Birds have lockjaw!

[FlyFishNut]

I keep reading on posts that folks always wait for birds to gobble, etc before calling.

Well, I've hunted 5 times this year;  first trip saw two jakes or Toms (was way too far to tell), and killed a Tom last Monday and later last week I saw one run across the fire road 300 yards from where I was gonna set up.  I've seen tracks, too so they are around.  B U T, I haven't heard a single gobble!

When I shot the Tom I had been sitting 2 hours in a woodline with decoys in a clearing.  I'd not heard a peep and every once-in-a-while I would cluck or purr and never heard "boo".
Then the hen showed up and walked around clucking and 5 minutes later the Tom approached my Decoy and and then Tango Down.

My question:  I know there are birds around but I've yet to hear any gobbling or anything!  Is this unusual?  Am I screwing up by calling when I don't hear anything?  I figured If there was a turkey near by I could alert him and draw him in with a call. 



Thanks,
FFN

[OldSchool]

Nope, just use the same precautions that you would if you'd been calling to a bird and thought he was close. Just because they aren't gobbling doesn't mean they won't come to a hen call. But you already know that.

I like to hear turkeys gobble as much as the next guy, but when they aren't we can do some blind calling, try to stalk one, whatever. I'd rather hear them gobble, but when they're not, I'd still rather be in the woods trying than home on the couch.

Bob

[Greg Massey]

Same in West Tenn not much gobbling at all last Tuesday i had a gobbler come into my field look and just keep going the other way. i finally got him to gobble 3 times on his way out of the field he was like a train on a track never stopped. Opening day we had several turkeys gobbling and after that it's not been much at all. The weather has been the worst i've seen in over 4 years with 20 plus winds on most days...We are seeing jakes and hens everyday we are hunting.. Everything in our area has green out 2 weeks early this year..

[101st501]

Just last week I had a hen come up behind be and start clucking and cutting.  This went on for a few minutes and then POW, two gobblers were right in my lap.  They never made a sound the whole way in.  I would have assumed because they were not vocal on the roost, they were no where around, but that is not the case.

[Marc]

Last season, the birds really shut up in my area.  I saw them on several occasions with hens, and I saw one go into strut every time I called.

I also saw more predators than normal last year, and have to wonder if the birds stopped calling cause of that.  Or maybe it was just that they were already with hens...

I also killed a bird this year that did not gobble.  I heard him drumming behind me, but he never gobbled.  I actually got him pretty early, and have an idea where he was roosted, but even on the roost he never made a gobble.

Tough to hold out when you do not hear that activity...  I knew birds were there, but if I did not have that confidence, I would have probably packed up and looked elsewhere (missing out on a productive hunt).

My buddy has access to some property that was loaded with birds before the season, and has not heard a single gobble.  He is certain they have moved out, but I think they are just not gobbling...