What do you think is happening

[codym]

So I got out for four days this week. This is what I was seeing- groups of gobblers (one of 4, one of 6, and one of 7) The group of 4 and 6 had a couple hens and would strut a little but no gobbling. The group of 7 had no hens, no strutting, no gobbling just feeding along. It was a warm dry winter. Do you think they may have already done most of the breeding or maybe most of the breeding is yet to come? In years past gobblers will have bigger groups of hens and be in singles, in pairs and on a rare occasion you will see a trio of gobblers. I've never seen big groups of Toms in late April, just wondering what you all though. I will be back after then in a few days but need to change up my tactics because they are not interested in my calls right now. I've even heard real hens yelping on the roost and ground and they aren't getting responses.

[Meatseeker]

What state are you in?  Up in the Northeast the birds are late this year.  They just started to break up out of their winter flocks in the last few days

[codym]

Sorry, New Mexico and these are merriams. I was out in January and the coues and mule deer rut seemed way late due to the warm weather, I'm wondering if this could be the same for our turkeys.

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Cody, we also found unresponsive or uninterested gobblers and the amount of actual gobbling was way down. But we also saw significant numbers of hens with some of the gobblers which tells me they aren't off sitting on nests yet. 

[codym]

What was so weird to me is the large groups of gobblers that were still together almost like the fall groups never broke up.

[trkehunr93]

Alternative lifestyles are the rage now, maybe it's crept into the turkey population. 


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[codym]

It's funny you say that I was telling my wife the same thing. In that bachelor group of 7 there had to be some of the biggest thickest bears I've seen on a merriams and one of the birds was a complete giant compared to the others. I yelped at them and not even one of them so much as lifted his head. They were pretty content with their situation.

[Marc]

I live in central CA...  We had an unusually warm winter followed by an unusually cold/wet spring...  And the bird behavior has been odd...

While waterfowl hunting in late January, we noticed mixes of toms and hens in large groups with strutting and gobbling in the latter morning hours...  Coloration of the heads and behavior would have indicated that these birds were primed to start breeding.  (I mentioned to my non-turkey hunting friend that this early behavior was a bit concerning)

Two weeks before the season began (mid-March), I saw single toms with groups of hens actively breeding (right across the road from where I hunt).

Opening day, I was saw a large group of birds ( maybe 30+ hens, 2 jakes, 3 toms), and there was breeding behavior going on, but it is unusual for me to see such a large group of birds in this area on the opener.

Last weekend while walking out to my spot, I busted a nesting hen on the ground before daylight...  And those birds were still pretty much grouped up...  Birds are gobbling on the limb, but quiet on the ground...  The jakes are more vocal, but far more drumming and spitting than gobbling after flydown...  Been seeing single hens driving out, and on surrounding properties for the past 2 weeks.

My impression is that they are all over the place as far as stage of breeding...  Some started way early, some started on time, and with the series of storms, some seem to be going late.  I think the toms seem to be enjoying a drawn out breeding season.

[Gobble!]

Things have been a bit weird for me in Western MD as well. Walked 5 miles this morning, no gobbles. Late morning gobbles are lacking as well. Daylight till 12 on Sunday in some areas where the birds were and no gobbles. Expecting the last two weeks of May to be on fire.

[GobbleNut]

Biologically, the breeding season is pretty much determined by the "diurnal period",...the length of daylight hours.  However, there appear to be other factors,...abnormally warm or cold conditions over time,...that can influence the timing of breeding to at least some degree.

In terms of the behavior you have witnessed, Cody, I also believe there are other factors in play.  Flock composition, relative numbers of hens in the area, and a general reluctance of some of those bachelor groups of gobblers to break their bonds to each other after nine months of hanging out together may all play a role.  At some point, however, the instinctive urge to breed should overcome those factors that are keeping those birds from "getting with the program". 

In the meantime, with our Merriam's gobblers, I would focus on two things.  First, is getting to where they are going before they do and then second,  pleading for them to come by using somewhat aggressive calling tactics consisting of medium to long series of yelping with a good box call (or equal) that has a raspy back end (yelp).  If there is anything that will bring them to you, that will be it. 

Another thing, if you are just trying to locate gobblers to hunt during the day, don't hesitate to move through the area you are hunting calling loudly (same long, raspy yelp series).  If there are gobblers around, they will eventually respond to that. 

[codym]

I appreciate it Jim. I agree with you all my ecology courses taught that breeding behavior in many animals is driven by length of day, something about amount of light that enters the pupil in a 24 hour period. On the other hand I have also seen things be wildly different in the same area year to year and the only factor I can see to cause that would be weather. I experienced this during my archery deer hunt this year. In January 2017 the coues deer in this particular unit were rutting like I've never seen before, bucks fighting, swollen necks, chasing does all day. The weather was cool and overcast most of the hunt. This year Jan 2018 same dates 1-15th, same unit but much much warmer and no moisture for 2 months. I didn't see one buck with a doe, no swollen necks, no fighting and not one sign of rut activity. It makes you wonder. I have never experienced such a complete shift in behaviors from one year to the next.

[BB30]

For me in MS it seems if we can get a good 3-4 days of high pressure the gobbling really picks up regardless of what stage they are in in the breeding cycle.

I wouldn't say weather plays a huge role in when our birds breed and hens come in but it definitely plays a role in the amount of gobbling I hear.

I have had years where our birds have gobbled well in February and first part of march generally before much breeding is going on/pecking order has already been established and haven't gobbled much at all through the end of april despite most of the hens nesting due to consistent cloudy rainy days.

And I have had seasons where we would get good long 3 and 4 day stretches of high pressure sunny days and they gobbled well the entire season.