Late season is such a grind

[JMalin]

Feels like if you don't get it done in the first hour, it's pretty much not gunna happen the rest of the day. In western Oklahoma now trying to fill tag and I'm thinking tomorrow is my last morning of the 2024 season. Started in the eastern part of the state wanting to add an eastern to my NM merriams and Texas Rios but insects, tall wet grass, and lack of consistent gobbling made me change plans. Going to give the bird I'm on a bit of space and probably won't set up any closer than 200 yards from where he was roosted this morning. I feel a lot more confident about tomorrow morning than I do this evening and don't wanna booger him up if I can't call him in this evening.

What do y'all do for the long middle part of the day late in the season when birds aren't doing much gobbling?

[2flyfish4]

Set up in known areas and call sparingly. Like a 3-5 note yelp every 20-30 minutes. Don't expect them to gobble back, but to come in silent. Not much fun, but have shot alot of birds over the years with this technique.

[Tclipse01]

I call a lot with the neighborhood birds (not huntable) to take their temperature throughout the year, helps me learn their habits and the ups-and-downs of gobbler moods. This week they have really tapered off on responding noticeably, but are still coming around to investigate the yelps slowly and quietly. 2flyfish4 has the right approach I think, they are still interested but less likely to sprint down the barrel of your gun this time of year. I'll be playing the slow & steady game when I go out this week.

[The Lung]

I hope we aren't setting up on the same toms, lol.

I have been at flydown 3 times on this group of toms out on public in western OK  and each time they give me the slip. Gobbling like crazy on the limb. They are roosting on private, strut for a half hour  on public and are headed to private after that. I am going Wed and hope to finally get these turkeys out of my mind. Bottom of the ninth!

You are right though, after that first hour they are pretty tight lipped.

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[dah]

Took my Oklahoma rio early last week . Group of four gobblers across the fence . would only look and walked away on the soft subtle stuff . Showed back less than hour later when some other birds entered field . This all late morning . Said to heck with it and broke all the late season rules of calling sparingly and hammered them with cuts and yelps on a box . They closed half the distance and I went quite . They waited a little bit and turned to leave . Hammered them again for a period and at 33 yards my 410  killed its first bird . No call sparingly for these birds , all gobblers with two other gobblers standing at fence watching . Something to think about . Good Luck. P.S. Birds are making a comeback in this area .

[b wilt]

Set up in known areas and call sparingly. Like a 3-5 note yelp every 20-30 minutes. Don't expect them to gobble back, but to come in silent. Not much fun, but have shot alot of birds over the years with this technique.

This x2.

[KYTurkey07]

Set up in known areas and call sparingly. Like a 3-5 note yelp every 20-30 minutes. Don't expect them to gobble back, but to come in silent. Not much fun, but have shot alot of birds over the years with this technique.

This has been my experience too. It can be tough to sit there and wait but it works.

[Dougas]

On opening day, April 15th, in my area of Oregon, you can be guaranteed gobbling from the limb in the mornings and as the season goes on gobbling from the limb is slightly less likely to occur. Occasionally I will get one to gobble to my call, but usually not. The same is true for shock gobbles. Other than first thing in the mornings, I just reckon that no gobbling does not equal no toms. I will try to strike one up and if I don't, I go to areas that they seem to like to loaf in or travel between areas and call for at least an hour before I switch. Sometimes I'll stay in one spot for several hours as they tend to move around searching for hens. My calling is done sparingly and tends to be soft clucks, purrs and feeding sounds, with 3 to 5 note yelps as mentioned above in a previous reply.