Turkey Season 25 thoughts

[Burtwill]

I have talked to tons of hunters this year in several states. I struggled very much this year especially in my home state. Toughest season at home ever but I also struggled to find callable/gobbling birds in out of state hunts this year. The odd thing is it seems it was very common. more than normal. Obviously we have population issues but I struggled in spots even where i know for fact i was around birds.  I am wondering how everyones season went? thoughts?

[zelmo1]

A few posts that are very similar recently. Weirdest season I have ever had. Same things you just mentioned. Maybe they are evolving" not to gobble". I saw plenty of toms strutting silently. You were not in the minority bro. This was all over the country. Z

[Tom007]

Amen here, had to work 10 times harder to carry em home. Birds were there, but gobbling was minimal. Had to get in their "zone", within 100 yards or so to get them to play and commit. Ton's of end of May rain and cold weather have me extremely concerned with poult survival. Time will tell.

[Dtrkyman]

I had a mixture, hit gobbling birds and silent birds!

Killed two that came it silent, one was on a day I heard zero gobbles the whole day, weather was very inconsistent which is why I believe things were quiet!

Had many birds responding and not committing but that is pretty normal in my experience.

Still had a great season despite some quiet and frustrating days.

Hunter interference has not improved!!!


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[Lcmacd 58]

I concur with all the above. It's been several years since I haven't pulled the trigger. However that being said.... I called in 2 separate toms on separate mornings for my GF's grandkids and we were back home by 8am. All nice adult toms. Good thing ... I got to be in the woods alot.

[Greg Massey]

It was a weird season, but it was also a great learning experience. I just had to hunt longer and be patience.

I filled my tags

[Yoder409]

It was different.  I think a lot of it was weather-driven.  One of the coldest, wettest, most miserable springs I can recall.

Filled both tags by the first Thursday of season.  But a bunch of guys I know who always kill birds....didn't.

Numbers may have been down slightly.  But gobbling was down significantly.  If I didn't have trailcam intel of what the tom count REALLY was in my area, I'd have really been concerned.

[BullTom]

I am really surpised to see how many people had this experience. The things that people are describing are what I experienced last spring (2024).

This spring was one of the best I can remember in a long time. I hunted 24 days between May 1 and May 29. Was a part of 13 successful hunts, all on different days, in those 24 days. Hunted all accross mid atlantic, NY and New England. Definitely heard below average gobbling on the roost, but when we found birds, they gobbled a lot and came to the call.

Sounds like I stumbled into the right place at the right time a bunch this spring. Sometimes better to be lucky than good, I suppose!

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[deathfoot]

Totally weird year. Some states, they'd gobble at anything. Other states, never heard a bird with plenty of sign in the area. One state I heard two birds in 4 days, tons of sign.

Just strange. I put tons of miles on my legs and vehicle as well. I had a blast but I have to admit it was frustrating at times. With the lack of gobbles and sometimes strange weather. It was also the first year in a long time that I didn't caught in a storm. I don't recall any storms where I hunted this year. And that too seems strange. I'm just now realizing that. So yea, strange weird season.

[Dougas]

It was a very weird season for me also. The only constant that happened be fore all three kills was that I was their for long periods of time trying to coax silent birds onto the turkeyless property and my 82 year old mother called me to invite me to a BBQ shortly before I killed each one. I think I'm on to something there. Mom calls, I'm guaranteed a successful hunt!

[bbcoach]

Last year, was REALLY TOUGH.  2 buddies and I had 6 tags, we hunted 20 plus days each and had 1 shot.  This year was 180.  One buddy killed 2 in 2 days, done in the first week.  I killed 1 the first week and could have been done the first week as well but passed on multiple birds to get more time in the woods.  My second buddy didn't get out much because his wife had back surgery.  Great season IMO!

[joey46]

Game cameras saved us also. Bird numbers were steady on camera but gobbling not as enthusiastic as in some years.  Lots of Jakes which may account for the big boys not talking as much.

[BullTom]

Game cameras saved us also. Bird numbers were steady on camera but gobbling not as enthusiastic as in some years.  Lots of Jakes which may account for the big boys not talking as much.

I did have a lot of encounters with Jakes that acted and sounded like grown men. Way more than I can ever remember. Not mad about it!

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[arkrem870]

I hunted 22 mornings and called 16 gobblers into shotgun range (had multiples several times). I called 9 jakes into  shotgun range during that same time (none were harmed). I hunted in 7 states. It seemed to be pretty good overall ...definitely messed with some tough won't budge gobblers along the way.  I feel like turkeys are on an upswing in most places I hunted.

[lunghit]

Opening morning here in NY I came across two toms gobbling on their own around 9 AM. One came home with me. After that was mostly silence. I think I ran into only 4 or 5 other toms in the month's long season.

I agree with what Yoder said above. I know tons of birds are around but they were very quiet. If you didn't know they were around you'd think they were extinct.