Silent toms

[boggszilla]

Do any of you have to deal with the dreaded silent tom on your hunting spots?? i've hunted one particular place,they gobble good from the roost and shut down the rest of the day.a few years ago,i was there for an evening hunt and saw something thing that tipped me off as to why they stay tight lipped..i was headed to the truck,and heard an awful racket near the bottom field & creek bottom..it was a yote chasing turkey's into there roost tree...this farm has very little hunting pressure as well,will yote's effect turkey's like this???

[Skeeterbait]

Most common reason for toms to be silent on the ground is an abundance of hens around them.  They usually are drumming for their hens instead of gobbling.

[guesswho]

Deal with them all the time.   I'm glad I grew up hunting Osceolas.  Typical behaviour for them.   

[Gobble!]

Had this happen to me 3 times I know of
Spooked 2 birds
Killed one

[Crutch]

There are two other reasons I could think of that would cause them to stop gobbling. One of them is competition, and I witnessed that last year when I called a 2 year old to me from a field. When I shot him, I noticed 4 or 5 birds 100 yds away fly up and land again.  He didn't want the boss tom to know what he was up to. I thought I was pulling in the Old Boss.

The second thing would related to the first. I long time hunter I know witnessed a bunch of toms at the beginning of the season on one farm and a week later, only one bird that couldn't be called. He said it was a big, old bird that had kicked the other bird tale and caused them to stay off the field, and keep silent.

[Jay]

I believe heavy predation is a key factor in non gobbling off of roost. 2 areas in Southern Iowa over run with Coyotes I've hunted, the birds totally clam up once they hit the ground. Twice this Fall I was stalked by two Coyotes that I SAW within 30 minutes of calling in one of those areas. Could have been more I didn't see. It don't take long for the birds to figure out that being vocal draws in more than Turkeys. A lot of the silent Toms I've killed lean towards the 2 year olds, who are looking for action without advertising the fact to the dominant birds.

[bassmaster1228]

so turkeys are suposed to gobble after they come off the roost?



thats normaly what goes on down here. goble a couple times on roost and when they hit the ground they shut up

[hookedspur]

Most common reason for toms to be silent on the ground is an abundance of hens around them.  They usually are drumming for their hens instead of gobbling.

[Shotgun]

Just a typical day in most places I hunt.  I have learned to really key in to other sounds  turkeys make, such as drumming, scratching, and clucks. 

[Jay]

Just a typical day in most places I hunt.  I have learned to really key in to other sounds  turkeys make, such as drumming, scratching, and clucks. 

I remember when they Gobbled all morning, off and on. Also, up to 3 years ago would see Iowa birds all over the place in fields strutting. Now seldom do I see them in the open at all for long. In fact, see them run a lot from one woods across open spots to the next woods. I use to set up on wood lines, next to woods. I'm setting up in the woods this year in Iowa. Kind of a weird developement.

[Shotgun]

Jay I think the main reason they are not in the feilds near as much is do to so many shooting them out of the truck.  Now find a field that is surrounded by a woodlot and they typically still hit them pretty hard.

[Jay]

Jay I think the main reason they are not in the feilds near as much is do to so many shooting them out of the truck.  Now find a field that is surrounded by a woodlot and they typically still hit them pretty hard.

I'm still leading towards heavy predatation. The last 3-4 years along with the Coyote population out of control, the Eagles and Hawks have really expanded. Especially the Hawks. I had a Hawk nail my decoy, and a friend have an Eagle hit his. The last 2 years prior to this year we had HEAVY snowfall driving Turkeys out in the snow trying to find food, where they became real easy targets from the avian predatation. I think they have become conditioned to danger from the air, because they almost seem afraid to get caught in the open.

[gatrapper]

Mine did that later in the year last year.  What I finally did was just slept in and went out later in the morning and I would be able to fire them up after the hens left.

[bowhunter32]

hunt alot of ag land,,,almost always shut up after fly dwn...the only thing that keeps yur confidence up is u know they are there... through scouting, lots of old sneakers wheren i hunt,,still manage to kill em though,,lol

[swamp_bird89]

Deal with it every season...