I wish they would stick around

[sky hawk]

The same thing happens every year on our deer hunting property. Turkeys. Everywhere. We see them on almost every hunt. This year there has been a group of 6 gobblers hanging around together and I have seen them no less than 8 or 10 times. Saturday morning, they popped out in the lane behind us, and one began strutting and gobbling. Another group of 4 gobblers came out in the lane in front of us. The gang of 6 ran off the gang of 4, and then all 6 gobbled at once. Shortly after, a group of 6 hens walked up in the mix. So the count for the morning was 16 turkeys, 10 gobblers.

It happens every year, they are everywhere right up through the winter, whether we bait or don't, until around late March. Then they just fade away. During the season, I'm lucky just to see a few tracks here or there. There's usually one or two hens nesting somewhere, but the gobblers are long gone. Every year it seems we have more, and I hope this will be the year they hang around, but it never pans out. We kill all of our turkeys elsewhere.

 

[turkeyfoot]

I can Definately see the frustration in that. can you manage the land to make it more spring conducive?

 

[sky hawk]

I can Definately see the frustration in that. can you manage the land to make it more spring conducive?

The only thing I can think of is chufa, but 1) It would tie up what little area we have to plant food plots for deer, and 2) I'm not sure how well it would grow in our rocky soil.

 

[turkeyfoot]

The only thing I can think of is chufa, but 1) It would tie up what little area we have to plant food plots for deer, and 2) I'm not sure how well it would grow in our rocky soil.

Yeah it likes the sandy stuff. It does stink I hunted spot I'd come out drive by strutters mile away but rarely caught one on 1100 acres the surrounding habitat was just better spring material and like you they would show us just how many there were eating corn during deer

 

[treein dixie]

Have a similar place but always 12 hens never a gobbler and even corn want keep them there past January

 

[oldest school]

@sky hawk i feel your pain.
it is embarrassing to have to ask neighbors to turkey hunt when they know how good my habitat is.
Only difference is they dont even show up in the fall or winter.
last year with a brand new cutover not attracting any i have given up.
It's a great mystery I wish I understood.

Great pics sky hawk- Especially the first one. Thanks for sharing.

 

[hawglips]

Turkeys develop different areas within their home range they like at different times of the year. I don't think folks really understand why. Maybe improving brood rearing habitat and nesting habitat... hard to say...

 

[turkeyfoot]

I always figured it was a comfort thing with hens we as people can look at place and may think its perfect spring spot but if the hens won't use it the it ain't worth nothing. I've been fooled on several out state hunts going in fall thinking no way I'm not gonna kill one here come spring got thick nesting, open strutting areas grass hardwoods brood range close by creek with water big roost trees then go and dead silence not even a track. Go 10 miles down rd and they tearing it up. Instinct in animals is something else

 

[wolfman]

Turkeys develop different areas within their home range they like at different times of the year. I don't think folks really understand why. Maybe improving brood rearing habitat and nesting habitat... hard to say...

That's what I would go with. Need nesting habitat. Looks like you have everything else from the pictures. But turkeys are going to be turkeys.

 

[sky hawk]

That's what I would go with. Need nesting habitat. Looks like you have everything else from the pictures. But turkeys are going to be turkeys.

Well, we've got that close by too. There's a 5 -year, 100 acre cutover just 40 yards from the first pic, and some mid-successional cover all around (2nd pic). There's also a thinned pine section with fresh undergrowth a few hundred yards away.

I have seen it on many occasions - turkeys just like certain places at certain times of year. I can't figure it out because it's often very similar habitat.

 

[pcbuckhunter]

Personally I’m no turkey hunter. Oh, I’ll kill a couple when the season is in, cause the old lady likes to eat em, but I’m not the least bit concerned if they’re around my place or not.

The stupid buzzards stay on one of my places about constantly. That does make it easy to kill one when the old lady starts in on me about “ It’s turkey season, why ain’t you killed one for me???”

 

[josh]

Personally I’m no turkey hunter. Oh, I’ll kill a couple when the season is in, cause the old lady likes to eat em, but I’m not the least bit concerned if they’re around my place or not.

The stupid buzzards stay on one of my places about constantly. That does make it easy to kill one when the old lady starts in on me about “ It’s turkey season, why ain’t you killed one for me???”

Blasphemy!

Just poking

I’m obsessed with these birds and it is absolutely intriguing their patterns sometimes ... I have spots where they are present year round and some like mentioned where you’d think you’d have a sure thing because they are everywhere right now but won’t hear a gobble come April

 

[stilker]

Luckily I’m the opposite never see any fall or winter and they show up around February or march

 

[oldest school]

Luckily I’m the opposite never see any fall or winter and they show up around February or march

Count your blessings.
One of My SC landowners just told me yesterday of the huge flocks he is seeing now.
Well he hunts deer over massive corn piles. The corn and the big flocks are long gone by march.
We do this dance every year.

 

[turkeyfoot]

Luckily I’m the opposite never see any fall or winter and they show up around February or march

Lucky dog you got the right ingredients

 

[stilker]

Lucky dog you got the right ingredients

Yep around 50 acres of pasture surrounded by hardwoods and more pasture

 

[SpellNC9]

Same thing here.... had these pictures in March. No turkeys in April

 

[2nd Calling]

I'm no expert, gonna experiment this and leave my fall plots of clover and rye remain standing to provide brooding cover...I hope.

 

[Homebrewale]

They may have left once all the corn was gone.

 

[Jlc11393]

They are definitely interesting birds. I have the same problem, wrapped up in the winter with them and come spring they vanish like a ghost!

 

[Crappie_Hunter]

My guess would be one of your neighbors is baiting in the spring...

 

[Jlc11393]

My guess would be one of your neighbors is baiting in the spring...

Probably so! I bet it’s someone “feeding deer” year round!

 

[turkeyfoot]

Possible could be neighbors but at same time you could throw out piles and piles corn and if no proper nesting/brood range close they'll still leave come spring

 

[bshobbs]

Same here, I see turkeys during the fall thru spring, then they are gone. There are some hay fields about a 1/2 mile away they seem to favor. Plenty of food and nesting areas.


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[sky hawk]

They will hang around until late March or early April even when corn has been gone for months. By late April, it will be one or two hens hanging around, but that's it.

This is with PLENTY of nesting cover, and food plots that still have good amounts of clover in them, and a crop field on the property. They've got food, water, nesting cover, open areas, food plots and logging roads, some mature timber - a pretty good mix of everything and there's even a cattle pasture right across the road. There is no apparent reason for doing what they do, they are just turkeys. There may be places they like better, but this place has everything a turkey needs.

My experience is there are just places that they like year in and year out during each season. You want to be sitting on their springtime hangout.

 

[turkeyfoot]

They will hang around until late March or early April even when corn has been gone for months. By late April, it will be one or two hens hanging around, but that's it.

This is with PLENTY of nesting cover, and food plots that still have good amounts of clover in them, and a crop field on the property. They've got food, water, nesting cover, open areas, food plots and logging roads, some mature timber - a pretty good mix of everything and there's even a cattle pasture right across the road. There is no apparent reason for doing what they do, they are just turkeys. There may be places they like better, but this place has everything a turkey needs.

My experience is there are just places that they like year in and year out during each season. You want to be sitting on their springtime hangout.

What you got for brood range pasture and food plots not best that could be issue. I'm just guessing and I agree sometimes they just being turkeys does sound like they leave right at laying time so have think there is just area hens more comfortable with. I hunt public spots that look like the very picture of spring killing but nothing when I start scouting. I walk by several on my way to areas where they are at occasionally see track where wander through at some point but nothing to make me hunt there

 

[Aaron H]

I hunt a place much like that. Each year I try for a bird there because I'd just love to get one off of that land. Right now I have 6 long beards coming to my cameras- not every day but every few days. In the spring I only called up one jake about 8 or 10 years ago, let him walk away. I think they just don't like that property in the spring.

 

[hawglips]

They may have left once all the corn was gone.

I have a place where birds fall and winter then leave in the spring. I experimented feeding them corn to see if that kept them. It didn't. They left the corn to go wherever it is they like to go in the spring.

 

[30/06]

Here at the house we have no turkeys all fall and winter. Come spring a few hens and gobblers show up. Around June they disappear again.

at our club we always have birds but they are in some blocks during the fall that are empty in spring.

 

[Blackwater]

I went up to my friend's place to put some more corn out yesterday and the two track going to my blind was torn up the worst I've ever seen, especially under the red oaks. Come spring they'll be elsewhere no doubt.