Just WOW.................

[Yoder409]

Went out this morning to my trusty listening spot.  You can hear a TON of real estate from one hilltop.  53 degrees and breezy........

NOTHING................

Not a PEEP.

That ain't cool.

[Happy]

They seem to have taken a thumping from the winter in my area as well. Seen a few here and there. We never really ever had a high population but its worse now. Thinking I aint gonna kill too many on my usual stomping grounds this year and give them a chance to recover. Gonna give it another week or two to see what moves back in before I decide.

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[Jstocks]

Unfortunately, this same scenario is playing out in Ms and Alabama this far. I went 4 mornings last week, heard 2 birds gobble one time each.

[tazmaniac]

Hoping they just haven't broken up and gotten fired up yet.  I covered 10 miles last weekend and only cut 1 hen track.  No gobbles all weekend.  Very unusual compared to past years

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[wvmntnhick]

Hoping they just haven't broken up and gotten fired up yet.  I covered 10 miles last weekend and only cut 1 hen track.  No gobbles all weekend.  Very unusual compared to past years

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They're still bunched up here. Couple more weeks and that'll start to change. If not get too excited about not hearing one gobble just yet. But, things may be different where y'all live so,...


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[Cowboy]

My brother and I covered 2 different areas in our  county the other morning.  I heard one gobble once on roost and twice on ground leaving roost area. He heard only one as well. We were about 5 miles apart or more. Seems gobbling way down from our perspective.

[DirtNap647]

notice it declining in pa as well...i think alot of people were out last year because of no work and covid more birds harvested. also with todays ammo and gun technology it has to be taking a effect on the birds as well.

[DUCKDIGGLER]

Let's not forget all the extra pressure these birds experienced last year during the lock down. Record licenses sales in almost every state and from the few kill reports I have seen.....a larger harvest than normal. Unfortunately, I think we're all in for a tough season. I pray I am wrong.

DD

[Marc]

Let's not forget all the extra pressure these birds experienced last year during the lock down. Record licenses sales in almost every state and from the few kill reports I have seen.....a larger harvest than normal. Unfortunately, I think we're all in for a tough season. I pray I am wrong.

DD

Yes, hunting pressure was up dramatically last year, and harvest rates up some...  Lots more jakes killed.

My feeling is that unless populations numbers are really low, that bird harvest has little effect on population numbers though...  Spring breeding conditions and overall habitat & weather conditions play a much larger role in actual overall bird populations.

I do think that increased hunting pressure can move birds out of an area...  Especially the increases in hunting pressure I saw last year (i.e. seeing 12 cars parked in a 30 acre hunting area, where previously I have never seen a vehicle).

[Tom007]

I have been reading up and following the population data in our state. The records show a holding population and harvests have been normal. The thing that concerns me this year is a very important measure of how our season might go. The Mean Brood Size has been recorded every year since 1985. The 2020 mean brood size is 2.33. This is the 3rd lowest since 1985. 2003 had a MBS of 1.82, 2009 had a MBS of 2.30. This is concerning, time will tell after spending time this season in the field. The snow has melted here, I start my regimented scouting now till the opener. A lot of hiking/listening and scratch searching will give me a better feel of what to expect. Best of luck to all.

[greencop01]

Here in Massachusetts been seeing birds still bunched up but signs of dispersing. Looks like we're going to have a good year up here. Looks like they got thru the winter in good shape. 

[Bowguy]

Really odd here too. I've gone at first light listening for gobbles. Tried waiting a bit and drove around looking for them. I'm seeing and hearing very few

[Tom007]

Really odd here too. I've gone at first light listening for gobbles. Tried waiting a bit and drove around looking for them. I'm seeing and hearing very few

A few is better than none my brother

[aclawrence]

I've been out twice in Alabama and heard zero. I did see a good bit of hens and a couple Jakes on the last trip but haven't heard or laid eyes on a gobbler yet.


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[RiverBuck]

It's been quiet here in Virginia but it's still a couple weeks early.. plus we've had a hard winter. I was looking over the published kill numbers and they are basically the same as the last 5 years so I'm thinking it has more to due w the weather right now.