I live in southwest virginia and if you're a college student its hard to find a spot to hunt without paying 600 dollars or driving 2 hours to a national forrest for me. Anyway I have been hunting on my uncles propety on and off all season. The birds were hot to start with, but now they've shut up and quit roosting where they normally do. I haven't put much pressure on the birds and have never really busted any up. I was wandering if anyone had a theory on where they've went.

If you find the answer, you should write a book because we all ask that question at some point. I'm in SW Virginia too and the birds just aren't talking much after they hit the ground. They're probably still there but you'll need to have lots of patience to hunt them.

In Bedford County, I am seeing the same thing. They gobble once or twice on roost, hit the ground and shut up. I've had 8 or 9 birds come in, and not a single one has made a peep on the way! Although they aren't gobbling back, they do seem to be responding to calls. Find yourself some good sign, relax, call and enjoy the morning. And have your gun ready - not on your lap. Good luck!

Time to try some "bobber-fishin" as a good freind describes it.
Rely on your scouting and when you think you've been patient enough, be patient some more. Don't call a lot...maybe every 20-30 minutes...just enough to say that "you're a turkey and you'er over here".

If it's legal in your area, you might try some afternoon hunting...perhaps troll through an area walking hen footed and call as you go heading toward a particular destination...then sit and wait.

It basically boils down to this...are you willing to apply the tactics that will likey work (blind calling for hours on end) or would you rather stay more mobile and work through the area as you have been? Choice is yours - just have fun. There might be a middle ground however, you might try calling softly and glassing A LOT and move REALLY deliberately/slowly around the property...if you're lucky you MIGHT spot an old gobbler before he sees you as he's slipping in to check you out.

Have you looked in to getting a map, maybe from the school library? The DeLorme is pretty good. There's quite a bit of public land, federal and state owned, all over SW Virginia. Freddy has provided links here as well. Where are you going to college? I don't know of a point in SW Virginia that's 2 hours away from public hunting opportunities.... I will be glad to suggest some areas close to you via PM.