Those with turkey tags still in their wallets may have a tall order to fill in the Central New York area. Being one of the wettest and coolest months of May I can remember makes it much more difficult. News reports indicate temperatures 20-degree degrees lower than average norms, and so far, the rainiest in the past 20 years. the past week around Cortland County, it appears that hens have come off their nests, and are looking to re-nest again. The lack of gobbling is another indicator. There will be exceptions, and like many things, it’s all about location, location, location. Like many of you, I see the smiling pics with gobblers with the obvious results of a great hunt on social media, texts, and emails, and there are hot spots to be had. Should you wake up to a bird that is gobbling his fool head off, you are a fortunate person in our area. I cover a lot of ground, so far I can’t buy a gobble.
The first nesting is thought to be the most successful for brooding, and has the best chances for poult survival. I believe we are looking at a second and possibly a third attempt at it. The cool, wet weather makes it easier for predators to find the eggs and will also increase the chances of nabbing a hen that may be trying to protect the nest. Second and third time around, the predators have figured out what to look for. Gobblers with well-stocked harems and hens out and about early and late in the day are not what you want to see in the last week of the season. If your areas, honey holes, are way down in turkey sightings, it might be good to let it rest, or hunt more fruitful hunting grounds. My scouting from last fall to the present so far has me checking all my spots to keep track, but declining to hunt them there. My personal choice is not to be that one hunter who takes the last gobbler left in an area. I have always thought it best to leave plenty for the next season and not overhunt great parcels of turkey woods.
Having started turkey hunting in 1993, I have memories of many spots I hunted with dozens upon dozens of gobblers targeted to hunt and pursue. Fast forward 33 seasons, I foresee a one-tag only in the spring coming or possibly a temporary hold for several seasons to improve and protect the populations, but that, of course, is decided on much more than my single anecdotal data point by the wildlife biologists and managers at NYSDEC. With much more research underway, the results and determinations are highly anticipated for what comes next in the great Empire State.
I have a few spots in the county and several invites in other areas of the state that I may still hunt before our Viking Diva makes a curtain call. With decent-sized flocks at hunting grounds that I do spend time at, it might be a very quiet and patient style of hunting. With another week of rain predicted, I’m not at all concerned about having a tag left in my pocket. Not my first rodeo.
As difficult as it may appear, where you hunt, all is not lost. Time for old school tactics. Without much gobbling, patience, and scouting are your tools. Roosting in our area has not produced much this season, but a chance sighting or a shock gobble jerked out of a gobbler at the last slivers of daylight may be the key to putting you on a long beard the following morning. After three weeks of being hunted, the birds are going to be coy and very cautious. More so than normal. The foliage and cover are thick and as green as we have ever had. With the grass in the fields getting very tall, plowed fields and open ridge tops are likely spots to find them.
Not likely you will get second chances on sloppy hunting. This means quiet walking, no unnatural noises or lids of box calls squeaking, etc. You may get a bird to gobble or only cluck at you one time. It may take an hour before they appear. Spit and drumming while they strut may be the only thing you hear. Again, you need to be focused and ready. When it does happen it will likely be fast, with the gobbler departing if he does not see what he came for. You will likely have better success by toning down the calling or at least testing the waters before getting aggressive with your calls. Remember by now they have heard it all, and will be suspect of a mouthy ‘hen’ that doesn’t shut up. Even the jakes will be three weeks wiser, and be just as hard to call to the gun. Soft clucks. whines and purr’s will get the job done.
Like many of you, I got into turkey hunting for the heart pounding action, and thundering gobbles. Not much of that this year. This season I experienced mornings of hard gobbling in Texas and Maine, not the case here in my spots in NY. So far, I have not had those periods of three and four days of excited gobbling that we usually get. Weather. reduced populations and hen availability have a big role in that. I filled my first tag on a morning with a single gobble by revisiting a known roost and good positioning of the gobbler with five hens in tow. He was a good bird, and glad to have got him, but I do love to hear them gobble.
From here until the last day, you may only hear a cluck, a fly down or fly up, that may be as much as you will hear. The rewards for sticking it out, and being patient may be a big old gobbler. Some of the oldest and more difficult gobblers are tagged near the very end of May, and well worth the effort.
BTW, much of this is repeated from a post made in 2011, and bits of commentary from other wet cool springs in Central New York.
Good luck on the final days of season!
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
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