Hunting pines question

[Jc69]

I'm 52, deer hunter since 14 but just got bit by the turkey hunting bug 2 years ago.  Did help call one in for my son one year, and I missed one last year.  Anyway, where I hunt is a 3,000 acre lease.  Rough mountains with mostly planted pine, hardwood along the creeks and branches.  My guess is only 500 acres is hardwood. Maybe 10 members who will hunt turkey opening weekend, and then by the last weekend, I'm the only one left. There is 1 field in hardwoods where turkey's roost  and gobble, but everyone concentrates around this field.  After 1 to 2 days, these birds are gone and silent.  Not unusual to not hear another gobble after opening day.  Then maybe on the last weekend when everyone has quit, you might hear another gobble.  Average of about 2 birds are killed each year on this lease.
    I usually set in and hike and hunt all day, sit in one spot 30 mins to an hour and hike and hunt another spot.(last year, I was going about 9 miles a day, fitbit) Take my lunch and make a day of it.  Just can't figure out where they go?
   Most of the other guys say I'm wasting my time in the pines, but I'm wondering if that is where they are going since everyone else is in the hardwoods and mostly not seeing or hearing birds?  There is alot of straight up and down mountainsides that are thick and rough where no one goes.  is this where I should be?
Any tips appreciated!

[Marc]

What kind of turkeys?  (i.e. Easterns, Rio's, Merriam's?)

I have hunted a few ranches for turkeys, and have found that there are always certain areas the birds are...  And most areas the birds are not.

10 guys hunting 500 acres will possibly push the birds out of an area...  Or shut the ones up that are there.  Are you still seeing/hearing hens?  Hearing any birds on the roost?  Hearing birds on adjoining properties that were not there before your property was being hunted?

[Jc69]

Easterns.
It is like the birds disappear after opening weekend, no sightings, gobbing, or anything.  But I think they are still there.  If they got pushed out of the lease, they would get pushed to private farms and probably be more pressured.
  I have had up to 30 hens on game cameras and several gobblers.  The numbers aren't great by any means, but they are there.  This is Arkansas, hunting is pretty bad all over, don't think I have access to anyplace better.

[Jc69]

The bird I missed last year, was on closing day.  No one had hunted that weekend or the weekend before and he had returned to field where they were on opening day. So either they were there all along and quiet, or slipped off and then returned after the pressure died down.

[Paulmyr]

Sounds like the birds are responding to pressure. You'll find them in the the tough to get to areas. If the other members are telling you your wasting your time in the pines, the pines would be on my list of the areas to check out. Look in the places the other members are not going into and if/when you do find them do your damnedest not to spook them as that's what pushed them there in the 1st place.

[Jc69]

Thanks,
That was kind of my thinking.  I hunted the pines some last year, and a buddy told me they wouldn't be there, they would be only in hardwoods?  My thinking is there are no acorns left in the hardwoods, and not any fields to get after grasshoppers, so they will just be scratching under leaves or pine needles and eating buds.

[Paulmyr]

Acorns are predominantly fall/winter high energy content food. During the spring hens specifically will be targeting foods higher in protein to prepare for and while producing eggs. Buds like you you describe along with any bugs they can find will be higher in protein and what hen turkeys tend to look for during the spring.

Find the hens and you'll find the toms.

[Sasha and Abby]

Find the thick areas where the hens are nesting and the toms will be close on the more open access areas...

[silvestris]

Hunt the hardwoods and Read the chapter "Steath" in Kenny Morgan's  book, "Turkey Hunting, a One Man's Game".  Never allow a turkey suspect that you exist.

[Jc69]

I'm the OP, and no luck last week.  Would like to get some opinions on what to try for week 2. Opening day, a few birds were heard, not by me and one was shot at and missed, not by me.  I never heard a bird where I hunted and I hunted some really nice looking spots that you would think would hold a few birds.  Anyway, Season opened on Monday, and by Wed.  the guys at camp had called it quits and haven't heard anything.
  I found an old logging road and in the curve of it, it's basically a 100 yard long by 50 yards wide field where they had tore it up with logging equipment. It's full of grasshoppers. Off to the side is a steep holler of hardwoods.  Found some huge gobbler tracks  on the trail coming out of this, this was the only sign I found.  Set up on this in the mornings and nothing, but it looks promising. 
  Not really any running and gunning to be had without any gobbling.  I'm just finding promising looking spots, sitting up for maybe an hour and calling a few yelps about every 30 minutes. 

[Bagg-it Tag-it]

I'm the OP, and no luck last week.  Would like to get some opinions on what to try for week 2. Opening day, a few birds were heard, not by me and one was shot at and missed, not by me.  I never heard a bird where I hunted and I hunted some really nice looking spots that you would think would hold a few birds.  Anyway, Season opened on Monday, and by Wed.  the guys at camp had called it quits and haven't heard anything.
  I found an old logging road and in the curve of it, it's basically a 100 yard long by 50 yards wide field where they had tore it up with logging equipment. It's full of grasshoppers. Off to the side is a steep holler of hardwoods.  Found some huge gobbler tracks  on the trail coming out of this, this was the only sign I found.  Set up on this in the mornings and nothing, but it looks promising. 
  Not really any running and gunning to be had without any gobbling.  I'm just finding promising looking spots, sitting up for maybe an hour and calling a few yelps about every 30 minutes.

When you set up for an hour or so in a likely spot. Do what you are doing....soft calls at first....but don't overlook loud calling too. Try soft calling at first. Listen for a few seconds. If you don't hear anything...Ratchet up the volume for a few seconds. Listen. If nothing, then ratchet up the volume again. Obviously you don't want to call too loud right off and blow a nearby turkey out of the woods. However, if they are not right on top of you....they might need to hear you to key in on you. If turkey populations aren't high...I find they will travel further to find one of their "rare" girlfriends. Also, instead of waiting 30 minutes in between calling sessions.....do it every 15 minutes. Start soft again and go up from there. Good luck. Turkey hunting is hard but the absolute best.