Weird spring

[Boyer12]

I've hunted from mid April to this past weekend from central IL to northeast IA and southwest WI and it seemed the same story every place everyday: gobble good on roost, get close to gobblers once they hit the ground then hens lead them away, then nothing the rest of the day other than some random shock gobbles. I never seemed to run into that mid morning or mid day line gobbler who was looking for hens. The two I did kill this year were more or less hunted like deer. Idk if maybe the wet cold spring had something to do with delaying the breeding phase or what the case is. Anyone else come across that this year?

[Happy]

It's been that same kind of year for many of the fellows I talk to. Some of those fellows have struggled this year to kill one bird and they normally kill 4-6 Tom's a year. I have some theories but they are only theories.
One of my main thoughts are that with the increased effectiveness of new hunting methods as well as equipment more Tom's are shot every spring. There is less of a holdover of Tom's to the next year which decreases competition for hens. All the mature Tom's are covered up in hens for most of the season. They dont have to gobble much and even the two year olds are plenty busy. Throw in a bad hatch or two and things get even tougher. I keep hearing complaints of decreasing Turkey populations. In my neck of the woods we have plenty of hens but not near as many Tom's and I am suspicious the complaints from at least some areas are based more on a lack of tom's than turkeys in general.

[Yoteduster]

Back in March in Florida the birds were hot and very workable  in Missouri  once you located them they were very workable in so.central nebraska on private land they were very responsive two weeks ago here in utah the season opened April 13 and the birds worked well to calls and decoys up to around may 5th then they started getting a little tough that's been my exspierence this season..

[Spitten and drummen]

Worst year for gobbling that I have had in the last 15.

[Zeke6685]

A lot of the same here in north central WV this year. Good gobbling off the roost then quiet. I did kill my 2, one came right off the roost , the other was a late morning hunt that we all love. This was the only bird I got to work after 8:00 all season and I killed him the last week. A lot of birds still had hens with them all day clear up through the last week. Toughest spring in several years for me.

[nyhunter]

You pretty much spelled it to the T for NY season so far, It's been a tough year for most of the North East states also.

[yelpy]

I've hunted from mid April to this past weekend from central IL to northeast IA and southwest WI and it seemed the same story every place everyday: gobble good on roost, get close to gobblers once they hit the ground then hens lead them away, then nothing the rest of the day other than some random shock gobbles. I never seemed to run into that mid morning or mid day line gobbler who was looking for hens. The two I did kill this year were more or less hunted like deer. Idk if maybe the wet cold spring had something to do with delaying the breeding phase or what the case is. Anyone else come across that this year?

Every year here in PA we go through this same routine.

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[Fieldturkey]

I hunted almost everyday of the NC season with friends and family. Same story in my area. The last week of the season was by far the best

[stinkpickle]

I think it's the bad hatches we had for the last few years (excluding last year's), at least in parts of Missouri and Iowa.  Most birds I heard about being shot this year were either jakes or limbhangers...very few 2-year-olds.  All of the birds we took were limbhangers, and we had to set up on 'em TIGHT in their wheelhouses, because their attention spans were only about 5-10 minutes long.  Their Viagra didn't last long.  At the other end of the spectrum, we called in a lot of jakes and from long distances.  There just weren't any of those "best of both worlds" 2-year-olds.

[Boyer12]

A lot of the same here in north central WV this year. Good gobbling off the roost then quiet. I did kill my 2, one came right off the roost , the other was a late morning hunt that we all love. This was the only bird I got to work after 8:00 all season and I killed him the last week. A lot of birds still had hens with them all day clear up through the last week. Toughest spring in several years for me.

yup agreed. I live for those midmorning gobblers but it just didn't happen this year.

[Plush]

Most of my season in Central Wisconsin was good gobbling early on the roost and some on the ground. Once it got into May it was gobble on the roost and then follow hens ALL DAY. Now in the last week they never gobble on fly up (did often in the first half of season) and in the last few days the woods have just died. I see lots of hens moving, but I just don't hear any gobbling.

A little over a week ago was the only time I heard a bird after 9am and that was only because I fired it up at 7:30 and I think he was stuck on the other side of the river or just wouldn't come to me for whatever reason. He just kept going. I was getting excited if I heard one after 7:30 while hunting. People always talk about those 10am or so gobbles....yah...didn't hear those once.

[Paulmyr]

In Missouri I had to get up and leave twice on a bird because the clock struck 1. I'm guessing the same bird somebody charged in and bumped away from me at at 11:30 earlier in the season. Stopped hunting him to try some other birds. Went back after him on the last day about 11 and he was not there. When I was almost back to the truck he crossed the road into the the woods I was hunting gobbling his head off at about 1:30. Almost like he was laughing at me! Get your butt back to MN with that unused tag I think he was saying. Hunted Missouri 11 days 2we're rain outs.  Even one 2 of the 2 days they fired up in the evening. I think they got a total 5" for them 2 days.

I heard them gobble at all different times of the day especially after say about 3pm. Heard lots of fly up gobbles. The problem I was having was it was straight to private land after fly down hunting an area I was not familiar with except for what onxhunt was telling me.

In northern MN I shot the 1st bird I heard gobble in 3 days. That was second weekend in May. I think they were just starting to fire up because of the cold wet spring.

Hunted 2 days in SW Wisconsin. Heard them after fly down til about 9. 1st day heard one on private at about 10:30 but only twice. Another at 2 and only twice. Didn't want to pressure without knowing exactly where he was. Waited for him in his spot the next day but he did not come back. Heard one at fly up. Got in a little to close next mourn in the dark. Was only about 50 yds away when he fired up. Woods we're open so wasn't hidden to well. Tried some real soft yelps with no response and he flew down in front of his hens on private land. Heading to W central wisc this weekend and see how it goes

[Asevans]

Same here in Indiana. Gobble a few times on the roost
Then nothing all morning.
I hunted all three weekends and youth weekend. Fought the rain every weekend.
Came close twice but didn't connect. Most of the gobbling I heard was in the evening starting
At 4 pm. I hunt state forest land with private around. So it's tough.

[Marc]

I feel that there are a number of factors that can reduce gobbling.

Lack of turkeys
Hunting pressure from humans
Predator hunting pressure
High ratio of hens to toms
Weather events
The stars and planets not aligning correctly.

[Muzzy61]

Worst year for gobbling that I have had in the last 15.

Same here