Tom:

I do not find this too unusual. We regularly see large "groups" (40+) of mature gobblers over winter and on into about this time in the spring. There are, of course, some smaller groups.

I suspect for your area you are coming off several productive seasons. What would be interesting would be to try and establish a hens/gobbler ratio.

A few years ago I happened to look out the window and saw a line of turkeys emerging from the woods. They marched across the pasture single file. All 26 of them were long beard gobblers, not a hen or jake in the bunch. Ironically, that spring was almost devoid of gobbling.

Bachelor groups.





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No turkeys were out in the fields tonight, gobblers or hens. No deer either which is a bit unusual for an overcast and light rain evening.

it has been stormy all day here in north miss. so I did not get to hunt today but I sure thought about it...seems like I have turkey on the brain at this time of the year...I ve watched all the you tube turkey guns and ammo at least 3 times....you would think a fellow would get tired of all this chaseing turkeys for over 60 years...my first turkey hunt was in 1963....charlie

Charlie: Mine was in 1968 at college. Saw some and even a hen at about 5 feet but no gobblers any closer then about 40 yards and I was not going for that shot.

It was fun and though I dont hunt them as hard as my younger years I still go out when I can/want during the season.

BINGO!! No different than deer. Until it's rut/mating season, the bucks and Toms keep to themselves. Pretty much all my trail cam photos up until April show Toms traveling together and no hens with them.

BTW, our spring gobbler season doesn't open until May 1. Our PGC likes to wait until the majority of the breeding is over to open the season. Our gobbler numbers have been dropping lately and they will most likely do away with the special spring turkey tag next year. That tag allows you to take a second bearded bird in the spring season. The PGC already removed the use of rifles for the fall where we can kill bearded and non-bearded. I'd rather have seen them keep the rifles and only allow bearded birds. It is what it is.

I think they open the season a bit after mating season is in swing.

This morning out my bathroom window.
That big guy’s beard is almost a foot long. There are two bearded hens in the wide picture - far left is a bearded hen and 3rd from the right is another.


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We had a very mild spring upstate last year so they're probably one year olds Tom? I have never seen so many deer, and the grouse were up this year too.