New York Gobbling Activity 2017

[jordanz7935]

 I have been in the woods 16 straight mornings between hunting, guiding and scouting. Id say that half of those days had zero-minimal roost gobbling and maybe 1 courtesy gobble on the ground and that was it nothing from 5:30-noon. Id also say that the other half of those 16 days that birds gobbled good on the roost and fair once they it the ground. Most of the good gobbling days still had that period of silence from 6:00-7:30ish. Ive been lucky enough to bring 6 gobblers in to their death so far, and 5 of them gobbled fair to good, on their way in. 1 of the birds my client killed showed up completely silent @ 8:30. If there's one thing ive learned in years past is you cant live or die by the gobble. Ive always said they have more reasons not to gobble, than to gobble. Scouting, roosting them in the p.m. and slipping in tight for the next morning has been the key to success so far. This whole "no gobbling" thing has been a constant trend here in the northeast for the past 10 yrs or so. It certainly doesn't make for the most exciting hunts, but hunting them like deer is basically your only option when they aren't gobbling.Hopefully we are coming up on the mythical "second peak" of gobbling, i know i heard more gobbling this morning than i have heard in the past 8 days of hunting, so hopefully today wasn't a fluke and we have some good hunting ahead of us.

[culpeper]

For me hunting western NY and 3 counties in what we call the southern tier the gobbling has really picked up over the past 7 days.  This weekend the gobbling was strong on the limb.  They are certainly still with hens and the hens rule the show and where they go.  Like we say so often being setup where they want to go is very helpful.  Found a good gobbler alone on Saturday at 10:30...he was HOT, until I cooled him off at at 10:50.  He didn't waste any time and knew what he wanted.

It will be interesting to see what the warm weather we are about to experience will do.  It has been cool for quite a while now, it was 41 degrees when I sat against my tree yesterday am.

[turkaholic]

Birds must be on fire with this weather? Right?

[TauntoHawk]

 My buddy who has the ability to hunt at least the morning of every day of the season had called 1 bird in for a guy in the first 13 days of the season with a few close calls and a miss with a youth hunter. Since Sunday he's gotten 4 killed so I'd say the weather is turning a corner on the season and birds are starting to want to play.

[EZ]

I have been in the woods 16 straight mornings between hunting, guiding and scouting. Id say that half of those days had zero-minimal roost gobbling and maybe 1 courtesy gobble on the ground and that was it nothing from 5:30-noon. Id also say that the other half of those 16 days that birds gobbled good on the roost and fair once they it the ground. Most of the good gobbling days still had that period of silence from 6:00-7:30ish. Ive been lucky enough to bring 6 gobblers in to their death so far, and 5 of them gobbled fair to good, on their way in. 1 of the birds my client killed showed up completely silent @ 8:30. If there's one thing ive learned in years past is you cant live or die by the gobble. Ive always said they have more reasons not to gobble, than to gobble. Scouting, roosting them in the p.m. and slipping in tight for the next morning has been the key to success so far. This whole "no gobbling" thing has been a constant trend here in the northeast for the past 10 yrs or so. It certainly doesn't make for the most exciting hunts, but hunting them like deer is basically your only option when they aren't gobbling.Hopefully we are coming up on the mythical "second peak" of gobbling, i know i heard more gobbling this morning than i have heard in the past 8 days of hunting, so hopefully today wasn't a fluke and we have some good hunting ahead of us.

I have hunted NY every year for the past 20 years and what you say is true. This year, for me was the absolute worst. Hoping to make it back up soon.

[mikejd]

I have been in the woods 16 straight mornings between hunting, guiding and scouting. Id say that half of those days had zero-minimal roost gobbling and maybe 1 courtesy gobble on the ground and that was it nothing from 5:30-noon. Id also say that the other half of those 16 days that birds gobbled good on the roost and fair once they it the ground. Most of the good gobbling days still had that period of silence from 6:00-7:30ish. Ive been lucky enough to bring 6 gobblers in to their death so far, and 5 of them gobbled fair to good, on their way in. 1 of the birds my client killed showed up completely silent @ 8:30. If there's one thing ive learned in years past is you cant live or die by the gobble. Ive always said they have more reasons not to gobble, than to gobble. Scouting, roosting them in the p.m. and slipping in tight for the next morning has been the key to success so far. This whole "no gobbling" thing has been a constant trend here in the northeast for the past 10 yrs or so. It certainly doesn't make for the most exciting hunts, but hunting them like deer is basically your only option when they aren't gobbling.Hopefully we are coming up on the mythical "second peak" of gobbling, i know i heard more gobbling this morning than i have heard in the past 8 days of hunting, so hopefully today wasn't a fluke and we have some good hunting ahead of us.

I have hunted NY every year for the past 20 years and what you say is true. This year, for me was the absolute worst. Hoping to make it back up soon.

zee

I am with ya. It's about 25 yrs for me now. Back then when you slammed your truck door birds on the mountain would gobble.

As Jordan said the no gobbling trend has been getting proggresivly worse in the past 10. In the last few years we are lucky to hear a gobble at all. We still manage to get some birds but it definetly is not as fun. I haven't heard a bird gobble in the afternoon in better then 10 years. I used to hear them rooste every night. Now nothing.

[jordanz7935]

Birds have been gobbling really well last few mornings. Ive had tons of action the last 3 mornings and I got lucky enough to punch my final tag this morning. Had 2 gobblers try to slip in behind me silent for the second morning in a row, they didn't bust me this morning, i busted him! I shot the bigger of the two 2 yr old birds with my 870 20 ga.. They have really been acting right the last few mornings! I'd say some of the best hunting of the season is upon us.

[BABS9]

This season has been great for me. I tagged out on Tuesday with a great bird. Shot my first the Wednesday before. Went with my buddy yesterday and we were able to fill his last tag. My buddy's dad tagged out Tuesday as well.  Birds have been real hot on the roost then shutting up and heating back up an hour and a half or so later. Just have to be patient and wait them out for that bit. All my birds and my buddies have been going down between 7:15 and 9:30.

[TauntoHawk]

My NY season starts tomorrow, PA and NE were great hoping to continue to keep the hot streak in NY. Have great weather, good properties and excellent friends. Have some youth hunters lined up for Saturday but Friday/Sunday all mine

[culpeper]

Well, I believe you guys are right....had 3 reports of kills the past 2 days with birds hitting well on the roost and again around 9:30-10 am.  We have a warm spell right now, but a cool front coming in later tonight with some rain then supposed to be cooler in the upper 60's for tomorrow and Saturday.  Shaping up to be an active weekend.  Good luck to all still hunting and here's to some great thunder chickens.

[TauntoHawk]

birds were fired up this morning on my first morning out for myself in NY, set up above two birds that gobbled non stop from 4:42am on and heard at least 3 others in various directions. They held up shop strutting and gobbling for a little while in a strut zone after fly down before they broke and came up hill following 4 hens. Shot the strutter for bird #5 on my season 20lbs 9.75in beard 1in spurs before 6am

See if I cant find a limb hanger for tag #2. Glassed one on my way out at another property in a boys club of 4 longbeards and 7 jakes that was a stud. 3 more out strutting at the farm i'm going to take a youth hunter to tomorrow

[culpeper]

TauntoHawk, sounds like you have a good area...what part of the State are you hunting?  Good luck this weekend

[turkaholic]

I'm a comin!

[TauntoHawk]

TauntoHawk, sounds like you have a good area...what part of the State are you hunting?  Good luck this weekend

I'm in Greene County, south of Albany. Properties are scattered from in the Catskills to right against the Hudson. From what I can tell without having hunted many other counties we must have one of the better habitats and populations in the state.

[jordanz7935]

Congrats Taunto! I put my buddy on his first ever gobbler this morning! What a hunt we had birds gobbled like it was opening day! Got to watch the show for a little over an hour before they finally worked over to our side of the field.He let him have with my 20 ga. It was an awesome hunt got everything but the killshot on video.19 pounds 9 inch beard 1" spurs