What to do when they aint a gobbling? Central Illinois has been tough. On my 3rd tag and everyone I've met says same thing. "They ain't gobbling, numbers are down".
Learning all about that this year, heard a total of 3 gobbles all season in Louisiana. I just gave up on walking and cold calling and focused more on sign. If I found a fair amount of fresh tracks or scratching I'd set up and call every 20 minutes for about an hour. No birds, on to the next spot. Worked out well for me, managed to call in 2 longbeards and a jake in one sit, came in absolutely silent but we're still looking for love.
Early season here I went several mornings without a sound on the limb. Struck several birds gobbling on their own about 9:30. Weird year early on.
I just go to work ...
If i have gobblers and they are not gobbling, I'm going to continue hunting them as if they were gobbling.. I will move slowly and set up in different locations turkeys like to hangout during the day and call ever so often in hoping to lure one into my gun range... It's called turkey hunting, that's what you have waited for all year is that short opportunity to hunt these birds... They may not gobble today, tomorrow or ever again but where else had you rather be than hunting... I sure am not going to work or home until i feel i have given it my best effort in trying .... The season is only so many days...
Go home.
I wore a lot of boot rubber off over the years just walking and calling to try to strike up a bird when they all seemed to have lost their voices. Some days it seems like a total waste, some days it pays off.
Been sporadic for me. Couple of good days out of the season were what I would call good gobbling. Hard to hunt them like that, but just hunt the fresh sign.
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