NY 2024

[nybowhunter]

Was out this past weekend in Southern NY.

Saturday, May 4th
65 degrees
Partly Sunny

Heard 3 or 4 distant gobbles at first light, but nothing responding. Around 10:30am got one to gobble 3 times before a dirkbike came through and spooked the birds.

Sunday, May 5th
49 degrees
Rain

Went to a spot that had active birds the day before, but nothing sounding off. Winds were in the 12mph range which may have also kept the birds quiet. Drove around to check fields for birds in the rain but only came across a lone hen.

Tough first hunt of the season.


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[mikejd]

NY is tough. I had 3 Jake's I wanted to fool around with the other day. They gobbled at first light. Never answered me and never made a peep after fly down.
Even the Jake's are tight lipped here.
I have not heard a gobble after 7 am in close ro 10 years I believe 2016 last time.

[nybowhunter]

It is tough and it's definitely not what it used to be.

Over the last few years I've had to be willing to travel for turkeys. It's gone from driving an hour from home to 3 hours from home.

OnX has been helpful in marking potential spots to scout so there's a game plan on how to spend time efficiently in areas area. It becomes more scouting than hunting and just going from property to property until finding some turkeys that want to be vocal.

It's hard and will wear your down, but when it all comes together it's very rewarding. That's why we're all out there chasing those birds


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[nybowhunter]

2025 update - heard some gobbling during the first two weekends of the season, but in general it was quiet.

We had a lot of rain on the weekends this season and I'm not sure if that also had something to do with it. Seems like birds moved around a lot more this year and weren't in all of their usual spots.

Heard 2 very distant gobbles this weekend and that was about it across 6 or 7 different spots. 

[Sir-diealot]

No one I know has heard much gobbling in NY and many have said no gobbling. I sometimes wonder if the turkey are adapting.

[mikejd]

No one I know has heard much gobbling in NY and many have said no gobbling. I sometimes wonder if the turkey are adapting.

I totally believe that they are adapting. A friends theory is that the loudest birds obviously are the ones being killed off so the quiet birds pass on quiet genes. Maybe
over thinking it a bit but who knows. I know for sure that the predators have made them quieter. I hunted first 10 days and I heard 1 gobble. weather was terrible so many of the birds stayed out in fields so not sure if that's why I heard very little.

[mspaci]

Good season down here in south east ny & ct, I was in birds almost every day, Mike