Difference in seasonal ranges???

[Poleaxe]

I got excited back in deer season because about every hunt I would either hear or see way more birds than I have in the 20yrs I've hunted here. I have this 800acres to myself and I been at the highest point of the highest Ridge since daylight and ain't heard a thing. Not a bit of wind. Couple locals told me yesterday they ain't seen any birds in a few weeks. What makes the difference in seasonal ranges? Our property is all BIG timber with beautiful creek running through the middle. How far will their ranges change?

[Gooserbat]

I think a lot of factors can come into play.  Nesting areas, changing food sources, and predation are three big ones.  I've seen the same thing happen around here before.  I believe that if you've got all big timber a few large food plots will greatly help.

[BowBendr]

Big timber equals no nesting cover. Hens will move to better areas in spring to nest. No hens, no toms...

[TauntoHawk]

It really depends on what the property offers, some properties offer both winter and spring habitat others suite one season better than the other.  In the spring nesting and strut zones play a large role in where the birds end up, winter its more related to food and thermal cover in cold climates.

[turkeyfoot]

what species you hunting? but BowBender done hit nail on head spring is all about mating and nesting you can have prettiest food pots and hardwoods  in world but hens gotta nest so they will go I'd be patient though if you don't have the nesting maybe your neighbor close by does when does season opens if its still weeks away like ours then birds haven't split yet so you could have Toms get but kicked and move in on you from elsewhere yet.  its way to early to be worried yet

[stinkpickle]

Some of my best fall turkey hunting areas are empty when spring rolls around.

[BB30]

Depending on what part of the country you are in I wouldn't worry yet. As stated above once the flocks start breaking up you will probably have at least a few gobblers to hunt. On our farm in MS we have turkeys October through first week or two of November and then they leave. They show back up around the first or second week of February and will stick around through the summer. The end of January I walked the whole farm and didn't find a single track. Started scouting in February and the number of birds have been increasing weekly. Went and listened this morning and had 7 birds gobbling.

Stick with it.

[Poleaxe]

Thanks for the info. Birds here in Tennessee are still mostly in their winter flocks. I have other good farms that always produce for me but I was hoping our farm would hold em better since I can find my way around the place blindfolded. I'll try it again when season opens. We do have 80 acres of it in 18yr old Pines. Sounds more like a better nesting habitat. Shouldve started there this morning instead the high Ridge in hardwoods. They were closer to it in the fall than where I was but I knew if anything fired off on the side I was on I could hear it a long ways off.

[yella yelper]

They definitely do change their ranges throughout the year. I have a biologist buddy that is doing a study here in Arkansas. They are using satellite transmitters and reviewing the data over a pretty long time period. Results are not complete yet as they just started last year. I can't recall specifics but he shared some preliminary data with me and I was shocked how far they moved. They had several different sites they are testing so it should be a pretty good average.

They are also getting data on what percentage of adults are killed by hunting vs natural causes.

They've done nesting studies as well. After reading that article, I don't know how the species has survived this long! Those numbers were depressing