# Quiet so far in the SE



## skinl19 (Feb 15, 2012)

In spite of locating roosting birds and seeing evidence of where others have been foraging I have yet to hear a gobbler in the early mornings or in the evenings here in SE MI. Seems to me that in past years I had heard Tom's by now with less than three weeks to the start of the season. Maybe old age is making me forgetful. How about others, are they sounding off where you are?


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

I've been hearing some talking in the SE. Not a lot as they're still grouped and there's no reason for them to holler that much. 

They'll bust up within a week or two.


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## 03a3 (Sep 4, 2008)

Firefighter said:


> I've been hearing some talking in the SE. Not a lot as they're still grouped and there's no reason for them to holler that much.
> 
> They'll bust up within a week or two.
> 
> I went scouting yesterday and saw 50 plus turks in one corn field.


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## 03a3 (Sep 4, 2008)

I was scouting yesterday and saw 50 plus turks in one corn field about a mile from my house now just waiting for them to brake up.


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## Wallis (Nov 10, 2015)

Here in mid Michigan, I was on my deck grilling in the rain last night and heard one gobbling his fool head off. I grabbed my mouth call and every yelp he'd hammer back. He sounded like a jake in the distance but as he topped my pond bank it looked like he had a water moccasin latched on to his chest. Fun stuff!!! It especially was fun to see him meet up with the hens that came across the road. They weren't digging him at all! lol I'm sure if they carried rape whistles that they would have been blue in the face. I'm so fired up about turkey season I may get an April 17th tag instead of buying my May license. 
Before I start getting yelled at for educating birds, I don't hunt these guys.


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Wallis said:


> Here in mid Michigan, I was on my deck grilling in the rain last night and heard one gobbling his fool head off. I grabbed my mouth call and every yelp he'd hammer back. He sounded like a jake in the distance but as he topped my pond bank it looked like he had a water moccasin latched on to his chest. Fun stuff!!! It especially was fun to see him meet up with the hens that came across the road. They weren't digging him at all! lol I'm sure if they carried rape whistles that they would have been blue in the face. I'm so fired up about turkey season I may get an April 17th tag instead of buying my May license.
> Before I start getting yelled at for educating birds, I don't hunt these guys.



But someone does...


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

I haven't heard anything but have seen them north of my place and west. Bunch of hens and 3-4 toms.


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## Wallis (Nov 10, 2015)

Firefighter said:


> But someone does...


Ehhhh there are a cpl guys that hunt turkey in a 4 section block around me besides myself. They are so good at turkey hunting that they need the extra challenge. If you don't believe me, just ask them. They will tell you for hours how good they are!


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Wallis said:


> Ehhhh there are a cpl guys that hunt turkey in a 4 section block around me besides myself. They are so good at turkey hunting that they need the extra challenge. If you don't believe me, just ask them. They will tell you for hours how good they are!


Lol!


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## langkg (Oct 26, 2004)

i did some scouting on Tuesday evening and set up my trail cam and heard plenty of gobbling. I'd say everything is normal in my neck or the woods.


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## skinl19 (Feb 15, 2012)

I heard a few this morning in a usual roosting spot. Not very loud right now and only for about 20 minutes before going silent but it was good to know that they were still in one of the spots I expected them to be. Now it's time to move on to a few more scouting locations in the next few weeks.


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

Good weather got the yards birds out n moving. A bunch of hens and at least 4 toms and couple jakes cut through behind the house.


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## Bowhunt (Jul 27, 2010)

Heard birds at daylight and then saw multiple strutters this morning.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I ride around every day. Up here they have really broke up in the past 4-5 days. My favorite place to hunt had 30+ longbeards two weeks ago with 15 or so Jake's and a gaggle of hens. Now they are spread out when I ride around in breeding flocks.


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## skinl19 (Feb 15, 2012)

What a great morning in the woods! I got out before the sun came up to scout a spot where I thought I had heard a gobbler yesterday evening. It was a spot where I had seen them roosting while hunting last winter. I didn't have to wait long to hear one sounding off as I was walking in. 

I didn't want to get too close so as not to spook them while they were roosting. When it finally started getting light I looked around and realized that I was sitting under a couple of trees full of hens! I watched them fly down and heard the gobbler a further away, now on the ground.

I got to watch the hens chase each other for dominance and soon another Tom was making himself known. Once the hens were out of sight I got up to leave only to see movement not far away in the direction that the hens had gone. A Tom was stalking a hen, all puffed up and putting on a show. I thought they were going to come in on top of me but the hen turned the other way. The gobbler was not the biggest I have seen but the beard looked to be about 7" so he was probably about 2 years old, typical for what I see in the area. 

Some bozo started making loud friction calls while all of the birds were up in the trees. The roosting area is within earshot of a housing complex and there may be hunting pressure during the season. Hopefully the birds don't get too wary.


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

I rolled out at 6:30 to take my morning whizz. Stepped out on the patio and they boys were gobbling pretty good to the north. Standing there guessing general location of birds and watering the bushes. A lone tom in his roost about 30 yards away from the house goes off. That was pretty cool never had a tom roost by the house like that.


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

This dominant feller was with about 10 Jenny's and wouldn't do anything but spit and drum when I yelped and cackled at him around 4 pm today, but would gobble until his throat was sore when I mouth cawed at him.

Hen flocks need to get to separating.

Killing a sub dominant bird with hen flocks like this would be like shooting fish in a barrel now though...


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

I was at the base this weekend. Kids texted me and there were toms on the patio Sunday morning. I got home, wife tells me it sounded like someone was hitting the glass Sunday morning. She peaked around the curtain and these two were fighting their reflection on the sliding glass door.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I saw about 20 of them out in an agro field in Macomb county yesterday evening at around 6:30pm. Fanning and fancy dances going on for sure.

Come to think of it, I think I'm starting to come into heat myself!


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## Lauren Allen (Jan 18, 2017)

Got up well before dawn this morning and went out with my hunting partner to owl call them and find their roosts to prep for later when we hunt the property. Found them in less than 20 minutes in a beautiful creek bottom with perfect scrub for setting up in. Roosting as pretty as can be all around it. There were at least 15 in the trees that I saw and the gobblers hollered back quite nicely. Considering this is my first turkey hunt I think We are off to a good start.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

Just got in from scouting and found 1 hen along the woods then two more in the neighbors field.Finally spreading out which is a good sign.


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## birdhntr (Jan 25, 2014)

A buddy I took to my spot last year and I hooked him up with a 11 inch Tom sent me this pic at his spot.Big flock with two white hens and one white Tom.What's the chances of me getting him to pay me back with that Tom.lol


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## skinl19 (Feb 15, 2012)

I have three roosting spots spread out through the local state land and one good afternoon travel area picked out for this week. I checked my favorite area this morning and hear two birds but someone has a popup blind set up on the state land near where I wanted to sit. Sigh - I thought this only happened in deer season. And quiet tonight, maybe the wind is keeping them silent.


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