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there is hope

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
I was out this morning to put out some mineral and went for a walk looking for sheds and turkey sign. This is the property I killed my first gobbler on last year and there were 3 more with him at that time.
I must have walked 4 miles without seeing or hearing anything. No tracks, No feathers, no nothing.(I did find a small forkhorn shed). This is in addition to the fact that all year we have seen no poults in the field or on camera. and we have had minimal sightings of any birds at all.

I was almost back to my truck, wondering where to hunt this year since it looked like the birds had gone somewhere else, When I heard what sounded strangely like a gobble. I stopped and sure enough there it was 2 more times. I moved up a hill a little in the direction I heard it and found a bush to stand next to for a little cover. He hammered three more times. it sounded like he was moving away from me and I never actually saw him, but the game is on....

...Theres a thunderchicken in them woods.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
Good stuff, Dante! Don't worry too much about the lack of sign just yet... I think a lot of birds are still grouped up and haven't dispersed. Sometimes the property I hunt in Carroll County is like that. It'll be completely void of turkeys in the winter and real-early spring, then all of a sudden, it's like someone flipped a switch... and they're all over the place.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Still grouped up in Morrow County, Dante.

I was standing on a hillside at 5pm over here and I swear to the Good Lord that I heard a gobble...
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I would not doubt you heard a gobble. Wednesday night we watched a big tom in full strut out in the field about 30yds behind a lone hen. Tonight we saw a tom in full strut while driving down 33 to Columbus. I don't know much about turkeys, but even a novice can figure out they are breeding right now.
 

xbowguy

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
29,633
234
Licking Co. Ohio
I've been watching a group of 13 for about 10 days now. Group has 12 regular hens, one with a 4" beard and 2 large Gobblers. The Tom's are doing their best to mount the hens. Haven't seen it yet, but hens seem to be letting the Tom's get closer than normal being they're in a group this sized.