Central PA Gobbling 2017

[HFultzjr]

OK guys a new year beginning. The earliest I can remember hearing a bird is Feb 10th. Today makes the 2nd earliest.

Feb 19th - 45 degrees started out clear, then a few whispering clouds. Light winds.
6:00 - Made my coffee and went out to the back deck for a listen on the mountain across the road.
6:10 - Rooster down below me started.
6:15 - 1st gobble of the season. Down low on the mountain.
6:25 - Crows started hollering and the same gobbler gobbled. A min. later a 2nd one gobbled.
Up until about 6:55 a total of 3 birds gave a occasional gobble. They were not together and sounded several hundred yards apart. Only an occasional gobble in response to the crows. Total of about 10-12 gobbles between the 3 of them. Not real active, but a start. After 6:55, all went quiet, except for the crows.
Let the fun begin!
But not too early.....LOL

[Bowguy]

Good to hear, normally by now I see them starting to gobble/display. Today I figured had to be good. My plan was yesterday to get out but never made it. Left the house this morning just a pinch too early or I'd have been surprised if I didn't hear them n I'm just a pinch north of central pa

[j.goebel]

I think the breading season is going to be a littler earlier this year especially if the current weather keeps up! I would think they would be grouped up still and starting the pecking order unless you have a lot of birds where you are at and that's why you hear so many in different locations?

[HFultzjr]

Went for a hike yesterday on 1 of the game lands roads along with wife and dog.
She and the dog went one way, I went the other way.
When we met up, of course she ran into 8 gobblers, scratching along the road.

[HFultzjr]

02/24/2017 - Mostly cloudy and about 50 degrees. One of those day you could hear a country mile. No wind at all.

6:00 - Coffee and I went out to the back deck for a listen. I just love listening to the morning wake up, while sipping a coffee.

6:10 - 1st gobble heard over on the mountain.

6:15 - 6:45 - Gobbles, gobbles and more gobbles. Sounded like 4-5 birds going back and forth at anything and everything. Even the school van backup beeper was making them gobble. Man they were hammering everything. Couldn't even guess how many gobbles.

Wow, what a morning for hearing birds, but these boys need to slow down. I can't remember so much activity on a Feb day. It's a long way until the season opens, but with this nice weather, they are not looking at the calendar. Might be hunting late birds on the 1st day if this keeps up.

[HFultzjr]

02/25/2016 - Same conditions as yesterday.

From just about 6:10 on gobbles and more gobblers. Maybe even more than yesterday. They were hamming across the road and behind the house. 45 minutes or so. Sounded like 6-8 different birds. Sounded like at least 3 in one group, 1 in a different place, another in a different place and 2 in different places behind the house. 45 minutes of carrying on like it was April. I think this is the most gobbling February I can remember.
Funny thing is, I'm not seeing many in my travels. But boy are they vocal at daybreak.

[HFultzjr]

02/26/2016

Wow, what a difference in the weather. Woke up 5:45. Heard the wind. Snow on the ground. 25 degrees. I was then kicked back to reality, that it was still February in Central PA. Went back in my hole (bed), as I figured the birds would be sleeping in also.........LOL!

[Brian Fahs]

I'm in south central pa. YORK county. HEARD a few on the farm this morning. YESTERDAY nothing and I know they were roos red in the same place as today. NICE to stop on my way to work, what a great way to start the day.

[suburbhunter]

A friend of mine said they were sounding off in York County the other day. 

[HFultzjr]

It's been so cold, snowy and windy, I haven't even given it a listen since my last post. Hopefully soon it will warm up a bit.

[HFultzjr]

My wife saw 4 gobblers the other day strutting just off the road, down from the house. All strutting long beards. 2 of them were "bumping" each other. Other than that, not a peep to be heard. Right now I'd guess they are putting on their snowshoes for the upcoming weather.

[TauntoHawk]

Gonna take a while to dig the north east out of this snow hole and push the spring Green up back a little.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[M,Yingling]

went to tie the dog out they was hammering  this morning was surprised as dreary and drizzling here this morning ,, must be fired up lol 

[HFultzjr]

went to tie the dog out they was hammering  this morning was surprised as dreary and drizzling here this morning ,, must be fired up lol

Nice!
This warmer weather should fire them up again. I'll try and get out the next couple of mornings and report back.

[HFultzjr]

03/27/2017 - 50 degrees, misty and very slight rain.

Good morning. Just before daylight had about 8 different birds gobbling in the trees. Over on the mountain side. Very well scattered along the side in many different spots. Hammered at each other and everything that made a noise. Cars, trucks, school van, you name it, they hammered it. Very exciting. Must have stayed in the trees an extra long time, maybe due to the misty conditions, but they carried on for about 1/2 hour. After they flew down, gobbling slowed down a lot, but still some. Didn't hear anything behind the house, except for about 1/2 hour after light. Heard 1 gobbler 3 times then silent. Across the road....they were having a party. Stayed out a little over an hour and must have heard over 100 gobbles. Most active morning this year. Also, some sounded very low. Down near the main road. Sounded like about 3-400 yards from me. The 1 behind the house was close. Very close. Maybe 150 yards. Yesterday I saw what looked like 4 birds down the road from me. All jakes.
The party is back on!