Are people hearing birds?

I gave up turkey hunting for a few years for a number of reasons but I normally would hear birds when leaving for work in the morning around 5:30am. Last year I heard a few birds, the year before was more and before that it was loud in the morning.

I know there are birds around and one of the best parts of turkey hunting was waking up with the birds gobbling, now that does not happen, last year I heard 3 total gobbles while hunting even though there were birds around.

I live south of Ottawa, we do have a pretty high coyote population, might predators have them shutting up?

Think it might be just a high hen to tom ratio. Last year initially heard only a few calls right at first light than all quiet. Until the hens started to break off later in the season did the gobbling pick up.
At least where I'm hunting seems the toms don't need to call much to gather up their harem.

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

Until the hens started to break off later in the season did the gobbling pick up.

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Yea that's what happened here too...not a peep till almost mid way thru May.....the past few years I've shot a number of Turkeys that never Gobbled at all.....they responded to the call by just showing up, freakingly quite too..LOL..

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Yea that's what happened here too...not a peep till almost mid way thru May.....the past few years I've shot a number of Turkeys that never Gobbled at all.....they responded to the call by just showing up, freakingly quite too..LOL..

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Yup thought the distant gobble was a shocker until the last couple of birds that appeared silently with the first indication of their presents was the spit/drum they do.

I happened to be up Saturday morning at 6:30am and there was lots of gobbling. I also heard a couple of gobbles yesterday evening around 6:25pm. Definitely a pleasant change after the 3 prior seasons which were very quiet.

i am nowhere near ottawa but our area has some very high coyote population and i was out sat and sun this past weekend and different toms in different locations going nuts. plenty of gobbles, both were surrounded by at least 4 hens each. might just be the area / birds themselves.

I normally hear clucks from the hens but no hen noise, no gobbler noise, nothing turkey for the past couple years.
I was outside last night until dusk cleaning up, no roosting noises, nothing.

Monday I saw a hen behind the house, just a lone one, they are around.