Silent toms

[AndyH]

The main farm I hunt birds typically gobble pretty good all day. I have other area's I hunt where you'd be lucky to hear one gobble all day long. Not because the birds aren't there, they just don't do much gobbling.

[camp man]

I have and most of the time it don't work out well for me...

[njdevilsb]

Usually the birds we hunt are pretty vocal.  I can remember 3 birds that I have killed that were pretty silent.  I have killed 3 birds that I know of that didn't have much to say once they hit the ground.  One was a late season bird who gobbled once on the limb, and once on the ground as he got closer.  One bird my dad killed gobbled with his buddies from before sunup until 10am.  They had hens and we walked up on them as we were leaving.  One last call was cut off by a gobble and we caught them strutting on the other side of the hedgerow. 

[RutnNStrutn]

Deal with them all the time.   I'm glad I grew up hunting Osceolas.  Typical behaviour for them.   

x2

[RutnNStrutn]

Jay I think the main reason they are not in the feilds near as much is do to so many shooting them out of the truck.  Now find a field that is surrounded by a woodlot and they typically still hit them pretty hard.

I've experienced that too. In my old club in SC, if you slowed way down or stopped when you saw birds in a field or down a grassy road, they'd drop strut and run into the woods. Lots of poaching idiots around there, including some of the morons on the club.
My new place in SC is farm country, and they are used to trucks and apparently don't get shot at. You can stop your truck 150 yards away from them and watch, as long as you don't get out of the truck.

[shootumindaface]

I have one spot exactly as you described, low pressure, birds, but everytime you go there you see a coyote or hear them.. The birds are the quietest I have seen around these parts.

[outlaw]

here in va it happens alot between predators and guys that cant hunt and pressure from real turkey hunters i had one last year he drummed and was less than 10 feet behind me but he died

[Jay]

I have one spot exactly as you described, low pressure, birds, but everytime you go there you see a coyote or hear them.. The birds are the quietest I have seen around these parts.

The Coyotes in Southern, Iowa are totally out of control. No one traps anymore, and with plenty of food they are getting to be a serious issue. Then you throw in DNR aggressively bringing in Bobcats, and protecting them, Hawks and Eagles all over the place,  no wonder I'm seeing a lot less Turkey.

[VAHUNTER]

Most common reason for toms to be silent on the ground is an abundance of hens around them.  They usually are drumming for their hens instead of gobbling.

[boggszilla]

I have one spot exactly as you described, low pressure, birds, but everytime you go there you see a coyote or hear them.. The birds are the quietest I have seen around these parts.

    i have 3 other farms in the same county,that they gobble there heads off..i suspect it's the coyote problem,that jay was referring to.thanks for the input guys.