Two weeks before the season opens, I hear toms tearing the woods down. Opening day, I kill my first bird. Now, not a peep. So, where are we in the life of the turkeys? I'm still learning here, so your wisdom is greatly appreciated. I don't know much, but I imagine we're just in the peak of breeding with all the ladies sleeping nice & close to their hunk so he doesn't even have to give them a call in the morning. He just puffs up, gives them a grin, and they go get a room. Is that the deal here?

On a related note, where are mountain birds vs lowland birds? ie-Highland Co vs Chesterfield Co? Common sense says that they would be a few days or a week behind whatever the low birds are doing, but are they cued more from the increasing daylight than they are ambient temperature & foliage?

And, the big question . . . preferred tactics for hunting during the breeding peak. Get close and try for a bushwhack? Call soft & gentle and hope to lure the hens in? Try a jake decoy to anger the gobbler? Call aggressively to get the gobbler's attention?

I think it varies greatly by area where we are at... Generally I would say our birds are still henned-up and breeding with a few older hens probably already sitting. I think the late green-up this spring (dry weather) contributed to the "late" start. I'm thinking that in a week or less it should bust loose again. Just be there when it does!

As far as tactics and the ones you listed... Yes, try those! Seriously, they've all been known to work. Late morning can be good right now as well...

I participated in last year's turkey survey and in looking at the results last year, the second week had the highest number of birds killed but the gobbling trend was clearly on a downward slope. I agree with Freddy in that mid-morning right now might be just the ticket to finding a workable bird. Keep after em' Peacemaker.

I definitely will!

Thanks for the advice guys!!

I wonder how my boss would feel about me just not coming in again until May 15 . . .