Here's a Q's for the ol'timers

[Darron B]

Well maybe not ol timers, but those of us that have been hunting these birds since the 80's or early 90's...........................

IMO, some of the best hunting in SE Ohio took place sometime around 1995-2001'ish. I can remember going down on the property and it was nothing to hear 6-8 birds sound off at first light in about a 200 acre area, especially before season. Now, it seems like I'm lucky to hear 2-3 birds on any given early morning scouting trip. Doesn't mean they aren't there, but from my experiences, these aren't the "glory days" from what I remember from my scouting and hunting adventures. One of the best memories I have during that time was hearing 8 mature gobblers in our stand of pines. After that year, I have never heard it like that again. In the fall, I use to get trail cam pics of as many as 50 birds in a flock. It's been several years since I have seen a flock that big, now they range anywhere from 12-25.

My question to you is.....................why? I know some of you may feel now is the glory time, but I would have to disagree, especially in the counties/properties I hunt. It seems like now, you don't hear as many birds. When you do hear birds, they are in pockets. Could it be the county? I hunt in Vinton, Adams, Ross and Warren counties and I can say by far I hear more birds in Adams and Warren County then Vinton/Ross.

[Hill Hunter]

I have to agree with you, the best I have seen it was the early 90s, one year we had a flock of 30 jakes and 7 or 8 big gobblers, it was almost impossible to hunt them, but daybreak was a blast, I ended up with a jake,there were just to many eyes.
I know out hatch has been off in my area for a couple of years, does the increase of coyotes have anything to do with it? I see less hunting pressure now then I used to, don't know if less poeple are chasing or if they are just going somewhere else.
I don't think we have the number of birds in my area we did 10+ years ago, I am like you I see flocks of 20 or so, it used to be common that before they dispersed I would see flocks of 75 - 100 birds.

[Buckmaster]

I hear alot more birds this time of the year on days like today then I do when the season comes in. By the time the season rolls in the peak activity is already done.

[FredT]

I can echo you guys. I really only hunt in Guernsey Co., but I remember in 93-95 ish I could hear 11 gobblers in the AM. We even took 2 off of my property of 15 acres. I used to have a nice roosting flock here before I built the house and mover in. But now I rarely hear any here or near by and I am close enough to SF park to hear some of those birds back in those days. The woods across the street used to always have 5 gobblers. Now they are rare. The park still has a bunch, but I have not scouted them in years.

[Full Rut]

Noticed this too and I hunt several counties, mostly public land. I started hunting turkey in Ohio , the spring of 01'. The first few years were some of the best hunting Ive seen anywhere. Never had an issue finding a gobbling two year old bird. The last 5 or 6 years have been totally different. I think parts of Ohio had a population spike for a while and now its on a down cycle . Not sure why...maybe too many cold, wet springs for poult survival.??

[Siman08/OH]

Here in Medina we didnt have many turkeys in the 80's, everything started in the mid 90's. Now its prime.

[Darron B]

I started turkey hunting with my father in 1993 (11 years old). I can remember we always heard birds and would usually see them as well. I can remember getting a late start so we crossed the creek and just waited. It was like a turkey farm, birds going off on every ridge. It's no where near like that now, at least in my area. Even when it would be dead on my side I would still hear birds across the street on neighboring properties to keep me entertained. I don't even here them on adjoining properties as much as I did back in the 90's. I sure would like to see those days come back.

I love to hear them gobble. I always tell myself if I hear one gobble, it's been a good day. Killing him is a bonus. In the past 5-8 years, I have had my fair share of "bad" days. Probably too many! I still manage a bird every year for the most part, but not without a lot of work. I find myself a lot of times hunting them like deer, just set up and wait. I by far have more quiet days than noisy days, especially in Vinton County.

[GMbuck]

My experience is similar in Guernsey. I went out scouting one year the week before season (about 1998-99). I Climbed to a hilltop in a secluded field before dawn. For a solid 5 minutes before fly down, I couldn't tell where one gobble stopped and the next one started. It was a continuous stream of gobbling. I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face.... I haven't heard anything close to that since.

Our population fell hard after that. It seems to be rising, but the birds don't talk much. I've had several mornings the last couple years where promising gobbling in the roost ended up with barely a gobble after fly down. I can't remember the last time I heard a gobble after 9am.

[Darron B]

Originally Posted by GMbuck

My experience is similar in Guernsey. I went out scouting one year the week before season (about 1998-99). I Climbed to a hilltop in a secluded field before dawn. For a solid 5 minutes before fly down, I couldn't tell where one gobble stopped and the next one started. It was a continuous stream of gobbling. I walked out of there with the biggest smile on my face.... I haven't heard anything close to that since.

Our population fell hard after that. It seems to be rising, but the birds don't talk much. I've had several mornings the last couple years where promising gobbling in the roost ended up with barely a gobble after fly down. I can't remember the last time I heard a gobble after 9am.

Me and you both. It seems like if they do gobble on the roost, it is very short lived. Anymore, I'm just happy to hear them on the roost in the morning. Atleast it gives me some hope they are in the general area. Don't get me started on trying to locate one at night. No joke, in my 17 years of turkey hunting, I have gotten one to shock gobble ONCE at night! And it's not because I don't try.

[traphunter]

I enjoy reading these posts.

I am not an Oldtimer, but I will tell you what I think is happening.

What seems to be occuring to me is the flock is really maturing in most of the areas in Eastern Ohio, especially around the Vinton county area since that is where the flock re-introduction originally began.

I hunt both eastern and western Ohio, and I can tell you that the turkeys in western Ohio are by far more vocal (and uneducated) then the birds in eastern ohio. The flock is much younger in western Ohio, and has recieved much less pressure for the most part. After a decade or so of hunting, these western Ohio birds will eventually turn more like the eastern ones. When birds get hunted hard, they either get shot or get smart. The smart ones live to pass on their DNA.

I think in some circumstances, there are much more gobblers then us hunters realize, they just flat out will not gobble.

I was hunting late season last year on a track of public land that gets heavily hunted. I was set up in an area that I had saw a big tom strutting in the day before. I heard 3 birds gobbling on the roost at daylight, but they became silent after flydown. I was sitting in a natural depression in the ground with my back against the tree. A half hour later I see a bobbing head come up over the rise, then another, and another. All together there were 8 swinging beards. If I would not have saw them I would have never known that there were that many turkeys in the area. These were silent (and smart) birds. Only 7 ran back.

[Mountaineer]

If a Bird gobbles it has a poor chance of survival..The trait or behavior of Gobbling birds is being bred out. The silient birds live so they pass on their traits... thats why are woods are full silent birds. We did it to ourselves.

[Hill Hunter]

Non gobbling birds I don't think is so much the issue as mentioned in the first couple of post, sightings are way down also, as far as education and non gobbling traits, I started hunting here in about 1980, so our flock had 15 years of very hard hunting pressure prior to that peek we talk about. I raise cattle and many of the neighbors do and around the pastures is a great place to get a feel for the flock size, and it is not what it was.

[GMbuck]

Originally Posted by Mountaineer

If a Bird gobbles it has a poor chance of survival..The trait or behavior of Gobbling birds is being bred out. The silient birds live so they pass on their traits... thats why are woods are full silent birds. We did it to ourselves.

I know that is a popular theory, but I don't buy it. Ohio turkey hunting is only about 30 years old. It seems if that if we could shoot the gobbling gene out of the birds in that short time, there wouldn't be a turkey alive in any state, after centuries of turkey hunting, that is willing to gobble.

[Full Rut]

I believe less turkeys=less gobbling. With less birds around it seems you'll get a gobbler and maybe some subordinate toms that will stay with a group of hens. They dont need to gobble much after flydown. They usually shut up when the hens get together. All they do is strut and feed for the most part. When you have a bunch of jakes and two year old birds that have been kicked out of the flock, these are males are looking for hens...so then theres more gobbling throughout the day.

[buckeyebigbuck13]

i used to hunt down in gloster and we would hear 10 birds like nothing they were all over and the next year we herd two. we have another spot between hopedale and adena by cadiz and stubinville and birds sound off pretty good they will gobble in the roost like crazy but they are normally silent when they hit the ground .. i think one of the best times to hunt them besides early morning is between 930am and noon . cause they will some times fire back up looking for an extra hen and it seems to be easier getting them in at that point by calling cause they think they have another hot hen . that or sit silently over a medow . i have seen them struttin already around here and i live in marysville . i hunt right out side of marysville and bellecenter area with my buddy .. but the one spot i have on the edge of marysville seems to have it days u will not hear anything at all and then one day u go back and ones gobblin and u get lucky . cause the first time i hunted there i had 6 to 10 turkeys gobblin in the roost and now i never hear them but i still have taken two more jakes off there and 24 1.2 lb bird . 24 1.2 lb i took last year on the second monday and on the first day i was out east and got a tom .. only thing i can say is stick with it dont give up and the last two weeks u can hunt all day . and idk if i answered any questions just thought i would add what i have noticed happen the past few years.. good luck to all