What to do when no gobbling

[Elidepew05]

In Southeast Mo I went out opener to a new spot I'm not very familiar with and a decent morning a little windy didn't hear a single gobble and hunted until noon. I let out a couple of calls every 15 minutes or so. I moved every hour or so around the area am I doing something wrong? Normally I get to spot if I haven't roosted one and start with an owl hoot at daybreak then chase it. Sometimes If there is no response I break out a call. I'm lost I've been hunting for 2 years very seriously and have yet to kill a bird. Thinking about going out tomorrow the temperature is warming up to about 80 degrees and a low of 60. Whereas it has been slightly colder, will this affect the gobbling? All of this was public, thinking about hunting a private farm of 300 acres just doesn't seem to have a whole lot of turkeys on it.

         Suggestions, Thanks in advance.

[GobbleNut]

I don't know about others, but if I am not hearing gobbles at "prime time", that is, at first daylight in the morning, I am moving on.  It is as simple as that.  Mic. Drop... 

[Mick2394]

Agree with above, if I get to a new spot and I hear nothing at daybreak I'm going to find somewhere else to go, no point in hunting for a bird that isn't there in the first place...rule #1 to killing a bird is being where the birds are. Keep at it and keep looking and you will luck into one!

[jhoward11]

Did we scout this area before? You may give it one more morning. I agree, when nothing during prime time, drop the mic and move.

[joey46]

We've hunted an area we are very familiar with for the past 3 weeks.  Gobbling had been almost non existent.  Since it is private land I had run multiple game cameras that did show strutters in the usual spots. Decided to just go and sit and wait them out.  Last Saturday they began gobbling in the pre dawn and continued like the good old days.  You just never know. If not for the cameras it would have been easy to give it up. Stick it out if you can stand it.

[GobbleNut]

We've hunted an area we are very familiar with for the past 3 weeks.  Gobbling had been almost non existent.  Since it is private land I had run multiple game cameras that did show strutters in the usual spots. Decided to just go and sit and wait them out.  Last Saturday they began gobbling in the pre dawn and continued like the good old days.  You just never know. If not for the cameras it would have been easy to give it up. Stick it out if you can stand it.

I don't disagree with this position at all.  KNOWING gobblers are there is one thing.  ASSUMING they are there is quite another.   Example: In the country I hunt, turkeys/gobblers are very often miles between and where they are, they are very likely to let you know they are there at first light.  It is a pretty sure bet that randomly listening somewhere and not hearing gobbling most likely means there are no gobblers within earshot. 

Now, granted, I'm sure there are plenty of places where that is not the case.  However, knowing the overall densities of the turkey population, and the tendencies of the turkeys you are hunting to reliably gobble in the morning, can be an important factor in whether to keep hunting somewhere,...or move along to look for greener pastures.

[High plains drifter]

I think it's best to move to another spot, unless you know for sure they are in the area.

[hawgsalot]

Yeap agree but if you don't have another spot I would try again, get to a high spot, listen call, listen for a hour.  If nothing, then move around try to find some sign like scratching or get to the fields look for crap and tracks to give you hope to come back.

[Jfowler82]

Went to a high mountain spot to listen yesterday morning and heard atleast 10 birds gobbling could have been more . Gobble sporadically on the ground . Went back to exact same spot this morning and never heard a single gobble .

[Dtrkyman]

Go fishing!

Seriously though unless it is just crap weather for gobbling I am going looking for a gobbling turkey!

This morning was beautiful, zero roost gobbling, for some reason I was going slower than normal just enjoying the cold morning, made a smallish 3 mile loop and decided to plop down for a sandwich near some fresh sign, let the wingbone rip before getting into the PBJ and boom, gobbler one ridge over!

[TauntoHawk]

I usually get a whole lot of exercise looking for one that wants to talk

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[roberthyman14]

It sucks. But you don't kill turkeys from the truck.  You gotta pound the ground looking for sign.  I walk a ton of roads looking for tracks.  Our birds get lock beak after fly down the majority of the time.  You will find an occasional bird that will ground gobble.  Between 7:30 and 9:30 you better  get lucky and locate 1. After it warms up the dont say anything until the next morning.  Don't hear multiple birds from 1 spot anymore. Those days ended about 5 years ago.  Get famikiar with your mapping system.  Sunday we went to a bird I heard that was just over a mile away.  This morning was 3/4 mile.   Gotta know how to get there in a hurry. 

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[Neill_Prater]

I've been chasing turkeys over 40 years. They don't gobble every day. It's not uncommon to hear multiple birds in an area one day, and zilch the next. If you know there are definitely gobblers in the area, there's absolutely nothing wrong with your strategy. I've often said not hearing a gobble when hunting new territory really doesn't bother me. Not seeing other evidence of birds, however, does.



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[ferocious calls]

Turkeys don't always gobble on the roost. I raise Easterns and many mornings there are no gobbles. Short of a screaming crow, they are not talking. Just how it is. Knowing toms are around is the key.
A Ferocious shock locator can spark up an otherwise dead morning. Guys laugh when I pull it out, but they stop when Tom responds. Often just sparking a gobble from a quiet bird can put him in the mood.

Also Gobbler or Jake yelps can flip the switch.

[Greg Massey]

It depends if I know for sure gobblers are in the area. I will move around and see if i can get eyes on them or set up and do some calling in different locations on the place I'm hunting. It all depends on the timing and mood of the turkeys, I'd rather be out hunting and calling in hopes of trying to strike one, than watching Youtube videos...