When do you usually see the peak activity as far as toms fighting and answering calls all the time. I ask because PA's season doesn't start until the first week of May and from what I have experienced things are all fired up in April and seem to diminish into May which makes for slow hunting.
I agree that they are starting to slow down by may but they are still rocking. Missouri's season starts april 21 and runs through may 11. I would like to see it start april first and run to the end of april. I tend to think that that is the best time. Youth season for Mo is the 12 and 13 and i think that is always the best time
From what i understand, the DNR likes to start the season right after peak breeding so that it is ensures that hens do in fact get bred before hunters hit the woods and start pressuring the birds. Ive noticed this with Ohio, the birds go crazy during the first and second week of April, and our season starts the third. By the second week in May, alot of the birds have been pressured into silence, shot and killed or bumped off their breeding grounds, hunting has become pretty futile at that point.
The only time I have hunted in April was last year down in kentucky. I usually always buy the over the counter tag here in michigan and it doesnt start till after the first week of May. Never have had a problem with birds being quite unless the weather is real bad. One season i hunted all the way till the last weekend of May and they where still gobbling on the roost but then kinda hushed once they hit the ground. Diffrent areas are ggoing to have diffrent results I think.
Cold up north this year, should hold them off a little while, usually our youth weekend in VT is the best as well, but maybe we will have a little different action this year!
Answers vary depending on where you're located. However I've had my best hunts in late April/ early May.
