PA Season

[Cutt]

For those hunting PA, what phase of the season do you think we are in right now?

To me it seems as if it's winding down, as gobblers are roosting together? But on the other hand I'm not positive where we are right now?

Normally before the gobblers start regrouping you get them days where they are really vocal when they lose their hens. Just didn't seem to happen this year, unless it's still to come? Also this year in PA, I have yet to come across a late morning bird 10-12am that is gobbling his head off on his own, which is usually a tell tale sign of losing hens? Previous years I've always come across these birds, but not this year? Hope I'm wrong, but sure seems like they are winding down, with gobblers grouped already?

And if it is winding down, what ever happen to the good gobbling many claim, happens once they lose their hens? Sure dosen't seem like they're with hens and they sure aren't becoming more vocal?

[NYGobblergetter]

It's kinda like that in NY. I hear birds gobble some on the roost, but then shut down after they fly down. They may gobble a couple time afterwards as they are walking away, but then the woods get quite. I hunted before work today and definitely heard 4 different birds, maybe 5. But after 7 there was nothing. I walked to where I parked and did a sequence on my mouth call for the hell of it and the box call..nothing. As I am driving out, there is a struter in a picked bean field 300 yards from where i called from. He had to have heard me as there were just open fields between me and him... there was one hen, but she was about 100 yards from him...i hope they start talking more...i got one on opening day, but would like to fill my second tag

[Devastator]

i hunt pa and ny and we are behind cause of the weather we had.im thinking the last week maybe the best.don't give up.they are henned up something bad here in bradford co.

[anthonyjhallen]

I think every thing is late this year.  I am south of you in MD and things seemed to be running a tad later in the season than usuall.

Maybe El Nino? 

[NYGobblergetter]

Man, i sure hope its just late...my thought is that all the wet weather has prevented the hens that were bred earlier from laying eggs. Now that we are having good weather for an extended period of time, hopefully they will start leaving the gobblers later in the morning. For what its worth, the second peak gobbling period is supposed to be around may 14th in NY.

[Ol'Mossy]

I've been getting into birds since last Monday, but that day I missed one, but as the week progressed the birds aren't acting right at all. Yesterday I got on one and he gobbled every three minutes on the roost but when he flew down he gobbled twice and that was it.  This morning I got on a gobbler and he did the same thing, he started gobbling at 5:15am and gobbled the whole time on the roost. When he flew down he gobbled at some passing crows and an airplane.  I started out with some clucks and soft yelping and he shut up for about 10 minutes. Then he started gobbling on his own again. I yelped again and he did the same thing. If you ask me I think the season is winding down around here.  Did any of you guys notice what color their heads are right now? Most of the ones I have been seeing have red heads. If they were in the same mood as before the season their heds would be red white and/or blue. I also noticed that the last 2 1/2 weeks of February was warm and they started breeding then thus cutting the season back 2 1/2 weeks early. JMHO

[Cutt]

I've been getting into birds since last Monday, but that day I missed one, but as the week progressed the birds aren't acting right at all. Yesterday I got on one and he gobbled every three minutes on the roost but when he flew down he gobbled twice and that was it.  This morning I got on a gobbler and he did the same thing, he started gobbling at 5:15am and gobbled the whole time on the roost. When he flew down he gobbled at some passing crows and an airplane.  I started out with some clucks and soft yelping and he shut up for about 10 minutes. Then he started gobbling on his own again. I yelped again and he did the same thing. If you ask me I think the season is winding down around here.  Did any of you guys notice what color their heads are right now? Most of the ones I have been seeing have red heads. If they were in the same mood as before the season their heds would be red white and/or blue. I also noticed that the last 2 1/2 weeks of February was warm and they started breeding then thus cutting the season back 2 1/2 weeks early. JMHO

That's the reason for my post I'm starting to think the same thing? Also running into same exact situations as you. I can only get out a couple mornings before daylight because I work nights, but expierenced the same with gobbling birds roosted together the couple mornings I did get out before first light. And to me with these roosted gobblers, one might have done well setting up within 50-60 yards as they then loose intrest if too far off, and my setups were too far.

Although working nights most of my hunting is from 9:00 to 12:00pm, and talk about dead. As I stated before not much late activity which has to make one think, it's winding down? Always have done well in years pasts with many harvests between 9-12, but they are definitely not acting the same this time frame as compared to previous years?

Not sure what to think? But I did well in Ohio, which started 2 weeks before the PA season. Anfd in my opinion the first 2 weeks of Ohio which were the last 2 weeks of April, had the gobblers sounding off a lot and coming to calls like the hens were starting to nest then? Hope I'm wrong, but with what I expierenced in Ohio, with good gobbling and now not much at all, I was thinking the same as the season ran a bit earlier this season?

[clarksvalley]

i think things here have been kinda late due to all the bad weather.haven`t been hearing as many birds this year as other years.most of the gobbling has been on the roost and quiet after that.got on some birds saturday gobbled good on the roost and then quiet,went back thourgh the same area around 9:00 got one to gobble around 10:00 seen him 75 yards out still had two hens.killed one this moring at 8;30 gobbled good on the roost flew down and went away from me and went quiet.was getting ready to leave and hit another spot when he started gobbling up on a flat.until i got there and found a good setup spot without getting busted he was gobbling real good on his own.did some soft calling and sratching in the leaves,gobbled real good but would not come in.so having to leave for work at 10:00 decided to call much more agressively and that what it took to break him pulled the trigger at 8:30 and he must of gobbled 50 time in 30 minutes.18lbs. 11.0 beard spurs 1.0 and .500.

[Fullfan]

Not here in the western part of the state. I killed my two longbreads, my son shot one and I called one up for my dad Monday morning. Bud of mine and his brother took a nice doubble this morning. I have hunted every day except yesterday and the birds are very workable, if you beat the hens to them. Have killed as early at 0558 and as late as 1145. Dads came witn 5 hens in tow at 0705.

[Cutt]

Maybe I'm just hitting off days and hours, who knows? As I stated working nights most days I do get out are 9:00 to noon. And in my area it's been very quiet up to noon, unlike years pasts with late gobbling even on their own? Maybe it's the pressure to as I only hunt Gamelands, just seems different this year?

I did make it out a couple mornings so far before first light and both times had gobblers sounding off on the roost. They did approach half way then eventually lose intrest though. I'm sure with both setups if I was within 60 yards or so I might have gotten a shot? Just don't put the time in for roosting because most of the time when I hunt I start at 9:00 anyways, mostly a run and gunner. But just seems poor for this tactic now?

I guess the best tactic is being close to roosts where the birds don't have to look far, as these have always been very easy birds when I lucked out in previous years within close proximity of the roost. And it seems most of the PA birds on the hunting site are taken within the first half hour? I just don't see the late morning hunting I'm used to, and don't understand why gobblers are together if they still are breeding well?

[M,Yingling]

  I got one the first saturday gobbling its head off and Tryed to locate some late friday 2 nd week  and the birds just were'nt gobbling  i know their there ,,i only have one day week to hunt ,I hunt game lands also and dont know how much presure their getting ,, Seen 2 lone hens this past weekend thats it

[PANYHunter]

i hunt pa and ny and we are behind cause of the weather we had.im thinking the last week maybe the best.don't give up.they are henned up something bad here in bradford co.

I'm with you timb.  The bird I got was right off the roost and I think he just came in to investigate.  He had a bunch of hens pretty close.  They aren't gobbling much off the roost in Tioga Co.   

[LUCKYS]

SAME THING IM EXPERINCING. HERE THEM ON THE ROOST. FOR A LIITLE AFTER FLY DOWN AND BY 7 AM I HERE NOTHING ELSE. I CAN HUNT ONE MORE TIME BEFORE SEASON ENDS. THE GUYS PROPERTY I HUNT SAID HE WAS SEEING SOME STRUTTERS EVERY MORNING IN THE FIELD TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE OPENER. BUT HAVENT SEEN EM SINCE. I HAVE BELIEVE ITS OVER. BUT IM GONNA GIVE IT ONE LAST TRY THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND, TRY MORNING AND EVENING. GOOD LUCK FELLAS!

[Borden811]

Every gobbler is with hens in the central part of the state(that I've seen). I killed one the first day at 10:45 am. Was set up on the same bird at first light. He gobbled 7 or 8 times on the roost, flew down and was surrounded by hens as soon as he hit the ground. He gobbled 5 times after that and that was it. I went back at 10am, called and he gobbled. I moved 50 yards set up, called and he gobbled again. 30 minutes later I dropped the hammer at 30 yards. It took him 15 minutes to strut in from 70 yads out, when I first saw him. I hunted the first Monday, saw 6 longbeards, 8 jakes, and 4 hens. All of those gobblers were with 1 to 2 hens, and nothing could pull them away. They barely even gobbled. I killed my second bird the 1st Saturday. He never gobbled on the roost, and I found him strutting in a field with 4 hens and a jake. He gobbled 3 times during the 2.5 hours  I worked him, until he finally followed the hens into 20 yards and I dumped him. I've been seeing a lot of birds strutting in fields with hens, and hearing gobbling at first light, and for about 5 minutes after they fly down. After that, they are with hens, and aren't talking much at all. I think the best is yet to come in PA.

[Ol'Mossy]

Don't give up yet, I heard two where I was today, a friend of mine heard 4 about a mile away. I think things are going to break loose soon. I did hear one gobbling his head off at 8:30 this morning on the other mountain, but when I finally caught up to him he had hens with him.