Where’d the turkeys go?

[TeeGee]

I posted the beginning of this in a different section, but just to focus on my current question here:

I'm new to turkey hunting.  Decided to try it this year.  Got all geared up, to hunt on the private land - about 50 acres - right around my house in upstate NY. Had a bunch of gobblers making noise all around my house, one late morning a week or two ago I had 3 jakes right off my front porch.  Then in the last week... nothing.  No sound, no sightings, no sign. I've walked the woods trying to get a response from a crow and owl call.  Nothing.  I had been patterning my gun in the area, so may have scared them off.  Or maybe the bad weather shut them down.  Or maybe the rut peak passed.  Or for whatever reason - as far as I can tell - they just moved on. 

My question is: what might have happened to them?  Is it possible they're still here but just quieter?  If they moved on, any idea why?  Did I scare them off?  For good?  Basically I want to know what happened to all the dang turkey! 

[silvestris]

I've walked the woods trying to get a response from a crow and owl call.

I would think that you have a Saldu problem.

[TeeGee]

Ok, I'll bite.  And a saldu problem is...?

[AppalachianHollers]

Ok, I'll bite.  And a saldu problem is...?

Seconded


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[Turkeytider]

Thirded.

[silvestris]

Ishi, considered the last wild American Indian, was a member of the Yani tribe in California.  The Yani referred to the white race as the Saldu.  The Yani would watch as the Saldu boarded the train (the monster) and they would say, "the monster ate the Saldu).  When I or Kenny Morgan went to a spot and were greeted by silence but found human tracks we would say "Saldu".  Nothing further was required.  Wild Turkeys will do whatever is required to avoid the Saldu.  Do not let them know that you exist.  Walking around hooting  or blowing a crow call is a good way to alert them that you are there and they will respond appropriately.

[Chordeiles]

Ishi, considered the last wild American Indian, was a member of the Yani tribe in California.  The Yani referred to the white race as the Saldu.  The Yani would watch as the Saldu boarded the train (the monster) and they would say, "the monster ate the Saldu).  When I or Kenny Morgan went to a spot and were greeted by silence but found human tracks we would say "Saldu".  Nothing further was required.  Wild Turkeys will do whatever is required to avoid the Saldu.  Do not let them know that you exist.  Walking around hooting  or blowing a crow call is a good way to alert them that you are there and they will respond appropriately.

This is the best thing I've read all week.

[Marc]

The population dynamics change as the season progresses.

Birds will stage before breeding in one area, and then often spread out into other areas as birds match up for breeding...

I feel like once a tom has established hens, he will stay in that area, and roost in a similar spot until those hens are on the nest.

Bachelor birds are more likely to move around and change roosts moving into and out of areas, as are unattached jakes (in my experience).

Once the hens are all nested, the toms (and jakes) seem to be a bit more nomadic, and I have had birds completely move off of areas that were infested earlier, and had birds move into areas that showed no signs of birds earlier.

Today I had to go to the office (last day of the season), and hunted a small area of public access near my office so I went for a quick hunt...  I have previously driven by, tried to roost birds, listened, called etc., and never heard or seen a bird there yet...  This morning it was like someone dropped off a bunch of turkeys...

Maybe birds moved in?  Maybe reduced hunting pressure (at the end of the season) made them more vocal?  Maybe the hens are all on the nest, and now there are a bunch of horny toms looking for love?

[TeeGee]

Thank you for that answer.  Very helpful. 

The saldu answer was somewhat less helpful.  But I appreciate that too.  And, actually, totally agree.

[GobbleNut]

For me, your situation and concerns require a bit more clarification in order for me to guess what might be the problem.  First of all, fifty acres is a pretty small area.  Turkeys will move off of an area that size pretty regularly.  So my first question is, what kind of hunting pressure is there in the area surrounding your 50 acres? 

If the surrounding area gets hunted much, part of the disappearance you speak of could be due to some of those gobblers getting killed.  In addition, if there is significant hunting pressure, the turkeys in the area will most definitely adjust their behavior to avoid it (perhaps this is part of the "Saldu affect" mentioned)

On the other hand, if the area gets little or no hunting pressure, it could be that your birds have just "moved on" for a bit.  If that is the case, you just need to spend some time figuring out where they have gone to.  For me, that would involve two primary things:  1) listening in the very early daylight hours (first light until sun-up) for gobbling in surrounding areas,...and 2) visually looking for turkeys in the surrounding areas. 

Finally, whether or not your activities (hiking, shooting, locating) have moved your turkeys away depends a lot on how much human activity regularly occurs in the area you are hunting.  Again, if there is a lot of hunting activity there, turkeys will become more secretive and try to avoid human contact. 

On the other hand, if there is little hunting pressure,...and a good amount of "other" human activity there (hikers, bicyclers, mushroom hunters, etc.), turkeys will become accustomed to that and their activities will be much less impacted by human presence,...that is, as long as there is no perceived danger such as that as a result of hunting. 

Bottom line is that there could be a multitude of potential reasons for your dilemma in finding those birds.  Sorting those reasons out will go a long ways towards solving the mystery of the missing turkeys.

[TeeGee]

Thanks for the considered reply.  There is essentially zero hunting pressure right here.  My neighbor hunts deer and bear in the fall, but the turkeys in this one spot do not get hunted.  Perhaps, if they wander to other bordering areas that I'm not aware of - across the river - they might be.  But in this one patch it's just us.  As for other human activity - it's not a lot, but they do surely see me and my family occasionally hiking through the woods.  They've definitely encountered my dog, who ranges pretty far throughout the woods.  But I gather they're not all that bothered, or they wouldn't have been hanging around in the first place. 

The good news, as of this morning: some turkeys came back!  Or they never left, but just decided to talk again today.  The weather turned from a week of rain to beautiful and warm, so maybe that had something to do with it.  They're still quieter than before but I feel much better knowing they're at least a few still out there, and possibly more. 

Now, based on my experience this morning - my very first attempted hunt - I've got a million more questions.  But I'll save them for a different, appropriate thread...

[GobbleNut]

Good to hear they're back, TeeGee.  From what you are saying, (i.e....no hunting pressure), I suspect you will do fine with your birds.  Basic strategy at this point:
1) Be out early and determine where the birds are roosting by listening for gobbling. 
2) If they are on the fifty acres,....or close by,...set up 75-100 yards away from the roost, wait until they fly down out of the trees, and then call to them using basic yelps.
3) See what they do.  If they don't come to you, take note of what they did and where they went.
4) Maybe stay and call for a while (as long as your patience will allow) and hope a gobbler comes to investigate. (Whatever you do, try not to let them associate your turkey calling with YOU)
5) No luck,...go back the next morning and set up where the turkeys went the day before.
...In your situation, you will almost certainly eventually have a chance at one of the gobblers doing this,...assuming you have enough days to hunt. 

[POk3s]

Ishi, considered the last wild American Indian, was a member of the Yani tribe in California.  The Yani referred to the white race as the Saldu.  The Yani would watch as the Saldu boarded the train (the monster) and they would say, "the monster ate the Saldu).  When I or Kenny Morgan went to a spot and were greeted by silence but found human tracks we would say "Saldu".  Nothing further was required.  Wild Turkeys will do whatever is required to avoid the Saldu.  Do not let them know that you exist.  Walking around hooting  or blowing a crow call is a good way to alert them that you are there and they will respond appropriately.

That is one of the greatest things I've ever read. If any of you ever come to elk hunt, the same applies!

TeeGee, I would just reinforce the idea to treat your 50 acres a little more carefully. You basically have no room for error. Set up at the most likely places and hunt them that way. Walking around blowing locator calls is pretty risky for bumping birds back to wherever they just were that made them feel safe! Good luck!!

[Marc]

As other have mentioned, 50 acres is fairly small...  The harassment of birds while hunting, much less killing a single bird can move birds...  Certainly hunting pressure moves birds quickly...  As can a neighbor doing work with equipment, or a neighbor riding dirt bikes or quads, or building a new corral, etc...

I also feel that there have been times where I have killed a bird (with other birds) with a call I like, and that call can become less effective after...  I do not think they recognize your calling as a "fake call" but may there is some association with "that hen and danger?"  I feel that might also apply with decoy use as well...

I know that turkeys are not supposed to have a "memory," but I do feel that with limited populations of birds being hunting in smaller areas, that birds being shot over specific calls or decoys, might be hesitant to come back, if not avoid those same calls and decoys.  I feel strongly enough about this, that I keep track of the calls used to kill birds, and the calls used when I was "busted."

[TeeGee]

Got it, thanks for all the helpful replies.  No gobblers have come in yet.  I have now seen a pair of hens working a regular pattern.  They came within 10 yards of where I was set up so I guess my Camo is working at least.  No Toms with them though.  Think I should keep on those same spots where I've seen the hen pair, or if there are consistently no Toms with them should I try to work someplace else?