I hate NY....

[turkeygirl]

Why do I have to have the hardest time with turkeys....why....went out tonight on the land up behind the house....no response to an owl or gobble call....other night was over on the state land....more of an emergency stop on the way home from clinical....no responses.....

Guess I need to put in some mornings...just a little discouraging...

Any tips or suggestions on what I should be doing or not doing?

[western NY bowhunter]

You'll have far more luck locating turkeys in the morning while they're still on the roost (prior to flydown) than in the evenings. Right now, once the gobblers hit the ground they're getting covered up with hens and are doing alot more stutting then gobbling. Also, try a crow call instead of the owl hooter...I've had birds hammerring to mine every morning I've been out for over the two weeks now.

[turkeygirl]

I'm going to try hitting the woods tomorrow morning. Driving over to college this AM, saw a field behind a persons has, and saw a big tail fan amongst some feeding turkeys, I went "Oh maaannn!" lol

[Rhino]

I wouldn't get discouraged just because they didn't respond an afternoon or 2. Easterns just do that way more often than not. I don't recall hearing the 1st bird gobble on the roost in the late afternoon this year. I have heard wing beats though but I wasn't far from them.

The mornings will sure give you a better feel for what's out there but don't be quick to judge what's around based on one or 2 mornings either.

I went with a rookie turkey hunter Thursday morning on his place and we covered 1150 acres with my cart and never heard the 1st bird gobble. The previous morning we got on a bird right off the bat when we arrived at our 1st listening spot. 2 hours later I called the bird in...he missed.

There was another couple of days this season when from one day to the next we wondered where the birds all came from. One of my good friends was in this area the 1st 2 days. He said the 1st day a couple gobbled a few times and that was it. The 2nd day 1 bird gobbled a few times but quit before flydown and sounded like he was on the neighbor's property. My buddy went home but I stayed for the following morning to get a feel for what was there since I was about to switch to that hunting zone and the weather conditions would be near perfect that morning. The following morning 7 birds were gobbling in the same general area where he'd heard next to nothing. I stuck around to pattern a couple of them. 2 of the 3 birds I killed this year came out of that area. Go figure.

[toddyboman]

have to agree.....try listening in the mornings!!

[longbeardfever4ever]

have to agree.....try listening in the mornings!!

[turkeygirl]

Went out this morning...heard song birds...crows...geese....cardinal....robins....NO GOBBLES!

[Strut10]

Went out this morning...heard song birds...crows...geese....cardinal....robins....NO GOBBLES!

Uh-oh.

Was a good morning here for gobbling activity. Is there a chance that there are some terrain features that could be muting the birds??

[woolybear]

I know alot of folks don't like to locate with hen talk but one way that's worked for me to locate the night before. Hit them when you can just make out the sillouette of the limbs on the pre dark sky.
Really crank it up if need to reach out to shock one or two. No chance of them flying down and moving in on you and may just be enough to get him thinking of that lonely hen come morning if he's alone on the roost. Keep your distance and move in close in the AM.

[Flintlock1776]

Patience.

Weather.

Calling.

Decoys.

Cover.

It is an art to bring all these together.

If it is cold or windy the birds will be there but silent.

As it warms up you may hear the hens or the toms. That may be the time to start calling.

If you are calling do it only up to the point you see the Tom. Hopefully, he will see your decoys and move in. Don't over call.

If possible where you are hunting, make sure you are behind a blind or in natural brush that covers your back. You don't want to be a silhouette. They can sopt movemnt pretty good.

Keep at it. It took me years in some states to break my hunting drought. Then I had spells of just knocking 'em down!

That is why it is called hunting and not shopping!