Mute Birds

[msm210]

I'm hunting southern Michigan on state land that has extremely low pressure.  Our week to hunt started on Monday, and over the last couple of days, once the birds hit the ground, they go silent!  I also note there is very little hen talk while in the trees, and none when they hit the ground. 

They are also not responding to any calls.  It's been a touch 2 1/2 days, and once they are on the ground, it's almost impossible to find them.  Roosted up 8 on Sunday night, and once they flew down Monday morning, just out of range, they were gone. 

I appreciate all the help & advice you can offer as I'd love to see my 2 sons fill their tags!

Thanks.
Mike

[honker22]

Henned up birds are tough.  They are being quiet because once they have their hens with them, there is no reason to talk.  I would do 2 things.  The most obvious would be to try to figure out their pattern, once they leave the roost.  Maybe there is a field or somewhere else they goto feed and setup between the roost and their desired location.

2nd- I would hunt late morning or afternoon.  Hopefully the hens have left the gobblers to go lay.  Depending on the lay-out of the land, you can run and gun and try to elicit a gobble.  If not, use patience and set up in feeding/strutting areas and do some soft calling and a couple yelps every 15-20 minutes.  The waiting game is tough but it will pay off.

[jshively]

I have had some luck in the mid morning moving quietly through the woods trying to find the freshest sign of scratches.  Once I have that, I sit down and call very quietly and only call about every 20 minutes are so - soft yelps and feeding purrs.  Be cautious because the Toms like to sneak in without a sound - usually trying to circle around me.  I love those early morning set-ups with  the birds gobbling and coming in - but the late morning is when I usually fill my tags.  I just have to stay positive and believe that if the sign is there - so are the birds - even when they are not talking.  That rationale keeps me in the woods longer - and I think that helps as well.

[furtracker]

The best advice I can give is to stay after them and don't give up.

[Divenut2]

I experienced the dreaded "mute birds" last week on the first day of my first ever turkey hunt. Did not hear a single bird from 5:30 am to 11:00 am. But from pre-hunt research here and on a few other forums, I knew this was not unusual considering I was hunting public land on the last week of the season here in IL. After very intermitent calling for hours, I drew a hen in after some soft purring at 10:00 am. But no Toms were with her. At 11:00 am after some additional soft calling 4 hens materialized 10 yrds in front of me...a Jake followed them in.  As I was lining up on the Jake, I caught movement to my left and saw this big Tom strutting in, no gobbles, just puffing out. When he straightened up, I was fortunate enough to make the shot. (Despite my POUNDING heart!!!) While I am sure a little beginners luck was present, patience and the knowledge I gleened from experienced turkey hunters here and elsewhere allowed me to "do the  right things". Here are a few pics of my first gobbler. And YES I am now totally addicted.

Good luck to you,
Pat

[cahaba]

I had birds doing that to me. It happens every year here as well as most other states. I started going at 10 a.m. and hunting as late as I could and had success. If you know where they are roosted slip in there about two hours before roost time and dont make a call. It might just work.

[davisd9]

Way to go on the mute birds.  The ones that stay quiet are usually the ones that last the longest!