Birds just not gobbling where they normally do In md

[gobblerman87]

Hey guys looking for some more experienced turkey hunters out there to help me out a little bit so I hunt a spot in md every year and usually it's pretty good it is public land it's about 1600 acres but I normally hear gobbling atleast at some pint in the day I managed to hear one on the roost like 3 weeks ago when pulling up to park and worked him in but since we're walking like 5 miles and not hearing a single gobble it had been pretty rainy and not as warm as usual but as we leave we see a tom and a hen in a field that you cannot hunt so what are your thoughts and how would you guys go about hunting this area?

[CMBOSTC]

I hunt public in MD also, they have been a little hush mouth this year. If I were in your situation, I would try to pull the gobbler from the field to me or based on your scouting, be where they would normally be and cold call. If that doesn't work, I would probably look elsewhere. They may be there and are being tight lipped or they may just not be on the property. Are you seeing fresh sign?

[gobblerman87]

I'm seeing the same thing they seem to be really hush lipped I thought maybe it was because they were henned up but 10-12 they shouldn't be I have been seeing fresh sign in one particular area so that's where I believe I should set up and blind call from but the field is too far from the hunting area to try and call them in but I been thinking about just hitting another spot this weekend if the rain holds off if not I'll be in the blind trying to work some fields pm me and see if we can't help eachother out

[Happy]

Hens and the weather are making things tough right now. I am suspicious that a lot of hens have lost their nests and breeding is going to continue for a longer period this year. That being said I have heard some birds fire up this year around 8-9 o'clock with some I'm lonely gobbles. Be ready to strike and take advantage of it. Birds are in small pockets up here in western md this year and there is a lot of empty real estate between them. It's gonna be a tough year but they can be killed. Good luck.

[DumpTruckTurkey]

Im in So. MD...

Im tagged out, and didnt have any of the same issues as you guys, but I do suspect the rain isnt helping things.

Stick with it.

If that spot isnt producing, try a different area for a week or so.

I located as many gobblers as I can pre-season.  Specifically 2 weeks prior when they tend to ALL gobble.  A nice calm morning with a clear sky seems to be the best for gobbling.

[Happy]

All that is true however on public ground things change quickly. After a week of being bumped, and shot at they change drastically. Birds relocate to less pressured areas, many times it's private ground, the Tom's are not quite as vocal and are cautious on their movements. Also hens will move according to their preferred nesting sites and that effects toms as well. All this to say that you can pretty well throw your pre season scouting out the window after the first week or so of season. You have to stay on top of things as they progress and hunt accordingly.

[DumpTruckTurkey]

Ive killed a lot more of my birds on public than private and I can say, at least in my area that I will respectfully disagree with your statement "you can pretty well throw your pre season scouting out the window after the 1st week".

I hunt turkeys the same way day 1 as the last day of the season and I always manage to get multiple birds in MD and VA.

[Happy]

It's all good. If it's working for you then that's all that matters!

[CMBOSTC]

I also agree that the prolonged rain is affecting turkey behavior. I also think that the warm spell that we had just before opening week affected them also. I also noticed that the gobblers are in small pockets here in central MD. I've started watching the barometric pressure lately. Since the beginning of our season, the pressure has rarely raised above 30. This week it has started to climb a bit. I believe that the barometric pressure has a lot to do with their gobbling activity as well. I'm going out this Thurs. after work and Fri. and Sat. I'm a little concerned that the pressure will drop by then with all of the storm fronts coming in and out. Fri. is calling for thunderstorms, I'm not crazy about thunder, but I think that it might be a good opportunity to get on one.

[gobblerman87]

I appreciate it guys seems what I thought is pretty much right tough season thus far but I always stay positive to the very last day thanks for all the input

[HFultzjr]

Central PA birds seem to have lost their voices. Were loud and plenty before season. I had thought they must have moved south (MD), but guess that's not the case........LOL.

[BowBendr]

While not in MD, I do hunt the mid-atlantic states. Birds do seem to be in pockets this year. Not evenly spread out at all. Pockets may not be a good phrase, more like here today, gone tomorrow, then gone again only to reappear 2 days later. Many times I hunted this year and saw good fresh sign. The landowner would tell me they were there, id run up there to hit it next day and hear complete silence. 2 days later Id get a call saying birds were everywhere. I never was there when they were....


2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions

[rodl]

I have had a weird season as well in Western Maryland(Allegany & Garrett), I hunt private ground so I know the birds are not hunted as hard as the public land birds so I'm not sure what is going on this year. Early in the season the birds would gobble pretty good on the roost and then shut up after fly down and I know they would have hens with them that caused this, in the mid part of the season the birds just seemed to stop gobbling all together in the areas I was hunting, the last week I have hunted the birds are gobbling some on the roost but most are gobbling around 7-730, weird thing is that they all seem to stop by 8 and not gobble again all morning. Sunday morning I was out and had 4 different birds start gobbling at 715, I worked the closest one and it never seemed to move either towards me or away from me, by 730 all 4 birds stopped gobbling and never gobbled again the rest of the morning, I could understand if there was only one bird and it stopped but all 4 at the same time is a little weird to me.

[Happy]

I think it has definitely been a little abnormal but they are turkeys. I got a line on a bird on public ground and if he holds to his routine I have a chance but I don't know if I will get to hunt him this week. WV is over after sat and I still have a tag. Went out on Monday and didn't hear a peep. Turkeys are weird. That's what makes them fun tho. Rain and cold are definitely screwing with things tho up here on the mountain on Garrett county. Don't even have full green up yer.

[gobblerman87]

Def are some tough birds to hunt but the pure adrenaline alone when you hear that gobble or have one in range my heart beats out of my chest and that's whah keeps me coming back and going after them year after year