This is my first yr to hunt. I live in central Louisiana, and this evening , me,wife and 2 boys drove around to see if we could hear something gobble. We went 45 min before dark. I used a hoot owl tube by HS strut. One with tone holes. Is it a certain temp? Its been in low mid 40s at night to highs around 70 during the day. Been that way for last couple days. Went from cold as hell to nice temps this week. Today was over cast , little windy. I have seen turkeys cross the roads and seen them in these areas for yrs. Today we drove around, stopped in about 10 different spots. Nothing. My kids where quiet, we closed the door gently. Didn't talk loud. We didn't move 5 yards away from truck, because I thought the owl call was loud, and we where on some remote dirt roads. I waited about a min. then I would blow the owl call. Which to my surprise carried a long distance, heard some echos couple times. Then I tried quit at first, when I heard nothing I got louder. NOTHING. sigh Any help ,,,advice. The wife and kids where disappointed. They where excited at first , then they all went to crap. LOL
They're gobbling in south Texas
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Well actually they gobble some year round. But they start getting into it as the days get longer and warmer weather sets in. We have had some unusually cold weather in the south this year so I think that has suppressed there interest some, but they should get going here by March 1.
When they fall so deeply in love they cant keep their mouth shut.
By my observation it has more to do with sunlight than with temperature. That coincides with the time of year more often than does temperature and they seem to start around the same time each year - again my observation.
Yes, they do gobble all year but if you are referring to Spring birds gobbling so you can pattern them, I'd go with whatever time you hear them the earliest each year. Despite the weather leading up to that point (if it's raining, windy and cold that specific day, different story) I think they can tell seasonality more from the length of the day than from the temp, although the latter matters.
Here in SC I usually start to hear them more around the 1st of March. Like Skeeter said they will gobble all year if the mood strikes them. :anim_25: this spring
When changes in the photo period cause a spike in testosterone
In your area about the end of feb/early march is when i notice it starting.
Thanks everyone. Ill go try again next week.
How soon up north? I'm wayup in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We don't go dark like Alaska but we're not enjoying as much light as you guys in the south. We'll all have 12hrs of light and dark on march 20 with the spring solstice/vernal equinox. Does that put me a week behind or more? :-\
IM IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND NOT HERE YET. USUALLY MID MARCH DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. COUPLE THINGS TO CONSIDER, GROUPS OF BIRDS ACT TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER GROUPS. SOME BIRDS AND GROUPS JUST GOBBLE MORE. I HAVE SOME THAT GOBBLE BEFORE THEY HIT THE ROOST AND OTHERS THAT NEVER SAY A WORD. IF THE BIRDS WANT TO GOBBLE THEY WILL NO MATTER WHAT. I BEEN IN THE TRUCK WITH IT RUNNING AND HAD THEM GOBBLE 50 YARDS AWAY WHEN I HIT THE OWL CALL. IVE HAD THEM GOBBLE AT MIDNIGHT WITH AN OWL CALL. MY ADVICE WAIT A WEEK AND TRY A MORNING TRIP IF YOU CAN. GOOD LUCK!
has nothing to do with weather it is the amount of daylight that gets them tore up and ready for their spring fling :z-guntootsmiley:
maybe its just me but in my experience early in the year I hear more gobbles in the morning on the roost than in the evening at fly up.. maybe go out at day break and listen at some of your spots.
Thanks guys. Ill get out in the morning this week.
From my experience and what i;ve seen, they'll gobble all year and strut around also, they arent really active in the winter months, most gobbles in the winter months are shock gobbles. When a turkey hears a loud noise or something, his reaction is to gobble to it. they start to gobble here in PA about april or so. goodluck :icon_thumright:
As Tom Kelly puts it: "Gobbling is cheap, eggs are expensive". I believe weather plays quite a role in gobbling but has little, if anything, to do with actual breeding. Breeding is brought on by daylight hours. Inclement weather seems to shut em down as far as gobbling is concerned, but plays little in the role of makin eggs.
When I call to 'em :you_rock:
I live in PA and I've heard turkeys gobble as early as the first week of April. Unfortunately our season doesn't start until May, way too late IMO. Good luck!
yes the do gobble all year, however in TN and BAMA when the dogwoods begin to bloom. sounds silly but I know a bunch of old school hunters that swear by it and in TN it has been right on time with flocks moving to spring areas for the past few years.