved off about 7:00 am
Then drove out the road about 1/2 mile and saw fresh scratching along the road.
Continued about 1/4 mile and there they were, just off the road on an old power line.
Jake and 2 hens.
Continued out to the end of property, turned around a headed back.
At the power line, they were back up on the road, going back they way they came.
I got about 75 yards from them and shut off vehicle.
Watched them work out the road until they went out of sight.
Waited about 5 minutes and started driving again.
Bingo, they were just around a bend and still traveling the gravel road.
Looked at me and kept right on scratching. Not a care in the world.
Decided to see how close I could drive to them and got to within 15-20 yards before they stepped off the road.
Drove up a straight stretch about 200 yards, shut off vehicle, and watched my rear view mirror.
5 minutes later...yep, back up on the road and headed my way again.
None of them ever made a sound.
It was getting late and I decided to let them enjoy whatever it was they were eating.
Very exciting morning.
Might get back out tomorrow morning and check out another spot near there.

[HFultzjr]

04/23/2016

I went out to the property I hunt this morning to check if any youths were hunting.
Heard 4 or 5 about 200-300 yards above me.
They gobbled until about 7:30
Several more in the distance.
Heard a hen below me.
Saw 2 running as I was walking the road out to the vehicle.
Saw 2 nice gobblers all by themselves on the power line about 100 yards below the road.
Then saw 3 jakes and a hen from the road.
Scratching all over the place.
And not a youth to be found!
Hope next Saturday is as exciting.

[HFultzjr]

04/27/2016

I went out for a sit on my back deck before daybreak.
From just at 1st light until I went in for my 2nd cup of coffee at 6:45, boys were the most active over on the mountain. They just carried on like no tomorrow. Cars driving, people slamming doors, kid's getting on school buses, dogs barking. Didn't matter, they were gobbling at everything. At least 5, 6, 7, or more. All different places. Really broken up.

Come on Saturday!

[catclr]

With the rain, looks like fields will be the place to be looking along wood & field edge, come tomorrow Sat. 4/30/16 opening day here in Pa.

Hope everybody has a good and safe Gobbler season.

[owlhoot]

Good luck Penn hunters, hope you hear many gobblers and 

[HFultzjr]

Be safe and good luck to all.
It's been a looooong time coming.
If I see 1/2 the birds I saw before season, I'll be happy.
Actually, I'll be happy if I only see one!
And get him.

[SteelerFan]

Opening day - drippy fog. Had a bird hammering on the roost, and after touchdown. Live hen passed me headed towards him...game over. Was able to crank one other at 11:15, but he wouldn't budge. Me thinks the hens are sharing company right now.

[HFultzjr]

Opening Day.

Heard several at 6:15.
Talked to 4 of them until 6:45
Nice size Jake with 5 inch beard made the mistake of checking me out within 40 yards.
Bagged him at 6:45
Other 3 looked even smaller
Since I have 2 tags, I decided to fill one for some good eating.
Now holding out for a long beard.
Out of the woods and home by 8:15

[catclr]

Opening Day---Grandson is the shooter.
Birds start gobbling at 5:36
Birds came in below us, along field edge, he had no shot thru brush.
At 9 a gobbler started gobbling, made a few calls on a slate, he answered, and shut up.
At 10:15 5 Jake's & hen into field, Jake's ended up between 5 yds. to 15 yds. , he passed. They moved up over corn stubble, hen stayed about 40 yds. away, and went up on top of corn field stubble, and then just a quick, comes back towards woods. with Jake's, but no first one is a long beard, Grandson not quick enough, no shot, told him to take a Jake if he wanted, but passed.

Mon. 5/2/16
Rain, saw two hens, heard a gobble but never showed with hens.

Tues. 5/3/16
Rain, stayed in blind at field edge, till 10, did hear a gobble about 6.
At 10 got gear together and started for a walk. Heard a gobble, moved along field edge to about 75 yds. of him sat up, called, he answered, and then all quite.  Heard a hen talking, far away from him, and around 11:30 he gobbled, down along creek. I moved to where he had been off field, sat up at tree, and listened to the hen talk, but no gobble from him. Caught movement on left side,  no gobbler, but something that likes to eat them as much as we do, COYOTE. Moved and got on him, and the Long Beards #6 put a job on him.  Neck and head shot, down, and did not move.


That's even after shooting through this brush & green briers.

[crow]

nice job on the coyote, good thing you shot him, it looks like he has a bad case of pinkeye.

[bigredneck61088]

How is the gobbling going? Tagged out here in ohio last week, and I am gonna sneak up to Forest County PA to hunt the family cabin, was wondering what the birds are doing if anyone has any input...

[compton30]

Opening Day- Went to an area I'd seen as a likely roosting area for a bird I'd seen and heard on a scouting trip. Immediate response to a short series of yelps. My brother smoked him at 30 steps 15 minutes later. Quickest hunt of my life.

Since then gobbles have been few and far between. Hopefully things start heating up soon!

[HFultzjr]

05/04/2016

Got a late start today due to some things needing done.
Went back to my blind where I scored Saturday arriving about 8:30
Stuck it out until 12:00, but didn't hear a bird.
I know they are in this area, (fresh scratching), but couldn't get a peep.
Plan on being back Saturday before daylight.
I have a good idea they are roosting on an open woods hilltop about 150 yards from my blind.
Usually fly down in my direction.

[HFultzjr]

05/06/2016

Got another chance to go out to my blind again. I got another late start....better late than not at all.
Got my decoys set-up and settled in about 9:00.
Quiet until I'm doing some very light clucking about 10:30, then 1 gobble about 150-200 yards away on a hillside. Not our property there, so no chance to move, I'm talking to him softly and getting another gobble about every 15-20 minutes. Not getting any closer. About 11:15, I start to get a little more aggressive. Again, just a gobble or 2. It's now 11:30, so I throw the book at him, hoping if he is with hens (what I thought), they may come over to me. 12:00 quitting time came, no bird and I hadn't heard him for the last 20 minutes. Guess he didn't want to leave a sure thing for a maybe.......LOL
I'll be back Saturday, before 1st light.