Hardest PA. season ever!

[HarleyRiders97]

This season here in NEPA is the worst that I can ever remember. The extremely warm weather in late March, April has screwed up the season greatly. Opening morning and only hear 2 gobbles on the roost, that's it......this is in an area loaded with gobblers! Ive been fortunate to hunt just about every morning (besides the 7 straight days of rain after opening day) and the gobbling activity is just about non-existant. The past two mornings were beautiful except for the fact that there were no gobbles at all. I know they are here as we see them in fields each and every day. The toms are bunched up in bachelor groups ( kind of odd for this early in May). I just don't have an answer for this odd season here in NEPA. Anyone else having troubles in the spring woods????

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

Nope.......... Cant say that I am or that of another buddy of mine. Of course were in the SW corner of the state. We've both shot our 1st birds already and have been into them most days. We can only hunt until 6:30am or so, so the hunts are short, but there hasn't been a lack of gobbling activity. Another friend has been into them as well, but hasn't shot one yet.

Not sure what to tell you except to get super close to where they are roosting. If that means getting there an hour before light, do it. There has to be a hen or gobbler somewhere thats talking, even if its just briefly.

[Wolframfan]

Last week in NY I saw 5 longbeards grouped up as you stated and not a hen in sight. This really got me to thinkin' and the more I thought about it the more confused I got... But after 3+ hours of working them, one got dead.

[Gobbler]

I got skunked last year down in FLA. Kinda like you described. This year I over scouted. Had same bad hunting but at least killed one.

[Fullfan]

Well here in the western side of the state the turkeys are just being turkeys. Some gobble good and some don't, some come to the call and some don't.
we have mornings where they don't gobble at all. We have rain and yes we had snow several days ago. But it is spring gobbler season and we make the best of what we have been given. Headed up to the north central part of the state to hunt Monday and Tuesday. Big woods gobblers beware.

Keep after them and it will all come together. My son crushed our first evening gobbler tonight at 2023 hours. Bird started gobbling at 1845 and did so till his death almost two hours ltr.

[SwampDrummin]

I think things happened early this year. Birds were getting together in bachelor groups at the beginning of May in cent. Illinois (this is about parallel to mid/southern PA.) My last hunt I had two gobbling back in forth at each other. I was in the middle and thought they were coming to me....well, they met up 30 yards, just over the rise in the ridge and shutup. Now they're in full fledged bachelor groups. Buddy has seen two groups of 5 in areas where 1 or 2 would be in regular season. Youth season the birds were in full-fledged suicidal mode.

[MAK]

Last 2 years it's been odd in SE PA - neighboring farms birds would gobble, and silent at next farm -Cousin and I have permission to hunt 3 farms 10-12 miles apart - I had birds gobbling single or paired, and he never got them out of bachelor groups last year.

I was blessed to score on 2 birds early this year; and he's struggling to find one that wants to play.

Lots guys talk about silent gobblers / and or birds that ignore hen calling - I'm starting to believe they're going to 'school' on us; and patterning us!!!

Good luck those hens got to get away from 'em at some point.

[Grunt-N-Gobble]

I've encountered a gobbler this week that won't answer hen calls, but will gobble at another gobble call.

Didn't go after him today, due to the rain in my area, but ill be there tomorrow morning early so I can setup near his roost. Just gonna stay quiet and see what he does.

[Uncle Nicky]

No doubt about it, has to be the worst year I remember for finding gobbling birds. Everyone I personally know that has killed a gobbler this year has either been set up on a field with decoys, or has set up on a travel path near the roost area and ambushed them. Still have 11 days left, maybe things will turn around?

[CamoMan4025]

Well Ole' CamoMan is seriously depressed! I didn't even have a chance to raise my gun this year. The weather was bad and things just didn't work out. I went out to my one place that I always hear birds on the first morning.......not a peep. I sat up on several birds on the roost and when I called they went the opposite way. They were henned up bad. I can sit here and make up excuses all day long. I got pissed, upset or whatever and almost said......."F" it. I guess I will always have next spring???